The Missionary

A hilarious, poignant, and big-hearted memoir about the challenges of coming of age—within the strictures of the Mormon church. Growing up in 1980s Edmonton, Greg Hudson loved pop music, comic books, and hanging out at the mall. But unlike most of his friends, Greg and his family were devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yes, Greg Hudson was a Mormon. As a boy, Greg wrestles with life’s big questions and Heavenly Father’s plan for him. As a teenager, he finds himself caught between the purity his church expects and the inner conflicts that puberty brings. On the one hand, Greg wants to be good and live his life pure of thought and deed, while on the other, he is consumed by his love of R-rated action films, Marvel and DC characters, Robbie Williams records, and, most troubling of all, thoughts about girls and sex. How is a young Mormon lad to to stay righteous with so many temptations in his path? When it’s time for his mission—a two-year rite of passage meant to strengthen faith and spread the gospel—Greg hopes the experience will set him on the right path. Because of his diabetes, instead of being sent abroad, as most young Mormons are, he’s assigned to smaller communities across Ontario—Barrie, Sarnia, and Niagara Falls—where his encounters with the people he hopes to save end up transforming him in unexpected ways. With sharp wit and unflinching honesty, The Missionary chronicles Hudson’s time in the field and the quirky, searching souls he meets along the way. Ultimately, in trying to lead others to salvation, he finds something even more profound: his true self.