LDS Freedom Forum

New Wave of Mormon Missionaries Is Young, Energetic and Female
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wave-mormon-mi ... d=27924269

The mission has traditionally been a rite of passage for young Mormon men, often recognizable by their trademark white button-down shirts and dark suits, as they roam neighborhoods across the world looking for converts.

Now their female counterparts are flocking to missions in record numbers after a subtle, yet critical, change in church policy lowered the age minimum from 21 to 19 for the women, known as sisters.

“Each of my sisters were married by the time they were 19 or 20,” said Sister Rachel Thomson, 24, from Hamilton, New Zealand. “They didn't have the opportunity to go when they turned 21.”

The Church announced another policy change Tuesday, saying it will now support national and local anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community, if those laws also follow church doctrine.

In a community where women tend to marry and start families earlier than is today’s norm, that two-year shift for female missionaries -- along with the message that it sends -- seems to have made a big difference. Church leadership has said that women do not have the same mandate as men to become missionaries, but that they are welcome.

“I was 18 when it happened,” said Sister Harley Buxton, 20, from LaVerkin, Utah. “But I turned 19 and then 17 days later, I went to missionary training center.”

There are now more than 22,000 women serving on missions, making up more than a quarter of all missionaries, according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as the church is officially called. The number of sister missionaries has nearly tripled since the age minimum was lowered in October 2012.

“Women have always been the powerhouse of the church,” said Sister Thomson.

“Nightline” was given a rare glimpse inside the lives of six sister missionaries from three different continents all serving on a mission in Florida. All are the first women in their families to go on a mission.

“Inside I really hoped that I would go to the States,” said Sister Anne Sofie Kreiberg, 21, from Denmark. “When I opened my call, I just felt calm.”

The missionaries work in pairs. Her partner, Sister Thomson, came from New Zealand, where she said her grandparents were once converted by missionaries.

As they walked around a neighborhood in suburban Orlando, the sister missionaries bumped into a man they had previously met and to whom they had given a copy of the Book of Mormon, one of the faith’s sacred texts. When they asked him if he had read it, he responded, “I have not cracked it open yet.”

“Apparently the statistics say that, for every 1,000 doors you knock, you might have one convert,” Sister Thomson said. “I think it builds a lot of character. Rejection isn't easily handled by anyone.”

Part of their mission work involves community service, which they say is about emulating Jesus’ life and not specifically about looking for converts. They take on even menial jobs with surprising enthusiasm.

“I cleaned someone’s bathtub one time,” said Sister Janni Collins, 21, of Oroville, California. “It was actually a really cool experience.”

The missionaries also hold teaching appointments where they talk to people who are interested in exploring the faith. During Nightline’s visit with the missionaries, Sisters Kreiberg and Thomson ate dinner alongside one such man, Richard Santana, at the home of a local Mormon family. Sister Kreiberg had originally met him by a mailbox. Santana said that the fact that he was approached by a female missionary was far from a negative.

“Always I’m going to respond to a woman,” Santana said. “I’m a man.”

“People are definitely more open to a female missionary,” said Sister Thomson. “Part of it may be what we wear.”

Unlike their male counterparts, they say they are are encouraged to wear cheerful clothing. Female missionaries wear blouses and long skirts, which can be flowery and feminine.

“Just recently they told us to be colorful and look cute,” said Sister Thomson.

There are guidelines about their underwear, too, which must be white or nude.

“We wear modest, attractive clothing,” said Sister Lindsay Pugmire, 22, of Snohomish, Washington. “You don't want a flower bra to be seen through your shirt.”

The missionaries are expected to follow a number of other rules. They are up at 6:30 a.m. daily, are only allowed to call home twice a year, and may only use iPads and cell phones for missionary work.

“We do live a very different, more conservative life,” said Sister Collins. “I think that really just becomes such a way of life that you don't really notice the rules as much.”

During the course of their 18-month mission, the missionaries can face stereotypes about a faith that is often the subject of satire, from the popular Broadway show, “The Book of Mormon,” to “Big Love,” a TV show about a man from a splinter fundamentalist sect with three wives. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned polygamy in the late 19th century.

When non-Mormons they encounter ask the female missionaries about polygamy, “we just politely tell them the truth,” Sister Buxton said.

“It was in our true history, but now that's been done away with and we do not practice polygamy,” Sister Buxton said, elaborating on how the missionaries respond.

