Mormon missionaries Elder Abeyta of Salt Lake City, Utah, right, and Elder Hatch of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, pedal down Daisy Avenue on Wednesday. The pair have been together since their training and have completed 23 months of their missionary work. Abeyta is on his fourth bike during the mission. He had one stolen in Stockton, gave one to a boy who had his own bike stolen, he has one at his apartment and he built one from parts of other bikes. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

'On assignment to teach'

Mormon missionaries: Who are they and what do they do?

It's a frequent sight in Lodi and other cities and towns across the nation: A team of two young Mormons, dressed in sharp, black slacks; white shirts; ties and bike helmets.

They peddle across town looking to talk to people about their faith and about joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The young Mormons who serve their two-year mission when they turn 19 must give up quite a bit while telling people about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon.

They don't drive for two years unless they're in a rural area, such as Amador and Calaveras counties, where it's too difficult to get around on a bicycle.

They aren't allowed to see a single television show or movie for two years.

They are allowed to phone home only twice a year — on Christmas and Mother's Day.

They are allowed to write letters to friends and loved ones once a week.

They must also give up their first name.

Eight missionaries peddle on their bicycles in Lodi, and four do the same in Galt. They introduce themselves as "Elder" followed by their last name, and they address each other that way.

"In Lodi, nobody knows our name," Elder Payne said.

"It's to give up our past life (for two years)," said Elder Zurita, who came to Lodi from Chile. "We're on an assignment to teach other people (about the faith)."

The missionaries, serving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lodi and Galt, come from such places as Utah, Atlanta and Chile. Three of those serving locally are from the Canadian province of Alberta. They talk to 50 or 60 people a day in the Lodi area, and five to eight of those people eventually become baptized as Mormons, Elder Payne said.

How missionaries are assigned to a location

When they turns 19 years old, church members have the opportunity to serve a two-year mission. They send their personal information to church headquarters in Salt Lake City, according to Elder Payne.

While most missionaries whom people see out in the field are young men, the church does have women and older missionaries. Women, however, don't ride bikes.

Church leaders ask missionaries questions about their knowledge of the faith, if they have read the scriptures and their opinions regarding different topics, Elder Zurita said.

A special committee of apostles and current church Prophet Thomas S. Monson assigned the Lodi group to the California-Sacramento Mission. From there, the Sacramento Mission president, known only as President Jardine, assigns missionaries to communities in San Joaquin, Sacramento, Calaveras, Amador and El Dorado Counties.

Mormon missionaries pose for a picture outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Church on Ham Lane on Wednesday. From left: Elder Lindeman of Atlanta, Georgia; Elder Bench of Ogden, Utah; Elder Rasmussen of Airdrie, Alberta, Canada; Elder Losser of Salt Lake City, Utah; Elder Zurita of Antofagasta, Chile; Elder Abeyta of Salt Lake City; Elder Hatch of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada; Elder Hull of Syracuse, Utah; Elder Payne of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and Elder Robison of Richland, Wash. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)

After six weeks, missionaries are considered for reassignment to another community in the five-county area. For example, Elder Payne has served in Sacramento, Cameron Park and Stockton before coming to Lodi.

Missionaries are in groups of two, with one of them having been in the community longer than the other. That way, he can acclimate the newcomer about what Lodi is like, for example.

Daily routine

6:30 a.m.: Wake up, exercise for 30 minutes.

7 a.m.: Eat and get dressed.

8 a.m.: Study alone.

9 a.m.: Study with one's "companion," as the bicycle partner is referred to in the church. They share ideas with each other.

10 a.m.: Those studying Spanish take their lesson to communicate with Lodi's and Galt's Spanish-speaking community. Others go out on their bicycles for the day, where they meet and greet people and share the gospel.

11 a.m.: Those who took their Spanish lesson at 10 began their bicycle trip, which lasts until 9 p.m. except for lunch and dinner breaks.

They bicycle around looking for people to teach the gospel. It could be someone at the street corner or working in their front yard.

9 p.m.: Plan the next day's itinerary.

