New Announcement on Youth and Primary Progression

[Scott Lloyd]

2 minutes ago, Duncan said:

I hope you don't feel old but if you do my Mum knew a man who fought in the Boer War 

I don’t feel old, just dumb. I’d have too look up Boer War to remember what it is. 

[JAHS]

3 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

Slightly off-topic, but does anyone else think that the names Beehive, Mia Maid, and Laurel are out-dated and/or confusing?  Trying to explain these terms to those outside the faith is painful, and I'm only 5% less confused than they are about the nomenclature.

Any other different names that are chosen would still have to be explained. 

[Duncan]

12 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said:

I don’t feel old, just dumb. I’d have too look up Boer War to remember what it is. 

😶😊

[tulip]

4 hours ago, Avatar4321 said:

I wouldn’t worry too much about him. The fact that he can’t articulate a reason for any of his objections should say a lot about where he’s coming from.

The same desperation that brought us 18 year old missionaries.   We now have less young men go on missions than before the age change.   The 18 year old missionaries are returning early in greater numbers.

Before you attack me again,  please know I am an active member in the church.   It is okay to have free thoughts and not be a parrot.

[tulip]

Why not make them Priests when they turn 12 since the kids are developing so much quicker these days?  When I teach the youth Sunday School classes,  the kids are clueless on the scripture stories and gospel principles.   

[Okrahomer]

7 minutes ago, tulip said:

We now have less young men go on missions than before the age change.

Are you sure this is accurate?

1.  Before the age change (in 2012) there were fewer than 60,000 full time LDS missionaries serving.  (https://mormonmissionprep.com/news/number-of-mormon-missionaries/)

2.  6 years later, there are about 66,000 serving.(https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics)

[tulip]

1 minute ago, Okrahomer said:

Are you sure this is accurate?

1.  Before the age change (in 2012) there were fewer than 60,000 full time LDS missionaries serving.  (https://mormonmissionprep.com/news/number-of-mormon-missionaries/)

2.  6 years later, there are about 66,000 serving.(https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics)

The amount of women going on missions has increased dramatically.   The amount of young men has dropped.

[tulip]

As of June 2018

Today, there are about 67,000 full-time missionaries serving worldwide in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of those, about 30 percent — more than 20,000 — are sisters, a figure that has increased 17 percent since the age-change announcement in 2012, said Elder Brent H. Nielson, a General Authority Seventy and the Missionary Department's executive director.

[Okrahomer]

I’ve seen statements indicating that more young women are serving, but I haven’t seen any data indicating the precise ratio between women and men.  Can you point me toward any data that indicates the actual number of young men serving has declined?

[Okrahomer]

4 minutes ago, tulip said:

As of June 2018

Today, there are about 67,000 full-time missionaries serving worldwide in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of those, about 30 percent — more than 20,000 — are sisters, a figure that has increased 17 percent since the age-change announcement in 2012, said Elder Brent H. Nielson, a General Authority Seventy and the Missionary Department's executive director.

Very interesting.  Thank you!

[Avatar4321]

25 minutes ago, tulip said:

The same desperation that brought us 18 year old missionaries.   We now have less young men go on missions than before the age change.   The 18 year old missionaries are returning early in greater numbers.

Before you attack me again,  please know I am an active member in the church.   It is okay to have free thoughts and not be a parrot.

Yet you still can’t say what is desperate

[Avatar4321]

Btw tulip, where did you come up with your screen name?

[tulip]

Instead of improving youth programs and allocating real money to the youth programs,  they have tried to advance everyone early in hopes that the youth stay in the church.   I am saddened that so many youth are falling away.   We spend so much money on real estate but only give the youth a $2000 yearly budget.   

[Okrahomer]

25 minutes ago, tulip said:

As of June 2018

Today, there are about 67,000 full-time missionaries serving worldwide in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of those, about 30 percent — more than 20,000 — are sisters, a figure that has increased 17 percent since the age-change announcement in 2012, said Elder Brent H. Nielson, a General Authority Seventy and the Missionary Department's executive director.

FYI:  the pre-age change numbers for Young women (based on Elder Nielson’s statement) would have been 16,600. So the increase to 20,000 accounts for not quite half of the increase in the total.  

That means there are about 3,500 more young men serving now than before the age change.

[Avatar4321]

20 minutes ago, tulip said:

Instead of improving youth programs and allocating real money to the youth programs,  they have tried to advance everyone early in hopes that the youth stay in the church.   I am saddened that so many youth are falling away.   We spend so much money on real estate but only give the youth a $2000 yearly budget.   

Exactly what should we be spending money on in the youth programs that we arent?

We didn't have to spend a lot of money to keep youth in the Church in the past. Why would we need to now?

[bluebell]

21 minutes ago, tulip said:

Instead of improving youth programs and allocating real money to the youth programs,  they have tried to advance everyone early in hopes that the youth stay in the church.   I am saddened that so many youth are falling away.   We spend so much money on real estate but only give the youth a $2000 yearly budget.   

Do we know that they are advancing people early to try to get them to stay in the church?  That just doesn't make sense to me.  Why would the church think that being in the youth program a few months longer than the kids in the past were in it make the difference between staying and falling away?

I think part of this change has to do with the Valiant 11s, who have always split their time between primary and YM/YW once they turned 12.  That just wasn't going to work very well with the new 2 hour block.

 

[tulip]

There are at least 7000 senior missionaries included in the number of 67000 so that would mean 40,000 elders.   So yes it has grown since 2011 slightly but much less than the early 2000's.    my mistake.     I still think the amount of women serving is higher than the 20,000 quoted.

[tulip]

The retention rate of Young Single Adults is 25%.   They are trying to speed up the process so the kids go the temple and get married sooner.   

[Jeanne]

Just now, tulip said:

The retention rate of Young Single Adults is 25%.   They are trying to speed up the process so the kids go the temple and get married sooner.   

Gosh I hope not.

[Stargazer]

9 minutes ago, tulip said:

The retention rate of Young Single Adults is 25%.   They are trying to speed up the process so the kids go the temple and get married sooner.   

I really don't think that's the purpose (in the first place, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have that effect), and I really don't get why you are so set against this policy change.   Do you truly think that the current policy is the optimum policy to follow, and should continue in effect?  Failing that, what do you believe would be a better policy than the existing one or the new one?

Begging your pardon, but for a self-admitted active member of the church, trashing this new policy like you're doing makes it seem that despite your activity you don't believe that the church is being led by prophetic leadership.  

[bluebell]

19 minutes ago, tulip said:

The retention rate of Young Single Adults is 25%.   They are trying to speed up the process so the kids go the temple and get married sooner.   

I don’t think going into the youth program a few months earlier than before is going to have any impact on any getting married sooner though. 

[nuclearfuels]

10 hours ago, cinepro said:

There's a FAQ here:

Age Change FAQ

This one is interesting about camps, dances and conferences:

 

Yes the option is there.

No, my kids won't be attending those.

[Ouagadougou]

11 hours ago, The Nehor said:

The First Presidency just announced that all Young Men/Young Women progression will occur simulataneously in January in the year that they turn 12, 14, and 16.

This means ordination to be a deacon and joining the Beehives will occur at the age of 11.

It almost seems that President Nelson is like the new President McKay of his time -- in that he is implementing a lot of change thus far.  

[Thinking]

Some large extended families are going to have to choose whose ordinations to attend in January.

[JLHPROF]

9 hours ago, bluebell said:

There's nothing to explain. The ages when ordinations take place has never been doctrinal but rather a matter of inspired policy.  

Well, policy anyway...