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SALT LAKE CITY — An unprecedented number of LDS teenagers are signing up for missionary service, and some changes are under way to accommodate them.
In October, President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a lowering of the missionary age requirement to 18 for young men and 19 for young women.
"They said the announcement, and I immediately started bawling, and I knew that I was going to go," said Laura Cottrell, a 20-year-old Latter-day Saint now preparing to serve a mission in Jackson, Miss.
"My whole life has been pointing towards going on a mission," she said.
Within days of the announcement, Cottrell began the application process — and she wasn't the only perspective missionary whose plans changed.
A Monday article at Mormon Newsroom said in the first few weeks after the announcement, applications were up more than 470 percent, from about 700 a week to about 4,000 a week. In all, the number of missionary applications has doubled since October.
"I've never seen anything affect a generation of young people like what President Monson announced the Saturday morning of general conference," said Elder David F. Evans, executive director of the Church's missionary department and member of the Quorum of the Seventy.
"What we're seeing is just an absolute overwhelming response from this generation to the invitation of the Lord and His prophet to rise up and go and serve your fellow man and preach the gospel," he said.
I've never seen anything affect a generation of young people like what Pres. Monson announced...
–Elder David F. Evans, LDS Church
The Church said initially it saw a great surge in the number of young women applying for missions, but now the number of men and women is about equal. Historically, women made up 15 percent of the number of LDS missionaries.
Accommodating more missionaries
With more people serving, the Church is now considering opening new missions. It currently operates 347 missions worldwide, which average 170 missionaries each. The capacity at many of those missions will rise to 250, and Church leaders said new missions will likely be created as needed.
Rumors that the Church is opening missions in areas not currently approved for missionary work are "absolutely false," said Elder Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He recently said, "Leaders of this Church enter countries new to the Church through the front door. We do not go in through the back door or via the alley. Our relationships are based on honesty, openness, integrity and complete compliance with local law."
LOGAN — Changes in the missionary age could mean big losses of students and revenue for some Utah schools.
For example, the Herald Journal reports Utah State University believes it may be facing estimated losses of 1,900 students and therefore $9.5 million over the next two years.
The school is evaluating its options and plans to recruit more out-of-state students. Administrators tell the Journal if the school can lure 800 out-of-state students, it can make up $8 million. Plus, it may save approximately $1.3 million by not needing to provide scholarships to out-of-state students.
The school also may use some excess money from last semester's enrollment to make up the difference.
MTC changesA greater number of missionaries also means some changes for the Church's 15 missionary training centers around the world. Among the changes:
- Training time for same-language and foreign-language missionaries will be reduced by 30 percent.
- Those not learning a language will be at the MTC for two weeks instead of three.
- Those learning a language will stay two weeks less at the MTC.
- Capacity will increase. For example, the MTC in Provo will increase capacity from 3,000 to 4,800 in the short term.
For Sydnie Landeen, 21, her decision to serve a mission had been made before the October announcement. But the policy changes will shorten the time she spends in the MTC before heading north to Montreal, Canada.
"Last week I received a telephone call from the MTC. One of the French teachers called to test my French," Landeen said. "It looks like I passed, because I will only be there two weeks. They will put me in the accelerated track so I can be in and out faster."
Even though missionaries will spend less time at the MTC, Church leaders assure it will still be a valuable experience.
"It won't be a watered-down experience; it won't be a cheapened experience," said Missionary Department managing director Stephen B. Allen.
Mission presidents across the globe also are preparing for increased numbers by training their missionaries who are already serving so they can train incoming missionaries.
