by Keith L. Brown | Jun 10, 2013 | About Mormons
Thomas S. Monson, President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently called the Mormon Church by the media and others), once commented concerning missionary work, “When you’re on the Lord’s errand, you’re entitled to the Lord’s blessings.” Many missionary age young people of The Church of Jesus Christ have taken those words to heart, as many have made a decision to answer the call to serve after the announcement made at the beginning of the 182nd Semiannual 
General Conference by President Monson concerning the change in age requirements for serving a mission. Eligible and worthy young men may now serve a mission starting at 18 years of age, and young women may serve starting at 19 years of age.
The Church of Jesus Christ Witnesses Increase in Missionary Service
In an interview with the Deseret News on Wednesday, 29 May 2013, Church spokeswoman, Ruth Todd, stated, “We estimate more than 85,000 full-time missionaries serving by fall 2013.” [1]
At the time of President Monson’s monumental announcement in October 2012, The Church of Jesus Christ had 58,000 missionaries. Prior to the announcement, the number of missionaries serving full-time missions was increasing by an annual rate of 6%. In the wake of the announcement, The Church of Jesus Christ estimates that the number of missionaries serving throughout the world will have increased by an astounding 47% in the period of a year. (more…)
by Charlotte Wilson | Jun 3, 2013 | About Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church) is well known for its worldwide missionary work. Many people recognize the young missionaries by their nametags and Sunday-best dress. For decades the age for men to enter full-time missionary service was 19, with the women able to serve at 21. Last year, the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ changed the policy so that now young men can leave at 18 and young women at 19. This age change has had a 
swift and significant impact on Mormon missionary service throughout the world. One of those changes is that more Mormon women are opting to serve missions, and that change has had an impact on the Church’s entire missionary program.
Women Now Account for Half of Full-time Mormon Missionary Applications
In October 2012, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ, President Thomas S. Monson, announced the missionary age change, a change that sent ripples of excitement throughout church membership. Now that women are permitted to serve missions two full years before they otherwise would have been, applications from Mormon women have been flooding the Church’s missionary department. Where a year ago, applications from women constituted only about 15 percent of all incoming applications, today 50 percent of missionary papers are submitted by women. (more…)
by Lisa M. | May 17, 2013 | About Mormons
Utah is emerging as a leader in school-language initiatives, building “one of the largest and most ambitious programs in the nation.” Given that the state passed an English-only law in 2000 and routinely ranks at the bottom nationally on education spending, Utah may seem an unlikely champion for the cause. But the state’s drive has its beginnings in a tradition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. “From the beginnings of Utah, it’s been part of our culture, the missionary effort of going out and living in foreign lands,” said Gov. Gary R. Herbert. [1]
For generations, members of The Church of Jesus Christ have embarked on proselytizing missions, and many have learned a foreign language so that “every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language” (Doctrine & Covenants 90:11—the Doctrine and Covenants is a book of modern revelations).
Educators and parents say the program is about academic development and preparing students for the global job market—not preparing Latter-day Saint students for future missionary service. “Yet they said Utah’s immigrant communities and the overseas peregrinations of its large Mormon population make it fertile ground to teach foreign languages.” [1] (more…)
by Keith L. Brown | May 7, 2013 | About Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church by the media and others) has witnessed a growth rate of 45% in its membership in the United States over the past decade. This increase is due largely in part to the growing number of its Spanish-speaking converts.
According to an article by Jack Rodolico on the Fronteras website titled Mormon Missionaries without Papers, the number of Spanish –speaking members of The Church of Jesus Christ has doubled since the year 2000. Rodolico goes on to point out that many of those Latino members do not have the proper legal documentation for being in the United States, which in turn causes problems for the LDS Church, and especially for those Latino members desiring to serve full-time missions. (more…)
by Lisa M. | Apr 30, 2013 | About Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sometimes inadvertently called the Mormon Church, has launched a new website that is designed specifically for those from the People’s Republic of China who have joined the Church while living in other countries, according to a Meridian Magazine article titled “New Website to Serve Chinese Nationals, Help Members Find Church in China.” Members of the Mormon Church believe in “obeying, honoring, and sustaining” the laws of the land in which they live, as the 12th Article of Faith states. The new website, Mormons and China.org, is set up to help members from China to do that.
“Many of these Chinese members remain where they have been working or studying, but many also return to China and do not know how to find the Church in their country and may not understand how they should comply with Chinese laws in relation to religious practice,” the article said.
“Over the years, the Church has built a strong relationship of trust with the People’s Republic of China by always respecting the important laws and traditions of that country,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who has long supervised the Church in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) under the direction of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in the article. “In order to observe Chinese traditions and directions on religious activities, the Church is blocking access to this website so it cannot be viewed in China.”
Dispelling Rumors and Answering Questions about the Church in China
“The Church hopes that making information public will help counter unsubstantiated rumors that circulate about the Church in China,” including whether Mormon missionaries are being sent there, according to the article. Elder Oaks said that the Church doesn’t send any proselytizing missionaries to the People’s Republic of China and doesn’t have any plans to do so, according to the article. The new site is also unrelated to the recent announcement lowering the eligibility age for full-time missionaries, according to the article. (more…)
General Conference by President Monson concerning the change in age requirements for serving a mission. Eligible and worthy young men may now serve a mission starting at 18 years of age, and young women may serve starting at 19 years of age.