Something "Big" Coming Down Tomorrow?

[MorningStar]

Is this change something "big"? To an outsider, it seems rather minimal...

It is a big deal. Now the boys won't have to go a year of college and then stop to go on missions. A lot more girls will go on missions. I would have gone on one at 19. I ended up meeting my husband and marrying him when I was 21.

[mfbukowski]

Is this change something "big"? To an outsider, it seems rather minimal...

It will alter the life plans of thousands.

If you're now 18, you have a big decision ahead for you. If you are female and in high school, this means you could go on a mission without "messing up your life" very much- it becomes a more reasonable option for girls to go and significantly encourages young women to go on missions. It makes it a real option for girls to go, as opposed to being half way through college and in the middle of finding a mate to take 18 months out of your life for a mission. Now it is a real option-

Very significant for those in that age group and therefore significant for their parents and grandparents as well since we typically get to finance those missions and advise the youth of their options.

It's a pretty big deal.

[Sethbag]

Girls can serve a mission at 19 and boys can serve at 18, right after graduation! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Yawn.

You seem easily enthused.

If this is that great, awesome, bombshell revelation we were promised, well, let's just say I'm glad I didn't bother to drop whatever else I was doing this morning to tune in.

I have to say expectations have been lowered pretty darn far if this is the kind of news that passes for exciting in the church.

I heard through the grapevine that they were planning to announce that from now on members may take two pieces of bread during the sacrament, but they put off announcing that one until next Conference. Too much excitement all at once would scare away the Spirit!

[MorningStar]

I will not be surprised if we soon have more sisters than elders. I feel so happy for the 19 and 20-year-old girls who realize today they don't have to wait for their dream.

[MorningStar]

Yawn.

You seem easily enthused.

If this is that great, awesome, bombshell revelation we were promised, well, let's just say I'm glad I didn't bother to drop whatever else I was doing this morning to tune in.

I have to say expectations have been lowered pretty darn far if this is the kind of news that passes for exciting in the church.

I heard through the grapevine that they were planning to announce that from now on members may take two pieces of bread during the sacrament, but they put off announcing that one until next Conference. Too much excitement all at once would scare away the Spirit!

It is way exciting for girls who aren't sure if they will go on a mission. Ooh, two pieces of bread would rule.

[Sethbag]

So I wonder if waiting til 19 and 21 leads to too much temptation and young people falling away?

That's my bet. I'm betting they'll get a higher % of guys going on missions this way versus letting the guys go off on their own for a year and seeing if they still want to go on that mission when they've had a little taste of freedom. And higher mission service rate equals higher longterm retention rate in the church.

[MorningStar]

And I'm excited because my son will be able to go straight on his mission after high school instead of killing time for the summer. He will turn 18 right after his Senior year starts.

[Stargazer]

Yawn.

You seem easily enthused.

If this is that great, awesome, bombshell revelation we were promised, well, let's just say I'm glad I didn't bother to drop whatever else I was doing this morning to tune in.

I have to say expectations have been lowered pretty darn far if this is the kind of news that passes for exciting in the church.

I heard through the grapevine that they were planning to announce that from now on members may take two pieces of bread during the sacrament, but they put off announcing that one until next Conference. Too much excitement all at once would scare away the Spirit!

Oh, you're a scream.

I think two pieces of bread would cause too much questioning. Not to mention make the priests have to take longer to make sure the bread was torn into even smaller pieces.

By the way, welcome back! Missed your annoying sniping. Mostly anyway.

[Zeta-Flux]

I think the announcement is a great change. But, in some ways, William's prediction of a great revelation made the announcement seem a lot less significant than it was. My expectations were much higher. Great change, yes, historically mindblowing or helping me understand the gospel better, no.

I'm happy for those women who now have an easier time serving a mission, and for those men who want or need to serve right after high school. As for myself, I wanted to and did wait for an entire year of college to do my mission. But my experience is probably unlike most others. I'm the type of person who learns and retains information, so when I went back to school I was ready to pick up where I left off with little change.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Zeta-Flux

[The Grimace]

Soooooo....the obvious question is, why not make the age 18 for both boys and girls?

[William Schryver]

Yawn.

You seem easily enthused.

If this is that great, awesome, bombshell revelation we were promised, well, let's just say I'm glad I didn't bother to drop whatever else I was doing this morning to tune in.

I have to say expectations have been lowered pretty darn far if this is the kind of news that passes for exciting in the church.

I heard through the grapevine that they were planning to announce that from now on members may take two pieces of bread during the sacrament, but they put off announcing that one until next Conference. Too much excitement all at once would scare away the Spirit!

Who promised a great, awesome, bombshell revelation? When? Where?

[bluebell]

I think the change is awesome, especially as it deals with yw going on missions. I think it will help people to realize that women just don't serve missions because no guy would marry them, and that sister missionaries will be taken more seriously and be seen as more equals with the elders. To often sisters are kind of an after thought when it comes to their service.

I served with one especially horrible elder that was insulting to sisters, always implying that they weren't supposed to be there-that missions were men's work. Even the other elders didn't like him, he was such a noob. I tink letting the sisters who chose to go at 19 will help crack down on that mentality.

