Mormon Elders on a mission to Wexford
June 2000
Elders Anthony Howard, aged 20, and Tyler Peterson, aged 19, are two new faces to Wexford, and plan to be here for a while. But you won’t see them in any of the town’s pubs.
The duo are Mormon missionaries who have left behind their families and friends and put their careers on hold to spend two years spreading the word and trying to win converts to their faith, which has 11 million members worldwide.
Most missionaries on their return home go back to full-time education or out into the workforce. Their success rate is generally very high, due to the skills and sensitivities they have developed in the mission field.
Elder Howard comes from a town in California called Red Bluff. His interests are surfing, fishing and skateboarding. You may have seen him on The Quay in Wexford.
He left Kara (his girlfriend) back home to serve as a missionary.
‘ This has been the best time of my life. I’ve learned so much and grown to love the Irish people with whom I work,’ he says.
He is one of six children and has lived in Las Vegas and Utah and is nearing the end of his mission, having spent 20 months in Ireland so far.
Elder Peterson comes from a small farming community in Rexburg, Idaho. His favourite sports are basketball, golfing, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. He also comes from a family of six, with three sisters and two brothers.
‘My mission has been the most learning and challenging experience of my life, but it has taught me good work ethics, how to become independent and strengthen my faith to stand up for what I believe in,’ he said.
One of the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as the Mormon church is officially known, teaches a health law called ‘ The Word of Wisdom’.
The young missionaries explained that this taught ‘not to take any harmful substance such as tobacco, coffee, tea, alcohol, or other harmful drugs’.
‘ The restrictions for this law are because these things damage our physical bodies and harm our spirits,’ said the elders.