The Latter-day Saints have also been in spotlight recently over the issue of female ordination. The church is run by layman, and virtually all adult men in good standing are ordained as priests, allowing them to give blessings. Women can’t become priests despite protests from activists.

All of the missionaries who spoke to “Nightline” about this issue defended the church.

“When God created Adam and Eve, [He said] that they both were equal but they had different responsibilities,” said Sister Leslie Fisi, 22, from Federal Way, Washington.

“Never will men necessarily be able to procreate on their own, and women won’t hold the priesthood,” Sister Collins said.

“I think we have our own kind of power,” added Sister Thomson.

Why I Didn’t Serve a Mission, “Maybe you shouldn’t go.”
I know the lives I’ve touched here would be different if I’d gone. I also couldn’t imagine having delayed getting married for a mission.

When the sister missionary age change was announced (for the LDS church), I thought it was an answer to my payers. I had been praying a lot about what to do with my life and that was something that affected me. I had just turned 20 and could now serve a year earlier than before. Over the next few hours, days, weeks, may (most, almost all) of my friends decided to serve missions, started and turned in their papers. I jumped on the bandwagon, finishing my papers within two weeks. I was going to BYU at the time and the missionary age change was all anyone would talk about. Actually, that’s all everyone in the church was talking about. I had so many people asking me if I was going to serve, it was the thing to, almost expected of those it affected. I had multiple people call and text me right after the announcement to see if I was going. Between all the pressure to go, and the excitement, I felt like I had to go, that it was expected of me, and so I accepted the fact that I’d be serving a mission even though I truly didn’t want to.

Those who know me well know that I love the gospel more than anything. It’s my life and I work very hard to live with the spirit constantly in my heart and as a consistent guide. I was the person everyone expected to serve. “I heard the age change and thought of you! more than anyone else.” “I know you’d make such a great missionary because you have such a strong conviction about the gospel.” And it’s all I could do to hope that was true. That I would be a good missionary and be worthy of my call.

I’m also the person who feels emotions very deeply and needs to have the spirit constantly in my life or I feel completely lost and distraught. The option to serve was not something I took lightly. If God wanted me to go I was going to go and give my all, even if I didn’t want to, because I knew that’s where God wanted me to be. I was going to have faith and follow His plan, but that wasn’t His plan for me, I just didn’t realize it.

Over the next few months, I prayed, attended the temple, read so many conference talks and the scriptures, I needed to know what to do. All of my roommates (except the one who’d already served a mission) left on their missions. My close friends left as well (except the one who was married), and I was left without many friends and with the continual pressure to leave. Did nobody want me here? Did nobody care about what I wanted, how I felt about a mission? I wanted to make everyone happy, everyone proud, but I felt confused and conflicted in my heart. I didn’t want to serve. No matter how much I searched and pondered and cried and prayed for the desire to go, it never came.

Come summer, I spent some time at a friend’s house while her husband was away. She worked during the days so I spent a lot of quiet time alone reading, pondering and praying. I attended the Provo temple one day and came home to read and pray. It was my usual routine. After a few hours of reading and some time praying and thinking quietly on my knees, I had a distinct and clear voice come into my heart and mind that said, “Maybe you shouldn’t go.” I still remember it clearly and felt an immediate and overwhelming peace overcome me. I knew I was supposed to stay home. I knew, without a doubt, that I wasn’t supposed to serve a mission. It was the most peace I’d felt in months and I was so relieved I cried.

After calming down, I wondered what had lead me to believe I needed to serve so strongly before and why my answer had been delayed months, but the thought occurred to me that even though I wasn’t supposed to serve, I needed to prepare to serve. I need to be emotionally, spiritually, and mentally ready and able to serve a mission, which I later realized meant I needed to be spiritually prepared to go through the temple. It wasn’t a matter of being mission ready or not but being temple ready, and that’s what matters most. The temple of God is where we learn and set on the path to fulfill God’s greatest purpose for us, and that is eternal life.

Telling everyone was hard, especially my family who had been so excited for me. I wanted to make them proud, and I knew they wanted nothing more than my happiness, but I also needed to do what I knew was right for me.

My boyfriend was admittedly happy though. I had tried my best to not let having a boyfriend sway my decision, and he did his best to not influence my decision, but ultimately I chose him, and I know we both needed that.

Within a couple months of deciding not to serve a mission, I got engaged, endowed in the Bountiful Temple and then married in the Brigham City Temple to my high school sweetheart and boyfriend of four years. I knew I was where I was supposed to be.

