The Missionary - by Greg Hudson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"Reminiscent of the writings of Tobias Wolf, this coming-of-age memoir within the Mormon church, with its particular teachings and endless rules, showcases Hudson's fine storytelling and impeccable timing for comedy. Readers will be moved by minimalistic prose that is both lyrical and precise, in addition to memorable characterizations that delight, entertain, and evoke authentic feeling.The true test of a successful memoir is whether it reads and turns pages like a novel. In The Missionary, Greg Hudson delivers a beguiling personal account, crafting a poignant history of his faith, the irreconcilable tensions from his religious upbringing, and finally, a stirring delivery of his own metamorphosis and spiritual reckoning. Hudson has masterfully captured the candid joys and frustrations imposed by guilt, shame, adolescence, memory, sin, and morality. An extraordinary and witty debut."
--Lindsay Wong, bestselling author ofThe Woo-Woo and Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies

"As a reader of a determinedly irreligious bent, I admit to hesitating before opening The Missionary, which I knew to be written by a door-knocking disciple of Joseph Smith. But as the chapters flew past, as I delighted at the candor, warmth, humor, and humility of Greg Hudson's recollections, I came to the final page feeling terribly glad to have read something so outside my comfort zone."
--Craig Davidson, bestselling author of Cataract City and Precious Cargo

"The Missionary is a revelation--a perspective on our culture that no one knew we needed; that of the brave gleaming door-knockers trying to save us from ourselves. And Elder Hudson is the perfect dichotomous guide: a super-smart, very funny kid who's been taught how to think, trained how to act, and yet somehow finds a way to narrate his mission with brilliant, blazing honesty. And then--in ultimately failing as a Mormon, and telling his true story, Hudson succeeds at so much more: he becomes a great writer--one who renders a path towards our very best selves."
--Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, bestselling author of Hung Over

"As a fellow former youth evangelist, I felt The Missionary in my bones. Many of us are expected to embody spiritual perfection while being guided by leaders more invested in appearances than in our well-being. It's no wonder Greg Hudson turned to comic-book heroes for a better model of world-building. With wit, clarity, and tenderness, he reconstructs that search in this beautiful memoir. Readers of all stripes will recognize themselves in Hudson's story, in the tongue-in-cheek way he navigates life's many paradoxes. Hands down, he's one of the funniest voices in the religious coming-of-age genre."
--David Allen Cox, author of I Felt the End Before it Came.

"When I picked up this book I worried it might be just another one of those standard hilarious but poignant Mormon coming of age memoirs. Okay, that's not what I thought at all. Instead, I discovered that this is among the most uncommon, unusual, and unrestrained memoirs I've ever read. And I could not stop turning the pages. Hudson transported me to a different yet somehow familiar world where his honest, powerful, and conflicted story made me laugh and think, again and again, often at the same time. Greg Hudson is a rare and true storyteller."
--Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

"I'll admit books about Mormons aren't usually the first I reach for. But a Mormon in Canada? Now you've got my attention. Greg Hudson's The Missionary is so hilarious, sad, and beautiful that I almost wished I had gone door-to-door with him."
--Dave Hill, comedian, musician and author of Parking the Moose

About the Author