So, you’re trekking through the scorched remains of Zion National Park in the Honest Hearts DLC for Fallout: New Vegas. You meet Joshua Graham—the "Burned Man"—and suddenly, you aren’t just shooting cazadores. You’re being grilled about faith, redemption, and the ethics of violence. It’s weirdly heavy. This specific interaction, often referred to by players as the missionary questions New Vegas segment, represents one of the most sophisticated intersections of theology and game design ever put to code.
It catches people off guard. Most RPGs give you a "Good" or "Bad" dialogue option. Obsidian Entertainment didn't do that. They forced players to engage with a man who is simultaneously a devout New Canaanite missionary and a former warlord who used to set people on fire for Caesar.
The Burned Man’s Interrogation
The "interrogation" isn't a formal quest, but it feels like one. When you first talk to Joshua Graham, he’s meticulously cleaning a stack of .45 Auto pistols. It's an iconic image. He starts asking you about your own beliefs, or lack thereof. This is where the missionary questions New Vegas flow begins to branch out based on your character's Intelligence, Medicine, or Survival skills.
Actually, it’s mostly about how you perceive his trauma. He asks why you’re even there. If you have a high enough Intelligence or certain perks like "Sneering Imperialist," the conversation shifts dramatically. You can call him out on the hypocrisy of his "missionary" work while he's literally preparing for a war of extermination against the White Legs tribe. He doesn't get mad, though. He just gets... reflective.
It's uncomfortable.
Most players expect a reward for answering "correctly." In New Vegas, the reward is just more lore and a deeper understanding of why the Mojave is so broken. If you tell him you don't believe in God, he doesn't stop talking to you. He just incorporates your nihilism into his worldview. It’s one of the few times a game treats your philosophical choices as part of the atmosphere rather than a toggle for a "Light Side" points bar.
Why Zion Changes the Context of the Mojave
Zion is different from the Strip. In the Mojave, everything is about resources—water, electricity, land. In Zion, the conflict is about the soul of the tribes. Joshua Graham and Daniel are both missionaries, but they have completely different answers to the missionary questions New Vegas presents to the player.
🔗 Read more: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
Daniel wants to preserve the innocence of the Sorrows. He wants to flee.
Joshua wants to teach them to fight. He wants to win.
You’re stuck in the middle. When you're answering these questions, you're basically deciding which version of "civilization" is less toxic. Is it better to be a peaceful refugee or a righteous conqueror? Honestly, the game doesn't give you a clean exit. If you side with Joshua, you turn a peaceful tribe into hardened killers. If you side with Daniel, they lose their home forever.
The Scripture and the 1911
Joshua Graham quotes the Bible constantly. Specifically, he leans on the Old Testament. Psalm 137 is his favorite. "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."
It’s not just flavor text.
The inclusion of actual scripture in the missionary questions New Vegas dialogue was a massive risk for the writers. Usually, games invent fake religions (like the Children of Atom) to avoid offending anyone. But by using real-world Mormon (LDS) influences, the stakes feel grounded. You aren't arguing about a fictional deity; you're arguing about how ancient beliefs survive a nuclear apocalypse. It makes the world feel lived-in. It makes Joshua Graham feel like a man who actually exists.
The Technical Reality of These Choices
Let's talk mechanics for a second. If you’re looking for a specific "best" way to handle the dialogue, you’re going to be disappointed. Your answers to the missionary questions New Vegas throws at you don't actually change your Reputation with the New Canaanites in a way that breaks the game.
💡 You might also like: The Dawn of the Brave Story Most Players Miss
What they do change is the ending slides.
If you push Joshua toward mercy during your conversations, the ending slide for the DLC changes. He becomes a more "temperate" leader. If you lean into his vengeful side, he becomes a terror. The "missionary" aspect of his character isn't just about converting the tribes to Christianity; it's about whether he can convert himself back into a human being after being the Legate of Caesar's Legion.
- The Intelligence Check: Talking about the history of the New Canaanites.
- The Speech Check: Challenging his interpretation of "eye for an eye."
- The Sneering Imperialist Perk: Basically being a jerk about tribal "superstitions."
You've probably noticed that the game tracks your responses. It’s subtle. It isn't a popup that says "Joshua Graham will remember that." But the tone of his voice shifts.
Addressing the "Lost" Content Rumors
There's always been talk in the Fallout community about whether there were more missionary questions New Vegas was supposed to have. Modders looking through the game files have found strings of dialogue that were cut for time.
Some of these involved deeper dives into the "Way of the Canaanite."
The Honest Hearts development cycle was notoriously short.
Even so, the depth we got is staggering. You can ask Joshua about his time in the Legion. You can ask him about the fire. He describes it as "a light that performed a miracle." He doesn't see his burning as a punishment; he sees it as a baptism. That kind of writing is why we're still talking about this game over a decade later. It's not just a post-apocalyptic shooter; it's a series of difficult questions wrapped in a cowboy aesthetic.
📖 Related: Why the Clash of Clans Archer Queen is Still the Most Important Hero in the Game
Dealing With Daniel’s Perspective
Daniel is the "other" missionary. People often ignore him because he isn't a cool guy with bandages and a bunch of pistols. But his questions are just as vital to the missionary questions New Vegas experience. Daniel represents the burden of guilt. He feels responsible for the Sorrows losing their "purity."
If you talk to him, he’ll ask you if you think the tribes are better off not knowing about the outside world. This is a classic "Noble Savage" trope that the game intentionally deconstructs. Daniel is well-meaning, but he's also condescending. Joshua is violent, but he treats the tribes like equals—warriors capable of defending themselves.
There is no "correct" answer here. You just have to live with the consequences of your dialogue.
Actionable Strategy: Navigating Zion's Ethics
If you are currently playing through Honest Hearts and want to get the most out of the missionary questions New Vegas provides, keep these points in mind:
- Don't skip the "About You" dialogue. When you first reach the camp, exhaust every dialogue option with Joshua. It’s the only way to unlock the nuanced ending for his character arc.
- Bring a high Speech skill. You need at least 75-90 Speech to actually challenge Joshua's theology in the final moments of the DLC. Without it, you’re just a passenger in his war.
- Pay attention to the Scripture. If you actually read the passages he quotes, you’ll realize he’s cherry-picking the "vengeance" parts. If you point this out through high Intelligence checks, the game rewards you with some of the best writing in the franchise.
- Check your Perk list. Perks like "Confirmed Bachelor" or "Lady Killer" don't do much here, but "Sneering Imperialist" provides unique (and often brutal) ways to shut down the missionary's arguments.
The real "missionary question" isn't about God. It’s about whether people can change their nature. Can a man who spent his life conquering others truly become a man of peace? Or is the "missionary" just another mask for the "Legate"? By the time you finish the DLC, your answers to those questions will be written in the blood of the White Legs or the displacement of the Sorrows. Choose carefully. It’s the only way to survive Zion with your conscience—and your gear—intact.
Next time you load up New Vegas, don't just click through the text boxes to get to the loot. Listen to what the Burned Man is actually asking you. It’s rare that a game asks you to define your own morality without judging you for it. Zion is a beautiful place, but the questions it asks are ugly, complicated, and entirely up to you.