New missionary age

[UnluckyStuntman]

So, new missionary age is 18 for men and 19 for women. Who else thinks this might raise the average age of marriage for Mormon singles?

[Unit of Energy]

I don't think it will raise it all that much for Mormon singles. It might for BYU singles.

[C is for]

Nah, I can foresee a lot of marriages between 20-year-old guys and 18-year-old girls.

[Katya]

I think the age has already been going up, so I don't know that it will affect the mean much, but it might tighten the range between lower end of the scale and the mean.

[wired]

I am interested to see if there is a noticeable change to female attendance at byu over the next two years. How many more sisters will go on a mission?

[Zedability]

Yeah, I think the proportion of males:females, and especially incoming freshmen, will be a bit weird until it adjusts

[krebscout]

Preach it, Oaks!

Sorry, this is the only conference thread started.

This talk was so pro-family and pro-marriage while remaining so un-homophobic — he only brought it up twice, and one of those times was to say "Don't you dare let your LGBT kids feel unloved and unwanted." The other time talked mostly about statistics. I'm proud.

[yayfulness]

Two talks in a row mentioned homosexuality in that exact light. Prayers are being answered.

[TheBlackSheep]

I don't mean this rudely, I swear. I'm just genuinely interested. Which prayers do you mean?

[yayfulness]

For more understanding and less bigotry, without changing the Lord's standards. A change in the culture of the Church, I guess.

[Craig Jessop]

YOU GUYS. I am still freaking out about this. I was in the Conference Center for the announcement, and was sitting next to three girls affected by the announcement. There was a lot of happy sobbing involved. Fortunately I still had my white handkerchief in my coat pocket.

[Zedability]

I am still freaking out about this, but it's less happy freaking out and more "crap what do I do?!" freaking out. Haha

[bobtheenchantedone]

That's what my sister is doing too, Z.

[yayfulness]

I think it took my sister about 30 seconds to make her decision. She plans on leaving this summer. (She turns 19 during winter semester.)

[Zedability]

I never even THOUGHT about serving a mission before, because I kind of assumed I'd get married. And suddenly it's like, gosh, do I want to serve a mission??? And I feel some pressure to decide soon, because I don't want to leave this summer and be waiting THAT MUCH LONGER for my missionary. Well, I guess he'd be waiting for me at that point, but you know what I'm saying.

[mic0]

I really wanted to serve a mission in high school, and I imagine if I had had the opportunity to do so when I turned 19, I probably would have been busy preparing for a mission rather than questioning the Church. I wonder if I would have come to the same conclusions, though, by being more involved or if I would have seen things differently. Interesting stuff, though. I also wonder how current missionaries (especially sisters) feel about this change.

[Unit of Energy]

All of my adult sisters and I could now leave on a mission. My 19 year old sister and myself never really planned on missions, but my 21 year old sister is planning on one. I've not yet had a chance to speak with her yet though.

[UnluckyStuntman]

I really wanted to serve a mission in high school, and I imagine if I had had the opportunity to do so when I turned 19, I probably would have been busy preparing for a mission rather than questioning the Church. I wonder if I would have come to the same conclusions, though, by being more involved or if I would have seen things differently.

I was thinking about that same thing all day yesterday. I probably would have gone on a mission. It's also unlikely that I would have met my husband, since we met when I was 19 at my place of work. Weird stuff.

[S.A.M.]

I believe lowering the age is not going to dramatically affect the number of young men serving missions. As is eveident from comments everywhere, it is going to dramatically increase the number of young women serving missions. I think we will see a huge increase in sister missionaries. It's possible a number of missions may eventually have more sisters than elders.

[Marduk]

I really wish I knew 18 year old Mico and UnluckyStuntman. I just can't believe such disparate persons existing in the same body so little time apart.