LDS missionaries with autism helping to hasten church’s work
Young Church-service Mission photographed with Johnathan Ormond in 2014 in Salt Lake City. Ormond has autism and served a Young Church-service Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Connor Susov and his parents, Richard and Karen Susov, in Salt Lake City visiting the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square just after his mission. Susov, diagnosed with autism, served a Church-service Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jonathan Ormond works in his office at Vivint Solar in Orem on Friday, March 11, 2016. Ormond has autism and previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kerstin Hansen poses for a portrait at the Springville Public Library on Friday, March 4, 2016 where she works. Hansen previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the LDS Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. She was diagnosed with autism at age 23.
Jordan Norton and his wife Tiffany (right) play with their daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jonathan Ormond works in his office at Vivint Solar in Orem on Friday, March 11, 2016. Ormond has autism and previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jonathan Ormond works in his office at Vivint Solar in Orem on Friday, March 11, 2016. Ormond has autism and previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jonathan Ormond works in his office at Vivint Solar in Orem on Friday, March 11, 2016. Ormond has autism and previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Jonathan Ormond works in his office at Vivint Solar in Orem on Friday, March 11, 2016. Ormond has autism and previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Kerstin Hansen works at the Springville Public Library on Friday, March 4, 2016. Hansen previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the LDS Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. She was diagnosed with autism at age 23.
Kerstin Hansen works at the Springville Public Library on Friday, March 4, 2016. Hansen previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the LDS Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. She was diagnosed with autism at age 23.
Kerstin Hansen works at the Springville Public Library on Friday, March 4, 2016. Hansen previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the LDS Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. She was diagnosed with autism at age 23.
Kerstin Hansen works at the Springville Public Library on Friday, March 4, 2016. Hansen previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the LDS Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. She was diagnosed with autism at age 23.
Kerstin Hansen works at the Springville Public Library on Friday, March 4, 2016. Hansen previously served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the LDS Genealogy Library in Salt Lake City. She was diagnosed with autism at age 23.
Elder Johnathan Ormond served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has autism.
Connor Susov pictured just after his third mission.
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Bailey while Jordan's wife Tiffany (right) tends to their daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Bailey at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Norton family plays on the slide at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughters on the jungle gym at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Bailey at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Norton family plays together at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Tiffany Norton snuggles her daughter Lexi as the wind kicks up at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Bailey at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Bailey at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Norton family plays together at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
The Norton family plays together at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
Jordan Norton plays with his daughter Lexi at North Park on Friday, March 11, 2016 in Spanish Fork. Jordan falls on the autism spectrum, but despite his adversities he was able to serve on a mission and leads an independent life. DOMINIC VALENTE, Daily Herald
He was called the “singing missionary” — the elder who sang his heart out around Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
Connor Susov, age 26 of Pleasant Grove, was also the self-designated cheerleader of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. A full-time Young Church-service Missionary, he also has autism.
Susov and others like him who want to serve in their organized faith have one goal: to hasten the work of the Lord. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides a way to make that happen through the Young Church-service Mission. Many youth with autism, and other disabilities, are having enriching and life-altering experiences as they serve in numerous capacities.
Meet the missionaries
Elder Connor Susov
Every Sunday for two years, Susov and his companion could be found on the very front row of the Salt Lake Tabernacle enjoying another “Music and the Spoken Word” broadcast. At the end of each broadcast, Susov would be the first to pop up and start the crowd clapping and encouraging a standing ovation.
“It became my favorite spot,” Susov said. “I would be the first one up and applauding. The choir members took notice.”
The last day of Susov’s last mission, the choir and orchestra returned the favor and gave him a farewell ovation. He also received a card with their signatures and a couple of their albums. They nicknamed him “Favorite Elder.”
Susov is a unique servant of the Lord. He was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when he was in kindergarten.
Susov’s keen desire to serve an LDS mission has always been with him, but he says he can really pinpoint the time it became important. He was about 8 years old and watched his brother leave on a full-time mission to Perth, Australia. That was when he knew.
At age 19, Susov had a visit with his bishop, a local ecclesiastical leader. Knowing he had autism, the bishop investigated the potential for Susov to serve. A full-time proselyting mission was not possible.
However, Susov loved the LDS Church’s seminary and institute classes for youth and young adults, and there was a service mission seeking someone to help handicapped students in seminaries and institutes in the Salt Lake City area.
“I enjoyed seminary and institute,” Susov said. “I knew I would like it.”