[William Schryver]

I think the announcement is a great change. But, in some ways, William's prediction of a great revelation made the announcement seem a lot less significant than it was. My expectations were much higher. Great change, yes, historically mindblowing or helping me understand the gospel better, no.

I'm happy for those women who now have an easier time serving a mission, and for those men who want or need to serve right after high school. As for myself, I wanted to and did wait for an entire year of college to do my mission. But my experience is probably unlike most others. I'm the type of person who learns and retains information, so when I went back to school I was ready to pick up where I left off with little change.

What?

When and where did I make any prediction of a great revelation?!!!!!!

I did no such thing!

Did you actually read this thread, or just the first couple posts I made? (And even if you only read the first couple posts, where in those posts did I make any prediction of a great revelation?)

And if you read my subsequent posts on this thread, then how can you possibly say what you have said above?

Wow! It never ceases to amaze me how: 1) people's words can be so astoundingly misunderstood; and 2) people's words can be so astoundingly misrepresented.

[ERMD]

Soooooo....the obvious question is, why not make the age 18 for both boys and girls?

Age difference helps, most importantly, when the women are older than the men. Fewer problems.

[William Schryver]

I think the announcement is a great change. But, in some ways, William's prediction of a great revelation made the announcement seem a lot less significant than it was. My expectations were much higher. Great change, yes, historically mindblowing or helping me understand the gospel better, no.

I'm happy for those women who now have an easier time serving a mission, and for those men who want or need to serve right after high school. As for myself, I wanted to and did wait for an entire year of college to do my mission. But my experience is probably unlike most others. I'm the type of person who learns and retains information, so when I went back to school I was ready to pick up where I left off with little change.

Zeta, my friend, read these posts and perhaps you will understand a bit better my intention in starting this thread last night:

Post 1

Post 2

Post 3

Post 4

Post 5

I absolutely did NOT make any prediction of some great revelation. I was merely underscoring the interesting phenomenon of these kinds of rumors frequently making the rounds prior to our general conferences.

As for today's announcement, I have made my sentiments concerning them rather clear in my posts from today. I think this is a momentous change, and one that will have a significant impact on the membership of the Church going forward.

Edited October 6, 2012 by William Schryver

[Gohan]

Soooooo....the obvious question is, why not make the age 18 for both boys and girls?

Age difference helps, most importantly, when the women are older than the men. Fewer problems.

Ditto on what ERMD said there Grimace, it was also addressed at the Press Conference after the morning session, although I don't know if that's up for repeat viewing online yet.

[Tacenda]

I think the women being able to serve at 19 was the bigger revelation out of the two since the men going at 18, has been the rumor for quite awhile.

[Darth_Bill]

19 year olds are dumber than rocks. 18 years is going to be "great". I am thankful that the girls get to go earlier. That should help pump the missionary numbers a bit.

I went after two years of college because I graduated HS early. I was a problem in the mission, or so I was told, because of my independence. I'm sure kids right out of HS won't give them that kind of problem. They will give them other problems though. That extra year did a lot to mature many of them.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Darth_Bill

[Rich Hansen]

Ha! Y'all ain't got enough money to purchase us... you better start selling indulgences

I know the LDS Church doesn't have enough money. That is why it will be a leveraged buyout. The Church will use the stream of income from Catholic indulgences to pay off the debt.

[The Grimace]

Age difference helps, most importantly, when the women are older than the men. Fewer problems.

What kind of problems? Are you talking about sexual attraction?

[Deborah]

I just thought of something. By not getting a year of college under their belts and therefore thinking they know more than they do we might have more humble missionaries.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Oh, you're a scream.

I think two pieces of bread would cause too much questioning. Not to mention make the priests have to take longer to make sure the bread was torn into even smaller pieces.

By the way, welcome back! Missed your annoying sniping. Mostly anyway.

Trust me for Seth to drop by here again, "it" is a big deal. Edited October 7, 2012 by Bill “Papa” Lee

[sweetpotatoh]

Reduced church meetings, goodbye Sunday school.

I love Sunday school.

[DavidB]

Zeta, my friend, read these posts and perhaps you will understand a bit better my intention in starting this thread last night:

Post 1

Post 2

Post 3

Post 4

Post 5

I absolutely did NOT make any prediction of some great revelation. I was merely underscoring the interesting phenomenon of these kinds of rumors frequently making the rounds prior to our general conferences.

As for today's announcement, I have made my sentiments concerning them rather clear in my posts from today. I think this is a momentous change, and one that will have a significant impact on the membership of the Church going forward.

William, rather than trying run from what you did here - your intent was to add to rumors. You referenced a friend, you referenced Elder Nelson, you clearly were wanting to add to rumors. Yet you are trying to run from what you did, by claiming you were just trying to examine a cultural phenomenon.

And it seems a bit disengineuos to label your posts above as you did, you post 2 was not post 84 in this thread.

As always context is the key and your first handful of posts were you deliberately adding to hype by pronounce your source "who is in a position to k ow more than the average Joe."

Quit badgering. - Ares

Edited October 7, 2012 by Ares

[DavidB]

William here are excerpts from your first few posts:

I have heard several rumors and reports that have led me to conclude that something of extraordinary significance is to occur tomorrow

But I have now heard three separate reports that something extraordinary will be announced tomorrow.