Looking back, I haven’t regretted for a single moment not going on a mission. I feel like the experiences I’ve had during this time have been monumental in my life and that I’m so much better for them. I haven’t sat in limbo the past couple years like some may think. God didn’t leave me free of learning and growing experiences because of my decision, no, I’ve grown so much more than I ever could have imagined, done so much good, and fulfilled a different mission than that of a missionary, but just as great in God’s eyes. I know I am just as good of a wife and will be just as good of a mother for having the experiences I had instead of serving a mission. I probably would have been a good missionary, at least I hope, but I know I needed to be here instead. I know the lives I’ve touched here would be different if I’d gone. I also couldn’t imagine having delayed getting married for a mission. Although the decision is different for many, I needed to get married when I did so I could fulfill and learn the things God wanted me to learn. It was His plan for me. And like many missionaries, I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had, my growth, the relationships I’ve developed, or who I’ve become over the past couple years for anything. I wouldn’t go back and make a different choice because I love the life I’ve lived, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

You will never regret following God’s spirit and living with His peace in your heart.

http://www.howarddream.com/why-i-didnt-serve-a-mission/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Livingston wrote:Whether or not female missionaries are included in this type of mind expansion - related to revelation and creating a new culture - is irrelevant to historical norms. The laws of God do not change, but we may believe our historical perspective exemplifies the laws of God. In many instances, these are the laws of man mingled with scripture.

ABC's 'Nightline' takes a look into the lives of LDS sister missionaries

Since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lowered the qualifying age for missionaries in October 2012, the number of sister missionaries serving worldwide has tripled and now totals more than 22,000. The surge of sister missionaries recently caught the attention of ABC News’ “Nightline,” which aired a segment Tuesday titled “The New Face of Mormonism: Women.”

“For the first time, women are able to become missionaries when they turn 19 instead of 21,” correspondent Juju Chang says in the video. “It may sound like a tiny change, but it is marking a massive revolution.”

The interview features six sister missionaries from three continents who are serving in Orlando, Florida. All of the six missionaries are the first women to serve missions in their families. Chang joins the sister missionaries in door-knocking and teaching appointments. She even learns how to gracefully ride a bicycle in a skirt.

The sister missionaries are not fazed as they answer tough questions and share their testimonies. When asked about how she feels about not holding the priesthood, Sister Rachel Thomson from New Zealand provides a brief response.

“We have our own kind of power,” Thomson said.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8656 ... tml?pg=all

Prospective Missionaries Encouraged to Prepare Early

There was a time, not long ago, when prospective missionaries could bank some post-high school “life experiences” before reporting to the mission field.

Young women who planned to serve a mission had even longer to prepare. It was not unusual for a 21-year-old sister missionary to answer the call following several years of college or time in the workplace.

That’s all changed. Now, thousands of young women today are reporting to missions across the globe immediately after turning 19.

Young men and young women are serving their missions earlier, so it’s essential to prepare earlier. Gone are the days when a teenage boy or girl can begin prepping for missionary service after earning their high school diploma.

Future missionaries cannot study in a formal missionary training center prior to their calls, but they can prepare in a “pre-missionary training center”: seminary.

“Ideally, the seminary experience flows right into the missionary experience,” said David Low, a seminary instructor at Utah’s Logan High School.

“If every young man and young woman uses their four years of seminary to read and study sacred texts each day, they will be well prepared for their missions,” he said.

https://www.lds.org/church/news/prospec ... y?lang=eng

Also there are so many sister missionaries now that some of the missions here in Mexico will not accept anymore sisters. There is an overwhelming amount. It wouldn't be a problem to have so many hermanas except that they need priesthood in every area. It is making it difficult with having more than half the mission as sister missionaries. So that is pretty crazy the difference in the setup of missions now from just two years ago. For example our ward has 4 sisters and 2 elders and we have 10 more sister missionaries than elders in our zone now! hahah we are outnumbering the Elders. It was funny because one of the members was talking about how sister missionaries are like bacteria in a dish. You start out with one and then before you know it there are thousands!
http://mightyjoneses.blogspot.com/

Darren wrote:

Also there are so many sister missionaries now that some of the missions here in Mexico will not accept anymore sisters. There is an overwhelming amount. It wouldn't be a problem to have so many hermanas except that they need priesthood in every area. It is making it difficult with having more than half the mission as sister missionaries. So that is pretty crazy the difference in the setup of missions now from just two years ago. For example our ward has 4 sisters and 2 elders and we have 10 more sister missionaries than elders in our zone now! hahah we are outnumbering the Elders. It was funny because one of the members was talking about how sister missionaries are like bacteria in a dish. You start out with one and then before you know it there are thousands!
http://mightyjoneses.blogspot.com/

gkearney wrote:And we all can see what this is leading to can't we?

