Okay so today I was shocked and excited just as many of my friends are about the age for missionary service being changed. I wish to tell you from the perspective of someone who served a mission at the previously traditional age of 21 what this means and why I think it is significant.
Disclaimer: please do not assume that what I say is doctrine but to me is what makes sense
The first reason that I think this is significant is because it will greatly increase the missionary force numerically. Some may disagree but I think that if we give young men the option to go right after high school graduation they will be less likely to postpone and possibly cancel missionary service all together due to education, careers, relationships, life, etc.
Also by allowing young men to leave right after high school there will be seen a greater spirituality among the young men who enter the mission field having just graduated from seminary with scriptural understandings, insights, and fresh testimonies full of light, truth and innocence. These are all reasons that younger missionaries are going to greatly increase the missionary work spiritually.
Now be prepared for me to validate why I think it is great for young women to also serve at such a young age. I feel and you may disagree, remember not doctrine but my opinion, I feel that this generation specifically has been blessed as a result of their birth with a great desire to share the gospel. I also think that this desire is carried throughout the generation to both young men and young women. In conjucntion with this I don't think that the sudden rise in girls being like, "I am filling out my mission papers today." is really that different than if they were all getting ready to turn 21. It may be a constant status because of the new news but I believe that the desire is there. I also think it rocks because now they like young men now have less distractions before going on their missions.
Another reason that I think it is a brilliant idea is the effect it will have on the future generation. I like many of you believe that the strongest of our Heavenly Father's children are yet be born and that there are also many difficult and trying times ahead. I know from my own opportunity to serve as a missionary that the experiences had and shared there will increase faith and strengthen testimonies that will be increasingly in need as the world prepares for the 2nd coming of our Savior. This faith and testimony is what the world will need especially the future missionary force.
I also want to add my own flare to this and say that I really think that this move will greatly decrease the stigma that accompanies the conversation that many people have about young women serving missions. That stigma is that you only serve cause you are unmarried. This is not true. I served because I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and wanted to share it; it was just convenient that I was unmarried.
In short the reasons that I am so excited are because it will increase the strength of our missionary force not just in quantity but in quality too. Am I disappointed that I served before the rules changed? Absolutely not and any sister who wants to serve should not because I know that everything happens in the Lord's timing. My time was when I was 21 and for the young women now it is as young as 19.
Hey, I just watched it. And this is crazy, but they changed mission age. So call me maybe!
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