I’ve heard of the Church saying we shouldn’t have missionary farewell open houses. Do you think renting a room at a local hotel to hold the reception is the reason why?
Elaborate Missionary Farewells
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It may be related in a minor way to this: Boyd K. Packer gave some counsel years ago to couples who are preparing to marry. He advised them to give the sealing ordinance itself the greatest emphasis, giving receptions, open houses, etc. etc. a lesser place. This seems obvious, but it can actually be hard to do when there is such a formidable wedding industry and when there are so many women who want to smother the bride in festivities. When we were married, my wife and I tried to keep things simple and low-key, and I’ve never doubted that we made the right choice.
So maybe, in a small way, the same idea applies to leaving on a mission. Let’s think more about the missionary’s calling than about parties.
In addition, let’s avoid setting up a culture where people may be led to feel they’re just not doing enough for their missionary son/daughter if they don’t spend money to hold an elaborate reception.