Fresh out of law school I would put my mission on my resume (I interviewed a lot outside of Utah). In hindsight, I don't think I would do it again. Part of my reasoning for including it was that if someone was going to have a problem with me being Mormon, I wanted them not to hire me and spare us both the trouble. As an example, I didn't mind going to firm parties where I was the only one not drinking alcohol as long as they didn't mind that I wasn't drinking. If they were going to mind me not drinking, that would be a problem.

People usually always raised the mission issue with me in interviews. I never did get comfortable discussing it in interviews and I didn't do anything to prolong that as a topic of conversation. I suppose a part of me didn't want to get any extra benefit from having served.

If the topic of family came up, I would usually mention that my family was important to me and that I understood that the law is a "jealous mistress" and I was prepared to work hard.

I think this guy may have been uncomfortable that his religious beliefs and desires to spend time with family wouldn't fit. I'm not saying his fears had support in facts, but it sounds like those things were on his mind.