Rumors of 19 year old females going on missions

[Paperback Writer]

I think the change will reduce the stigma. Leaving at 18 was clearly presented as an option, not the age for everyone. With options, there will be less stigma for not serving at a given age. There may be some overzealous local leaders who teach 18 is the age to serve for everyone, but hopefully that will be limited.

I hope it will be limited too, but I have my doubts. I think this could become a case where the official letter/statement will be one thing but the direction given out to SPs and Bishops will be something different. In other words, to the rank and file: "Sure, you can serve at 18 if that's what you think is best" but then in leadership meetings SPs will be told "Get these YM to submit their mission papers at 18". Especially when one of the main reasons for the age change is to increase the number of missionaries by reducing those who lose the desire to serve at 19 or who are not deemed worthy. I see that as increasing the stigma and the stigma will arrive at an earlier age. Before the change, a YM could go away to school - there was kind of a buffer to getting the mission papers in. Now there will be a lot of pressure while the YM is still in high school to get his papers submitted soon after graduation and reaching 18. I can see situations like at seminary graduation where a certificate is given to a YM with an announcement that JR has already recevied his mission call.

My 20-year old son moved his membership to a student ward because he got tired of people asking about why he wasn't on a mission. The more I think of it, the pressure and stigma will be much greater at 18. Attending college after graduation could easily be seen as a sign of waivering by many Mormons. And it could increase the number of missionaries who serve for the wrong reason. I predict an increase in attrition rates for missionaries coming home early. Who is better equipped to deal with the challenges of missionary service. A YM who has been away at college for a year or someone who has just graduated from high school who may never have left home. It wasn't that long ago when the minimum age for YM was 20.

[Omaha 680]

I hope it will be limited too, but I have my doubts. I think this could become a case where the official letter/statement will be one thing but the direction given out to SPs and Bishops will be something different. In other words, to the rank and file: "Sure, you can serve at 18 if that's what you think is best" but then in leadership meetings SPs will be told "Get these YM to submit their mission papers at 18". Especially when one of the main reasons for the age change is to increase the number of missionaries by reducing those who lose the desire to serve at 19 or who are not deemed worthy. I see that as increasing the stigma and the stigma will arrive at an earlier age. Before the change, a YM could go away to school - there was kind of a buffer to getting the mission papers in. Now there will be a lot of pressure while the YM is still in high school to get his papers submitted soon after graduation and reaching 18. I can see situations like at seminary graduation where a certificate is given to a YM with an announcement that JR has already recevied his mission call.

My 20-year old son moved his membership to a student ward because he got tired of people asking about why he wasn't on a mission. The more I think of it, the pressure and stigma will be much greater at 18. Attending college after graduation could easily be seen as a sign of waivering by many Mormons. And it could increase the number of missionaries who serve for the wrong reason. I predict an increase in attrition rates for missionaries coming home early. Who is better equipped to deal with the challenges of missionary service. A YM who has been away at college for a year or someone who has just graduated from high school who may never have left home. It wasn't that long ago when the minimum age for YM was 20.

I asked my parents if they still had any sons at home, what would they counsel wrt to the announcement. My dad said he would absolutely encourage his sons to still go away to school for at least a year before serving. He is currently in the Stake Presidency in his stake, and has high hopes that the policy will be applied just as presented in the press conference: another option for young people when choosing when they will serve. I will try to remember to ask him about future trainings he attends and if there is a deviation from how it was initially presented.

[All-American]

That's it?

Thinking on it more, I think the number is even less impressive. Aside from the other reasons I already mentioned that the announcement could not have affected the number by much, I'm not sure the 3,000 number is all that unusual. We are about at the point where missionaries planning on leaving at the end of the fall semester can apply (and I got my call at about this point in time in 2002). It might just be a high application season.

[CardiacCoug]

Thinking on it more, I think the number is even less impressive. Aside from the other reasons I already mentioned that the announcement could not have affected the number by much, I'm not sure the 3,000 number is all that unusual. We are about at the point where missionaries planning on leaving at the end of the fall semester can apply (and I got my call at about this point in time in 2002). It might just be a high application season.

Those were 3000 people who were able to get their mission physical examination and all paperwork done in less than a week in the middle of an academic term. Seems like the peak surge in applications would occur in 3-4 weeks at the earliest.

[jay santos]

I asked my parents if they still had any sons at home, what would they counsel wrt to the announcement. My dad said he would absolutely encourage his sons to still go away to school for at least a year before serving. He is currently in the Stake Presidency in his stake, and has high hopes that the policy will be applied just as presented in the press conference: another option for young people when choosing when they will serve. I will try to remember to ask him about future trainings he attends and if there is a deviation from how it was initially presented.

I'm curious what your dad's logic is. I think it's much cleaner to go immediately out of high school than interrupting college after one year. I wish I could have gone earlier. I felt like my freshman year was mostly a waste of time just waiting for my mission.

[Pheidippides]

I think the change will reduce the stigma. Leaving at 18 was clearly presented as an option, not the age for everyone. With options, there will be less stigma for not serving at a given age. There may be some overzealous local leaders who teach 18 is the age to serve for everyone, but hopefully that will be limited.

