I am left to think it is an intentional decision to make sure women do not get the idea they are equal to men.
Especially since girls mature more quickly than boys.
With this change, you are going to see a sudden bump in the number of missionaries, then a sudden drop. They want to intensify missionary efforts, with the Mormon Moment in the political scene.
But I think lowering the age for women will even out that drop since long term more women will start going than are going now.
The real story here is that over all, the number of women serving missions will increase for the long term.
They tapped out all the teenage boys they can in a declining demographic, they don't think they can get anymore retired baby boomers to go (and hey, even the # of baby boomers will start to drop some day) so from which population can they expand the missionary force? Increase the over all % of women missionaries.
How are you going to do that. Letting women go at 19 before they are likely to be married will long term increase the raw number of women who go, increase the % of women that go, and increase the % of women in the missionary force.
Once in a while I think these guys know what they are doing.
Now, about their theology.
"And the human knew the source of life, the woman of him, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, 'I have procreated a man with Yahweh.'" Gen. 4:1, interior quote translated by D. Bokovoy.
Consig wrote:I am left to think it is an intentional decision to make sure women do not get the idea they are equal to men.
I noticed that Elder Ballard, who is speaking now, made a point of saying that young men have a responsibility to go on a mission, and that women do not have a responsibility to go, but it is a welcome choice for them.
liz3564 wrote:I noticed that Elder Ballard, who is speaking now, made a point of saying that young men have a responsibility to go on a mission, and that women do not have a responsibility to go, but it is a welcome choice for them.
So young men who don't go on a mission are irresponsible shirkers. Got it!
Consig wrote:I am left to think it is an intentional decision to make sure women do not get the idea they are equal to men.
I noticed that Elder Ballard, who is speaking now, made a point of saying that young men have a responsibility to go on a mission, and that women do not have a responsibility to go, but it is a welcome choice for them.
Yes. An obligation of 2 years if you're male, and it can be completed between one's 20th and 21st birthdays (depending on when his 18th birthday is in relation to his graduation from high school).
A choice of 1 1/2 years if you're female, and if you so choose, it can be completed by age 20 1/2 years of age.
liz3564 wrote:I noticed that Elder Ballard, who is speaking now, made a point of saying that young men have a responsibility to go on a mission, and that women do not have a responsibility to go, but it is a welcome choice for them.
Maybe it will be the beginning of the end of the unmarriagable Sweet Sister myth? That the only reason women go on missions is because they can't find a mate?
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.
zeezrom wrote:Wow. Graduate from high school and go straight on a mission. How would it have been?
Missionaries will be even more green than they already are. From the mouth of babes...
I have been home off a mission now for 23 years.
As I look back, I cannot for the life of me imagine how anything would be even remotely different in my life had I left at age 18 vs 19?
I would have probably been a lot less emotionally prepared, more homesick and a lot less able to adapt to the demands of a mission had I left at 18. A mission is lot like high school; at the time it seems oh so big and important, but then as you move on with your life, you realize that it hardly mattered at all.
How will it matter in the slightest whether a kid goes at age 18 or 19 (19 1/2 in my case) in the larger scheme of things?
Nomomo wrote: So young men who don't go on a mission are irresponsible shirkers. Got it!
What percentage of LDS young men are irresponsible shirkers and do not go on a mission? 47?
"The Church is authoritarian, tribal, provincial, and founded on a loosely biblical racist frontier sex cult."--Juggler Vain "The LDS church is the Amway of religions. Even with all the soap they sell, they still manage to come away smelling dirty."--Some Schmo