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This Issue 01/29/2009

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College sophomore Conor Turley is a 22-year-old former missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, popularly known as the Mormon Church. Like many members of his faith, he feels a responsibility to live in a way that reflects his beliefs. As one of a relatively small number of Mormon students at Penn, he must represent the ideas of the Church to his peers. Many are curious about his religion and his lifestyle; some are just plain confused.

Turley, who plays varsity basketball, said many of his teammates told him that coming in they weren’t sure how they’d get along with him. “Many of them had never met a Mormon. They didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “They were surprised at my relative normalcy as they got to know me.”

But don’t let him fool you. Turley’s experiences have been anything but normal for the average student at Penn. Before coming to college, he embarked on a two-year mission to a heavily Latino section of South Chicago to spread the beliefs of the Mormon Church.

Young Mormons between the ages of 19 and 26, like Turley, choose to leave behind friends, college, jobs and family to go on these traditional missions. For men, the mission lasts for two years; for women, about 18 months. Members are encouraged, not forced, to serve these missions, which they fund themselves. The entry process is relatively simple: a bit of paperwork, then waiting for the assignment, which can be anywhere in the world — and over which the missionary has no control. Placement is contingent largely on need and the inspiration of the mission leader or president, who is a former missionary contacted by church leadership and elected to that role. For Turley and others like him, the opportunity to serve a mission is a defining experience in their lives.