Would the policy change have affected you?

[All-American]

For my part, if the new policy allowing men to serve missions beginning at age 18 were in place, I almost definitely would have put my papers in and left after high school graduation. I'm interested to know for how many of you men that would have also been true-- or, for the women, whether you would have gone earlier or at all.

Poll coming.

[scottie]

Poll coming.

[Soccermom]

My past 19 year old self is extremely jealous. :-) I wanted to go since I was a little kid so I remember being jealous of all my guy friends from freshman ward at BYU, wishing I could go out when they went out.

[All-American]

I'm sure I left someone out.

[TripletDaddy]

I went at 18 anyway, so no effect on me.

[Lost Student]

I probably would have left right after HS. As it was, I turned 19 in November but completed my freshman year at the Y before going the following June.

[All-American]

I went at 18 anyway, so no effect on me.

I had meant for option 3 to say "would not have affected me" rather than "changed my decision." Mods can change, if they wish.

[BigPiney]

I would have gone a bit earlier, maybe a year, who knows? My wife would have served, and I would not have met her. I also probably would not have made other decisions I made in going to school and participating in the activities I did. Hindsight being 20/20 I am really glad this option did not exist at the time.

[FN Phat]

I would have gone on a mission if the age was reduced to 18.

[Donuthole]

For my part, if the new policy allowing men to serve missions beginning at age 18 were in place, I almost definitely would have put my papers in and left after high school graduation. I'm interested to know for how many of you men that would have also been true-- or, for the women, whether you would have gone earlier or at all.

Poll coming.

Coming back to a blank academic slate would have been much better than coming back to a 2.0 GPA (or thereabouts). However, I would have missed out on what I consider to be one of the funnest years of my life; there's no way post-mish me would have allowed myself to have that much fun.

[Moliere]

For my part, if the new policy allowing men to serve missions beginning at age 18 were in place, I almost definitely would have put my papers in and left after high school graduation. I'm interested to know for how many of you men that would have also been true-- or, for the women, whether you would have gone earlier or at all.

Same with me. I did one semester at BYU and then left. I would have gone after high school graduation if this option were available.

One bonus out of this decision is the number of missionaries coming and going will be significantly higher in the summer and significantly reduced during the rest of the year. Hopefully that helps the mission presidents a bit as they will have one or two very stressful transfers followed up by 9 months of much less stressful transfers.

[All-American]

Same with me. I did one semester at BYU and then left. I would have gone after high school graduation if this option were available.

One bonus out of this decision is the number of missionaries coming and going will be significantly higher in the summer and significantly reduced during the rest of the year. Hopefully that helps the mission presidents a bit as they will have one or two very stressful transfers followed up by 9 months of much less stressful transfers.

I suspect that the brethren will stagger calls to some degree. One wonders how much.

[smokymountainrain]

I would have gone two years earlier. I wanted to do a mission when I turned 18, but by the time I was 18.5, I was enjoying life too much and decided a mission wasn't for me. Ultimately, at the ripe old age of 20, I decided I wanted to go.

[The_Tick]

I wasn't active until after I turned 18.

I wasn't worthy until around 19.

I probably wouldn't have gone with the early age.

I know TK1 told me this weekend that she would be just getting home from a mission right now, instead of being recently married, had she had the chance to go at 19.

[RC Vikings]

I would have left at 18. I wasn't prepared at 19 so it wouldn't have made much difference.