If Mormons rank family so highly, how can they impose isolation from the family when serving missions?
by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 1
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First of all, I would point out that serving a mission is purely voluntary. While the Church does encourage every worthy young man to serve on, it is still a personal decision and a young man will not be penalized for not serving. Those that do choose to serve a mission know what the expectations will be before they leave. Second, I would not say that the missionaries are isolated from their families. The missionaries are encouraged to write a letter home each week and they can receive as many letters as their family members choose to write. They just may not call home that often. The main reason for this is that during this time period, the missionary is supposed to be focused primarily on the missionary work. Spending a lot of time on the phone with family detracts from this focus and can cost a lot of money in long distance charges. (Missionaries are also supposed to live very frugally.) As one who did serve a mission, I can tell you that I didn't feel isolated from my family while I was on my mission. I missed them, but I was not isolated from them.
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