In April last year, Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) enlisted several Mormon missionaries to help correct the English used in city street signs as part of his effort to make Taichung a more English-friendly environment.
The church also offers career counseling for both members and non-members and programs to help smokers and alcoholics to end their addictions. Several missionaries have spoken at the Tucheng Jail on the danger of substance abuse.
However, some bloggers in Taiwan have been critical of the church and its missionaries, calling them “ignorant, annoying, obnoxious and brainwashed” and slamming the church as racist and homophobic.
One person who asked to be identified only by the surname Wang, criticized the Mormon church as a cult and said its members are instructed to recruit as many believers as possible in order to secure their place in heaven.
“That's why they wouldn't leave me alone for a long time,” Wang said.
The Latter-day Saints also have to deal with their historical links to polygamy. The HBO show Big Love about a polygamist Mormon family has been aired in Taiwan. The Latter-day Saints stress that polygamy has not been practiced in the church for more than a century and members who are discovered to have multiple spouses are excommunicated.
Jaime Marbury from Texas said she rarely gets asked about polygamy, but she has had to learn to deal with rejection.
“Most people are more interested in why we are so happy all the time,” she said.
“It is hard to hear rejections, but whenever I get rejected, I just think about of the message we are sharing and all the good things that have happened and the wonderful people we have met,” she said.
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