Deseret News -
Young men, women can serve LDS missions earlier but shouldn't be judged if they don't

In a conversation with two friends, one mother excitedly described the girl her 23-year-old son was currently dating: accomplished, lovely and the most incredible testimony. “But,” the other woman interrupted, “she didn’t serve a mission, did she?”

“No,” my friend answered. "She prayed about the decision many times but never felt like it was right for her.”

“I’m not saying she’s not a nice girl,” the friend replied "but she’d be much more impressive if she’d served a mission.”

I’m fairly sure steam erupted from my ears; I know my face flushed with heat as I entered the conversation, but I tried to measure my words, “You’re not serious? Prophets instruct our girls to rely on personal revelation. I’m proud of every girl who serves and every girl who follows a prompting to follow a different path.”

“But you have to admit,” she persisted, “these returned missionaries will make much better wives and mothers. They’ll be more prepared to serve in the church.”

“You know, I didn’t go on a mission,” I reminded her.

“Sure, but times were different then. With the age change, no girl has an excuse not to serve.”

And that was the moment I knew had to walk away before I exploded in anger.

Since that conversation, I’ve talked to several girls and mothers of girls who haven’t joined the recent wave of sister missionaries. I’m sure there are some who never considered a mission, but I talked to young women who pondered, prayed and struggled with the decision.

“I know I’ve made the right decision for me,” one girl said. "But I wish people would stop questioning me about it at every turn.”


http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8656 ... tml?pg=all

Charming sister missionaries

Sister missionaries need to be colorful and cute but can’t wear flower bras. Men respond to them anyway.

Colleen McCullough, in one interview, she said: “I’ve never been into clothes or figure and the interesting thing is I never had any trouble attracting men.”

Now what does this have to do with Mormons? Well also this week there was a ABCNews Nightline Interview with some sister missionaries in Florida. Titled “New Wave of Mormon Missionaries Is Young, Energetic and Female” the article and accompanying video spend what is, in my opinion, way too much time on what these young sister missionaries are wearing.

‘Always I’m going to respond to a woman,’ Santana said. ‘I’m a man.’

‘People are definitely more open to a female missionary,’ said Sister Thomson. ‘Part of it may be what we wear.’

Unlike their male counterparts, they say they are are encouraged to wear cheerful clothing. Female missionaries wear blouses and long skirts, which can be flowery and feminine.

‘Just recently they told us to be colorful and look cute,’ said Sister Thomson.

There are guidelines about their underwear, too, which must be white or nude.

‘We wear modest, attractive clothing,’ said Sister Lindsay Pugmire, 22, of Snohomish, Washington. ‘You don’t want a flower bra to be seen through your shirt.’

How do you feel about not holding the priesthood?
‘We have our own kind of power,’ said Sister Thomson.

Now obviously it’s interesting to see how people present themselves in a variety of settings, so I get that some discussion of clothing and appearance will happen, but really, flower bras?

But in all seriousness, female attractiveness is part of a woman’s subversive power in the world. They may not have the priesthood, but they rule from the sidelines through subterfuge on various levels. Their sweetness is a sword and their beauty is a trojan horse.

Ah, good, the old “You don’t need real power because you have a pretty face and you can use it to manipulate men into doing things for you.”

The U.S. military had the same problem trying to come up with regulations for women during World War II. On one hand, they didn’t want to give the impression they were just there for looks and to be “comfort” soldiers for the men. As a result female soldiers had paternalistic guidelines and excessive rules and regulations to keep them from fraternizing with the soldiers. On the other hand, they didn’t want the female soldiers to seem like the butch lesbian brigade, so they had lots of classes on beauty, poise, grace, and even had beauty pageant kind of activities. Essentially, the people in charge wanted them to be feminine and pretty, but not too much. Which reminds me of the dilemma faced by sister missionaries. Use your feminine whiles, but not too much.

Perhaps it would be constructive to consider the principle reason that Sister Missionaries were first called in the late 19th century; namely, to provide live evidence that LDS women were happy, educated, and had free-will – all of that in contrast to the popular characterizations in Europe and the eastern US that LDS women were essentially polygamous sex slaves. To some degree, I hope that this principle is still true; that by seeing Sister Missionaries the world (and also the members) come to realize the great talents and virtues our Sisters possess – equal to that of the Elders.

