Rumors of 19 year old females going on missions

[jay santos]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...ries.html?nm=1

I was in with the early, bold predictions. Mark it. Within three years of the announcement, there will be as many girls as boys go on missions. This will do more to change the church than anything the last 20 years.

[smokymountainrain]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8...ries.html?nm=1

I was in with the early, bold predictions. Mark it. Within three years of the announcement, there will be as many girls as boys go on missions. This will do more to change the church than anything the last 20 years.

I was one who said early in this thread the girls "wouldn't come close" to matching the number of boys. 8 months later, I no longer agree with that prediction. I'm not sure I agree that the numbers will ever be even, but I do think it will be close.

[Indy Coug]

I was one who said early in this thread the girls "wouldn't come close" to matching the number of boys. 8 months later, I no longer agree with that prediction. I'm not sure I agree that the numbers will ever be even, but I do think it will be close.

I think after the next 2-3 years subside, the percentage of girls will drop back down a bit. Long term they will likely still be significantly higher than they were pre-2012, but it won't be anything close to 50-50.

[Northwestcoug]

I think after the next 2-3 years subside, the percentage of girls will drop back down a bit. Long term they will likely still be significantly higher than they were pre-2012, but it won't be anything close to 50-50.

Yeah, I agree with you. There will be an increase, but nothing like Santos says.

[RC Vikings]

It's all part of an effort to get more views on her blog.

So did they build a fence around the new housing? Also the pool at Raintree was a really nice place to hang out, I'm guessing they won't let the elders and sisters have pool parties there.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I imagine there was a huge spike because not only did all the 19 year old girls all join up at once, but a lot of 20 year olds. You also had all the 21 year old girls who were already planning on going. Finally, you had all the 18 year old boys going along with all of the 19 year old boys that were already set to go after their first year of college. There's a convergence of a lot of things happening all at once.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

There were two reasons why there were far less female missionaries than male missionaries:

1. A lot of girls got married before they were 21.

2. There wasn't really an expectation that women go. There wasn't really an expectation that they get married when they were young (under age 21), but it was probably deemed to be more ideal.

I think things are going to shift to girls being expected to go. First of all, there's only one year after high school for them to get married before they're of mission age. I don't think a lot of girls are going to rush to get married before they're 19 -- at least not anymore than usual. Second, when the age was 21, a lot of these girls would get back when they were 23. While 19 and 20 are definitely prime years for boys, they're not particularly prime years as far as looking for someone to get married to -- at least not as prime as 21 and 22. Girls now are faced with the possibility of going on a mission and getting back when they're 20 or 21, which, IMO, is a big difference from 22 and 23. That seems as if they would be much more palatable to them. Most probably think 19 is too young to get married anyway, so why not go?

[Uncle Ted]

There were two reasons why there were far less female missionaries than male missionaries:

1. A lot of girls got married before they were 21.

2. There wasn't really an expectation that women go. There wasn't really an expectation that they get married when they were young (under age 21), but it was probably deemed to be more ideal.

I think things are going to shift to girls being expected to go. First of all, there's only one year after high school for them to get married before they're of mission age. I don't think a lot of girls are going to rush to get married before they're 19 -- at least not anymore than usual. Second, when the age was 21, a lot of these girls would get back when they were 23. While 19 and 20 are definitely prime years for boys, they're not particularly prime years as far as looking for someone to get married to -- at least not as prime as 21 and 22. Girls now are faced with the possibility of going on a mission and getting back when they're 20 or 21, which, IMO, is a big difference from 22 and 23. That seems as if they would be much more palatable to them. Most probably think 19 is too young to get married anyway, so why not go?

A lot of girls are not in a rush to get married before age 27 if you look at the national statistics...

In 2005, the average American man married at age 25 while the average American woman married at age 27.

Of course, at BYU the statistics are very different...

However, at BYU, the average age at first marriage is about 22 years old.

Maybe if more women go on missions they will be much more wiser about the old RM lines like: "I had a revelation about you last night." and "An angel with a sword command me to marry you."

Edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_life_at_Brigham_Young_University#Marriage_ Statistics

[statman]

I think after the next 2-3 years subside, the percentage of girls will drop back down a bit. Long term they will likely still be significantly higher than they were pre-2012, but it won't be anything close to 50-50.

IF they don't make the time of service the same for men and women the same, they'll never hit the 50-50 mark at any given time. The simple fact that men are out 1/3 longer than women would always tilt the scales toward men at any given time. But I wager they'll come pretty darn close to the total numbers of men who have served missions as women.

[statman]

I think after the next 2-3 years subside, the percentage of girls will drop back down a bit. Long term they will likely still be significantly higher than they were pre-2012, but it won't be anything close to 50-50.

If they don't change the length of service for men and women, and the same total % of women and men actually go on missions, you'd expect the mix of elders to sisters to be about 57% men and 43% women. That's about as high as the % of women could possibly get. But again that means that on average the same numbers of women go as men - they just serve for a shorter time...

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I think your quote is mixed up -- are you sure it's not the average male age is 27 and average female age is 25? I really doubt it's the other way around. With a majority of couples, the man is a little bit older.

If the average girl getting married at BYU is 22, then that's just more of an indication that they won't have as many qualms about going on a mission now that they can get back when they're 20 or 21, instead of two years later.

[Uncle Ted]

I think your quote is mixed up -- are you sure it's not the average male age is 27 and average female age is 25? I really doubt it's the other way around. With a majority of couples, the man is a little bit older.

How could wikipedia, the repository of all knowledge, be wrong?

If the average girl getting married at BYU is 22, then that's just more of an indication that they won't have as many qualms about going on a mission now that they can get back when they're 20 or 21, instead of two years later.

No, the average marriage age is 22 at BYU. I am guessing the average age for women is around 20 and men is around 24.

[Uncle Ted]

How could wikipedia, the repository of all knowledge, be wrong?



No, the average marriage age is 22 at BYU. I am guessing the average age for women is around 20 and men is around 24.

Wikipedia is still the source of truth and knowledge...

In addition to that, the survey outlined that BYU students have been known to marry sooner. Men and women are averaging age 22 compared to the national average where men marry at age 25 and women at age 27.

http://universe.byu.edu/beta/2013/02/12/by-i-do/

[Eddie]

I've heard that there is quite of bit of concern being expressed to the brethren by women who have their ear to the fact that there are many young ladies who are feeling pressure to go.

I think you are going to hear more and more an emphasis that being a missionary is a priesthood duty, but that for the young women it is a choice and they should not feel any obligation.

I think there will still be more sisters than there were before the age changed. But this will be a point of emphasis.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

How could wikipedia, the repository of all knowledge, be wrong?



No, the average marriage age is 22 at BYU. I am guessing the average age for women is around 20 and men is around 24.

I'd be more inclined to think the average is 23 for males and 21 for females at BYU, especially since they're the same years in school and that would be the end of the Junior years for both husband and wife.

I'm not sure how common that four year spread is -- although that's the age spread between me and my wife. My brother is three years older than his wife, my sister is two years younger than her husband and my oldest brother is an outlier (six years older than his wife). My wife's sister is two years younger than her husband and her older sister is a rather extreme outlier, she's five years older than her husband -- I shit you not. But you average them all together and you still arrive at that two year spread.