Who Can Serve a Mormon Mission?

People of different ages, backgrounds, genders, and skill level are serving as Mormon missionaries throughout the world today.  One similarity that every Mormon missionary has is a faith and testimony in Christ and the Mormon church.

Mormon missions attract many different types of people within the church.  To be a Mormon missionary, one must be a baptized, confirmed member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Most missionaries are young men who serve between the ages of 19 and 21.  Prophets and leader of the church have highly encouraged young men to serve missions.  Every worthy male in the church is expected to serve a mission, unless they are enlisted in the military.  Young men who are enrolled in college at age nineteen are encouraged to take two years off and enroll again when they return.  Young men should already have a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ before applying to serve.  Bishops help prepare young men to serve missions.  For those young men who have past transgressions, bishops help young men become worthy to enter the temple and serve a mission.  Although the church encourages all males to serve a mission, a mission is not to be seen as a rite of passage for Mormon young men.  Only young men with a sincere desire to serve should consider a mission.  Pressure from community or family is not a good reason to serve.  Male missionaries serve for approximately two years.

Young Women can serve at the age of 21.  Because the church does not require women to serve, the numbers for sister missionaries are considerably fewer than male missionaries.  The sister missionaries serve for a year and a half.  The opportunity of serving a mission is also open to elderly couples and single men and women who have a desire.  Retired couples are called to be mission presidents, having the responsibility of supervising missionaries and running the mission on a local level. 

Senior citizens can also be called on missions.  Most seniors serve in couples with their spouse.  Most couples who serve are retired and in a financially stable position.  Senior missionaries serve in a variety of different capacities.  They share the gospel of Mormonism, volunteer in church libraries or visitors’ centers, and participate in service projects.  There are also humanitarian missions that they can be called on.  They can help train younger missionaries.  Senior missionaries are volunteer positions.  Senior couples must be physically, emotionally, and financially capable of serving a mission.  A senior couple must be prepared to make the commitment to be away from their family for a long period of time.  Something unique about senior couples is that they are often allowed to choose what type of mission they are interested in serving and where they are interested in serving.

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