Fence Sitter wrote:Did I misunderstand? I thought the age for girls was lowered to 19?
I wonder if this announcement qualifies as revelation?
Yes, the age of girls was lowered to 19.
I am not sure if it is considered revelation or a change in policy. As President Monson described it, it is something that they have tried in other countries, and have had success with.
I think that Jason brings out a good point that the Church has been losing young men during that 18-19 year old time frame. I think they have also seen that sister missionaries are very successful, and that they shouldn't have to choose between marriage and mission.
If he had announced that they were raising the age of missionaries to give them more time to prepare, it would have been met with the same response. Really people can you see the response to an announcement by the prophet being anything other than positive?
"Any over-ritualized religion since the dawn of time can make its priests say yes, we know, it is rotten, and hard luck, but just do as we say, keep at the ritual, stick it out, give us your money and you'll end up with the angels in heaven for evermore."
Chap wrote:Leaving the sisters to one side for the moment, I am dazed by the idea that if you want to convert people to a new religion, the best thing to do is to send them a kid of 18. The younger they get, the more risible they will seem. I mean "Jesus has a message for me, and he sent you? What the hell do you know about life, 'elder'?"
This decision makes it nakedly clear that missions are not really about growing the church: instead, they are about retaining the membership.
One does not have to serve at 18. It is a matter of choice. The young man can go at 24 if he wishes. However, it does provide a tool for serving a mission before college, then off to college he goes.
But you do make a good point. However it is not mandatory that one should serve at 18.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith
liz3564 wrote:Frankly, the women's age was more intriguing to me than the men's new age. They are really trying to encourage more women to go on missions. Before, a woman was basically told they had to choose between marriage and mission. Now, the Church is basically encouraging both men and women to do both.
I'm completely with you on this Liz. I think it's the most significant part of the announcement. More women over all will go on missions now (get them out there before they get married) which will help boost total missionary numbers dispite the US demographic decline of young people.
"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.
Fence Sitter wrote:If he had announced that they were raising the age of missionaries to give them more time to prepare, it would have been met with the same response. Really people can you see the response to an announcement by the prophet being anything other than positive?
They can't. Nor do they understand the world situation.
I intend to lay a foundation that will revolutionize the whole world. Joseph Smith We are “to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church, or in any other, or in no church at all…” Joseph Smith
why me wrote:I can still see that you guys are still american centered. It is a world wide church. Many countries require a draft into the service, especially in europe. This age drop helps them since they will finish their mission at 20, still plenty of time to serve in the military and then go to university or vocational school. Likewise for other parts of the world.
Lets try to think world wide and not just from Utah.
But that was already the case outside of the US, Monson himself just said so. Therefore, that part was not really an annoucement.
"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.
liz3564 wrote:I think that Jason and myself are simply tired, Why Me, of you being so set to ride your high horse, and assuming the worst about all posters here. Also, you have posted here long enough to know who Jason is, and what his current and past positions in the Church has been. You are a little too "holier than thou" for someone who is admittedly a part time member.
On MDD, I posted something similiar to quaker here. Why do you assume that I am riding a high horse? I know the problems in europe where many need to serve in the military and in other parts of the world, like Russia. I can also throw it back at you. Why assume a negative in ym retention?
I'm not assuming negative in Young Men retention. I am respecting the declaration of this by someone who is serving as a High Counselor and former Bishop who has a keen knowledge of the workings of the Church, and where retention weaknesses are. Something that you failed to do, by attempting to "correct" him.
I think lowering the age boy missionaries can go on missions from the arbitrary age of 19 to the arbitrary age of 18 (so long as they have graduated from high school) is less than stunning. I also feel little in the way of inspiration in this decision. The plain fact is lots of boys have been hanging around for a year killing time after high school before they turn 19. This could have been dealt with a long time ago. I'm glad they finally got around to correcting this problem with a predictable policy change, but it is not earth shattering.
I also feel that we have dumbed down expectations to the point this type of policy change is announced with fanfare at conference and treated as the latter-day equivalent of the King Follett Discourse.
More important is that girls can now go on missions at age 19.
But I could not help thinking that regardless of the change, girls still need to understand that are not on an equal playing field.
Why on earth couldn't they just make it the same for girls, just like the boys?
Where would be the harm in saying girls can go on missions at 18 if they have graduated from high school, too?
I am left to think it is an intentional decision to make sure women do not get the idea they are equal to men.
Just my two cents.
All the Best!
--Consiglieri
You prove yourself of the devil and anti-mormon every word you utter, because only the devil perverts facts to make their case.--ldsfaqs (6-24-13)
Once again, Nelson's hype fails to come to pass. He really needs to stop lying to get the church members' hopes up that there will be an actual "revelation" announced at GC. A policy change on the age missionaries can serve? That's the momentous revelation? I am guessing a lot of members feel duped like when Ralphie uses his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring to crack a top secret message only to discover that it's a crummy commercial for Ovaltine.
"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
