When freshman Cassandra Uslar saw two men in suits walking on campus when she first came to Ball State, she thought they were fraternity pledges.
They weren't fraternity pledges, they were Mormon missionaries. They don't dress up for the fun of it, but they like to dress in suits. Elder Reed said the clothing he and Elder Sallings (the missionaries go simply by Elder, without using first names) wear makes them stand out from other students.
"At first I was a really shy person when I came out (to Indiana). When you're walking, you see people stare at you," Reed said. "At first it was really hard for me, but now I've become so used to the attention I have to create it for myself."
It doesn't matter what time of day it is for Reed and Sallings. It doesn't even matter what the weather is like. They still wear their clean and pressed suits, and every day starts at 6:30 a.m.
According to Reed, 20, who has been a missionary for 15 months, there are currently more than 200 missionaries in Indiana. He and Sallings cover a two-mile radius across Muncie every day until 9:30 p.m.
Reed and Sallings walk more than 15 miles a day and sometimes hold more than 20 discussions with students.
"At the age of 19 the prophets have advised us to serve full-time missions. We save up money through high school and we come out here and share the gospel full-time," Reed said.
Full-time means seven days a week for two years. They receive a break on Tuesdays until 6 p.m. During this time they do laundry, do grocery shopping and play basketball and football.
Reed said that before he became a missionary he was just a normal kid. He liked Nickelback and Metallica and liked to watch television. When he moved to Indiana from Utah, however, it all stopped. Now they are not allowed to listen to music less than 100 years old.
"As missionaries we don't do a lot of things that normal people get to do," Reed said. "We don't watch TV, or listen to the radio. ... I missed it at first, but now I've learned a lot of different things. I appreciate what I didn't do at home."
Both agree these restrictions help them stay focused on what they are here to do -- share the gospel.
For Sallings,19, originally from Arkansas, Ball State has been his first mission experience. He was paired with Reed and walking in twos is how they're recognized. They don't have a car, though some are available to other missionaries.
Reed said, "We're here to be seen by people so they know we're here to talk to them. We like to be seen in as many public places as we can."
Their rules are strict -- they don't date, go see movies or read the newspaper. Once a week they are able to write home to their families and are allowed a one-hour phone call on Mother's Day and Christmas.
"I think it's just to help us stay focused," Reed said. "And that's just what the Lord has required of us at this time."
Sallings said, "It keeps you from getting homesick."
Approaching students on campus now comes easily. They share their beliefs, but a main goal is to clear up misconceptions about the Mormon religion.
"We're not out here to say, 'we're wrong and you're right,'" Reed said. "We're out here to bring people closer to Christ, to strengthen their faith and to show that we care about them. ... A lot of people just want to understand where we come from."
Reed said many confuse the Mormon religion with polygamy, and they are here to shed light on some darkness. The religion is really about personal revelation, they said. If God commands someone to marry several wives, then they should follow.
"We don't preach hell, fire and damnation," Reed said. "We feel we don't have the right to. ... We all have our weaknesses and our strengths."
While being a Mormon on campus can be rewarding, Reed and Sallings said they are sometimes the subjects of scrutiny. People yell at them from cars and invite them to drink beer. Although the two never follow, they understand students will be students. Reed said they follow the 13 Articles of Faith that allow anyone to claim the right to worship his or her own God.
"It's their prerogative if they feel that way about us," he said. "I mean, I'd love to talk to them to see why they feel that way. ... We just try to find out about people. ... If you don't learn to love the people you're serving, then you haven't had a very successful mission."
Sallings said the fact that they're different encourages the comments. People are afraid of what is different, he said.
As for the future, Reed and Sallings will transfer within the next week. They won't find out where they're going until the day before.
Their next journey will take them to another place where they will meet the community all over again.
"We don't want to offend them," Sallings said. "We try to keep a broad perspective on things or kind of an internal perspective. The sacrifices we make will be well worth what we've gained."
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