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Saving Souls in Paradise: A Mormon's Failed Mission in the Canary Islands
Balog’s fascinating debut memoir is a first-person account of the daily grind of the proselyting Mormon elder, revealing delightful secrets about missionary life. This young elder—serving in the Spain, Las Palmas mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—bounces from island to island to convert Canarians to Mormonism. The rote work means knocking endless doors, contacting strangers in the street, and soaking in sweat under the Spanish sun. A clash with locals brings him face to face with rejection and hostility, vulnerable to slings of insults and sometimes rocks. Elder Balog, in his quest to find converts, debates religion with all walks of life but suffers a crisis of faith and questions his lifelong religion, leaving him searching for meaning to his service.
375 pages, Paperback
Published August 15, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 31, 2022
I stumbled upon this book in a google search to find out how many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints there were in the Canary Islands. I served a mission there in 1998-2000, and I was curious about how the Church was progressing there. Obviously, this book peak my curiosity especially since my time there overlapped with Balog's time. I do not remember him, though I am sure that I knew many of the other Elders that he talked about. He changed the names so I can't be sure who was who. There were many things that he described that I experienced as well. There was the endless knocking on doors, and rejection after rejection. It was hard, I won't pretend it wasn't. I knew all the areas he described, and he had me wanting the "pan de coco" before zone meeting. That was the best bread I've ever had.
What I didn't like was the negative tone of everything and everyone. And I really don't like that some of the comments from other readers say they learned what a "mormon" mission was like. I'm not naive enough to think that missionaries are perfect. I know there are plenty that break the rules. And I know that most get burned out at some point during their mission. But I truly believe that Balog's experience is far from the norm. I grew spiritual so much during my time in the islands, and no I didn't have a bunch of baptisms or success. I wasn't a perfect missionary either, but I learned to enjoy the time I was able to spend reading and studying the gospel. The spirit was very much present for me, and that helped me carry on. In every area I found good people to interact with. Most of those people wanted nothing to do with what I was there to share, but that didn't mean I couldn't be friendly with them. The other missionaries became great friends and supports as well. The sense I got from this book was that Balog was a sex crazed teenager, and maybe now is a sex crazed man, as it felt like every other page has some sort of sexual reference. I feel for him in the fact that the mission was such a horrible experience for him, but I also have to say that he couldn't expect to have the spirit with him when he chose to do the things he did.
So those who don't know what a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is like, please don't let this book be your guide. Of course it is different for everyone who serves, and some missions are definitely more challenging that others. The majority of those that serve come home with stronger faith in Jesus Christ and spiritual experiences upon which they can draw strength for the rest of their lives.
What I didn't like was the negative tone of everything and everyone. And I really don't like that some of the comments from other readers say they learned what a "mormon" mission was like. I'm not naive enough to think that missionaries are perfect. I know there are plenty that break the rules. And I know that most get burned out at some point during their mission. But I truly believe that Balog's experience is far from the norm. I grew spiritual so much during my time in the islands, and no I didn't have a bunch of baptisms or success. I wasn't a perfect missionary either, but I learned to enjoy the time I was able to spend reading and studying the gospel. The spirit was very much present for me, and that helped me carry on. In every area I found good people to interact with. Most of those people wanted nothing to do with what I was there to share, but that didn't mean I couldn't be friendly with them. The other missionaries became great friends and supports as well. The sense I got from this book was that Balog was a sex crazed teenager, and maybe now is a sex crazed man, as it felt like every other page has some sort of sexual reference. I feel for him in the fact that the mission was such a horrible experience for him, but I also have to say that he couldn't expect to have the spirit with him when he chose to do the things he did.
So those who don't know what a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is like, please don't let this book be your guide. Of course it is different for everyone who serves, and some missions are definitely more challenging that others. The majority of those that serve come home with stronger faith in Jesus Christ and spiritual experiences upon which they can draw strength for the rest of their lives.
August 25, 2019
I devoured this book! Couldn’t put it down!
Saving Souls in Paradise is honest, funny and entertaining. It has a great flow and it’s easy to follow and read.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a pleasure read. You will learn about Spanish culture, language, people, society, religion and the struggles that missionaries go through on a day to day basis.
Even though I’m not a Mormon—or religious for that matter —I could understand what Elder Balog was feeling. I felt like I was there along for the ride experiencing the mission with him. So many interesting anecdotes! Some of the characters were hilarious and I couldn’t believe the situations the author experienced. They were unreal! It’s no wonder he decided to write a memoir about it.
Being a foreign language teacher myself, it reminded me of my students who struggle with learning Spanish. The author successfully overcame his linguistic barrier. He is the example that anyone can communicate in a foreign language if time, effort and dedication are involved.
This is not a book on religious beliefs as you might expect from the title, but rather a coming-of-age testimony based on the author’s personal anecdotes while living abroad for 2 years as a missionary.
Get ready to laugh out loud and put yourself in the mind and body of an innocent elder discovering the world.
Saving Souls in Paradise is honest, funny and entertaining. It has a great flow and it’s easy to follow and read.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a pleasure read. You will learn about Spanish culture, language, people, society, religion and the struggles that missionaries go through on a day to day basis.
Even though I’m not a Mormon—or religious for that matter —I could understand what Elder Balog was feeling. I felt like I was there along for the ride experiencing the mission with him. So many interesting anecdotes! Some of the characters were hilarious and I couldn’t believe the situations the author experienced. They were unreal! It’s no wonder he decided to write a memoir about it.
Being a foreign language teacher myself, it reminded me of my students who struggle with learning Spanish. The author successfully overcame his linguistic barrier. He is the example that anyone can communicate in a foreign language if time, effort and dedication are involved.
This is not a book on religious beliefs as you might expect from the title, but rather a coming-of-age testimony based on the author’s personal anecdotes while living abroad for 2 years as a missionary.
Get ready to laugh out loud and put yourself in the mind and body of an innocent elder discovering the world.
November 14, 2019
First, I want to give Mr. Balog credit for opening himself up with such sincerity. His writing will grab your attention from the start and make you feel as if you are taking this journey with him. After reading this book, I am unquestionably more enlightened when it comes to the Mormon religion. He poses the same questions that many of us might have had at one time or another in regards to our faith. His story is informative, amusing, and at times heartbreaking. I did enjoy Mr. Balog’s style of writing and hope he finds other topics to write about in the near future. It is definitely worth reading. Great job!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews