Shortened Missions for Athletes?

[Notatbm]

Looks like elder holland had made it clear to missionaries at the mtc what the church thinks of missionaries who do not complete their missions for reasons other than medical, emergencies or tragedies. 
 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5Wq4Z4kMk
 

[bluebell]

59 minutes ago, Notatbm said:

Looks like elder holland had made it clear to missionaries at the mtc what the church thinks of missionaries who do not complete their missions for reasons other than medical, emergencies or tragedies. 
 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3s5Wq4Z4kMk
 

This is a clip from when Pres. Hinckley was alive and the prophet, so a long time ago.  And he didn't seem to say anything nefarious.  He basically said that if you leave your mission because it's too hard, you will regret it.  I know he used the words 'ruin your life' but he used them in conjunction with the story he shared about meeting members who had left for such reasons and how sorrowful they were.  I'm sure plenty of people disagree with him, which is their right. 

Has anyone bothered to see if Elder Holland's views have become more nuanced since this clip that is a at least a decade, if not almost two, old?  I'm guessing you aren't the same person you were in the 2000s. He's probably not either.  

 

Edited June 30, 2025 by bluebell

[Calm]

48 minutes ago, Tony uk said:

I feel that it is a good thing when people of all ages can be involved

 Young people have energy and enthusiasm.  Senior people have life experience and knowledge.

 

Maybe, in some cases, and I maybe out of my depth saying this. If in certain circumstances, missionary work can be deferred for a number of years. 

I believe young single missionaries can go on teaching missions until they are 25 if male, 29 for women (don’t know why there is a difference).  There is also the option now to do service missions for that age group, not sure what the application process is.  26 years and older adults can start senior service missions.  For regular missions, single women and men and couples over 40 without dependents under 18 at home can serve.  

In the info part of the senior missionary portal, it says senior elders can serve regular missions—meaning for them away from home, but won’t be in companionships while senior sisters may be in a companionship or not.  In the handbook it’s still saying senior elders can only serve service missions while regular missions are referred to as teaching missions, so I am not sure what is going on.  It may be service missions include away from home now and single senior elders will only serve those or the handbook is out of date.

If there aren’t the usual service missions for the 18/19-25 group in their area, these young ones can do the same stuff as senior missions.  

Since I have no clue about this difference between junior and senior service missions, someone else will need to explain that distinction.

https://seniormissionary.churchofjesuschrist.org/srsite/as/faq-brightspot?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/24?lang=eng

[bluebell]

4 hours ago, Notatbm said:

I’m fairly confident the only concern the church has is how this benefits the church. Sports (Football)  at BYU is more important than pretty much anything else esp if you have a star Mormon player. I mean look at what they pay the coach ($3mm /yr) He is the highest paid employee of the church. Whatever brings in the money. As for anyone else’s career aspirations I don’t see the church openly stating yea well if you want to start work or college earlier, just tell us how many months you want to serve if at all. Any adjustment will be according to how much revenue or goodwill (Donny osmond) you can bring in. They didn’t even give archuleta a pass. They prob already figured he is gay anyway and according to elder Bednar there are no gay members of the church.. so

With temples, and churches, and programs, and biannual conferences every year, and humanitarian projects in the billions of dollars, and traveling the world to speak and serve the members, and all the general boards, missions, and all the other thousand things that have been going on in different iterations for almost 200 years, I'm fairly confident that how a BYU athlete's mission length benefits the church is not the only thing the church cares about is.  

[bluebell]

5 minutes ago, Calm said:

I believe young single missionaries can go on teaching missions until they are 25 if male, 29 for women (don’t know why there is a difference).  There is also the option now to do service missions for that age group, not sure what the application process is.  26 years and older adults can start senior service missions.  For regular missions, single women and men and couples over 40 without dependents under 18 at home can serve.  

In the info part of the senior missionary portal, it says senior elders can serve regular missions—meaning for them away from home, but won’t be in companionships while senior sisters may be in a companionship or not.  In the handbook it’s still saying senior elders can only serve service missions while regular missions are referred to as teaching missions, so I am not sure what is going on.  It may be service missions include away from home now and single senior elders will only serve those or the handbook is out of date.

If there aren’t the usual service missions for the 18/19-25 group in their area, these young ones can do the same stuff as senior missions.  

Since I have no clue about this difference between junior and senior service missions, someone else will need to explain that distinction.

https://seniormissionary.churchofjesuschrist.org/srsite/as/faq-brightspot?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/24?lang=eng

I didn't think there was an age limit for single sisters? But maybe that's how it used to be but it's changed.