Day of rest

Monday is their day to go grocery shopping for the week, do laundry, play basketball or other games and write letters home (they're not allowed to write any other day). Usually it's by snail mail, although some elders will e-mail from a computer at the Lodi or Galt library.

Loneliness

"Of course, it's natural," said Elder Bench of Ogden, Utah. "But our families know what it's like."

It's not any different from the loneliness servicemen and women experience, he said.

"The Lord blesses us, so it doesn't bother us," Elder Payne said.

The purpose of not being allowed to communicate with family and friends except on Mondays is to avoid being distracted from missionary work.

"It's important not to get lost on what you're doing here," Elder Lindeman of Atlanta said.

Missionaries only have church-issued cell phones, and their parents, girlfriends and other friends don't have access to the phone number.

If a family emergency like a death in the family takes place, their parents still can't contact the missionary directly. Instead, the call goes to the California-Sacramento Mission, and word is relayed to the missionary.

To compensate for lack of contact with family and friends, there are great people in each community who become your family, Elder Zuniga said.

Why do they dress in suits?

Missionaries wear standard business attire, including white dress shirts, dark slacks, usually black, and sometimes a dress coat. They all wear ties, but of different colors.

"We represent Jesus Christ," Elder Payne said, explaining why they dress so formally. "We are going to be united in what we wear."

Elder Bench added, "We have to give our best."

Church leaders recommend that each missionary has eight to 10 white dress shirts, three to four pairs of slacks, two matching suit jackets and two pairs of shoes.

Who pays for their shoes and bikes?

Missionaries pay for their own supplies, including food, rent, clothing, bicycles and other items. They don't get paid for their work, so they save money a few years in advance. Church leaders recommend saving $10,000 toward the two-year mission.

Missionaries give their savings to the church, which then metes out the money as needed. The Lodi missionaries live in apartments and the rent is paid by the church out of the missionaries' savings. Galt missionaries share a house.

Elder Rasmussen said he began saving money from jobs as early as his high-school years.

Elder Abeyta, from Salt Lake City, has used four bikes during his mission. One bike was stolen in Stockton, he gave another bike to a boy who had had his bike stolen, another bike is at his apartment and he built one bike from spare parts.

Dealing with rejection

It's something they have to learn to deal with, Elder Abeyta said.

"If someone slams the door in my face, I know I did my part," said Elder Rasmussen, who added that he was once sprayed with a garden hose.

Elder Hull said they want people to notice them, so if someone yells or swears at them from a car, at least they knew who they were.

Elder Zurita said he has twice been threatened by a knife in Stockton.

Only five to 10 percent of the people missionaries talk to invite them for a return visit to discuss the faith, Elder Rasmussen said.

Elder Abeyta said their job is simply to invite people to learn about the Latter-day Saints faith, not to coerce.

Confusion about polygamy

Most people realize that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not believe in polygamy and that polygamy is practiced by a different sect with a similar name — the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints, Elder Hatch said.

"Some of them say, 'I don't want to hear from you guys. You believe in polygamy,'" Elder Robison said. "They just want to get you riled up."

Elder Rasmussen added, "We ask them to read the Book of Mormon, come to church and pray to God and ask him if it's true."

Elder Hatch cited Jacob 2 in the Book of Mormon, which says that marriage is limited to one spouse.

Unique aspects of Lodi, Galt

"The smell of General Mills," Elder Hatch said. "It was awesome. I was thinking, 'What is this heavenly place?'"

Elder Rasmussen said he is intrigued by the Galt Market because he gets to talk to people from a large area. One day, he met someone who drove from Reno to shop at the flea market.

Elder Lindeman was impressed with Lodi's Farmers Market.

Elder Payne was impressed with how many churches Lodi has. Lodi has more churches than any town he has seen.

"They are the nicest people in Lodi," Elder Abeyta said. "It's like Pleasantville."

People, not necessarily Mormons, sometimes invite missionaries to stay for dinner or give them water for the road because they appreciate the missionaries for spreading God's message, Elder Abeyta said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.