Back in the olden days, when I served my mission, men could be called as soon as they turned 19, but women had to wait until they were 21. Men served for two years and women served for 18 months. The differences were due to the “special” (i.e. secondary) status of women. Among many Mormons back then, 21 year old women were considered “old maids” (“hey, she ain’t gettin’ married-she might as well go on a mission”).

Most of the sister missionaries I knew were college graduates. Many of them had some real life experience. They had no leadership possibilities (other than senior companion), yet they had to respect kids who were often only a few months out of high school as their district leaders, zone leaders, and assistants to the president.

A few years ago, TSCC made some changes. The started letting guys go at age 18 (before college and/or living independently could plant any doubts). Woman could serve at age 19. 18 vs. 19-why? Girls mature faster than boys, so if there is a difference, it would make sense for women to serve younger. And why was the 18 month vs. 24 month duration maintained?

I know the answer to my questions. They wanted more female missionaries, and they were willing to make some concessions towards equality, but true equality between the genders just doesn’t work with the Mormon mindset.

Old days: women serving missions in their young 20s, boys in their late teens. That would mitigate against potential relationships.

Nowadays: The ages are much closer together. With relationship possibilities more flexible, guys and girls on the mission field might find more commonality, with the age gap reduced, or even removed.

For example, Elizabeth Smart met her husband while serving a mission.

I wonder if improved courtship possibilities factored in TSCC's thinking?

Right before I went on my mission in 1982, the church reduced all missionary service world-wide to eighteen month missions. Right after I got home from my eighteen-month mission, they bumped it back up to two years for the men. I think they were hoping that more men would go if the term was shorter. Apparently, it didn't work so they bumped it back up.

Women do tend to mature faster than men. But for a long time, the church wanted the women to be the reward for the men who went on missions. They needed the young women at home or at BYU, not on missions. They wanted the women to be married and pregnant before they were old enough to create a more self-empowering life plan for themselves. By denying the men of any female companionship for two years starting as young as possible, the men didn't exactly have the best life plans either when they got home and were expected to find a wife right away. Finding a wife right away sounds like a great idea after not even dating or socializing romantically with any women for two years in their prime of life. Thus some of the church's more infamous advice "don't wait to start your family out of financial or other reasons". The church did want the young women to see the few old maids (at age 23) who went on missions after failing to find a mate. The message to the other women was "this could be you if you don't find a returned missionary fast, and get married". This was all carefully orchestrated by the church. The trap had to be set and sprung before anyone said "hey, let's enjoy life for a bit and build ourselves a good foundation before having children". Eighteen years later, you better be current on your tithing if you want to attend your own child's wedding. The more kids you have, the longer the church can keep milking that gravy train. The cycle starts over when your sons go on missions and your daughters mary returned missionaries at a young age and they have kids right away. So in addition to only paying huge amounts of money to the church yourself, you also spend twenty years growing and cultivating several more church members for the church to exploit at a later time.

That’s a great description of TSCC’s youth retention program.

Gordon BS Hinckley has said a lot of really stupid stuff. Gordon BS Hinckley attempting to explain why MORmON young men were duty bound to go on mission while MORmON young women were duty bound to stay home and get married and start having babies .....AS IF starting a family in the proper MORmON way would be possible without a church preferred MORmON RM husband who would hold the deal while HE was away on a mission. Hinckley has said tons of stupid stuff, but it was one of the stupid things ever spoken or heard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiZn_fXBwtg

I served my mission 1980-1981 in Arizona. There were not many sisters serving on this mission because (it was widely known) the MP did not want sister missionaries. Many of us already had college degrees and work experience. We had absolutely no respect for many of the elders and snubbed them every chance we could. It really bugged us we would teach and they baptized. They just had to show up and dunk, and get counted for it. We did all the work. We knew it was all a numbers game. Some of us graduated w/marketing degrees and we were very good at selling the product.

Jesus isn't very good at running his church. "Let's try this. No let's try this instead. No, this..."