[Notatbm]

22 minutes ago, bluebell said:

With temples, and churches, and programs, and biannual conferences every year, and humanitarian projects in the billions of dollars, and traveling the world to speak and serve the members, and all the general boards, missions, and all the other thousand things that have been going on in different iterations for almost 200 years, I'm fairly confident that how a BYU athlete's mission length benefits the church is not the only thing the church cares about is.  

I’m pretty sure in this case his athletic status at byu is the only thing the church will care about. No one else will get passed like this unless they are “special “ like him.
 

Do you think the church or a mission president or any church leader would encourage your average Peter priesthood missionary to leave a mission early just to go to school, or join the military etc? I doubt it. The mission presidents job is to keep you there at pretty much any cost. Why? Because they can’t have missionaries just Willy nilly  leaving their missions by choice. Creates a staffing headache and also a shaming headache at home.  Will concede though that quitting your mission early for pretty much any reason doesn’t carry the stigma it once did. We just had a kid come home after just seven months and they had a homecoming for him. I have never seen that and we had an approximate quit rate of about sixty percent in my last stake. Those kids came home and you never saw them again. Shame shame like gomer  Pyle says. 

Edited June 30, 2025 by Notatbm

[Calm]

1 hour ago, bluebell said:

I didn't think there was an age limit for single sisters? But maybe that's how it used to be but it's changed.

Quote

 

Young teaching missionaries are assigned to teach the gospel away from home. These assignments are made by Apostles through revelation. These missionaries serve under the direction of a mission president.

Single men ages 18–25 may serve as teaching missionaries. They usually serve for 24 months.

Single women ages 19–29 may serve as teaching missionaries. They usually serve for 18 months….

Married members ages 40 and older may be called as senior missionaries as a couple if they do not have dependent children.

Single women ages 40 and older may also be called as senior missionaries if they do not have children living at home.

Single men ages 40 and older may not serve as senior missionaries. However, they may serve as senior service missionaries. (See 24.2.4.)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/24?lang=eng#title_number2

Service missionaries who stay at home appear to be any age for women or men.  Not sure about those away from home.

This is what is confusing to me because other places use have service missions as away from home as well, but maybe only for senior?

Quote

Worthy young men ages 18-25 may serve a service mission for six to 24 months, and young women ages 19-29 may serve a service mission for six to 18 months, as close to full time as their capability and circumstances allow. These missionaries live at home and serve locally, and each young man or young woman is provided a customized mission experience tailored to his or her talents, skills and gifts.

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/young-service-missionaries-integrated-into-teaching-missions-2024
 

Has it changed since Jan 2024?

Edited June 30, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

Should have done this first…on the serve a mission home page:

Quote

Young teaching missionaries’ purpose is to bring people to Jesus Christ. They serve away from home for 18–24 months. Single men ages 18–25 and single women ages 19–29 can serve.

Quote

Young service missionaries’ purpose is to serve God and His children in their local communities while living at home. Assignments are tailored to the needs of the applicant and the needs of the area. Single men ages 18–25 serve for 6–24 months, and single women ages 19–29 serve for 6–18 months.

Quote

Senior missionaries are encouraged to find people to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and serve in additional assignments supporting their local Church leaders, facilities, and charities. Married couples, single women, and single men over the age of 40 can serve for 6 to 23 months away from home.

Quote

Senior service missionaries live at home and serve in their local communities. Men and women ages 26 and older, married or single, are eligible to serve. Their assignment will be suited to their individual needs and to the needs of their area.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/missionary?lang=eng

So there is an age limit for teaching missions for sisters…unless it’s been changed very recently and the online stuff is way behind.  Possible, but not seeing anything in the newsroom about it.

Edited June 30, 2025 by Calm

[Calm]

Apparently in the semi recent (2013) past, women typically served teaching missions until 40, but at 40 were more often called on service missions.

Quote

Single women are eligible to serve a mission if they are 19 years old or older. The eligibility age difference between the young men and the women is to emphasize that full-time missionary work is a priesthood duty of the men, while women are not under that same obligation. Though not a duty in the same sense as it is for men, women make a valuable and unique contribution in the mission field, and the Lord needs and welcomes their service.

Single women between the ages 21 through 39 are usually called to serve for 18 months.  Single women over the age of 40 are usually called on non-proselyting missions (temple missions, welfare missions, office support, family history, etc.) and serve for 12 or 18 months. For more information, see the sister missionary page which has links to many sister missionary related topics including advice for young women considering a mission, and an article from former sister missionaries explaining what made them decide to serve.

 

https://latterdaysaintmissionprep.com/call-process/missionary-age-requirements/

There was no age requirement for couples either, though they couldn’t be working full time and couldn’t have dependents children at home if on a away mission.

