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General Discussion / EV owners beware? We have not experienced it

« on: Today at 02:09:59 PM »

'It's a real thing': Drivers and passengers report motion sickness in EVs
Strong regenerative braking can cause passengers to feel queasy.

An oft-touted advantage of owning an electric vehicle is one-pedal driving, when drivers can slow down a vehicle simply by lifting off the throttle.

But as more Americans swap their gas-powered cars and trucks for an EV, some are also realizing there are drawbacks to the one-pedal lifestyle.

"It can cause some people to get sick," John Voelcker, a former editor of Green Car Reports and a contributing editor at Car and Driver, told ABC News. "Strong regenerative braking, which recaptures max energy, can cause motion sickness. There is a learning curve to lifting off the accelerator in an EV ... you have to modulate it."

Voelcker said he has felt queasy at least twice while riding in the back seat of a Tesla.

"The drivers didn't know how to modulate Tesla's strong regen braking," he recalled. "I was thrown around a little bit."

Ed Kim, president and chief analyst of AutoPacific, said Teslas are the "worst offenders" because they can be "very jerky and really abrupt."

"Most automakers have tuned the throttles to be jumpy in EVs to emphasize the power, but the side effect is that they can lurch and make some occupants car sick. You have to be so careful on how to apply the throttle ... if not, it can lead to an abrupt seesaw motion for passengers," Kim told ABC News.

PHOTO: A driver is seen inside of a Tesla Model Y car during its presentation at the Automobile Club, Sept. 5, 2020, in Budapest, Hungary.
A driver is seen inside of a Tesla Model Y car during its presentation at the Automobile Club, Sept. 5, 2...Show more
Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images
Kim said his wife has gotten nauseous in a Tesla Model Y and he's heard of similar experiences from other motorists. The extremely quick acceleration of EVs can be disorienting to Americans who learned how to drive with an gasoline engine.

"EVs have so much torque -- you tap the throttle and the thing just takes off. The abruptness of power delivery can be unsettling to some people. If you set really high regenerative braking, the car lurches forward and rocks and back forth a lot," he said.

Dr. D.J. Verret, an ear, nose and throat doctor in Texas, said motion sickness in EVs "is a real thing."


Verret pointed out that the lack of sound in an EV can also worsen the experience for passengers, especially those already prone to motion sickness.

"The brain sets up a model for what it expects in certain situations," he told ABC News. "In combustion cars, you hear the engine revving and know someone is stepping on the accelerator. The car moves forward. In an EV, the auditory and visual inputs don't fit the model that you are actually moving."

Passengers are more susceptible to dizziness and nausea in an EV than drivers, especially when they're in the back seat.

"If you're the driver, your head moves when you turn the wheel to the left," he said. "Our brain is responding to what it's expecting to happen. If you're a passenger, you can't see those motions. If you have a certain lateral acceleration -- like turning a corner fast -- that will increase your potential for dizziness and motion sickness."

Monica Jones, an associate research scientist at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, has been studying motion sickness for years. It's a topic that's gathering "a lot of interest," she told ABC News, adding that researchers are still not clear on why some people are more sensitive to motion sickness.


She recently completed a study with an automaker that looked at longitudinal jerk, "which is what happens with regen braking," she said.

Jones and her team modulated the jerk in an automated vehicle while maintaining its peak acceleration. Participants were "very sensitive to the jerk," she said.

"Motion sickness ratings increased on average throughout the duration of the trial and significant interactions were observed between levels of longitudinal jerk and time," she said. "The highest rate of accumulation or earliest onset of motion sickness was observed for the jerk condition with the highest magnitude."

MORE: How Kia's design chief is making Americans want to drive sedans again
Jones said this research could help automakers ameliorate motion sickness in EVs as they continue to refine the technology with newer models.

"One-pedal driving is a very different experience than combustion engines," she said. "Even if you learn how to effectively do one-pedal driving, uncertainty in the environment -- like traffic -- can still cause motion sickness."

Recent Stories from ABC News
There are EVs available now that ride similarly to an internal combustion engine vehicle, a bonus for those looking to avoid a Tesla-like ride. Hyundai's new Ioniq 5 N, a chic hatch that makes 641 horsepower, comes with fake gearing and artificial engine noises, delivering a gas-powered experience on and off the track.

