said Peggy Fletcher Stack told of missionaries in OTHER countries going out at 18 years of age. The poster said it appeared in an article written by Peggy on August 25, 2011.

I have been searching for that article and can't seem to find it.

I would like to know if other countries have had LDS missionaries out at the age of 18, but the U.S. is just now introducing that idea.

Would the original poster please give a link to that article, or if someone else knows about it could they give a link?

There is so much hoopla about this that I'd like to know if it was in the news in 2011. That puts an entirely different spin on what's going on with the missionaries.

Yes, I would too

:)

I know mission president's sons have been allowed to go out at 18. Mine did

Yep, it's nothing new...


From the newsroom:
"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-leaders-share-more-information-on-missionary-age-requirement-change?lang=eng

Sounds like they were 'trying it out' to see if it worked. Now its effective enough to implement worldwide and the members in the US don't realize it isn't something 'new'.

The link from Peggy Stack must have been deleted for a reason. All the other articles are posted on line. I guess that 'special feeling' would have been compromised had members known it wasn't a new directive.

They will call it a relevation soon. That's how these things work.

I am the poster, I noticed the site changed after I posted the article, maybe because it was old news you might be able to go into the archives. The article was in the SL Tribune Aug, 25, 2011. However there is a church news release that mentions that there are 48 countries calling 18 year old missionaries. I don't know what is censored as far as links so this is the paragraph from that news release.


"News Release — 6 October 2012

Church Lowers Age Requirement for Missionary Service - FAQ

Will younger missionaries be prepared to serve?

No young man or woman should begin their mission service until they are ready. Church leaders have been calling missionaries at age 18 in 48 countries around the world and have found them to be both capable and qualified to serve in every way. Prior to entering the Missionary Training Center, prospective missionaries will be asked to enhance their pre-mission preparation."


According to the Peggy Fletcher Stack article this was happening over a year ago.

I foresee TSCC cutting down on MTC expenses, and leaving more of the missionary training up to the wards, the missionaries' parents, and the missionaries themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if TSCC already has a "packet", a manual of worksheets, or a correspondence course a missionary must complete prior to entering the MTC.

Already, my missionary nephews tell us that there is almost no scripture study in the MTC. It certainly is not as it was before, with the memorizing of lesson plans, scriptures, rehearsing the JS Story, etc. I doubt if they tell the JS story at all, now. No. The emphasis is on fellowshipping and emotional manipulation. They begin with seeking out those "golden contacts" who are away from home, lonely, who have recently lost a loved-one, foreigners who want to learn English, young girls who like to flirt, widows who need yard work and home repairs (people with houses have some money) bla-bla. People these days don't seem to read as much, and given what a low-quality piece of nothing the BOM is, I foresee that actually reading that will not be a requirement.

Mormon missionaries need very little training at all, in order to push the "Forever Families" myth, sell the "Mormons are such NICE people" lie, and play the pity card of being brave youths away from home for the first time. The 18 year olds will get more handouts. The MTC is there to teach Mormon kids to be phony.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/08/2012 01:27PM by forestpal.

Family all agog at the announcement Saturday, and one of my BILs said that the plan was to cut MTC time by 30% or so and leave each green missionary with his/her trainer for 12 weeks, through which they would receive the kinds of things they WOULD have done in the MTC, but they are now finding "more effective" in the missionary field--this may include scripture study, Preach My Gospel, emotional manipulation, role-playing, etc.

One of my nieces, bless her heart, was all teary-eyed because she has decided to drop life and serve a mission now that the age has changed. Blergh.

Kids in Tonga, both girls and boys, have been allowed to go on "in-country" missions at 18, for a long time. They could serve for as little as a year, as well. Girls could serve as little as six months, if that was wanted. I know they were doing this in 1980.

But the Tongan boys who were sent to foreign country missions still went at 19, I believe.