DiscussMormonism.com

Single men 40 and older may now be called to serve full-time missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And opportunities for single women 40 and older have been expanded.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-c ... r-AA1tmEeY

The Church of Jesus Christ announced the news in a press release on Friday. It means single men 40 and up — who do not have dependent children at home — can serve full-time missions in area and mission offices, as well as in other areas like family history or medical missions, depending on their unique life experience. The changes are effective immediately.

I guess we haven’t quite reached the 100,000 number that Holland prophesied was imminent…

Unlike younger missions in the church, single men and single women serving senior missions won’t serve in a companionship.

I mean, what could possibly go wrong…

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ who want to serve full-time missions need to meet the requirements for health and financial support.

These new opportunities for our single senior members of the church will be a blessing to them and to those they serve as they strive to follow the example of the Savior to care for their fellow man,” Elder W. Mark Bassett, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Church’s Missionary Department, told The Church News.

How many 40-60 year old single men, who aren’t independently wealthy, do you know would be willing to take a two year sabbatical from employment? I expect that this will attract all the older retired widowers and widows.

Are impoverished members therefore prevented from serving this kind of mission, is it only for the wealthy, or will the Church fund them?

During general conference last year, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called for more senior missionaries.

“I pray that the next time I sit down to assign senior couples there will be hundreds of you waiting anxiously for your call,” said Elder Rasband.

That plea by an Apostle has certainly fallen on deaf ears…

I wonder if this is an attempt to staff all the new temples being built. Especially in areas with low numbers of Mormons.

This will be a perfect fit for Mormon men like Robert Boylan and Travis Anderson. Childless, never married, single Mormons over 40 who are unlikely to ever find a partner will finally have a purpose for their lives.

It’s an interesting echo of Mormon polygamy where something had to be done with all the excess men who were not worthy to have a dozen wives. Back then they might have been called “betas” in modern parlance.