Matt Farah, host of the popular "The Smoking Tire" podcast and editor-at-large for Road & Track, said he was so blown away by the Ioniq 5 N that his perspective on EVs has changed.

"We now know it's possible to make an EV fun," he told ABC News. "The synthetic gearbox and synthetic noises successfully mimic what we like about gasoline sports cars."

Farah said he, too, has been queasy in an EV before, especially when going really fast or doing full throttle launches.

"If I do two or three launches in a row in an EV, I don't feel great after," he said. "The way an EV motor delivers power -- and the absence of sound -- are what make you feel dizzy going fast in one."

Hyundai's decision to include the fake gearing and noises (N e-shift and N active sound+) "were not created to alleviate queasiness or motion sickness, although it is possible that these features might indirectly help reduce some of those effects for electric vehicle drivers," a company spokesperson told ABC News.

Either way, Farah, who test drove the Ioniq 5 N in California last month, said more automakers should follow Hyundai's example.

"You have more control over what the car is doing with the gears. You want to control what the car is doing -- that is the point of driving," he said. "You realize the sound is fake, but after a few minutes of driving, it's giving what you need and it works."

The Cadillac Lyriq, a sleek electric sport utility vehicle that went into production last year, may not have fake engine noises but its tuning and drive quality has won over motorists who are anti one-pedal driving.

"It's the closest approximation to an ICE car that I have seen in a while," Voelcker said.

PHOTO: Kevin Cansiani, an engineer who worked on the Cadillac Lyriq, said the electric SUV delivers seamless torque when the throttle is pressed.
Kevin Cansiani, an engineer who worked on the Cadillac Lyriq, said the electric SUV delivers seamless...Sho w more
Cadillac
The Lyriq does not lurch forward unexpectedly like some of the other electric SUVs, Kim pointed out.

"The acceleration is more gentle," he said. "The passenger experience is more like a traditional gas car -- no matter who drives it."

MORE: Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says he's changing mindsets of what's 'possible in an electric vehicle'
Kevin Cansiani, a senior engineer at Cadillac, told ABC News the Lyriq drives even better than an ICE car.

"My gripe with ICE transmissions are those shifts and jerks you always get," he said. "With the Lyriq, there's just this feeling of seamless torque. The goal of the engineers was to make the Lyriq have a premium drive quality."

Cansiani 's team tuned the Lyriq so that passengers and drivers alike would not be affected by the SUV's throttle response.

"We came up with a common set of throttle mapping and had specific drive scorecards. We took objective measurements on jerk -- that sting you feel," he said.

The Lyriq offers three regen modes -- off, normal or high. Cansiani said the majority of Lyriq customers choose the normal mode for the "instant feel of negative torque."

And driving with the regen off won't impact range, Cansiani noted.

"You're not losing a lot of range," he said. "We have blended braking on the Lyriq. The brake pedal, when pressed, will command as much regen as possible. When maxed out, only then will it transition to friction braking."

For electric car rookies, there are ways to minimize the shock when driving some EVs on the market.

"People who are newer to EVs are not accustomed to how powerful and torquey these things can be," Kim noted, adding that it's relatively easy to get comfortable with the tech.

He recommended that drivers set up eco mode in their EVs to make the throttle less sensitive. "It will give you a more relaxed driving style," he said.

His other suggestion was that engineers adjust the throttle mapping in an electric vehicle so it more closely mimics how a gasoline-powered car moves and operates.

Voelcker said regen braking is different on every EV and some vehicles may be better than others for those with a lead foot. He personally is a fan of the driving technique: "I don't touch the brakes. The car does the braking for you."

Worst case scenario for those who are having trouble with the EV's stop-start manner? Shut off the regen entirely, Voelcker said.

"It's about muscle control in the foot," he explained. "People who drive gas cars, they don't glide. They accelerate to the stop sign then slam on the brakes."

He added, "A lot of motion sickness, honestly, is because of the driver."

2

General Discussion / Still a douche but at least he's honest during the interview??

« on: Today at 02:02:12 PM »

Florida man convicted after admitting to heinous crime during job interview to become a police officer
Stephen Bodley, 26, was convicted by a jury last week of sexual battery of a child and faces up to life in prison

A Florida man, who aspired to become a police officer, admitted to sexually abusing his cousin during a police department job interview and now faces life in prison.

Stephen Bodley, 26, was convicted by an Orange County jury last week of sexual battery on a child, the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a news release.

