In , the faith doubled the number of missions where technology is allowed and swapped out tablets for smartphones. Last year, the church began informing people of where they would go on missions online instead of by traditional mail. The move helped the church save money on postage and allowed missionaries to find out quicker, the church said. Under the new rule, most calls should be able to be made for little or no cost because of advances in technology, the Utah-based church said.
The faith claims 16 million members worldwide. Bowman said most of the mission experience was designed in the s and has grown outdated. IE 11 is not supported. Another turning point occurred when Horton stopped a man on the street who was an adherent to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Why do you follow her? I was walking down the road, praying, and I had no idea what to do. And I saw a light. I looked into the light and saw the Virgin. She told me that everything would be okay, and that she was looking out for me and would provide for me.
And when I looked down, below the light, there was 20 pesos on the ground. I picked it up and bought bread and milk for my daughters. I thanked him for sharing that story with me and let him go on his way.
I remember thinking, I have nothing that even compares to something that spiritual, that profound. Who was I to stand out here telling people what to do? Russell Beckstead, now in his mid-thirties, remains an active member of the Church. Beckstead is uncomfortable with the missionary promise that conversion is a cure-all. For Beckstead and others, like Ballard and Horton, the most memorable aspect of missionary work was the connections they developed with different kinds of people—and the theological tension these connections raised.
Missions tend to set men on a life path that includes marriage, college graduation and a middle- or upper-class career. If more individuals serve missions than in the past and fewer decide to leave the church, Campbell said, then more will also likely end up attending college.
Missionaries are heavily socialized into the church, and it is a very, very powerful experience. Scholars familiar with the LDS community suggest that the move is partly a bid to retain young people, who have been leaving the church in larger numbers in recent years.
Surveys have found that about 60 percent of people raised in the LDS church still identify with it as adults, meaning about 40 percent leave. Unlike many other religions, where going to college often presents challenges to individuals' religious identities, Mormons who attend college are more likely to remain affiliated with the faith because they often become engaged with other Mormon college students and are often asked to hold leadership positions within the church. At colleges and universities that serve large numbers of LDS students, the church has set up institutes where students go to learn about the religion and interact with other members of the faith.
A large number of those individuals have fallen out of the community and never go on a mission or get married within the church. Studies have found that Mormons who serve missions and individuals who get married in the church are more likely than others to remain active in the religion, and the church's recent announcement encourages them to do both at a younger age.
Missionaries almost always leave with a tight connection to the church. And since the church stresses the importance of education, you could see more going on to college than in the past. The "gap year," as individuals refer to the year young men spent on college campuses between high school and their mission, presented an array of challenges for the church.
Cragun, who was raised in the LDS faith, left the church after his mission. Still, a large number of men are likely to do so. Southern Virginia asks students whether they plan to take a mission and when. Brett Garcia, the college's vice president for enrollment services, said a large number of applicants are hoping to take their missions before freshman year.
Campbell said he was not sure some students would want to change the traditional pattern. Many parents might want their children to have a year away from home to grow as individuals and explore before becoming so engaged in the church, he said. If that holds true and returned missionaries do become more engaged in the religious community, leading to earlier marriages and children, the could mean Mormon students will be less likely to engage in campus life, which could present another set of challenges for university administrators.
Devin G. Pope studied the academic performance of college students before and after their missions. By comparing the performance of students who took their second before the mission and those who took it after the mission, he found that taking a mission raised students' GPAs by an average of 0. Pope said he thinks the shift is a good idea, noting that first-year students who plan to go on a mission are often distracted from coursework by the process. Several people said that, based on their own experiences, individuals who serve missions tend to return with better study skills -- missionaries are supposed to study every night while on their mission -- as well as a greater interest in pursuing and completing their education.
Bruce Bowen, associate provost for enrollment services at Weber State, said the change presents a challenge to recruitment, since many might not enroll until two years after high school. Low necklines or sleeveless shirts are off limits. Tights must be in neutral colors, and earrings that hang more than an inch below the ear lobe are not allowed.
The church website even shows photos of bright-faced young women modeling approved outfits , hairstyles and makeup techniques. All of this policing might be uncomfortable to young women today, but Franks says she doesn't mind it. Same goes for the prohibition on dating. At the end of her studies, she plans to find a job as a middle school math teacher. Do they ever have a bad day, I ask them.
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