So were they actually from America or were they speaking with fake American accents? If they were fake accents that's hilarious.
I believe Mitt Romney did some sort of missionary work in France. They're all over the place. It's amazing that these guys can convince anyone to sign on given how young the religion is and how clownish their beliefs are.
I would say they actually were American. The back of the card they gave me says "England Birmingham Mission The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints mormon.org"
I've had the mormons come by my door a few times. They're polite and well dressed and they look like they hand out fliers or something. I wouldn't know because I don't answer the door when they come through. The stuff they believe is batshit insane. Like that Native Americans are really jews. Stuff about magical seer stones. Adam and Eve coming from Missouri. And of course they also used to (and some still do) practice polygamy. A big part of why Joseph Smith was assassinated was because he was a womanizer who pissed off a lot of people by stealing their wives and daughters so he could add them to his wife collection.
Mormonism is just a Masonic cult like Seventh Day Adventism and Scientology. The Catholics have a useful website discussing the religion's relationship to the Bible and the rest of Christianity- though I don't care much for the Bible or Christianity myself and would have further complaints to add. http://www.catholic.com/tracts/distinctive-beliefs-of-the-mormon-church http://www.catholic.com/tracts/problems-with-the-book-of-mormon (And there are other links on the page about the topic)
They seem to believe in a weird mish mash of protestantism and new age stuff that almost defies classification. They're definitely a cult though. Mormonism is weird, but Scientology is even weirder. My friend's dad was a Scientologist and was quite strange. He would rant about the evils of psychology and psychiatry. I don't think he knew about all of the Xenu stuff. I think you have to be quite high up in the cult before you find out about all of that. The Scientologists have a large presence in Florida, especially on the west coast. They have a headquarters in Clearwater.
I've found Mormons to be the most aggressive group I've met in terms of attempts to convert and proselytize. Jehovah's Witnesses seem to have the most negative reputation as far as being relentlessly annoying and pushy, but I haven't found them to be that difficult to handle in comparison to Mormons. When I was an undergraduate in Bloomington, by far the most liberal town in my state, Mormons constantly patrolled the campus area and nearby apartment complexes. They didn't seem to mind losing a debate or failing to reform a lost soul. They kept coming back for more. My roommate at the time, who happened to be a Coptic Egyptian whose family fled from Egypt to the US to due to persecution for their religious beliefs, did not appreciate Mormon visits at all. I think he came very close to punching them couple of times when they kept showing up to debate with him over Mormonism insanity.
I had one help me bring some groceries home. I had him drop it off at the corner though, I aint showin them where I live... Not all Christians are alike, unlike what a few of my Mormon friends (I do have a few) insist on. These guys get on my nerves when their out on mission or whatever like anybody else. I guess like Jews some of them are just Hasidic or w/e.
If I remember correctly, I think they literally have to go out and proselytize as part of the religion once they reach a certain age. Cults creep me the fuck out. Even the clean cut ones. Which is why I don't answer the door.
Mormons always seem pleasant and friendly; definitely persistent too. I've found Jehovah Witnesseseseses to be the worst. I've never particularly warmed to the door step religious recruiters - my earliest experience was at around 10 when I was told I'd go to hell for chortling whilst these 2 slightly odd chaps were trying to sell me on their religion.
I'd hand them copies of Rest Stop Shit Feast and read an excerpt from "Chloe gets more than she bargained for." I bet they'd never come back.
The Jehovah's Witness religion is also pretty odd. Evidently they consider the magazines they put together, Watchtower and Awake, to be as important as their religious scriptures. They strongly discourage association with outsiders, which is a telltale sign that something screwy is going on if merely associating with non-Witnesses is a threat. It was surprising how draconian and controlling their elders could be of the members of their group. One of the rules that stood out to me is that you are not allowed to celebrate anything other that a single religious holiday. No birthday parties, presents, ect. What an awesome life that must be.
Take some of the Watchtower and Awake magazines they give you and then slip copies of your special literature inside before you return them.
Back at work now properly and it seems like a right pain in the arse. No bank holidays now until Easter which seems a million miles away but I have my 25 days holiday back if I need them I guess. To make matters worse, the chap I work with is off until the 23rd so I am going to be extra busy for the first 3 weeks of the year.