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Single Senior Missionary Men

Young single women can serve missions. So can young single men.

Married women can serve missions with their husbands. Vice versa with married men.

Older women who are single/widowed can serve mission. So can…oh, wait…

Widowers can’t serve missions. Neither can older bachelors.

Why is this?

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Kim Siever

Queer Mormon poet with radical political views. I have been married 27 years, and we have 6 children. Sunday school president. Served in the Utah Provo Mission.

12 thoughts on “Single Senior Missionary Men”

  1. They are turning into dirty old men – no wait – make that sexy senior citizens, not to be trusted by friend or foe.

  2. I really think it goes back to the feeling that Single men (of any age) should be getting married and that there is no good reason not to.

  4. 19 year old men are expected to go on a mission so that they can mature and play catch up to the maturity level that 19 year old women already have. But I never knew that widowers or older bachelors can not go.. that doesn’t make sense.. is there a logical reason or just one of those “because we said so” rules?

  5. I’m interested in seeing the exact wordage the church uses on this matter. I went to http://www.mormon.org and found the following:

    Missionaries generally begin serving when they are from 19 to 21 years old. Many retired seniors, men, women, and married couples also serve missions.

    So this leads me to think that men can serve missions in their later years…interesting…still looking…

  6. “Church leaders should encourage all worthy, able, single men ages 19 through 25 to serve full-time missions. Full-time missionary service is a priesthood responsibility of these young men. They are called to serve for 24 months.

    “In some instances, single men ages 26 and older may be called to serve locally in nonproselyting assignments…

    “Worthy, able, single women ages 21 through 39 may be recommended to serve full-time missions…

    “Worthy, able, single women ages 40 and older may also be recommended to serve full-time missions.”

    (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1, p. 79)

    The page goes on further to discuss couple missionaries.

  7. “19 year old men are expected to go on a mission so that they can mature and play catch up to the maturity level that 19 year old women already have.”

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

  8. Having hung out with some widower/divorcee/single guys recently. There is a concerted effort and expectation (higher than stake) that the (re)marry.

  9. So what about “confirmed” bachelors such as myself (READ: gay men)? As long as I’m temple worthy and financially able, why not let me serve?

  11. Well that’s the point, I guess, of the question: if single men of a certain age aren’t being called because “they aughta get married”, then why _not_ let those of us who “aughta not get married” go in their stead?

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