At the same time, though, I can’t help but feel that such a “mission” is inherently lesser. Elders are not sent to show the world the virtues of our young men. They are sent to teach the gospel of repentance and to bring saving ordinances to our lost siblings. Sisters Missionaries certainly share much of that work, and their roles have increased measurably since the age change, but I fear that we will always have some notion that Sisters are “missionary lite” so long as their calls are based on desire rather than duty, so long as they have no authority to perform saving ordinances, and so long as female leaders are referred to as “Missionary President’s Wife” in order to clear that she has no presiding authority. Until our Sister’s roles are more than mere appendages I doubt that we will be able to fully escape the pervasive notion that an element of their calling is to “flirt to convert.”

The sister missionaries profiled in that news story most likely fixated on their looks because the LDS Church fixates on their looks. I was a missionary, and I endured many, many lectures in the MTC and at zone conferences about how to look attractive enough without looking too attractive. The fact that we still, in 2015, demand that sister missionaries wear dresses and skirts but never slacks, even for bike-riding, is evidence that we care more about how feminine these women look than about how well they can do their job.

There is nothing wrong with people playing to their gender strengths or recognizing them, as long as they are trying to do good with it. Some women feel objectified if the church tries to utilizes their “sweetness and beauty.” But I don’t think its objectification if its only part of the package. These sisters are sweet and beautiful, AND they are intelligent, strong, and don’t tolerate inappropriate behavior. Our bodies, gender mannerisms, intellect, and strength of character are part of the whole package of our identity. I believe it is foolish to try and downplay any particular part of our identity, merely because it is more physical.

http://bycommonconsent.com/2015/02/04/c ... more-54439

MrScience wrote:Darren, It seems to me the problem with your receiving the change is with your valueing your concept of "culture" and what "doctrine" is. You stated:

"Member Doctrine," that is what this is, not doctrine from our leaders. And as I wrote earlier in this post, Member Culture (Babylon tainted) vs Zion Culture

Are you saying that your concept of "Zion Culture" overrides the direction of the First Presidency? How do you separate what is "Church Doctrine" and what is "Member Doctrine"? What do you use as the standard to determine that?
:-\

jwharton wrote:It is a true principle that God will acquiesce to the people's wishes if they really want something other than what He has ordained.

There is a danger in thinking just because our leadership makes adjustments that this means we are moving in an upward direction.

If our will is to go downward then it is also God's will that we go downwards. He loves us enough to let us learn by hard knocks.

Episode 20: Millennial Mormons, Sister Missionary Pressure

Do you feel that there is a social pressure now for girls to serve a mission.

Yes, I definately feel that there is a pressure.

http://mormonmisfit.com/episode-20-mill ... onference/

Why Won't This RM Commit?

Dear Bro Jo,

We met at New Student Orientation at College last fall and we hit it off. We both really liked each other and he is a Returned Missionary.

I was heading home ... when he texted me to tell me that he wants to see other girls ... he was going to ask me to be his Girlfriend but decided not to because I was not going on a mission...

Serving a mission was always my dream and he knew that, he also knew that the reason I'm not serving is because of my health. however this was the reason he gave for not dating me anymore.


http://dearbrojo.blogspot.com/2015/02/w ... ommit.html

Darren wrote:
Dear Bro Jo,

We met at New Student Orientation at College last fall and we hit it off. We both really liked each other and he is a Returned Missionary.

I was heading home ... when he texted me to tell me that he wants to see other girls ... he was going to ask me to be his Girlfriend but decided not to because I was not going on a mission...

Serving a mission was always my dream and he knew that, he also knew that the reason I'm not serving is because of my health. however this was the reason he gave for not dating me anymore.

... more returned elders are going to be able to set a standard to marry a returned sister... and I do believe that returned sister missionaries make better wives (less co-dependency, bring more to the union) and statistically less will fail in their first marriages. If that's harsh to read.... this valid thesis can be formed from observation.

http://www.deseretnews.com/user/comment ... to-go.html

The Marriage Decision over Mission Decision



Aubrey who is 20 years old, a twin, our 3rd oldest, had her mission call and was rarin' to go to the Peru Trujillo Mission October 7th....and..... as of December 20th, she is now married!