Quote

There is no specific age requirement for older couples to serve a mission together. In order for married couples to be eligible to serve a mission, they must no longer be be working full-time and, if they will be serving away from home, they must not have any dependent children living in their home. Senior couples can be called to serve for 6, 12, 18, or 24 months depending on their capabilities and the mission they are called to fulfill.

So my question is can young service missionaries go on away (from home) missions or only serve from home?

[webbles]

1 hour ago, Notatbm said:

Do you think the church or a mission president or any church leader would encourage your average Peter priesthood missionary to leave a mission early just to go to school, or join the military etc? I doubt it. The mission presidents job is to keep you there at pretty much any cost. Why? Because they can’t have missionaries just Willy nilly  leaving their missions by choice. Creates a staffing headache and also a shaming headache at home.  Will concede though that quitting your mission early for pretty much any reason doesn’t carry the stigma it once did. We just had a kid come home after just seven months and they had a homecoming for him. I have never seen that and we had an approximate quit rate of about sixty percent in my last stake. Those kids came home and you never saw them again. Shame shame like gomer  Pyle says. 

I know that mission presidents have helped "your average Peter priesthood missionary" to leave a mission early just to go to school.  It happened for me.  I was given a choice of leaving my mission several months early so that I could get into the upcoming semester of college.  My mission ended in the middle of a semester.  I chose not to but several of my cohort did choose it.  This was over 20 years ago.  I've heard of it with others since then.

[Calm]

I can’t remember if my son came home a month early or we just discussed it because we were moving back to the States in 2003.  He had a few weeks and then some unexpected time when the university demanded my husband come back for his last month instead of taking built up sick/vacation/sabbatical days which they said he could do until we actually moved.  My son decided to go back with his dad to keep him company and have more time to say goodbye (the move was unexpected, when he left on his mission he expected to live in Canada the rest of his life as far as I know). Thankfully there were friends they could stay with, so besides making me really pissed off getting dumped with all the moving in stuff and being bored because we had no car and no Internet (must have hitched a ride shopping with my in-laws down the street, but knowing me back then asking for them to help us hook up would have been imposing) as they took it back with them, it wasn’t a big deal though it raised my husband’s anxiety level over his new classes big time since he had lost a lot of time.

Didn’t need that whole story, but I know we had discussed prior to his mission timing with college and taking the option to come home early.  He was and is very Peter Priesthood in terms of his involvement in the Church.  And I was all for getting the ‘whole mission experience’ for educational/personal development reasons.  I was upset his foreign mission was to Utah of all places (he and his father were born in the hospital in Provo).

Edited July 1, 2025 by Calm

[webbles]

1 hour ago, bluebell said:

I didn't think there was an age limit for single sisters? But maybe that's how it used to be but it's changed.

There wasn't an age limit.  In the 2010 handbook, it said that women from 19-39 could serve an 18 month mission and women from 40 up could serve a 12 or 18 month mission.  No idea when it changed but now it seems that women 30-40 can't go on a mission.

[webbles]

1 hour ago, Calm said:

I believe young single missionaries can go on teaching missions until they are 25 if male, 29 for women (don’t know why there is a difference).  There is also the option now to do service missions for that age group, not sure what the application process is.  26 years and older adults can start senior service missions.  For regular missions, single women and men and couples over 40 without dependents under 18 at home can serve.  

I had a companion that was almost the oldest possible for a young man.  I remembered him being almost 30 but I guess he must have just been 27 (left at age 25 and was almost finished).  For me, as a 19 year old, he was OLD.

[Notatbm]

21 minutes ago, webbles said:

I know that mission presidents have helped "your average Peter priesthood missionary" to leave a mission early just to go to school.  It happened for me.  I was given a choice of leaving my mission several months early so that I could get into the upcoming semester of college.  My mission ended in the middle of a semester.  I chose not to but several of my cohort did choose it.  This was over 20 years ago.  I've heard of it with others since then.

Would he have helped you leave an entire year early? I seriously doubt it

 

sure there’s a few people who have been let off the hook a couple months early to start school. How many months was “several” in your case. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2025 by Notatbm

[Calm]

15 minutes ago, webbles said:

o idea when it changed but now it seems that women 30-40 can't go on a mission

Teaching ones are no go for ten years, they can do service missions since everyone can after age 26.  But wondering if this means solely from home and after 40 for away ones, though service missions are described as only living at home on the church website.

Are there senior missions that are considered pure service that are away from home?  Do senior missionaries who serve in mission homes or other church callings go out teaching at all?  Or do they qualify to be called teaching missions because they may have the chance if they are outgoing enough to chat with others, etc, while they go about their service work…whether they take that chance or not?

