Me the bad Mormon!

Last night we had the missionaries over for dinner. I like to do this occasionally because I remember what it was like being a missionary and how nice it was to go to a members house even for an hour to relax. I remember sharing a message of the gospel with the families and encouraging them to look for opportunities in their lives to share the gospel. Over the years we have had some good experiences with missionaries in our home and we have had some bad experiences with missionaries in our home. And again I remember what it was like to be so focused on the gospel in my life and not understanding why everyone else was not. And then I came home from my mission and began the grind of day to day life.

Anyway like I said we like to have the missionaries over occasionally and again we've had some good experiences and some bad. When we lived in Las Vegas and the missionaries lived in our same apartment complex we had them over once or twice a week it seemed until one transfer the new elder was such a pain in the behind we stopped for quite a while.

I really like supporting the missionaries as much as possible again because I remember what it was like to be out there and I really like having them come over for dinner and having them interact with the boys.

In my day to day life I try very hard to live my religion. I attend my church meetings, I go to the Temple, I pray, I teach my children about the love of their Heavenly Father and to treat others with respect and compassion. And when the opportunity presents itself I share the gospel with the people that I come in contact with. Everyone I work with knows I am a "Mormon". It is sometimes made fun of because I don't drink alcohol or coffee and though I do swear occasionally definitely not to the level my coworkers do. But I have also had the opportunity to share one on one with my coworkers what I believe and why and I have given out a couple of Book of Mormons. I let them know I am open to discussing my religion and would be more than happy to share more if they are interested. But most of the people I work with are very Catholic and happy with their religion, have no desire for any religion in their life or are people I don't interact with enough to share my most personal beliefs.

Anyway I digress. Yesterday after our meal with the missionaries it was time for them to give their spiritual message and head on their way. They start talking about sharing the gospel with our friends and asked what opportunities we have had to do this recently. We shared our experiences with coworkers and our neighbors and they start in on following up with these people. All well and good, more than the spiritual message I wanted, but I understand they are asked to do certain things by their mission president and trying to be good missionaries they are doing them. They then ask us to "role play" with them about following up with the people we have talked to about the gospel. Now this is me 14 years after my mission, sitting in my home, I am now 37 years old and the last thing I want to do is role play. So when they asked me if I would role play, I told them no. I think they were a little taken back by my refusal and repeated the question in a "Will you" format all missionaries are famous for and familiar with. And again I said no. They expressed how they understood it was uncomfortable but by practicing it would make it easier. And again I told them no. I explained I didn't have a problem following up with the people I shared the gospel with, but role playing was not something I wanted to do and not something I was going to do. I think they were a bit miffed at me.

So am I a bad Mormon for not wanting to role play with the missionaries in my own home? I don't think so, I'm just someone who is taking control of her own life and doing the best she can. And when I don't want to do something I am strong enough to say no!