The only reason I am sharing this story is to hopefully strengthen other families who are facing a similar situation. Her story has already strengthened many young women in their decision to serve a mission or not, and has given hope to many young men who are dating a girl who wants to go on a mission.

Should all young women be expected to serve missions if they can? Should we be pressuring our daughters to serve missions? Is a mission more important, or is marriage ?

Let me just add, as a returned sister missionary myself, as well as having 3 daughters who have chosen to serve missions; the decision to serve a mission or not should be entirely the young woman's decision. They should not feel pressure from church society, parents, friends, or anyone really. Just pressure from the Spirit if it is right for them. Serving a full-time mission is a huge commitment and is way harder than young women realize it will be. They have to be fully committed, and it has to come from the desires in their own heart. Although a mission is so valuable for their future lives, it should not be viewed as a duty they have to perform after high school and before marriage.

Enter future eternal companion on to the scene. Like I said, when you least expect it, the most unexpected happens.

She gave her missionary farewell talk in our ward Sacrament Meeting 3 weeks before she was scheduled to leave. That is when things started progressing from "I really like you, and you make me so happy..to...I think I want to marry you."

Two days after her farewell, they were in an 'official relationship.' The question of going on a mission or staying home became the hot topic of conversation.

There was serious mission pressure that was in her own heart, that was hard to break through.

Besides telling her to pray about it, follow the Spirit, which she was already doing, we reminded her that she did not have to serve a mission. We had to kind of pound this into her head, as she was so stuck on the idea that she had to be a missionary before she was married. We reminded her of what we have been teaching our daughters since birth, that her most important responsibility is that of being a wife and mother.

Missions are wonderful! They have been amazing for me, and for my other 3 daughters. But, we have to remember, young women are not mandated to serve a mission, and marriage is more important. Thomas S. Monson has counseled

" We have over 88,000 missionaries serving, sharing the gospel message the world over. We reaffirm that missionary work is a priesthood duty, and we encourage all worthy and able young men to serve. We are very grateful for the young women who also serve. They make a significant contribution, although they are not under the same mandate to serve as are the young men." President Thomas S. Monson

We also counseled her to find out if this young man is the right one for her. Is he the one the Lord had placed in her life and pathway to be her future husband? If he is, she should not make him wait. That would not be right. He is of age. He has served an honorable mission. She is of age. If it is right, then she needs to stay home to get married. (are we bold or what?)

Kyle finally asked Aubrey, "Why do you want to go on a mission? And what percentage of you wants to go and what percentage of you wants to stay?" At that moment, she felt 70% of her wanted to go on her mission, and 30% wanted to stay. He gave her some great advice. He said, "Aubrey a mission is really hard, if you are not 100% committed, you shouldn't go." That statement was a turning point in her making her decision.

Over conference weekend, 48 hours before she was to be set apart and get on a plane for Lima, Peru, after hearing the words of the prophet sink into her soul that she not under the same mandate to serve a mission, and after praying with Kyle; she and he made the decision that she would stay home from her mission and they would get married.



They had the most beautiful wedding in the Salt Lake Temple

http://mothers-who-know.blogspot.com/20 ... ssion.html

A Mission Call, a right of passage in the LDS Community for Young Women.


With "The Announcement" the lives of LDS Young Women will change forever.

The Deseret News reported that slightly more than half of missionary applications are from women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFm0uShZ96g

Purdy noted that "slightly more than half of the applicants are women.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8655 ... tml?pg=all

Darren wrote:

A Mission Call, a right of passage in the LDS Community for Young Women.


With "The Announcement" the lives of LDS Young Women will change forever.

The Deseret News reported that slightly more than half of missionary applications are from women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFm0uShZ96g

Purdy noted that "slightly more than half of the applicants are women.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8655 ... tml?pg=all

Should serving a mission be done due to pressure?

Question

Dear Gramps,

I am a 19 year old girl who is feeling the intense pressure to serve a mission. I consider myself a very spiritual person, but I never felt like I wanted or needed to go. I am just starting to get a hold of my life, and although I understand that a mission could never be a wrong decision, I can’t help but feel like it’s not the best decision. If I go on a mission right now, the main reason for going would be pressure. Am I just making up excuses? Should I serve a mission, and if not, how do I tell people?

Kelsey



Answer

Kelsey

It’s understandable to feel pressure to do something good like serving a mission. At the same time, it’s not always the right decision, if the pressure is the only reason for the choice. Heavenly Father would love to have all his worthy children serve a mission. At the same time, he knows that a mission is simply not for everyone.

