Missionary age: How does this change things in your family?

[mirkwood]

Mine are still a few years away. At least one will probably still wait til 19.

[Vort]

as a possible consequence of the new age limit? How ironic that might be, to see the marital age drop among Latter-day Saints while it goes ever up elsewhere.

[Wingnut]

LOL! Pres Holland just said that BYU Pres Samuelson got no forewarning. He must be in panic mode.

Lol. Ouch.

Good question in the press conference. Will the BYU incoming freshman class be all female?

I thought this at first, too, but a friend of mine pointed out that there will be plenty of 20-year-old male freshmen. The big difference I see will be that freshman women will only have the option of RMs to date, as there will be significantly fewer pre-mission men at BYU anymore.

[JustSimplyMe]

I didn't get the feeling that this was a decision driven by revelation so much as it was confirmed by revelation. In the press conference between sessions, Elder Holland spoke of pilot programs, demand for missionaries, demand for new missions, etc...and went on to say that they considered several options (including having sisters serve two year terms--an option he said might still come down the road). This just happened to be the decision that seemed like it would provide the largest possible missionary force without completely disrupting "education, career, and marital goals." (his words)

(I realize you're probably completely okay with that--I only bring it up because the way you phrased it made it feel like someone woke up one morning and proclaimed they had a revelation)

Unless your 19 years old. (what's wrong with him?)

I like how they give the option of serving at 19 for young women because at 19 you are in college, some are married, a lot of them are not so between 18-21 is where a lot of them marry. Which I think at 19 a lot of YW will possibly go on missions and not really care about getting married until a little older.

[JustSimplyMe]

Setting the stage for next week at church or BYU (or wherever):

"You're 18, right?"

"yep."

"Why aren't you on a mission?"

That's going to be funny. I was reading other things on Facebook and read that YM will be saying I want to marry a RM or guys asking girls if they went on missions

[JustSimplyMe]

Lol. Ouch.

I thought this at first, too, but a friend of mine pointed out that there will be plenty of 20-year-old male freshmen. The big difference I see will be that freshman women will only have the option of RMs to date, as there will be significantly fewer pre-mission men at BYU anymore.

Maybe women won't date if they decide to go on a mission, but I was thinking it may be a little easier to get into BYU due to the missions. But, now I take that back.

[carlimac]

Perhaps. Although I hope we won't. These guys need a little more time to mature.

A few of my facebook friends (my 24 yr old daughter's peers) are saying how different their lives might have been if this had been changed 5 yrs ago. My daughter may have gone on a mission as well as many of her friends. My husbands first reaction was, "This is going to change our lives." We have four more daughters coming down the pipe. One could go on a mission in less than 18 months. Another in 3 yrs. Amazing!

I wonder if I would have gone earlier if I'd had the chance. Probably not. I was 23 when I left. A late bloomer!

[Mahone]

In the UK they have been able to serve from 18 for a little while now. I don't know if this was a trial phase in a small area before rolling it out globally.

[MorningStar]

My oldest will be able to go on his mission right after graduation instead of waiting through the Summer. I think we would probably go on some kind of vacation before he leaves. He would also be able to start college in the Fall when he gets home from his mission.

[mikbone]

I never considered sending my daughters into the mission field...

Not until today.

[Sunshine40]

My Son will not have any money for his mission, so I do not how much of a difference it will make. Recently in my ward, there are young men that took forever getting their paperwork submitted because they did not have enough money saved up. We WERE going to be able to pay for his mission because at 19 ONE of my husband's student loans will be paid off.... And my son was planning on working for nine months to save up for it. Now I have no idea how this is going to work...any idea? If he leaves at the earliest he can physically go, it would be right after graduation this spring.

-sunshine

[Maureen]

I'm assuming the maximum age to serve a mission for a young man (or young woman) is staying the same.

M.

[pam]

I'm assuming the maximum age to serve a mission for a young man (or young woman) is staying the same.

M.

That question was brought up in the news conference today. No thought has been given to changing it.

[Jenamarie]

My Son will not have any money for his mission, so I do not how much of a difference it will make. Recently in my ward, there are young men that took forever getting their paperwork submitted because they did not have enough money saved up. We WERE going to be able to pay for his mission because at 19 ONE of my husband's student loans will be paid off.... And my son was planning on working for nine months to save up for it. Now I have no idea how this is going to work...any idea? If he leaves at the earliest he can physically go, it would be right after graduation this spring.

-sunshine

He has until the age of 25 (26?) to go. 18 is the earliest he can go, but he's not *required* to go right then.

[classylady]

My youngest son is nearly 18 and 1/2. It'll speed things up by only a couple of months.

[mikbone]

I'm assuming the maximum age to serve a mission for a young man (or young woman) is staying the same.

M.

Men 18 - 25

Women 19 - 30 ish

[pam]

There is like 3-4 threads all dealing with the change in missionary age. I'm going to start merging them all.

[JustSimplyMe]

I'm assuming the maximum age to serve a mission for a young man (or young woman) is staying the same.

M.

They said they haven't thought of it yet, however they said right now they will leave it be. YM 18-25 and YW 19-30.

[JustSimplyMe]

There is like 3-4 threads all dealing with the change in missionary age. I'm going to start merging them all.

Okay...

[JustSimplyMe]

My Son will not have any money for his mission, so I do not how much of a difference it will make. Recently in my ward, there are young men that took forever getting their paperwork submitted because they did not have enough money saved up. We WERE going to be able to pay for his mission because at 19 ONE of my husband's student loans will be paid off.... And my son was planning on working for nine months to save up for it. Now I have no idea how this is going to work...any idea? If he leaves at the earliest he can physically go, it would be right after graduation this spring.

-sunshine

He still can go on a mission at 19, it is just an option to go at 18. Also, he can go and sit down with the bishop and ask him how he can receive financial aid because he and your family dont have the money for a mission. That is what I have to do when I am 19, I don't have money, nor does my family.

[Suzie]

Whether it's BYU or anywhere else, in or out the Church... 20 year old folks getting married? I hope they won't.

[Jenamarie]

Whether it's BYU or anywhere else, in or out the Church... 20 year old folks getting married? I hope they won't.

Hey now, my sister and I both got married at 20. My DH and I have been married for 10 years now, and sis and her husband have been married 17.

[daboosh]

i think its going to pressure some teenage 17 year old boys into going on a mission when they aren't ready. personally, i wasnt sure i had a testimony myself at 17 let alone be able to teach to complete strangers.

this doesnt effect me at all because i am 18, turning 19 in 3 months with my mission papers being sent on saturday to salt lake. but i think i have grown so much in the last year spiritually and mentally being an adult in the real world fending for myself. i think the maturity level will drop on the mission field for sure.

and the amount of sister missionaries will increase substantially i'd imagine. which is goood haha

[Guest]

I married at 20 but DH was 25. I did not like boys my age. We've been married 14 years, very happily, but he and I did have some growing up to do the first couple of years and it was a little bumpy.

[Jenamarie]

I married at 20 but DH was 25. I did not like boys my age. We've been married 14 years, very happily, but he and I did have some growing up to do the first couple of years and it was a little bumpy.

My DH was 25 too! He turned 26 just a few weeks later though. It was nice having at least one of us legally able to sign the paperwork for our moving truck.