Seminary Required for Mission?

[Subcomandante]

I cannot vouch for Japan but I can vouch for Brazil and I can definitely tell you it is a requirement.

We had a missionary called out to Brazil originally but because he had not graduated seminary, he would be reassigned to another local mission within Mexico.  Brazil is particularly strict on making sure the clergy are "educated" because there's a bunch of farcical people out there.

I mentioned this on another forum of particularly conservative Latter-day Saints and they went apopletic.  

[Vort]

FWIW, and I realize this is a necrothread. since this thread's creation (and my response on it), one of my sons has served in Brazil. It was made clear to him that seminary graduation was a necessary condition of his missionary service there.

[Grunt]

9 hours ago, Vort said:

FWIW, and I realize this is a necrothread. since this thread's creation (and my response on it), one of my sons has served in Brazil. It was made clear to him that seminary graduation was a necessary condition of his missionary service there.

Interesting.  I've heard people past seminary age serving missions.  How would that work?

[Vort]

3 hours ago, Grunt said:

Interesting.  I've heard people past seminary age serving missions.  How would that work?

That is to say, when he was called at 18, which was after his seminary graduation, it was made clear to him that he had been called to Brazil in part because he had graduated from seminary. Graduation was a necessary precondition to being called to serve in Brazil.

[Carborendum]

5 hours ago, Grunt said:

Interesting.  I've heard people past seminary age serving missions.  How would that work?

This is only for certain countries.  And it isn't just Japan and Brazil. Many highly religious nations require a certain number of years (usually around the 2y to 4y range) of formal training in theology to qualify for a license to minister. You must also show a "certificate of ordination" or equivalent.  In such countries, it is illegal to formally go about as a minister/preacher of religious doctrines without such a license.

High school Seminary is just one method by which LDS missionaries can qualify.  Since you're a convert, you could take institute classes for four years and also qualify.  Or you'd just get called to a nation that doesn't have this requirement.

[Just_A_Guy]

1 hour ago, Carborendum said:

This is only for certain countries.  And it isn't just Japan and Brazil. Many highly religious nations require a certain number of years (usually around the 2y to 4y range) of formal training in theology to qualify for a license to minister. You must also show a "certificate of ordination" or equivalent.  In such countries, it is illegal to formally go about as a minister/preacher of religious doctrines without such a license.

High school Seminary is just one method by which LDS missionaries can qualify.  Since you're a convert, you could take institute classes for four years and also qualify.  Or you'd just get called to a nation that doesn't have this requirement.

I served in Brazil and this is all news to me. They did give me, at the MTC, a certificate of ordination or some such thing and told me to carry it in my white bible along with some government document affirming that I had a local visa; but no one ever asked to see it.  (It was a good thing, too, as the visa doc had to be renewed every six months but I only ever got a chance to renew it once.  I was technically an illegal alien in Brazil for most of my mission.)

[Carborendum]

3 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I served in Brazil and this is all news to me.

I wouldn't have known about it if my son weren't serving in Japan right now.  He had to have a license.  And he mentioned that he was only eligible because he got a certificate of graduation from seminary and an ordination certificate stating he was ordained as an Elder in the Church.

[Carborendum]

19 hours ago, Subcomandante said:

I mentioned this on another forum of particularly conservative Latter-day Saints and they went apopletic.  

I thought we were considered the most conservative LDS site on the net.  There's one that is even MORE conservative than we are?  Go figure.

[JohnsonJones]

On 12/29/2022 at 2:13 PM, Carborendum said:

I thought we were considered the most conservative LDS site on the net.  There's one that is even MORE conservative than we are?  Go figure.

 

Too many "liberals" like yours truly (not really a liberal, just comparatively to some others) on this forum to be considered to conservative.  Go to a forum full of Deznats and everyone here will be counted just as liberal as I am with some of the views espoused here, even from the more conservative members. 

Edited January 4, 2023 by JohnsonJones