Kelsey, I simply wish to remind you that while serving a mission is certainly an option for you, and a good and wise option, it is in no way required of you. There are many ways you can explain to people why you decided not to serve. There is nothing wrong with either decision, as long as it’s a decision you have made of your own free will.

Heavenly Father has never used peer pressure to lead us to obedience, and I feel He might be a little upset if that were the only reason you chose to begin a mission. If you sincerely believe you have better options in front of you, options you believe in, options you can fully invest yourself in, such as college, or even celestial marriage, then those might be the better direction in which to go. ...

Gramps

http://askgramps.org/20451/serving-miss ... e-pressure

Darren wrote:

Should serving a mission be done due to pressure?

Question

Dear Gramps,

I am a 19 year old girl who is feeling the intense pressure to serve a mission. I consider myself a very spiritual person, but I never felt like I wanted or needed to go. I am just starting to get a hold of my life, and although I understand that a mission could never be a wrong decision, I can’t help but feel like it’s not the best decision. If I go on a mission right now, the main reason for going would be pressure. Am I just making up excuses? Should I serve a mission, and if not, how do I tell people?

Kelsey



Answer

Kelsey

It’s understandable to feel pressure to do something good like serving a mission. At the same time, it’s not always the right decision, if the pressure is the only reason for the choice. Heavenly Father would love to have all his worthy children serve a mission. At the same time, he knows that a mission is simply not for everyone.

Kelsey, I simply wish to remind you that while serving a mission is certainly an option for you, and a good and wise option, it is in no way required of you. There are many ways you can explain to people why you decided not to serve. There is nothing wrong with either decision, as long as it’s a decision you have made of your own free will.

Heavenly Father has never used peer pressure to lead us to obedience, and I feel He might be a little upset if that were the only reason you chose to begin a mission. If you sincerely believe you have better options in front of you, options you believe in, options you can fully invest yourself in, such as college, or even celestial marriage, then those might be the better direction in which to go. ...

Gramps

http://askgramps.org/20451/serving-miss ... e-pressure

Pressure For Women To Serve Missions

... a development that I've seen in my own area. Since the age changes for missionaries, there is a much greater expectation (and pressure) for young women to serve missions.

Not serving a mission has turned out to be a trial I never expected to have. I never thought my closest friends would doubt my spirituality or testimony and that I would be ostracized from certain circles simply because I followed the spirit and didn’t serve a mission. Now that the first wave of missionaries has returned there are times when those of us who stayed feel like pariahs. One of the most painful occurrences is hearing my male peers say they will only date and/or marry RMs. This seems so illogical to me because most of the girls who did not go on a mission are just as worthy, spiritual, etc. and were working towards worthwhile achievements. It’s not that one way was better and would result in a better life. Rather the experience of mission or staying put offer a different set of experiences that are necessary for that individual. Not better…just different.

Assuming this is the case throughout the Church, or even isolated areas of the Church, my question is whether or not this is an intended or unintended side-effect? Did Church leaders expect for there to be social pressure on young women encouraging them to serve? Or would this be something that would have them scratching their heads thinking "Wow, we didn't see this coming!"

My stake has monthly missionary training for all youth 14+. (That's a bit too frequent for my tastes but I'm grateful to the stake officers who put a lot of time into the training) In my experience, YW attend at least as much as YM.

The pressure for YW to serve is inevitable because of the inherent need for Mormons, especially Mormon women, to base their decisions off of what everyone else is doing. We can preach all we want about how YM have a special duty to missionary work because of the priesthood, but making that point risks raising the women and priesthood problems and, in any regard, does nothing to negate the societal pressure to conform.

Our culture is such that members, especially women, feel they can never say "no" to a request to serve. Well, what bigger service is there than full-time missionary work? Then add in the worry that (at least some) YM will chose to only date/marry RMs. And add the difficulty that if we tell YW "it's perfectly okay to not serve" we then have to explain why the same isn't true for YM who don't serve (again, the priesthood ban). Drawing the line becomes too difficult and, with the passage of a few years, the result is that missionary work becomes the natural extension of both the YM and YW program.

Mormon culture strikes again! Totally unintended, and not present from the leadership, but when all your peers are filling out papers, and they look at you and ask what you are going to do, yeah some pressure is inevitable. But I have also heard from young men who want to find an RM wife.