Bodley first mentioned "playing sexual games" in a sworn officer application with the Apopka Police Department. He again mentioned the crime during an interview.

"The certified voice stress analysis examiner performed a voice stress examination on Bodley," Bain said. "During the examination, the examiner asked Bodley to expand on concerning answers he provided in a pre-test questionnaire."

A Florida man, who aspired to become a police officer, admitted to sexually abusing his cousin during a police department job interview and now faces life in prison.

Stephen Bodley, 26, was convicted by an Orange County jury last week of sexual battery on a child, the office of State Attorney Andrew Bain said in a news release.

Bodley first mentioned "playing sexual games" in a sworn officer application with the Apopka Police Department. He again mentioned the crime during an interview.

"The certified voice stress analysis examiner performed a voice stress examination on Bodley," Bain said. "During the examination, the examiner asked Bodley to expand on concerning answers he provided in a pre-test questionnaire."

He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24. The conviction carries a sentence of up to life in prison.

3

General Discussion / I personally know two Carriers that got fired for similar incident

« on: Today at 01:58:17 PM »

Postal worker seen stealing cash, lottery tickets from mail on USPS footage, feds say

A postal carrier who federal prosecutors said was caught on camera stealing cash, lottery tickets, gift cards and other items from the mail in western New York has avoided a prison sentence.

After community members in Rochester complained to the U.S. Postal Service that “their mail had been tampered with,” surveillance cameras were installed in the employee’s delivery vehicles and recorded her from January 2022 to November 2023, according to court documents.

On 38 separate occasions, the mail carrier was seen rifling through nearly 90 pieces of mail she was meant to deliver along her route, court documents said.

After opening envelopes, prosecutors said she ripped them up, tossed them out of her vehicle, or resealed and delivered them.

During one shift, she stole cash from two envelopes, which she then ripped up, before putting the money into her wallet on Feb. 28, 2022, according to an affidavit. That same day, she opened two more envelopes, kept a lottery ticket found inside, and resealed both pieces of mail, the affidavit says.

Other items she stole from the mail included ticket stubs and documents, according to prosecutors.

In January, the 40-year-old Rochester woman pleaded guilty to theft of mail matter by an officer or employee, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.

On May 10, a federal judge sentenced her to serve two years probation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced in a news release. Prior to sentencing, she faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to prosecutors.

The woman’s defense attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on May 13.

While the woman was under investigation, investigators carried out “mail integrity tests” by putting cash and gift cards inside greeting cards that she was supposed to deliver in May and November 2023, prosecutors said.

On Nov. 2, she was detained, investigators executed a search warrant and found one of the gift cards they placed in the mail inside her duffel bag, prosecutors said.

The investigation was led by the USPS Office of Inspector General.

4

General Discussion / That's the date that triggered Hmong's mass migration to Thailand and then here

« on: Today at 01:54:52 PM »

Vietnamese Americans outraged as Los Angeles County honors Jane Fonda on Fall of Saigon anniversary

“It's a day that we mourn,” Nguyen said. Which is why Ta and Nguyen were outraged when leaders of neighboring Los Angeles County declared April 30 “Jane Fonda Day” to honor the celebrity for her environmental activism. The lawmakers immediately began pressuring officials to rescind the recognition.

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General Discussion / Do you Hmong GOP folks share this GOP's opinion?

« on: Today at 01:52:01 PM »

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan says he’s not voting for Trump : 'Character is too important'

“Character is too important for me,” Ryan told us at the Milken Institute Global Conference. “[The presidency] is a job that requires the kind of character [Trump] doesn't have.” Ryan, who left the speakership in 2019, has been vocal in his opposition of Trump since.

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Marriage & Family Life / Some Hmong wives have no choice so what do PH women think of sharing is caring?

« on: Today at 01:20:51 AM »

I’ve shared my husband with 35 women in the past year — it’s the best marriage I could ask for

Sharing is caring.

An Australian woman who’s shared her husband with 35 women in the past year says her marriage is stronger than ever.

Honey Brooks made the bold declaration in a video shared to Instagram earlier this month, before insisting it was her idea to bring other women into the bedroom.

“I’m obsessed,” the content creator claimed after revealing she was always present when women were having sex with her husband

“Everyone is going on saying ‘You guys aren’t happy’ and ‘You are not going to last in a marriage’ and ‘This is ridiculous, you guys [act like you] aren’t even married’,” Brooks continued.

