You’ve probably noticed Mormon missionaries riding bikes constantly around your town and you’ve wondered why they ride bikes.  It especially looks strange because they are wearing church clothes.

Mormon missionaries ride bikes because it’s an inexpensive mode of transportation, and they rarely need to travel long distances.  That’s really all there is to it.

Mormon missionaries are assigned small geographic areas that they are to work in, so it’s rare that they need to go very far.  Also, they don’t always have a specific house to visit but sometimes are visiting homes door-to-door or visiting members of the church in a neighborhood.

Do All Mormon Missionaries Ride Bikes?

No.  Although I live in Idaho, I was asked to serve my mission in Brazil.  In Brazil, we didn’t use bikes but instead walked everywhere we went.  The reason missionaries in Brazil walk instead of riding bikes is simply because riding bikes on roads in Brazil is dangerous as the roads are skinny and people drive like mad men.

In other areas, such as many areas in the United States, Mormon missionaries drive cars.

Why Do Mormon Missionaries Pay for Their Own Missions?

Mormon missionaries work hard, but they don’t work for payment.  In fact, missionaries save up money for years as teenagers to be able to pay for their missions.

They do this because they love Jesus Christ and want to teach others about him on a mission.  Missionaries perform many hours of community service each week to help those around them as well.

What Exactly Do Mormon Missionaries Do?

Missionaries spend two years or 18 months teaching people about Jesus Christ and inviting them to read the scriptures, pray, and to keep God’s commandments.  As people choose to accept their invitations, the missionaries help people to prepare for baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

When I was a missionary, I helped many people come to know the church and develop a relationship with God.  One family came to church and met me one day because they were looking for help.  Their family was not getting along at all and the parents were on the brink of divorce.

We asked them if we could visit them in their home later that week and they accepted.  During our visit with them, we read Bible and Book of Mormon passages with them to show them how the love of Jesus Christ could help them to have a happier family.

They continued to visit church, and as they all tried to be like Christ, their family problems and fights began to lessen.  After a few months, they were all baptized into the church.  I visited them again after their baptism and the feeling in the home was completely different.  They were happy and the home was peaceful.

That’s what missionaries do.  They are just good kids who are trying to share positive and encouraging messages with anyone who will listen to them and accept their invitation to a more Christ-centered life.

If you’d like to be visited by two Mormon missionaries (with my full permission to tease them about riding a bike in a suit and tie), go to this page to request a visit.  The missionaries will visit your home for about 20 minutes and will give you a free copy of The Book of Mormon, leave your family with an uplifting message, and invite you to come to church (but no strings attached).  The visit is completely free and there is no obligation whatever.

16 Comments

  1. The Mormon Bike Riders need to know it is against the law to try to talk or hand out literature to people “waiting for public transportation”. That is called a “Captive Audience”. We see them around our N.Miami Beach area a lot and they are a “Pain in the Neck”.
    People waiting for buses don’t want to be bothered by these Moron Mormons!
    Stop bothering people waiting for buses!

    1. Florence, these are kids who have saved up for years to have enough money to spend two years out teaching messages of peace and love. While other kids their age are committing crime, getting drunk, and wasting time, these kids are doing their best. You’re right that they should become more aware of local ordinances and respect them. But are these kids actually horrible morons as you suggest?

    2. As someone who’s not Mormon, the people waiting for the bus (or anyone else for that matter) can simply say no thanks.

  2. I am Roman Catholic and have never heard a Priest in the pulpit talk against another Christian denomination. I can’t say the same about some other non Catholic denominations. How many other Christians would go door to door trying to teach salvation through Christ. Bless these kids for their devout faith. They pose no threat. Only good can come from what they do. Do I embrace their teaching? Not exactly. Do I disagree? Not exactly. Do I respect their view? Absolutely. If it bothers you, simply tell them you have your own beliefs and they’ll go along their way. They’re are good wholesome youth.

  3. I am not Mormon I am Baptist but much respect given I am also a deputy sheriff and I saw two of these kids and both waved at me with respect when they saw the patrol car some kids just want to shoot me the bird so the Mormons must have their kids on the right track

  4. My parents have always been visited over the years by young missionaries who have always been very respectful and often asked if they could help them with anything. I met a few at their home one day. My parents are Methodist but have always welcomed them back to visit. There are so many young people these days are playing video games and no work ethic. I’m very impressed with these young men who devout so much time, energy and their own money to help spread the message of Jesus.

  5. I’ll be the first to admit when I was younger and unwilling to bend on my opinions, I used to make fun of the Mormon missionaries walking or riding around the neighborhood. I would not answer the door etc.
    Now that I’m alot older and alot more wise I respect these kids for if nothing else their dedication and hard efforts in something they believe in so deeply. Do I agree with them on everything? No. I actually don’t believe in the Mormon religion or the book of Mormon. But like I said it doesn’t make it ok to disrespect these kids. It’s nice to see just young people trying to do good in this mean world. I truly believe the moral ethucs they learn during mission will carry on thru their lives and allow them to make a difference in other ways when grown. So much respect to those kids.

