DiscussMormonism.com

This big new announcement isn't even new, it's been in place for ten years!

"These age adjustments are new options now available to bishops in evaluating what is best for each of their youth,” he said. He continued, “Young men and young women should not begin their service before they are ready spiritually and temporally.”

He stated that schooling, family circumstances, health, and so forth still remain important considerations for the timing of missionary service.

Over the past decade, permission has been given in 48 countries to let young men serve at age 18. Now, the Church will have a single policy worldwide.

http://www.LDS.org/church/news/church-l ... e?lang=eng

And in addition to getting them out there at a younger age, the Church is going to compliment this move with LESS training!

Time at each of the Church’s 15 Missionary Training Centers (MTCs) will be reduced by one-third for all missionaries.

And, the Church is more than happy for them to serve full time at age 17 and 3 quarters...

Prospective missionaries may be recommended by their bishop and stake president for full-time service 120 days prior to their birthday...

I expect the 120 days is the earliest date that the missionaries papers may be submitted, not when he will start his mission. It would be hard to imagine 17 year old high school students attending school wearing garments.

...

This is absolutely not about increasing converts.
It is a decision specifically designed to stem the tide of young males leaving the Church.

Mktavish wrote:

Fence Sitter wrote:I expect the 120 days is the earliest date that the missionaries papers may be submitted, not when he will start his mission. It would be hard to imagine 17 year old high school students attending school wearing garments.

Is that what its all about ... the age at which they wear garments?

No its most likely a decision at the corporate level to increase the numbers of missionaries in the field.

More missionaries= more converts=more tithing revenue ... its a blanket policy used at great effect allready.

don't blame Mormon polotics for useing sound economic policy.

The last time they made a significant change in the criteria for missionaries ("Raising The Bar") the overall numbers dropped significantly. (I would guess the numbers reduction resulted in somewhere from 50,000-100,000 young men not serving missions over a ten year period that might have gone if the standards had remained the same. ) That change seemed to be driven by mission presidents complaining about how poorly prepared the incoming missionaries were and the many personal problems that had to be dealt with out in the mission field.

This change is about retaining those youth that were/are deciding not to go on a mission in the year after graduation, either by conscience choice or involvement in activities (sex) that disqualify them from going on a mission.

The first change absolutely was not based on increasing converts, and while this one may have that result, I think the focus is to get more of the youth on missions again.

What they really ought to be working on, if they are just concerned about tithing revenues, is retaining more of the people that are converted. The retention rate is abysmal, just sending out younger missionaries is not going to improve it. in my opinion they ought to spend more time pre-baptism qualifying and fellowshipping the prospective convert.

Drifting wrote:This is absolutely not about increasing converts.
It is a decision specifically designed to stem the tide of young males leaving the Church.

+1

son of Ishmael wrote:

Drifting wrote:This is absolutely not about increasing converts.
It is a decision specifically designed to stem the tide of young males leaving the Church.

+1

It probably took them ten years to realize that when they "raised the bar" the result was a lot of prospective missionaries 'sinned' in that year waiting period after high school, which disqualified then from full time missionary service. My second hand information is that now after a certain amount of sexual encounters a prospective missionary is no longer allowed to serve.

So in an effort to cut down on their chances to get lucky, they are sending them out earlier. Simple math.

Fence Sitter wrote:The last time they made a significant change in the criteria for missionaries ("Raising The Bar") the overall numbers dropped significantly. (I would guess the numbers reduction resulted in somewhere from 50,000-100,000 young men not serving missions over a ten year period that might have gone if the standards had remained the same. ) That change seemed to be driven by mission presidents complaining about how poorly prepared the incoming missionaries were and the many personal problems that had to be dealt with out in the mission field.

I thought that "policy change" conveniently coincided with a long foreseen demographics drop that was going to result in less missionaries anyway. That's what I've heard, at least.