Monday, August 17, 2009

How to Count LDS Missionaries in the 2010 Census

I read that, once again (it seems like I've read this two or three times) the US Census Bureau has told Utah's elected leaders it won't count missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

However, there is a solution to this conundrum. I'm an expert on the situation.

You see, I was an LDS missionary during the 2000 Census, and I got counted. Twice. And neither time in the state I was in on April 1, 2000.

When I received the forms in the mail, I filled them out and mailed them back in, counting me as one of the 4335 residents of Viroqua, Wisconsin. Shortly after I stuck the forms in the mail, my Mission President informed us that we were not to fill out the forms, but our parents were supposed to fill them out for us back home.

My parents, back here in Utah, were told by their Bishop to fill the Census forms out as if I was still here.

So, all it will take to count the LDS missionaries is to make it Church Policy that Census forms get filled out by the parents as if the missionary were living at home.

After all, that is where they maintain residency.

-Bob

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So Bob, you're admitting that it's your fault that Wisconsin got that extra seat instead of Utah? ;-)