  6. With respect for the Mormons youth to do their missions , it is admirable. Many Christian faiths do go door to door to preach the gospel also
    But the Mormons are not “spreading the Good News”. Our redemption through Christ, sacrifice on the cross The debt of sin was paid. Jesus’ resurrection is defeat over death. I will have everlasting life through Jesus Christ.
    For a Mormon to call themselves Christians is blasphemy. They don’t accept the doctrine of the Christian faith
    So their youth are spreading false doctrines. Mormons deceive people. They don’t tell you up front they don’t accept Jesus is God. They don’t tell you about the belief that someday you’ll become a god with a planet
    Mormons have more in common with JW than the the Christian faith

    1. Cindi, your comment honestly didn’t make much sense to me.

      You said “our redemption through Christ, sacrifice on the cross, the debt of sin was paid.” We fully agree with that statement.

      You said “Jesus’ resurrection is defeat over death.” We fully agree with that statement too.

      You said “I will have everlasting life through Jesus Christ.” We fully agree with that statement too.

      Then, after laying that foundation, which we 100% agree with, your conclusion from those statements was that we aren’t Christians? When I agree 100% with everything you wrote?

      It seems your comment is only trying to be hateful and contentious. If that’s the case it won’t do any good to continue this conversation, but I honestly don’t believe from your comment that you have done much to understand our beliefs at all. Perhaps you’re listening to a lot of people who are against our church twist our beliefs rather than actually hearing it from the source. I’ve heard some WILD stories from pastors of other churches telling me what I believe, and they simply aren’t at all what we believe.

      1. Sorry, I stumbled across this a couple of years later.

        You guys 100% agree on the first few paragraphs of Cindi’s post. In your reply, you didn’t answer the final paragraph. The part about Jesus being a man who ascended to godhood, and the part about becoming a god with your own planet in the celestial kingdom.

        TCOJCOLDS has many beliefs that are outside of the mainstream of Christianity. I can’t say one way or the other who is right, if either, but the theology of the two camps are definitely very different.

        Is it incorrect in LDS belief that Jesus was not God, but a man who ascended to godhood to stand beside the Father? Is it incorrect that LDS deny the Trinity? Is it incorrect that the Church teaches that through following the faith that man can become a god himself? Does the Church not teach that God was once a man named Elohim who ascended to godhood and became the Heavenly Father and resides with Heavenly Mother on a planet near the star Kolob?

        I’m not attempting to besmirch or attack the faith, merely pointing out that there is a real, noticeable difference between the LDS theology, and that of mainstream Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodox, Coptic, etc.). I would assume that this is what Cindi meant when she said that LDS aren’t Christians. As far as I know, nobody has a copyright on the word, so in my book, anyone who calls themselves a Christian is one. There are just a lot of different varieties.

        I would also say that Cindi is incorrect about missionaries deceiving anyone. These kids are sharing the truth as they know it. They may or may not be right, but they’re not intentionally misleading anyone.

  7. While I admire their work ethics and morals, I wonder why don’t we see women and different ethnicities? Why have I only seen Caucasian young men riding bikes? Why aren’t there other races and ethnicities? It’s something that I’ve noticed. Perhaps there’s a good reason, I don’t know.

    1. I suspect that maybe you’ve only recognized caucasian young men as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

      We have women missionaries, a lot of them actually. But they don’t all wear white shirts. They often wear dresses or blouses and skirts and their clothing varies much more in color than the male missionaries.

      The same is possibly the case for why you’ve mostly or only seen caucasian missionaries. You might not recognize other ethnicities as missionaries if they don’t look how you expect our missionaries to look. I served with Brazilian missionaries for most of my mission and almost none of them looked at all caucasian. In the United States, I have interacted with missionaries from all over the world–many missionaries from the United States who are Hispanic, African-American, etc. I’ve also interacted with a lot of missionaries from the Pacific Islands who were not Caucasian, many from Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. In fact, I worked with a whole group of missionaries from Mozambique at one point.

  8. I just went to my 4th Service yesterday ( Sunday/Jan.9th, have enjoyed it very much. The people are very nice & welcoming, I mentioned that I had yard-work to do & the 2 missionaries( male) offered to come help me with it.😳 Am on track to be baptized about Feb.15th😀. I give Church of LDS two thumbs up👍, if you’re looking for stability in this unstable world then Church of J.C. of LDS is the place to find it.
    David L./ Hillsborough, N. Carolina

  9. I am a returned missionary that served in the belgium-Brussels mission when it was a mission, from 79-81. As they used to say it was the best two years of my life. I did not want to go home. I requested to extend an additional six months but was told by President Hatch, that he felt the release date was just as inspired as the call date and I had to go home. After shedding many tears saying good bye to 5 of the converts that I had baptized, I did return home and was very excited to see all those who came to welcome me home! I would not trade my mission for anything this world could ever offer.

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