LDS Mission Age for Girls

Short – LDS mission age for girls
Hello! My name is Danny and I was an active Latter-day Saint for 60 years.
As a Latter-day Saint, I was always in some way involved in missionary work. Beginning at 19, I served a 2-year mission. At 28, I was made a Stake Seventy and one of the Stake Presidents of Seventy. Made a High Priest at 30. I taught Mission Prep courses in two different Stakes. I served in a Stake Mission Presidency. And finally, a Ward Mission Leader. In addition to that, I have an extensive collection of all the formal missionary lessons since the Mormon Church first started printing and using them. I tell you ALL THAT just to emphasize my passion for missionary work. Even today, I love interacting with young men and women who are serving missions in my area. I excitedly invite them into my home to enjoy stimulating conversations about their beliefs and doctrines. So, you could say I continue to be “anxiously engaged” in sharing the truth – NOW with Latter-day Saints.
When the recent announcement was made that the age for girls serving missions dropped to 18, I had to make a video reaction.
I thought it would be fun to first review the Church’s historical mission timeline:
19th Century (1800s): No formal age guidelines existed. Missionaries were typically married men in their 30s and 40s and often were called directly from the pulpit during General Conferences.
19th Century: By the late 1800s, middle-aged women were enlisting to serve – in mission homes mostly. They often printed pamphlets in the form of tracts that could be distributed by the men. That is where we get the term “tract,” as in proselyting or tracting.
Mid-20th Century: Formal age limits began to be established. If you served in a non-English-speaking mission, it was for 2 ½ to 3 years to allow for language training.
1960s: Boys could serve a mission at age 19, for 24 months. The minimum missionary age for ladies was 21, for 18 months.
1961: The creation of the Language Training Mission Center (initially at BYU) began to reduce the required mission length to 2 years instead of 2 ½ or 3.
1969: Church standardized the mission length for all missionaries (male and female) to two years.
1971: A mission for women was reduced from 24 mos. to 18 mos.
1978: The priesthood ban was lifted, allowing boys and girls of color to begin serving missions.
1982: There was a temporary reduction for boys from 24 mos. to 18 mos. Before returning to 24 mos. in 1985.
2007 The Church claimed that, throughout its history, over one million had served missions.
2012: The minimum age for missionary service was lowered to 18 for boys and 19 for girls. There was a huge influx of missionaries throughout the world at that time.
2018: Church announced it would begin emailing mission calls to prospective missionaries instead of through postal mail.
2024: Church announced single male senior missionaries at 40 years or older can serve for 6, 12, 18, or 23 months.
2025: The minimum age for girls to serve a full-time mission was lowered to 18, making it the same as for boys. (A significant three to four-year drop from the initial age of 21 to 18 for females)
Married retired couples are also encouraged to serve LDS missions, but their length of service may vary from 6 to 36 months depending on their circumstances and means.
When I served a fulltime mission, Sisters being a few years older than the Elders were for the most part more effective missionaries. As a Zone Leader, I had a complete District of Sisters – with a Sister District Leader. I don’t know how common that was or if it only occurred in the Irish mission. It was noticeable that Sister missionaries were more compassionate and intuitive in their approach to sharing the Mormon gospel than the Elders. They focused more on bringing the entire family together into the Church – than the Elders who were just happy to baptize anyone who was interested. I’m sure Sister missionaries wondered, why these younger boys are their leaders – when the Sisters were more mature than the Elders.
So, what is the reason behind the LDS Church making the latest decision to drop the age to 18 for teenage girls entering the mission field? What are the advantages and disadvantages to the Church? What are the advantages and disadvantages to 18-year-old girls and boys? What are some potential concerns for all parties?
Right now, we are witnessing world religions beginning to shrink – with the trend towards more females than males leaving institutionalize religion for the first time in history. More women than men are leaving organized religion today for the first time because traditional conservative religion has not followed Paul’s teaching found in Galatians 3:28, which states: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. This verse emphasizes that in Christ – social, ethnic, and gender distinctions are not what define a person’s spiritual standing – we are all equal in God’s eyes. Instead, the church in general has never given women equal rights. They aren’t allowed to be pastors, priests, bishops, or even teachers in most denominations. This new generation is inclined not to trust patriarchy and does not want to follow traditional authority.
Religion should be awaking people to trust in God – to find liberty and freedom in Christ – without being under its rules and laws. But that’s the paradox religion finds itself today. People are walking away because they are not going to put up with it any longer. Women are tired of being counted less than their male counterparts. Women and girls are not experiencing the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual growth they need, desire, and deserve? They are starving for the word of God to be properly applied in their lives.
Is the LDS Church reacting from “revelation” or from “desperation?” I believe it is a strategic move on behalf of the Church to both grow in numbers, while at the same time retain the youth? It’s simply self-preservation on part of the organization. I believe from the Church’s point of view – it’s really about the bottom line. The LDS Church is a financial empire worth more than 300 billion dollars. The Church is mostly growing in Africa, which is a net drain on Church finances. More dollars are being invested in Africa and other third-world countries – than what is coming back in tithes from those poorer countries. The LDS Church just formed 55 new missions, so it needs more missionaries. The church has done this in the past and it didn’t always result in more baptisms. The global average monthly cost for a missionary is $500, which is paid fully by the missionary or their family to cover expenses like room, board, and transportation. That is in addition to the ten percent of the family income they are paying in tithes. Times have changed and families can’t afford to be big. They can’t even afford to buy homes anymore. Currently, the church has had very limited financial commitment toward subsidizing the missionaries. I believe this will need to change in the future. With its wealth, it could easily pay at least for missionaries living accommodations – if not all the expenses of the missionary service.
