A new video report from Religion and Ethics Newsweekly examines the growth of the ranks of Mormon missionaries – from 58,000 in October 2012 to 82,000 today – since the age requirements to serve were lowered. Young men can now serve at 18 instead of 19, and young women can serve at 19 instead of 21.
Correspondent Lucky Severson learns more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ missionary program by speaking with Church leaders and missionaries in Mexico and Salt Lake City. His report correctly notes that a Mormon missionary’s message is “first and foremost about Jesus Christ,” that devoted missionary service requires “an enormous amount of self-discipline,” that many missionaries finance their own missions and that missionaries focus on helping those in need.