The bisexual beauty said her husband happily went along with her proposal to sleep with other women — and she hasn’t looked back.

“This is the best kind of marriage you could ask for,” she cooed.

“Um, hello, like we not only get to enjoy the hell out of each other, but my husband gets to enjoy so many other women and so I!

However, some of the Aussie’s followers were close-minded about her open marriage.

“I would want to be with my one and only,” one monogamous man maintained.

Others attacked Brooks for her kinky confession, including one who sniped, “Most not be much good in bed if you can’t please your man, or just maybe he’s looking for a female with a brain that he can have a conversation with?”

But others applauded the content creator’s confession,

“This is your relationship, you get to choose the dynamic that is right for you,” an admirer cheered.

“Totally with you,” a second weighed in. “We’re doing this with my wife for 5 years now, never been more in love and happy!!”

7

General Discussion / When you target the whole group of White people, it makes you a racist?

« on: May 14, 2024, 02:12:25 PM »

 :

New Jersey Marine arrested after allegedly making threats to kill White people, 'began planning' mass shooting
His posts included possible targets for a mass shooting, such as a local gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville

A Marine was arrested in New Jersey after he allegedly threatened to kill White people in various social media posts and apparently began planning a mass shooting, federal prosecutors said.

Joshua Cobb, 23, of Trenton, was brought into custody on Friday, May 10, and was charged with transmitting a threat in interstate and foreign commerce after he allegedly posted statements online bragging about his interest in becoming a serial killer and threatening to "cause mayhem on the White community," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.

According to court documents filed in this case, Cobb had compiled detailed information on locations he was considering as possible targets for a mass shooting, which included a local gym and an Aldi grocery store in Robbinsville.

His phone also allegedly contained notes on how to smuggle firearms into New Jersey.

8

General Discussion / This Liberal area pro kicker really thinks women should just stay in the kitchen

« on: May 14, 2024, 02:10:16 PM »

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker bashes Pride Month, tells women to stay in the kitchen

Kansas City Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker used his platform as a commencement speaker at Benedictine College last weekend to attack Pride Month and transgender people, the coronavirus pandemic, while also telling women to get back in the kitchen.

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General Discussion / Wonder if Hmong GOP tuck & hide like this Asian guy when he got hate crime on

« on: May 14, 2024, 02:07:11 PM »

...directly to his face 

I mean no balls at all to fight the hatred..

Ann Coulter's Bluntly Racist Admission To Vivek Ramaswamy Is Jaw-Dropping

Right-wing commentator Ann Coulter told ex-GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy Wednesday she would not have voted for him because he’s Indian. (Watch the video below.)

The unvarnished remarks oozed racism as Ramaswamy, whose parents emigrated from India, listened politely and later praised her on X (formerly Twitter) for “having the guts to speak her mind.”

Coulter declared on Ramaswamy’s “Truth” podcast: “I agreed with many, many things you said ... when you were running for president, but I still would not have voted for you because you’re an Indian.”

“There is a core national identity that is the identity of the WASP,” she said, using an acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. “And that doesn’t mean we can’t take anyone else in ― a Sri Lankan or a Japanese, or an Indian. But the core around which the nation’s values are formed is the WASP.”

Ramaswamy appeared unruffled by her remarks and noted that they shared an opposition to dual citizenship. He then asserted that a child of immigrants would have greater loyalty to the country than disgruntled seventh-generation WASPs.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) was not impressed.

“I wasn’t surprised that Ann Coulter made a racist statement about Vivek,” he wrote on X. “What surprised me is the weakness and lack of self respect of @VivekGRamaswamy. He’s actually promoting this episode and praising the person who spewed raw racism to his face. I feel sorry for Vivek.”

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General Discussion / Can Dok_Champa do this for her own sister? I think not!!!

« on: May 13, 2024, 11:30:56 PM »

 :

Bride’s fearless sister wrangles snake that crashed Arizona wedding

A brave sister-of-the-bride wasted no time giving a slithering wedding crasher in Arizona the boot.

Erika Rodriguez was celebrating her sister’s wedding in Florence on Sunday when a snake snuck its way into the festivities.

Video posted on TikTok shows Rodriguez, in an orange dress for the occasion, casually picking up the serpentine interloper by the tail as other guests watch in awe.