So, for two years Susov took the bus each weekday from Pleasant Grove to Salt Lake City to serve his mission. Just as the end of his mission approached, he was asked to serve for another six months to help a student, which he did.
But it still wasn’t the mission he was hoping to have. He wanted to live away from home, have a companion, teach and baptize.
Susov was relentless.
Again, the bishop looked into what could be done for Susov. Three months later, Susov was on his third mission serving with a companion and living in an apartment in Salt Lake City. He was assigned to serve in the Family and Church History Mission; he also spent time doing temple work.
At the beginning of his third mission Susov was asked to introduce himself. He was not shy in saying his autism was what got him the privilege of so much service.
“I have autism but I am not ashamed of it; it doesn’t limit what I can do and it doesn’t stop me. The only problem with it is that it keeps me going on a day-to-day basis,” Susov said. “I am thankful to my Heavenly Father that I have autism ’cause if I didn’t I wouldn’t be here today, meaning I wouldn’t be on this mission and I wouldn’t be who I am.”
In all, Elder Susov served 57 months — that’s four years and nine months — as a missionary. While it may not have been a proselyting mission, Susov believes he was able to do what the Lord needed him to do.
Elder Johnathan Ormond
Those who have served an LDS Young Church-service Mission are well acquainted with these words of the Book of Mormon prophet and leader King Benjamin:
“When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God,” in the Book of Mosiah chapter 2 verse 17.
Serving with autism shines a brighter light on the abilities of many youth, rather than on their disabilities.
“I’ve known since I was a kid I’ve wanted to serve a mission,” said Johnathan Ormond.
Wanting to serve and getting to serve were two different things for Johnathan.
“We knew as soon as he was born he was autistic,” said Shanna Ormond, Johnathan’s mother. “The doctor said it was just a developmental delay.”
While Johnathan wanted to serve a proselyting mission, an investigation into the possibilities came back with the answer “no.”
“We tried for a full-time mission,” Shanna said. “The stake president (an area church leader) looked into things, but he didn’t fit some of the requirements.”
So, the stake president went a different direction, directly to the Young Church-service Mission.
When Johnathan was looking at the possibility of a mission, he was able to tour the two areas that seemed best for his skills. One was the Bishop’s Storehouse and the other was the Digital Center.
“He said he felt drawn to the center,” Shanna said.
“The mission and Johnathan were made for each other,” said Ramdas Ormond, Johnathan’s father. “The church is looking for more opportunities for service.”
Johnathan received a mission call to the Orem Digital Processing Center. He converted books into PDF files so that the files could be searched digitally; these are books that have genealogical value.
“I processed about 300 books a day,” he said.
He was hastening the work.
Johnathan served a one-year Young Church-service Mission. Monday through Thursday he worked at the center, on Friday he worked at an LDS temple and on the weekends he was off.
“I felt like I was helping people to have access to their ancestors and further hasten the work along,” Johnathan said of his mission. “It doesn’t matter what the service, it’s the work of salvation. It’s all the same work.”
Johnathan served when he was 19. He is now 21 and works at Vivint Solar designing on its CAD drafting system.
Elder Jordan Norton
The Young Church-service Mission hasn’t always been available. For Jordan Norton, it was a proselyting mission or nothing.
Norton, 30, is now married with two children and another on the way. He has Asperger syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, and ADHD.
“I wanted to go on a mission because that’s what you’re supposed to do,” Norton said.
He was called to the Washington Tacoma Mission.
Before his mission, Norton had a hard time making eye contact with people when he communicated with them. He knew that wouldn’t work well for a missionary, so he got a job working at a Macey’s grocery store.
“I forced myself to look at people,” Norton said. “It helped on my mission.”
He said some of the hardest times on his mission weren’t with those investigating the LDS Church, but were with his companions. They would ask, “Why can’t you do this?”
Norton said the white handbook (a book of missionary instructions) was a good thing. It set schedules. With his autism, he said he also had to learn to discern between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
“I learned to understand you can’t control everything,” he said. “Socially, I still don’t pick up on things.”
Norton sees things in black and white, and his extreme honesty was often hard for his companions to accept.
“I’m a bit on the passive-aggressive side. It takes a lot to get me angry,” he said.
He is honest to a fault.
“There were some times when it was rough because of honesty and wanting to do the right thing,” Norton said of his mission. “I work every day on trying to be humble.”
He said it also didn’t help to be called to the northwest, where the weather is notoriously gray most of the time. It caused him some depression.
