DiscussMormonism.com

LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said the church already is experiencing an increase in the number of mission applications, and it's only been two weeks.

"The Missionary Department has seen a significant increase in the number of applications since the lower age requirements were announced on Oct. 6, 2012, and it is anticipated the number will continue to grow, especially after high school graduation in 2013.

"We recognize church members are anxious for more information and look forward to providing details as church leaders plan, organize and refine the system that will accommodate the increasing numbers of missionaries," he said.

The LDS Church announced Friday afternoon it is pulling back from its plan to build a new nine-story building on the Missionary Training Center campus in Provo.

"Church leaders have determined that, due to a number of complexities and concerns, we will not move forward with the nine-story building originally proposed," said Michael Purdy, spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in a prepared statement. "Expansion of the MTC is necessary, but we are confident we can find a solution that builds upon the long-standing working relationship between the MTC, BYU and the community at large. We look forward to further discussions as the process moves forward.”

Fence Sitter wrote:Their biggest problem will be the temporary increase in numbers that are the result of the overlapping age requirements. So for the next two years they will be contending with a huge increase of younger missionaries mixed with the older ones and then the numbers should level out, though at higher levels than today, especially for female missionaries. How will they accommodate the next two years worth of missionaries and what happens in 2-3 years when there is a significant drop off in numbers? What, if any, problems will there be due to a much larger percentage of missionaries being female?