Mormon missionaries pedal on faith
Tour De Worship 'The spirit gets me up every day,' missionary to Spartanburg says
Published: Saturday, August 3, 2002 at 3:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, August 3, 2002 at 12:00 a.m.
We've all seen them: two young guys on bicycles, dressed in white shirts, dark slacks and neckties.
What may surprise you is the two riders you might have seen in Boiling Springs are not the same ones you passed on the way to Pacolet, or riding along Fernwood-Glendale Road in Spartanburg.
Presently, 16 of these young missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints (Mormons) are on temporary assignments in Spartanburg County. Their presence here has a timeworn history that dates to April 6, 1830, the date of the church's founding in Utah. "This is something we do voluntary," said Elder Travis Kyhl, 20, of Richfield, Utah. "You're encouraged to do it. Not everybody does, but it is highly requested." About 90 percent of the young people in the Mormon Church mission program are male. The Mormon cyclists wear backpacks filled with The Book of Mormon and pamphlets about how to become a member of the fastest-growing church in the world. Kyhl, who has finished one year of college at Snow Junior College in Ephraim, Utah, acts as coordinator for the other Mormon missionaries in the area. Young Mormons who seek these two-year mission assignments face commitments, rules and sacrifices that would challenge all but the most devout. Kyhl views his willingness to serve in this manner as a repayment. "I do it because of the joy Jesus Christ has brought to my life," Kyhl said. "You want to share it." Joe Hughes, a 20-year-old from Lake El Senor (misspelled - Lake Elsinore), Calif., is Kyhl's partner on the current Spartanburg assignment. They did not know one another before coming to South Carolina. Hughes is a certified firefighter in California. "I've planned and saved for this for years," Hughes said. Both Hughes and Kyhl had put money away for their mission since they were in their teens. Both sold their trucks to help raise the cash needed for two years. There are 175 Mormon missionaries now working in South Carolina. Worldwide, the number is more 60,000. All elders begin their mission experience with a required training program at the Mormon Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. Each pays the Mormon Church $375 a month during their mission. In return, Kyhl said the church provides a place for them to live - and in the case of Kyhl and Hughes a Mazda Protege, because Kyhl works as a coordinator with other missionaries in Cherokee and Union counties. The missionaries purchase their own mountain bikes. They also stock up on white shirts, ties and dark trousers, their identifying trademark. "I spent about $1,000 on the clothes before I left," Kyhl said. Elders Brad Jeppsen and Ryan Bardsley, both from Utah, are assigned to work on Spartanburg's east side. While it is clear religious beliefs and faith are at the heart of their decisions to go on a mission, Jeppsen said he has benefited from the experience in ways he never expected. "We are all a bunch of guys around 19 to 20 who are taking care of one another," said Jeppsen, 20. "Our leaders are our age. This makes you grow up." Afternoon temperatures were in the 90s as Jeppsen and Bardsley stopped their bicycles along Fernwood-Glendale Road on Thursday. Bardsley, 19, said cycling in the heat these past few weeks has been a daily test of commitment. Those are the times when he falls back on his faith. "Right before I started my mission, I questioned a lot of things," Bardsley said. "I started praying a lot. I found my church was true. The spirit gets me up every day." Jeppsen removed his safety helmet as Bardsley spoke. "When you know something is right, you follow it," Jeppsen said. Both Jeppsen and Bardsley put college on hold a year ago when they began their mission. Both were athletes who attended school on scholarships. Jeppsen is a runner and Bardsley plays football. Mormon missionaries live structured days that begin at 6:30 a.m. with two hours of Bible study and reading. Workdays last until 9:30 each evening, with time off for lunch, and dinner with different members of the local Mormon Church. They do not read books, magazines or newspapers. Television and radio are out, too. "We do listen to some Christian music," Kyhl said. Many of the missionaries say separation from family and friends is difficult during their two-year missions. They are allowed two telephone calls home each year -- on Mother's Day and on Christmas Day. Rules prohibit calls to girlfriends, or dating during the mission period. "We write a lot of letters," Bardsley said. Besides their mission work, Jeppsen and Bardsley volunteer at several area nursing homes. "We do not share our message there," Jeppsen said. "We do manual labor." Each of the missionaries in this story has about a year of service left. Kyhl, Jeppsen and Bardsley will return to college; Hughes will become a firefighter. All of them say the mission has helped them find direction in life. "I wouldn't change anything," Bardsley said.
Gary Henderson can be reached at 582-4511, or gary.henderson@shj.com
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