tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729080532188674868.post6796221116487120749..comments2024-03-23T19:56:39.134-06:00Comments on Dear Bro Jo . . . : Missionaries: Why Guys at 19 and Girls at 21?Bro Johttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04525964417706399553noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729080532188674868.post-59694862247239905292011-12-10T10:29:37.113-07:002011-12-10T10:29:37.113-07:00It was my understanding that the guy, Better Appea...It was my understanding that the guy, Better Appearances, was correct in his thoughts of why girls have to wait until they're 21. According to The Family: A Proclamation to the World, men and women are different and have different eternal responsibilities. It is a priesthood duty for men to serve a mission; women do not have the same obligation. Their first calling is to marry and raise a family. People call it sexist because they feel it is not equal. Well, men and women are different, but this does not mean they are not equal.<br />On a different note, the rule of women needing to wait until they're 21 to serve has been around for a long time. Most women aren't getting married around 18-20. It's usually in the early to mid-twenties now. It's proving to be a problem for returned missionaries, because all of the women their age or a little bit older are on missions, and all that's left is women a lot older than them, or women right out of high school. Maybe the church will eventually change the rule, maybe not.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06038419681218983394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729080532188674868.post-61272135691220456632011-12-09T12:54:13.959-07:002011-12-09T12:54:13.959-07:00I think a large reason is that the age difference ...I think a large reason is that the age difference between men and women prevents "missionary crushes" from happening as frequently, since missionaries are usually at an age where girls can be a distraction. I think that's a very legitimate reason to give to someone asking you about it. Another I've commonly heard is that women are encouraged to pursue an education during those years. I think those are both very legitimate and realistic reasons for the age difference and would make sense in an explanation.<br /><br />And you have to understand, to an outsider, the difference can seem quite sexist. Those kind of gendered differences don't occur nearly as often in society as they do in the Church and I find that a lot of members of the Church don't understand that.LovelyLaurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07940244810358859502noreply@blogger.com