Sydney Australia LDS (Mormon) Temple - Mormons

[wendallstro]

is there a lot of LDS in australia?

[omiolo]

They are a little more formally dressed than most young people, but they are still essentially students enjoying learning about a foreign country and having new experiences.

Elder Savage and Elder Qualls are two missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints currently visiting Cowra.

[omiolo]

They are becoming a familiar sight walking everywhere, even during 40 degrees summer heat and they welcome people asking them who they are and what they are doing.

Back home in Colorado and Texas, they were law and music students who worked extra jobs and saved to visit a country as a representative of their church.

[omiolo]

A lot of people think we are paid to do this, but we arent, Elder Savage explained.

Another myth is that their mission work will further them on a leadership path.

We dont get a promotion for doing this, it doesnt make us a leader in the church or a professional clergyman.

[omiolo]

Although called missionaries, their time overseas is not spent in the traditional stereotype of the title.

They welcome people wanting to talk to them about what they believe, but arent here to force their beliefs on anyone.

[omiolo]

We invite people to learn. We do knock on doors a little bit, but were only looking for two things, to teach about the Gospel and people to help.

Yes, help. Part of their mission while they are in Australia is to help people.

We go around town, looking to give people a hand. It could be as simple as offering to help pack groceries in a car.

[omiolo]

They have already done yard work for several different homes and are hoping to be able to help with Habitat for Humanity projects currently underway in Cowra.

They didnt get to choose Australia as their home for two years, but are more than happy with the result.

[omiolo]

The church has missionaries all over the world - Brazil, Thailand, but with Australia, you have the best of both worlds. Its a foreign country, but you dont have to learn another language.

Australia is looked at as a dream destination for missionaries.

[omiolo]

Elder Savage and Elder Qualls have already spent a year in the country, visiting a variety of different areas across the state, from the Sydney suburb of Blacktown to country towns like Armidale.

Everywhere they go, they walk, a simple reason being, they just dont have a car.

[omiolo]

They said they have encountered a lot of misconceptions about their beliefs.

A lot of people have seen television shows, or heard stuff about cults on the internet but we

are not that, he said.

[omiolo]

We are Christians, we believe in God and the Bible, we just have unique views on divine

authority.

The biggest reason were in Cowra is to answer questions about what that means.