Norton now works at NuSkin in product assembly. He graduated as a physical therapy assistant from the online school Ashworth College, his preferred alternative due to his struggles with campus schooling.
Sister Kerstin Hansen
Jordan Norton and his companions may have had an easier time if he had the help Sister Kerstin Hansen had to offer.
At age 21, Kerstin wanted to go on a full-time proselyting mission but felt it wasn’t the right timing. Two years later, at age 23, she was finally diagnosed with autism.
“I wish we had known when she was born,” said Kelli Hansen, Kerstin’s mother. “When she was a baby, any time there was any loud noise around her she would scream — even in utero. Noise made her jump. She didn’t smile until she was 6 months old.”
Friends didn’t understand. “I hated being called a retard,” Kerstin said.
When her daughter was 10, Kelli took her to a child psychologist. Kerstin was diagnosed with depression, but her medications didn’t work — that information was included on her medical records for her mission.
With new knowledge of her diagnosis, it was time to find the mission opportunity right for her.
By the time she was 24, Kerstin had received a call and began serving at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. She had a companion who was confined to a wheelchair, and they lived in an apartment close to the library. She served a one-year mission.
“On my mission I was told not to proselyte, but if asked a question we could answer them and then refer them to the Temple Square missionaries,” she said.
Knowing how difficult it was for her and others serving with autism, Kerstin took notes and put together a special handmade publication.
“I put together a booklet for our missionaries on how to look for signs and how to work with autism,” she said. “There is no look to autism. If you know what to look for you may see it.”
Kerstin said she enjoyed her mission and knew she was doing something that needed to be done. She was doing things that proselyting missionaries didn’t get to do. Not only did she help patrons look for their ancestors, but Kerstin was also allowed to do her own family genealogy and work at a temple.
After her daughter came home from her mission, Kelli said she noticed Kerstin had more confidence in herself, the ability to help others, and she learned to be more sociable.
Kerstin is now 32 and works in the Springville Public Library.
Elder Austen Snow
Like many other missionaries, Austen Snow, 26, was set on being a missionary and having missionary experiences.
“I was 16 years old when I knew I wanted to serve a mission,” Snow said. “I remember when I was in Young Men (an LDS youth organization for boys) that serving a mission was a commandment.
“But there were concerns about me serving a proselyting mission, and I wondered should I serve a service mission.”
Snow said he filled out the service mission papers and waited for the call. He was assigned to serve at the Family History Library working with U.S. and Canadian microfilm and documents.
He traveled from his Kaysville home to his mission by bus every day. His mission duties included processing new film and working on the second and third floor of the library.
“I developed a lot of social skills because I’d talk with a lot of people,” Snow said. “I encourage every person no matter the disability, even autism, to serve a mission; the Lord needs them. There’s always an opportunity to serve a mission.”
During the first months of his mission, Snow felt he was missing out on proselyting.
“I did a little,” he said. “I left a Book of Mormon at a friend’s house. I had to focus on what my call was.
“I had an honorable release and my mission name badge sits on my lamp table.”
One of Snow’s greatest mission memories was when a senior sister fell and hurt her legs crossing the street. They got her in a wheelchair, but her legs were hurting quite a bit. Snow said the sister missionary was inspired to ask him to give her a priesthood blessing.
“The spirit was really there,” Snow said. “There is a power in priesthood blessings. There is a power there.”
“The mission gave me valuable work skills,” he added. “After my mission I got a bachelor’s degree in history from BYU, and now I work for a market research survey firm and conduct market surveys.”
His twin brother, Bryson, also has autism, and he served a mission at the Distribution Center in Centerville.
“The church is expanding a lot more in the service missionary program,” Snow said.
The mission program
Young Church-service Missions are being provided, for those who qualify, in many areas of the church. Potential missionaries have the opportunity to choose from a number of service missions.
The Daily Herald, despite efforts to reach out to the Missionary Department of the LDS Church, was unable to obtain a response from Young Church-service Mission representatives.
However, according to a church statement, “The purpose of the Church-service Missionary Program is to provide opportunities for members to give their time to the Lord through service missions. This important missionary force helps many Church departments and operations fulfill the Church’s divinely appointed responsibilities namely:
• Helping members live the gospel of Jesus Christ
• Gathering Israel through missionary efforts
• Caring for the poor and needy
• Enabling the salvation of the dead
Serving others brings great blessings to those who serve and to the Church worldwide.”
For more information about the program, potential missionaries and their parents or guardians should reach out to their local ecclesiastical leaders and by visiting www.lds.org.