New missionary age

[bobtheenchantedone]

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.

Which speaks to me that the Church is now a little more concerned about getting the word out than they are about women getting married and poppin' out babies. Not that I know what conclusion I want to draw from that.

[TheBlackSheep]

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.

Add 18-year-old me to your list. I probably would have gone.

[mic0]

Marduk, it's funny but true! You can read (well, maybe not anymore, not sure?) TBS' old old blog posts (sorry TBS, sometimes I'm a creeper) and you can totally see the personality change. I only suggest that because my own personal journal is not online for you to peruse. But seriously, ages 16-18 I was at my most religious, and I imagine that if I had had the choice to go on a mission that I would have tried to.

@Unlucky Stuntman, same for me, that's when I met Mr. Mico. Weird stuff to think about.

This reminds me of a lecture I heard the other day about how adolescents are more willing to take risks. I wonder if they lowered the age because they read these cognitive science articles and realized more people would go at a younger age for purely psychological reasons. Doubtful.

Oh, by the way, if any of you haven't read the posts on BCC about this, they're pretty interesting: hereand here.

[Katya]

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.

Which speaks to me that the Church is now a little more concerned about getting the word out than they are about women getting married and poppin' out babies.

I actually think it's a retention issue. I think that the Church is starting to lose single young women at a faster rate and lowering the mission age gives them a way to make a meaningful contribution.

[Katya]

Or, I should say that I think there are a lot of sociological factors at play, but I don't think that actual proselytizing is as high a factor as retention.

[yayfulness]

That makes complete sense. I can think of quite a few men who I knew before my mission or who served with me who, without any doubt, would not be active in the Church today if it wasn't for their missionary service. And I've noticed quite a few women I grew up with who are inactive now who perhaps would have stayed in the Church had they served missions.

I know that serving a mission is no guarantee of anything, but it can be a catalyst for the most incredible spiritual growth that a young person can have. (I'm not looking at missions through rose-colored glasses. One of the lowest points of my life, both spiritually and emotionally, occurred while I was on my mission. But the high points more than made up for the low points.)

[TheBlackSheep]

Marduk, it's funny but true! You can read (well, maybe not anymore, not sure?) TBS' old old blog posts (sorry TBS, sometimes I'm a creeper) and you can totally see the personality change.

Psh, I'm flattered. And nobody is more fascinated by all that weird change-iness my blog just happened to capture than me.

That makes complete sense. I can think of quite a few men who I knew before my mission or who served with me who, without any doubt, would not be active in the Church today if it wasn't for their missionary service. And I've noticed quite a few women I grew up with who are inactive now who perhaps would have stayed in the Church had they served missions.

I know that serving a mission is no guarantee of anything, but it can be a catalyst for the most incredible spiritual growth that a young person can have. (I'm not looking at missions through rose-colored glasses. One of the lowest points of my life, both spiritually and emotionally, occurred while I was on my mission. But the high points more than made up for the low points.)

I agree with everything you said, but I'm looking at it a little differently. 19-year-old me would have been all over this, but I really don't think anything or anybody was going to stop the progression that eventually led me out of activity in the church. I have little to no bitterness about the actual church (the overwhelming majority of the time), but I'm not sure if I would feel the same way now if impressionable little me had made that choice.

[Katya]

I agree with everything you said, but I'm looking at it a little differently. 19-year-old me would have been all over this, but I really don't think anything or anybody was going to stop the progression that eventually led me out of activity in the church. I have little to no bitterness about the actual church (the overwhelming majority of the time), but I'm not sure if I would feel the same way now if impressionable little me had made that choice.

Having been more invested, you would now feel more betrayed?

[TheBlackSheep]

Essentially, yes.

[Craig Jessop]

You guys... Elder Holland's talk. Wow.

[krebscout]

You guys seen the meme of Holland that says, "I don't always give the best talk at conference...oh wait yes I do?" Totally.

[yayfulness]

He gave a very similar talk in the MTC about two years ago. I saw the video of it just before the end of my mission. It's hard to believe, but he was even more direct, emphatic, and powerful in that one. I wish it was available to the general public.

[Craig Jessop]

You guys seen the meme of Holland that says, "I don't always give the best talk at conference...oh wait yes I do?" Totally.

When he got up to speak, I turned to my mom and said, "now for the part we all showed up this morning to see."

[Marduk]

Oh, of course I've anthologized in my mind TBS's experiences, both in blog form and my personal experiences with her. Yes, she would be on that list too, but I'm much closer to having that actual experience because of that information with her, than I am with either of you.

And yeah, everyone knows Holland is the boss.

[Craig Jessop]

I liked Larry Echo Hawk's talk too. You could see the cold anger while he talked about how his ancestors (well, their relatives anyway) were killed by neglect. It was awesome that he feels that way, while still acknowledging that it was fulfillment of prophecy. Then when he teared up while talking about how he wishes all Indians would read the Book of Mormon? So much better when you know his political history -- of all people in the world, HE would know best what American Indian challenges are. Just amazing.

I put him on the shortlist to be called to the 12, especially considering that it looks as if Elders Packer and Hales aren't long for the world.

[yayfulness]

President Eyring's talk this morning was incredible, too.

[krebscout]

If the length of my notes is any indication, Bednar, Holland, Eyring, Oaks, and Uchtdorf gave my favorite talks. Which sounds pretty standard, for me, though there sure were a lot of good ones. Seconded on Echo Hawk, and I appreciated Linda K. Burton's theme quite a bit...even though the example she gave of the crowd-sourced Personal Progress award seemed a little strange to me.

[Imogen]

You know, at first i thought that ahving younger male missionaries was crazy. 18 is SO YOUNG to move away from home. But, i moved away from home at 18, and it was amazing. I know a mission is different from going to college, but you know. I also thought, maybe starting college at 20 and hopefully graduating at 24 will provide the guys with a little more maturity after graduation. sometimes i think back to 22 year old me, and i can't believe people expected me to have my life together that young.

[yayfulness]

I'm pretty sure I'd still have my scholarship if I'd served my mission before my freshman year. The difference it made in terms of discipline and focus was incredible. (Although I have to point out that that was just a beneficial side effect that never would have happened if I hadn't decided to dedicate myself to the Lord's interests before my own.)

[Whistler]

If the length of my notes is any indication, Bednar, Holland, Eyring, Oaks, and Uchtdorf gave my favorite talks. Which sounds pretty standard, for me, though there sure were a lot of good ones. Seconded on Echo Hawk, and I appreciated Linda K. Burton's theme quite a bit...even though the example she gave of the crowd-sourced Personal Progress award seemed a little strange to me.

when she said "vicariously performed" I felt a little offended, honestly. Personal progress isn't a saving ordinance, yo. Like... it's sweet that the other girls wanted to do something for her, but... couldn't they just let her be herself?