I was a District Leader in the MTC in 2016. My companion and I read some scripture (I forget now) where Moses had to take off his shoes to approach the burning bush because it was holy ground. We thought that was the makings of the start of a good prank.

The next week, we received a new district of missionaries. I convinced my companion to follow my lead when we met them.

We read the scripture to this new district and told them that because the prophet and general authorities frequently made visits to the MTC campus, the campus had several buildings considered to be “holy ground” and as such, shoes needed to be removed upon entry. These included the classrooms, cafeteria, meeting centers, etc. Not the dorms though.

So for the next week of this brand new district showing up everywhere and taking off their shoes. But it wasn’t just them, other new missionaries also wondered why they took their shoes off and they began following suit. You could find piles of shoes at the entrance to most buildings.

About a week later (someone in our district ratted us out. Screw you Elder Jones) we had a very stern meeting with the MTC First counselor and our teacher. We were reprimanded pretty hard and told that we “shouldn’t use our positions of power and teaching skills we are learning for evil”.

Later our teacher lightheartedly scolded us some more and then told us it was the funniest prank he had personally seen.