What, like my ward? (Apparently there was a combined YM/YW meeting about this on Sunday. I wasn't there, but my wife was, and she came home livid.)

[Uncle Ted]

My daughter, who is 18 and at BYU, had a guy comment in her religion class stating that the pressure is on the ladies now. Saying that if the girls don't go on missions like the guys then no one will marry them because they are not a RM. I told her she should have asked, "Did I miss something? When did the church officially give women the priesthood?"

FTR: My daughter, who I am very proud of, currently has no plans to "put her papers in" when she turns 19.

[RC Vikings]

My daughter, who is 18 and at BYU, had a guy comment in her religion class stating that the pressure is on the ladies now. Saying that if the girls don't go on missions like the guys then no one will marry them because they are not a RM.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't stop my son's from marrying a non RM.

[smokymountainrain]

My daughter, who is 18 and at BYU, had a guy comment in her religion class stating that the pressure is on the ladies now. Saying that if the girls don't go on missions like the guys then no one will marry them because they are not a RM. I told her she should have asked, "Did I miss something? When did the church officially give women the priesthood?"

FTR: My daughter, who I am very proud of, currently has no plans to "put her papers in" when she turns 19.

Hysterical that he thinks most guys care about that. He must be gay.

[Paperback Writer]

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't stop my son's from marrying a non RM.

I agree. I suppose each YM will have his own list of qualities he desires in a YW when it comes to marriage. Being a sister RM wasn't at the top of my list. I Dear Janed a missionary soon after I met my wife who isn't a RM.

I think the only reason marrying a RM is high on the list for YW is because of cultural pressures. The YM in my area have been told for years by their church leaders that one of the reasons they should serve a mission is because the YW are being directed to only marry a RM.

Now if women are given the priesthood, all bets are off as that will be used as leverage. I can easily see a female church later stating that she sacrificed and postponed marriage in order to serve a mission when she was 19 so other YW should be expected to do the same. That's the line many YM get by their ecclesiastical leaders now.

[Omaha 680]

I'm curious what your dad's logic is. I think it's much cleaner to go immediately out of high school than interrupting college after one year. I wish I could have gone earlier. I felt like my freshman year was mostly a waste of time just waiting for my mission.

He thinks living away from home and learning to function without your parents around is an important part of being ready to be a missionary. Granted, his sons didn't experience any of the potential drawbacks of waiting. None of us got in any trouble ecclesiastically and none of us got on academic probation our freshman year. Academic probation came after the mission, and we were a perfect 4/4.

[Omaha 680]

What, like my ward? (Apparently there was a combined YM/YW meeting about this on Sunday. I wasn't there, but my wife was, and she came home livid.)

Yikes. I'd be interested in details. I think it's safe to say that anyone holding meetings with the youth at this point is probably going overboard.

[Uncle Ted]

I agree. I suppose each YM will have his own list of qualities he desires in a YW when it comes to marriage. Being a sister RM wasn't at the top of my list. I Dear Janed a missionary soon after I met my wife who isn't a RM.

Hmm... I wonder how things would have worked out for you if the girl you "Dear Jane'd" could have gone when she was 19.

I think the only reason marrying a RM is high on the list for YW are because of cultural pressures. The YM in my area have been told for years by their church leaders that one of the reasons they should serve a mission is because the YW are being directed to only marry a RM.

Now if women are given the priesthood, all bets are off as that will be used as leverage. I can easily see a female church later stating that she sacrificed and postponed marriage in order to serve a mission when she was 19 so other YW should be expected to do the same. That's the line many YM get by their ecclesiastical leaders now.

Given that only 30% of LDS young men serve missions maybe the church should bring back polygamy so all these women can marry a RM in the temple like they have been told all their teenage years to do.

I am guessing the odds for YW to marry an young man that is a RM is better if she doesn't serve a mission. Just a guess.

[Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz]

Anyone who thinks that 18/HS graduation won't become the new de facto standard is deluding themselves. It's not like anybody had to go at age 19 before, but we've all seen cases where the whispers among the rank-and-file started and/or the bishop/SP cranked up the pressure if papers weren't in reasonably close to the 19th birthday. Why would we think that the age adjustment would change that dynamic?

[Uncle Ted]

Anyone who thinks that 18/HS graduation won't become the new de facto standard is deluding themselves. It's not like anybody had to go at age 19 before, but we've all seen cases where the whispers among the rank-and-file started and/or the bishop/SP cranked up the pressure if papers weren't in reasonably close to the 19th birthday. Why would we think that the age adjustment would change that dynamic?

Agreed. It just means that an young man that is 18 and not on a mission will most likely become the EQ's new prospective missionary project a year sooner. And may even raise the odds that an young man will go inactive because the pressure from the church to go on a mission hits earlier at a slightly more immature age. It is no wonder why YM that don't go on missions are more likely to go inactive.

Folks forget that serving a mission is a priesthood duty and not a commandment, just like home teaching is a priesthood duty. If men go to hell (so to speak) for not serving a mission then like 70% of my ward is going to hell for not doing the home teaching. Why isn't the same pressure given to men that don't do their home teaching in the church?