Missions Signal Expanding Role for Mormon Women

[Frodo]

Missions Signal a Growing Role for Mormon Women

By JODI KANTOR and LAURIE GOODSTEIN
MARCH 1, 2014

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[Zioneer]

I'll be honest, as a male Mormon, I would have no problems whatsoever if the prophet said "hey women can have the priesthood and be leaders now". They should have more leadership roles anyway, even if they don't immediately get the priesthood.

[afleitch]

Less men? That mean less closeted ones to tease on the street

[Zioneer]

Less men? That mean less closeted ones to tease on the street

I find gay missionary jokes to be funnier than polygamy jokes at this point, since the wives joke is made by literally every person who mentions Mormons, and the gay missionaries joke is not.

But yeah, there's a lot of closeted missionaries.

[Psychic Octopus]

Female missionaries serve only 18 months, no? I've always wondered why the time is less than men.

I'll be honest, as a male Mormon, I would have no problems whatsoever if the prophet said "hey women can have the priesthood and be leaders now". They should have more leadership roles anyway, even if they don't immediately get the priesthood.

Haven't there been polls indicating that this wouldn't be a controversial change amongst the men? I remember hearing/reading that women are the ones most unwilling to change the rule.

[Zioneer]

Female missionaries serve only 18 months, no? I've always wondered why the time is less than men.

I'll be honest, as a male Mormon, I would have no problems whatsoever if the prophet said "hey women can have the priesthood and be leaders now". They should have more leadership roles anyway, even if they don't immediately get the priesthood.

Haven't there been polls indicating that this wouldn't be a controversial change amongst the men? I remember hearing/reading that women are the ones most unwilling to change the rule.

Female missionaries do tend to serve 18 months as opposed to male missionaries serving 24 months, though they can ask for an extension if they really want to go the entire two years. And if you're a service missionary (like a missionary who acts as tech support, or is a tour guide at an LDS museum or whatnot instead of preaching) you can choose 6 months, a year, 18 months, the standard two years, or even three years if you really want to go that long.

I think the mission time for women is less than men is part wanting the women to get back home and married as soon as possible, and part genuine fear that street criminals might have more chances to harm women (heck, there's a movie about two male missionaries getting kidnapped in Russia) if the women stay out for longer.

There's been a few conflicting polls on LDS women and the priesthood, but yeah, consistently the men are more willing to let women have the priesthood than LDS women themselves are, despite the efforts of groups like Ordain Women. It's still controversial with both genders, but men don't care as much, and I think the pro-ordination numbers would go up if it was indicated to be a gradual change.

[Frodo]

I wonder if the Catholic Church should consider adopting some of the methods used by the Mormon Church to spread its message, among which mandating that young people go out on missions.    

[Zioneer]

I wonder if the Catholic Church should consider adopting some of the methods used by the Mormon Church to spread its message, among which mandating that young people go out on missions.    

They don't need it, they're an incredibly old religion, with long-established countries following their particular brand of Christianity, a massive amount of history and ritual behind them, and a widely known face of their church.

Mormonism has a prophet sure, but it doesn't have those advantages. The only place that follows Mormonism as a "nation" is Utah, and a bit of Idaho/Arizona. Possibly parts of the Polynesian nations. And we're a younger, less known religion, without the centuries of church fathers and influence behind us, and a far less known religious leader. Hence why we have missionaries.

Though Mormonism has home teachers; volunteers within a congregation that are assigned to specific families to check up on them and make sure they're doing okay (and to try and convince them to go to church if they aren't). Catholicism could probably use that.

[Zioneer]

By the way, a follow-up article about women and the LDS priesthood/expanding roles.