Elder Howard, 21, and Elder Knowlton, 22, share an apartment, a car and a cell phone. They spend every day together, but they’ve only known each other for six weeks.
Howard and Knowlton are missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who serve others and share their faith on the University campus. Young men and women of the church who choose to become missionaries serve for two years in a location assigned to them by the church.
“It could be anywhere in the world,” Knowlton said. “When I got the call to Louisiana, I was pretty excited because it’s probably the most foreign place you can go without leaving the United States.”
Knowlton said there are about 160 to 170 missionaries from the LDS Church currently in Louisiana; they do community service and teach about their faith. They also spend time ministering to people in the LDS churches, called wards.
Howard said serving on LSU’s campus is a new experience compared to serving in other places.
“The way the work is done is different,” Howard said. “In other areas, you usually have a lot of teaching appointments and a lot of service. Here, it’s more about talking to people, getting to know them and helping them out.”
After finding out where they will go, missionaries train for their mission for two to nine weeks before going to their region of service, where they are paired with a companion missionary.
While on mission they must pay for their own expenses. Their days are planned from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with seven hours of each weekday devoted to service in the community and sharing the beliefs of the LDS Church with others. They have limited contact with their families, and may only call or Skype twice a year.
“We don’t do things like watching TV, and we don’t listen to worldly music,” Knowlton said. “We never leave each other’s side except to go to the bathroom.”
Every six weeks the missionaries in Louisiana have the opportunity to be transferred to a new area of the state or to receive a new companion. A member of the church orchestrates the transfers for missionaries.
Howard and Knowlton are each other’s seventh companion during their time in Louisiana. Knowlton began his mission a year and a half ago, and Howard, a year ago. Before becoming missionaries, they attended Brigham Young University in Idaho.
“I originally did not want to go on a mission,” Howard said. “I went away to college and had a lot of experiences, but I realized the things I was doing were not bringing me lasting happiness.”
Both missionaries said their time on mission has helped them grow in their faith
“I’ve experienced my greatest happiness and my greatest heartache on my mission,” Howard said. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to grow and know the Savior better.”
Knowlton said he planned to go on mission for most of his life and his family supported him when he received the call.
“The reasons that I came out on a mission were twofold,” Knowlton said. “One of them was selfish in that I knew I was going to grow a lot from it, but the second reason is because of the change that I’ve been able to see in other people by sharing with them what I know to be true.”
The two missionaries spend time in Free Speech Plaza Wednesdays and Thursdays, answering questions and talking with people about their faith.
“We want to share our message,” Howard said. “We don’t want to push anything on anyone. We’re not here to argue with people, we’re just here to give people hope.”
Mormon missionaries Elder Knowlton and Elder Howard speak to freshmen Alexis Pastrana and Clara Isabelle Merca Bausa Wednesday, Oct. 9 in the LSU Free Speech Plaza.
