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The ones in foreign language missions go to a fairly intensive foreign language training school before going to the field. Two years in the field often yields a very good level of language fluency. That would be a good item on your resume. CIA is one outfit that can benefit from hires with foreign language skills. The missionaries in the field aren't working for the CIA during their mission service

Well, the Mormon church has only itself to blame on this one...for the above reasons, there's a "slew" of ex-Lds missionaries who were recruited by (& eventually landed with) the CIA. Hence, Russians have made the connection.

The missionaries in the field aren't working for the CIA during their mission service.

(Of course they aren't; but just to toss out #s...let's say 1 in 10 Lds missionaries in Russia eventually lands with the CIA...the Russians know that this "10%" is accumulating info that will one day be utilized by the CIA)