If you listen to President Monson's talk you see it was unintended. It was also unintended for young men to feel pressure about going on a mission when they are 18. I think so many were so excited about the announcement that they neglected to listen when he said further that not all would be ready at 18.

My son was 18 and a senior at that time. I was excited about the possibility, but I was ever so worried about the pressure that would be on him because when people pressure him he rebels. Sure enough I had someone tell me "the prophet said they should go at 18." I told her no and restated what he did say. I wished at that point I could stand up in sacraments all over and remind everyone of that. Still do because he was inundated with people telling him he should be going at 18. And well now, he is 20 and has no intention of ever going.

My daughter didn't have as much pressure, but it was pretty strong for awhile. People would get shocked that a spiritual girl like her wouldn't just shout yes she was going. They would question her and she would tell them that she hadn't prayed about it yet and that at 14 she didn't feel the timing was right. They seemed surprised that she would think things through like that instead of jumping at the thought of going.

Dinner last night with the sisters. I asked them if they thought the lowered age requirement had anything to do with them being on missions. Both of them responded with a yes and both went on to explain how they felt increased pressure to serve after the announcement, one going so far as to say that she refused to answer the questions anymore until she actually had decided. Neither one thought they would have served a mission had the age stayed the same.

Were they saying they are on missions because they felt coerced to be there? That's a remarkable admission for any currently serving missionary to make, male or female. I'm quite certain I would never have said such a thing in casual conversation with a member, even if it were true.

But the incontrovertible fact is that there is no ecclesiastical expectation for women to serve missions as there is for men. So if women are encountering pressure, other factors must be blamed.

Regardless, I was surprised at the fact they both volunteered the information about the increase in pressure being directly related to the change in age. One of the sisters was very clear in describing this increased pressure, who it was from and how she responded to it.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/648 ... de-effect/

Darren wrote:Mormon Culture writes its own fake General Authority quotes and then they get spread around to forward the False Culture:

“Many young women are serving missions. Many are preparing to serve. Not because they aren’t married or have nothing else to do; but because they have a desire to serve and therefore are being called to the work. The reason so many are going is because in the next generation, Heavenly Father will be sending his priesthood army to the earth and wants to send them to mothers who have been properly trained and taught in the gospel. What better training can a young woman have than that of serving a mission?"
- President Hinkley

I heard a way cool quote this week about sister missionaries and I LOVED IT.
http://sistermadrid.blogspot.com/2013/0 ... em-up.html

I know that I needed this mission in order to be the mom I need to be. The quote is by President Gordon B. Hinckley and it says:
http://jenessanielsen.blogspot.com/2013 ... etter.html

marriage and family prep... What could be better than a mission?? President Gordon B. Hinckley said:
http://hermanaorgill.blogspot.com/

Here's a quote that explains the whole reason I am here:
http://sisterjessicahammond.blogspot.co ... rence.html

Here's a cool quote I found from President Hinckley, which he stated back in 2000
http://www.missionsite.net/corakessler/viewletter/50221

The decision for young women:
http://prepareforyourmission.weebly.com ... serve.html

President Hinckley has given us a glimpse of what those blessings could potentially be when he stated:
http://sisterkanani.blogspot.com/2012/0 ... -talk.html

This quote by President Hinckley really impacted me. He says:
http://hermananataliepaigebullough.blog ... -talk.html

A sister in my branch had this quote that I thought was amazing, it is by President Spencer W. Kimball:
http://cectpahowell.blogspot.com/2009_0 ... chive.html

jbalm wrote:I believe Paul preached that remaining celibate was preferable to marrying.

LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland predicts 100,000 Mormon missionaries by 2019

The LDS Church expects to have more missionaries than ever in its global proselytizing force by 2019, according to a top Mormon leader.

"We're projecting out probably within four years," apostle Jeffrey R. Holland told a radio interviewer, "the base-line number for the missionary force will be something around 100,000."

Holland made the remarks during an hourlong interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. The session largely focused on the Utah-based faith's concerns about religious freedom in the United States and abroad. But the mention of the increase in the full-time missionary force stood out.

Many had predicted the dramatic jump in the number Mormon missionaries during the past two-plus years — from about 58,000 in 2012, when leaders lowered the minimum age requirement, to nearly 90,000 at the end of last year — would fall back into the 70,000s by now.

As of January, though, the number was holding steady at about 85,000, and the church expects it to rise further.

Peggy Fletcher Stack...http://www.sltrib.com/home/2249417-155/ ... d-predicts