Standing in front of a group of close friends and family members, Mormon-missionaries-to-be eagerly tear into a letter postmarked from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that will determine where they’ll serve for the next 18 months to two years.
As anticipation builds, they read each line with a meticulous nervousness. Finally, they reach the sentence that spells out where they’ll be sent.
Middle-earth? The Bermuda Triangle? A ‘Star Wars’ moon?
Pranking prospective Mormon missionaries on what’s often the biggest day of their lives to that point has become a mini internet phenomenon. Families have posted hundreds of these videos to YouTube, documenting the laughs (and sometimes tears), as well as the moment the real letter is brought forth and the missionaries learn their true calling.