“Erika, you’re’ f—king wild!” an onlooker yells in the clip, which has been viewed over one million times on the social media site.

Grasping the snake in her bare hand a safe distance in front of her, she marches it away from the party into the surrounding brush, her other hand holding up her dress so it wouldn’t drag on the ground.

11

General Discussion / Bout time, this gym is like Jack in the Box's 2 tacos for 99 cents

« on: May 13, 2024, 11:25:51 PM »

Planet Fitness is raising prices. The gym chain will increase the price of its long-running $10-a-month membership plan for the first time in 26 years. LOS ANGELES -- The Planet Fitness $10-a-month membership plan is a powerful marketing tool and a central part of its strategy.

12

General Discussion / No, Tou and Mai is not on the list

« on: May 13, 2024, 11:22:36 PM »

Here Are the Most Popular Baby Names of 2023

The most popular baby names for 2023 are in, and the winners are Olivia and Liam.

It’s the fifth year in a row that the names took the top slot. Noah and Emma slid into second place for the second most popular boy and girl names, while Mateo was the only new name to join the top ten list this year.


Social Security releases a list of the top 1,000 most popular baby names to celebrate Mother’s Day each year. The agency began compiling the baby names list in 1997, with names dating back to 1880.

Popular media has played a heavy hand in influencing names. The name Kaeli, for example, rose 1,692 spots in 2023, presumably following the similar rise of social media star Kaeli McEwen. Chozen, the second-fastest rising boy name, was the name of a hero in the latest season of the Netflix show, Cobra Kai.

The fastest rising girl names also included: Alitzel, Emryn, Adhara, and Azari. Izael, Eiden, Cassian, and Kyren were among the fastest rising boys' names.

The most popular boys' names included: Liam, Noah, Oliver, James, Elijah, Mateo, Theodore, Henry, Lucas, and William. The most popular girls' names included Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Ava, Evelyn, and Luna.

13

General Discussion / FRAUDs like this idiot really ruin it for "legit" folks that really need it

« on: May 13, 2024, 11:13:58 PM »

Veteran who admitted faking disability to obtain more than $660,000 in benefits gets prison time

A US military veteran who admitted he faked being unable to walk for more than 20 years while claiming several hundred thousand dollars in disability benefits has been sentenced to prison time.

Christopher Stultz, 49, of Antrim, New Hampshire, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after receiving more than $660,000 in disability benefits to which he was not entitled, the office of the US attorney for New Hampshire said in a news release.

Stultz had pleaded guilty to making false statements by faking the impairment that prevented him from walking to obtain veteran’s disability benefits, according to the US attorney’s office. Court documents show that for more than two decades, Stultz falsely claimed that he was unable to walk and needed a wheelchair to move around.

In addition to his prison sentence, Stultz was ordered to pay $662,871.77 in restitution, which is the total amount he is said to have gained from veteran’s disability benefits.

A year after joining the US Navy in 1995, Stultz suffered a spinal cord injury after falling off a horse. He was honorably discharged in 1999, according to court documents, and was rated as partially disabled by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In 2003, however, Stultz claimed to the VA that he could no longer use both his feet. With that, the VA rated Stultz as 100% disabled and increased his monthly benefits. He was also given a total of nearly $190,000 in funding for special adapted cars to help mobility-impaired veterans, according to the US attorney’s office. Prosecutors say that Stultz never used the adapted cars and instead sold them for cash.

“This is one of the most egregious benefits fraud cases ever prosecuted in this state,” Jane Young, US attorney for New Hampshire, said in the release. “The defendant lied to the VA for 20 years to obtain disability benefits he was not entitled to. He stole not only from taxpayers, but also his fellow veterans who were entitled to the benefits.”

Prosecutors began investigating the case after receiving a report from “a concerned citizen,” according to the US attorney’s office. Court documents chronicle how Stultz was surveilled on multiple occasions and recorded walking without impairment.

In one example given in a sentencing memorandum, Stultz is seen using a wheelchair while inside a VA facility in Boston in October 2021. After leaving the VA, he stood up, lifted the wheelchair into his car and drove to a shopping mall. Prosecutors say that Stultz was then seen walking without impairment through multiple stores.

Investigators also interviewed people in Stultz’s life, including previous employers and acquaintances, who reported that “at work and in public the defendant was in good physical condition and walked normally,” court documents state, and that they had never known Stultz to use a wheelchair or other ambulatory devices as far back as the early 2000s.