Edited July 1, 2025 by Calm

[webbles]

4 minutes ago, Notatbm said:

Would he have helped you leave an entire year early? I seriously doubt it

I doubt the entire year as well.  But I also doubt that Ryder is getting an entire year off.  I pointed out that his older brother had a similar situation and served 17 months.  That is a bit earlier than I've personally heard of but I could see a mission president doing it.  I would expect Ryder to be similar.  He plans to leave in January which is the same time his brother left.  Since his brother went to USC, I don't see this being a BYU thing, just a mission president working with a missionary to figure out what is best for him.

Edited July 1, 2025 by webbles

[bluebell]

1 hour ago, Notatbm said:

I’m pretty sure in this case his athletic status at byu is the only thing the church will care about. No one else will get passed like this unless they are “special “ like him.
 

Do you think the church or a mission president or any church leader would encourage your average Peter priesthood missionary to leave a mission early just to go to school, or join the military etc? I doubt it. The mission presidents job is to keep you there at pretty much any cost. Why? Because they can’t have missionaries just Willy nilly  leaving their missions by choice. Creates a staffing headache and also a shaming headache at home.  Will concede though that quitting your mission early for pretty much any reason doesn’t carry the stigma it once did. We just had a kid come home after just seven months and they had a homecoming for him. I have never seen that and we had an approximate quit rate of about sixty percent in my last stake. Those kids came home and you never saw them again. Shame shame like gomer  Pyle says. 

Is the church encouraging this member to serve a shortened mission?

And what does getting passed look like?  I'm not sure what you are saying with the bold.

[bluebell]

55 minutes ago, Calm said:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/general-handbook/24?lang=eng#title_number2

Service missionaries who stay at home appear to be any age for women or men.  Not sure about those away from home.

This is what is confusing to me because other places use have service missions as away from home as well, but maybe only for senior?

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/young-service-missionaries-integrated-into-teaching-missions-2024
 

Has it changed since Jan 2024?

In my mission in the late 90s we had two single sisters who were in their 40s and 50s.  One of my companions was companions with one of the older sisters and it was really hard for her.  But it looks like that doesn't happen anymore.  

[bluebell]

51 minutes ago, Calm said:

Should have done this first…on the serve a mission home page:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/missionary?lang=eng

So there is an age limit for teaching missions for sisters…unless it’s been changed very recently and the online stuff is way behind.  Possible, but not seeing anything in the newsroom about it.

Good find.  It looks like they can serve teaching missions if they are over 40?

[Notatbm]

19 minutes ago, bluebell said:

Is the church encouraging this member to serve a shortened mission?

And what does getting passed look like?  I'm not sure what you are saying with the bold.

I’m sure it has been worked out for him to not get any blowback at byu for quitting early. Also as I understand it, a scholarship deferral (for mission service) at byu is for two years. Early return requires reapplication. If that is true, then a deal has surely been worked out wink wink. 

 

Get “a pass”

forgive my phone for it autocorrects at its own discretion

Edited July 1, 2025 by Notatbm

[Notatbm]

29 minutes ago, webbles said:

I doubt the entire year as well.  But I also doubt that Ryder is getting an entire year off.  I pointed out that his older brother had a similar situation and served 17 months.  That is a bit earlier than I've personally heard of but I could see a mission president doing it.  I would expect Ryder to be similar.  He plans to leave in January which is the same time his brother left.  Since his brother went to USC, I don't see this being a BYU thing, just a mission president working with a missionary to figure out what is best for him.

You said they were gonna let young go several months early. How many months is “several.” 

[webbles]

42 minutes ago, Notatbm said:

You said they were gonna let young go several months early. How many months is “several.” 

4 months is the earliest I know of.

[Notatbm]

1 hour ago, webbles said:

4 months is the earliest I know of.

They were going to let you go four months early for school? That’s quite a bit different than a year. 

[Notatbm]

Just thought I’d throw this out there:

”Fulfilling Your Term of Service

Missionaries are expected to serve their full term of service (24 months for elders and 18 months for sisters). Please do not ask your mission president to release you earlier than your assigned release date. Use the provided tools to plan when your stake president should submit your recommendation to help avoid timing issues when you return home.”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/callings/mission/mission-timing?lang=eng

Edited July 1, 2025 by Notatbm
Fixed link

[webbles]

Just now, Notatbm said:

They were going to let you go four months early for school? That’s quite a bit different than a year. 

For me, it was just 2 months.  But I know of those who worked with their mission president to leave 4 months earlier.  And I agree that 1 year early is different.  I have never heard that and I don't believe that is what is happening with Lyons.  I expect it to be at least 17 months.