It’s interesting to see that with a new CEO in charge, changes are quickly implemented. Why did God wait until Nelson died before telling Oaks at General Conference to put an abrupt stop to temple announcements – and now this new missionary age announcement? Each new president of the LDS Church has his own hobbyhorse he rides to promote his agenda while in office. Each President wants to leave a legacy behind. Dallin Oaks is focusing on promoting early marriages and growing larger families. He wants to get his Proclamation on the Family canonized as scripture – since he was the chief architect of that document. Because these top leaders are old men in their 80s and 90s, we will probably see a rapid turnover in the plush velvet chair of the President, during the next few years. So, whoever is in charge must make his impact quickly before his time on earth runs out.
I think the Church wants to get the girls out quicker, so they come home and start being a mommy earlier. That also speeds up the process of creating and raising new, tithe-payers – who can support the financial growth of the Institution. It wants to close the age gap, so girls and boys don’t go off to college and have their testimony and beliefs challenged. The church is threatened by men and women wanting self-autonomy. From their youth they have been instructed not to doubt or question their beliefs. Get them to the temple earlier to make covenants and start wearing the garment. Not having an age difference makes girls feel they are being treated equally to boys, but still without priesthood. I only think it will backfire on the church because it will force girls to have a faith crisis earlier.
Because the missionary ages are now equal for boys and girls – attractions between the two genders may be sparked in the mission field – which can develop into friendships, leading to marriages, soon after they return home. The girls leave at 18, return at 19 1/2, and get engaged to an RM who is 20, marry and start families. I heard someone recently ask – are missions now going to be the new dating app. The message has always been the same to missionaries from their mission presidents – As a priority, go home and date, get married, and start a family. This generation isn’t as responsive to authority, and they won’t have big families just because they are told they should. The downside to early marriage and family – is that there is no time to develop one’s own identity outside of what you have been taught to conform to. No time for self-discovery and maturity before jumping into significant life-time marriage and family commitments. Challenging for women to develop themselves, when they are put into care-giving roles as young mothers.
I believe the church is trying to level the playing field, somewhat. It’s good that women aren’t obligated to serve, but that could change. I wish men weren’t obligated. It is institutional pressure for the boys and cultural pressure for the girls. But it also shows men are more valued as missionaries than the women. Still the difference from serving 18mos for girls verses 24mos for boys – distinguishes gender roles and keeps the hierarchy of patriarchy in force. But why can’t girls go for 24 mos.? Or 18 months for the boys? Historically, those who have served missions have remained more faithful in the church. Missions are a rite of passage. There are many reasons people go. These teens are pressured by parents, friends, and church leaders. Unfortunately, there is often great fanfare going and returning. It’s more about the missionary than the reason they are serving.
The reality is that upon receiving a High School diploma, these teenagers could have already received their mission calls and could leave the day after graduation – putting their own personal dreams aside What are the challenges for 18-year-old girls going to third-world countries? They are mere teenagers knocking on strangers’ doors – so they are more vulnerable and less informed about the world. It’s risky putting them in questionable environments with limited coping skills. There is always the danger of abduction, kidnapping, or worse. They simply aren’t prepared enough to be exposed to harsh climates, mean people, and other dangers. Anxiety and depression will be on the increase, possibly leading to a mental health crisis. Untrained Mission presidents will have to deal with increased mental issues. These teenagers will have their family, friends, and technology – all taken away from them. It often leads to mental stress and illness, and more of them return home early, which can lead to low self-esteem and shame. Church missions are like the – military – there are very strict standards. Missionaries are indoctrinated, first names taken away, uniform dress, tight schedules, no dating, no exposure to worldly media, no visiting family, 24-hour with a companion. It’s basically a sales force pressured with reporting numbers and statistics. All of this can break some missionary’s testimonies.
Missions are hard work and challenging and that has its rewards. What if they decided to wait a year or two before going? Of course, if you are 18 and don’t go right away, people might ask – why aren’t you going? Their virtue is being questioned because the most virtuous women would serve a mission, right? They will be forced to confront difficult questions about their beliefs. They are giving up their autonomy to choose how and when they do life in terms of education, career, and motherhood. If they must choose between self and church, they should always choose their own personal integrity.
If people would read their Bible, the Holy Spirit would open their eyes on how to live their lives trusting only in God to guide them along their faith-journey. Instead of leaving it to others or an organization to interpret what that should look like. Hopefully, this decision to lower the age will result in more women finding themselves earlier and demanding reform. And the church will have to respond to that. But this change may awaken women to the truth earlier that they are divinely equal to men in faith, education and career. Just because the age limit has been lowered, it doesn’t mean you have to go at 18. It doesn’t mean you are more righteous if you do or don’t.
I recommend that parents have serious conversations about the pros and cons. When to get endowed and make covenants, go on missions, get an education, or vocational training, and start a family. Parents should know their children well enough to have those conversations. Go if you want to go, but don’t if your gut and heart say no. Be in control of your own life and decisions. Don’t be pressured by an institution or culture or even family and friends. It’s your life! Go get an education, travel, date, experience life before settling down and starting a family.
Thanks again for watching. See more videos like this on YouTube or Talking to Mormons.com
God bless!