During the investigation, Stultz underwent a psychological evaluation in which he was diagnosed with factitious disorder in 2023. The disorder is classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a condition in which a patient falsely acts as if the patient has a physical or psychological illness.

According to court documents, Stultz has been in regular counseling since March 2020 along with physical therapy for several physical ailments. According to a sentencing memorandum filed by his attorneys, which asked the court for three years supervision instead of prison time, a psychologist opined that he “meets the criteria for factitious disorder and that it likely played a role in the alleged fraudulent behavior.”

CNN sought comment from Stultz’s attorney Dorothy Graham.

14

General Discussion / Yep, inching closer to being 50 years

« on: May 13, 2024, 02:22:16 AM »

..when Hmong folks first arrived here:

Hmong American Day celebration held in southeast Fresno


FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An event in Southeast Fresno was celebrating culture this Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Hmong American Day was held Saturday at the Fresno Center on Kings Canyon Road.

The day was to celebrate the 49th anniversary of when the first wave of Hmong refugees arrived in the United States.

There were food booths, resources, arts and crafts and cultural performances.

The day honors the diverse identities, cultural legacies, and historical contributions of the Hmong community.

It also aims to inspire the younger generation to embrace their Hmong heritage.

The Fresno Center says this is a great way for the community to enjoy Hmong Culture.

15

General Discussion / Good for those Mormon Missionaries as I've seen them out there struggling

« on: May 13, 2024, 02:11:04 AM »

..at times:

For Mormon Missionaries, Some ‘Big, Big Changes’
The church has loosened its strict rules for those evangelizing. And many members of Gen-Z are loving it.

Andres Gonzalez, 19, stands on the balcony of his Los Angeles apartment, his hands in his suit pockets. It is his first week as a missionary, but today, instead of approaching people on the street, he is shooting a video that he will later post to social media.

After about a dozen takes, he is successful. “Hello! If you would like to learn more about Jesus Christ,” he says to the camera in Spanish, “contact me.”

Mr. Gonzalez is the image of the modern missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has changed many of its practices — from how missionaries preach to how they dress.

The faith, long known for sending tens of thousands of neatly and formally dressed young people across the globe each year to preach door to door, is encouraging new missionaries to spread the gospel on social media and, for some, with acts of community service closer to home.

As a church leader, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, put it, missionaries should feel comfortable sharing their faith in “normal and natural ways.”

In the last few years, the church has also changed some rules for missionaries themselves — loosening restrictions on dress codes (women can wear pants) and how often they can call family members back home (once a week, not just on Christmas and Mother’s Day).

To outsiders, the adjustments may seem small. But to missionaries who adhere to strict rules while on assignment, the shifts are dramatic.

“We’ve seen a lot of big, big changes,” Jensen Diederich, 23, said. He served his mission in Peru and said it was “monumental” when the church allowed him to call home weekly, instead of just twice a year.

The church believes missionary work is essential for the world’s salvation — that people must be baptized in the faith to get to the highest level of heaven after they die. Missionary work also helps increase the church’s membership, and it deepens many young members’ faith. Many missionaries begin their assignments just after they leave home. Instead of partying on a college campus, they commit themselves to the religion and develop habits that can last a lifetime.

One of those members was Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who was a missionary in France in the 1960s. He has said the isolation of his mission allowed him to examine his faith without distraction. When asked about the changes, he said, “For young people of my generation, I think the separation from family and friends served us well.”

But he understands times have changed. “With today’s youth in near constant contact with one another, maintaining greater connection during a mission fits their life experience,” he added.

Many young church members say the new rules have made missionary service more attractive and realistic.

Kate Kennington, a 19-year-old with a mission assignment to London, said finding people online and messaging them is a more successful way of approaching potential converts. “It’s how I would want to be contacted,” she said.

“Knocking on doors and approaching people on the street are no longer seen as useful as they once were because of shifts in American culture,” said Matthew Bowman, a professor of religion and history at Claremont Graduate University who holds the chair of Mormon studies. He is also a church member.

For decades, missionaries’ clean-cut suits were signs of prosperity, Mr. Bowman said, and an effective way of appealing to converts. But they now feel “outdated.”

Many of the changes, especially the push to evangelize on social media, were fueled by the pandemic, which shut down in-person church gatherings and forced Latter-day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses to find alternatives to door-to-door preaching.

