101 Missionary Stories You Won't Find in the Ensign By Mike Bingham White Horse Books (Salt Lake City), 1998. Softcover: 96 pages. ISBN: 1-892936-02-X Suggested retail price: $7.95 (US)
Reviewed by: Kathy Tyner

The title is true, the names have been changed to protect the guilty. Although you will not find these stories in the Ensign you needn't worry about this being an alternative book that will "corrupt the youth of Zion".

What it is is a compilation of anecdotal stories that richly illustrates the goofy stunts missionaries pull on each other and the odd things that can happen in a missionary's life, most of them humorous.

Each story is no more than a paragraph or two with title and number. Example: #1. Jeremiah: Prophet or Amphibian?

Bingham admits in the foreword of the book that he has changed the names and missions of those involved and he has depended on the assumption that those who shared their stories with him were being honest, but-"If there are errors, they are the errors of men . . ." and some artistic license may have been taken in the telling of the story (stories)".

At least one of these stories-#60. Chip Off the Old Block, he admits may be apocryphal, but the guy who told it to him "swore it was true" concerns a supposed encounter two missionaries had with a priest in the Vatican who greeted them with, "Hello Sons of the Devil." To which they reply, "Hello Father." It's funny, but the same story is attributed to J. Golden Kimball and a Baptist Minister in another book put out by the same publisher. When I pointed this out to Mr. Bingham in an e-mail, (which he lists at the back of the book for people to send in more stories), he replied by sending me a couple more anecdotes that will be put in the upcoming follow-up book.

These complaints aside, it's a cute and funny book that doesn't pretend to be anything else. It includes a irreverent and informative glossary of missionary terms by Robert Kirby at the back of the book. Example:

Golden-Non-member who will in all likelihood, join the church. "Those dirty flippers who threw rocks at us yesterday aren't Golden." There is also a story that is about Kirby, without the name change, that he related in his Irreantum interview about the dog he had on his mission that he and his companion used for door contacting. (#96).

At least one General Authority is named in the hijinks, Elder Bruce R. McConkie-#15 Wait for Me One Hour and I would really like to know who the Apostle's son is in #14 who cried, "I'm going to tell my Dad!" after being the brunt of a practical joke involving a garbage truck.

Most of these stories are G rated, some PG, but if someone is looking for a gift for a younger sibling to give an older brother or sister who has served a mission, this is a good one. It is inexpensive and will bring knowing nods and chuckles.

Kathy Tyner, Orange County, CA