The missionaries use their phones to film videos of themselves promoting the church or sharing messages of faith. In one video, a missionary raps about his faith. In another, two missionaries throw a football and a Frisbee through an obstacle course in a church gym — an object lesson meant to visualize how Jesus Christ can help people overcome challenges.

So far, the changes appear to be working: In the last three years, as pandemic restrictions lifted and young members responded to an appeal from the church’s top leader for them to serve, the number of full-time proselytizing missionaries has risen by around 25 percent, according to church data. At the end of last year, the church had about 72,000 full-time missionaries serving around the world.

The church has just under 17.3 million members globally but has seen growth slow. From 1988 to 1989, during a surge in growth when the church expanded into West Africa, the church grew by about 9 percent. Last year, the church grew by about 1.5 percent.

The church’s missionaries have traveled the world, growing their faith from a fledgling start-up in upstate New York to a global religion that brings in billions of dollars in revenue.

Church leaders say it is men’s responsibility to become missionaries for two years starting at age 18. Missionary work is optional for women, who serve for 18 months. The church has historically encouraged women to focus on marriage and motherhood. But since 2012, when the church lowered the age women could become missionaries to 19 from 21, more women have been going.

Missionaries leave their families and friends, learn new languages and spend the first years of their adulthood spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While on a mission, they cannot date and must follow the religion’s ban on premarital sex, drinking, smoking, coffee and caffeinated tea. Communication with friends and family back home is restricted. They commit to stay focused on their work, and their proximity to their missionary partner creates a sense of accountability that keeps most from breaking the rules.

Until recently, the experience of young missionaries was similar to that of their parents. They first attended a missionary training center — a religious boot camp of sorts — before then traveling to their missions.

Most missionaries now start their training online at home, where the transition is less jarring. They can adapt to a mission schedule with their family’s support. Being home is also an opportunity for new missionaries to evangelize in their community.

“I’ve had friends who aren’t members of the church,” Tanner Bird, a 19-year-old missionary in Brazil who did part of his training at home in Houston. “And I just get super, super excited and talk to them about the gospel.”

Once deployed, men in some areas are allowed to wear blue shirts and go without ties, while women can wear wrinkle-resistant dress pants in “conservative colors.” Most missionaries now have smartphones and call their families weekly.

Some traditions remain: Young missionaries still do not get to pick their destinations. Many teenagers throw parties to open their assignments, reading their “call letter” aloud for the first time in front of family and friends. Others film elaborate announcement videos — including on ice skates. Some serve close to home (there are 10 missions in Utah). Others go as far as Tahiti or Tokyo.

Mr. Gonzalez, the missionary in Los Angeles, said he first imagined going on a mission when he was a child in Venezuela. His parents, who converted to the faith, often had young missionaries over for meals. After the church helped the family settle in Utah, he said serving as a missionary was part of his “American dream.”

Every morning, he wakes up at 6:30 a.m., the set time for many missionaries, with his “companion,” an assigned missionary partner. They are mandated to “never be alone,” with few exceptions, and each day follow a missionary schedule.

On Facebook, they contact people they have met, including those they have approached on the street in downtown Los Angeles. They also search groups for people who may be open to their message and post videos to generate interest in their faith. They keep track of potential converts’ progress, including lessons they teach. Every Monday, Mr. Gonzalez calls his parents.

Calls are also an opportunity for him to receive support. “It’s a little bit hard,” Mr. Gonzalez said of his mission work, describing people in downtown Los Angeles as “busy.” Still, he remains hopeful: “Some of them, they really are ready. They make time, even just like five minutes.”

The missionary experience is not for everyone. Some people feel isolated, find it difficult to adapt to a location, or struggle with the rules or the pressure to keep their commitment. Some people do leave early; the church does not comment on those who do.

Alex McAlpin, a 23-year-old who went on a mission to Denver, almost did not put in a missionary application. Before her mission, she attended Pepperdine University, where she wrestled with some aspects of church doctrine and history.

Then the church made its dress code change, allowing women to wear pants in 2018.

“That was the first day of my life that I thought maybe I would go” on a mission, Ms. McAlpin said. She saw the new dress code and the church’s other mission changes as a sign the church was evolving and listening to its younger members, many of whom hope their church will modernize in larger ways. “I wanted to be a part of the change.”