Overview
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported a new high of 88,500 full-time missionaries worldwide, an increase that church statements attribute mainly to younger women entering service after the policy change.
- To absorb the influx the Church created 55 new missions, raising the total to 506 missions and redistributing assignments across regions including Africa, the United States, South America and the Philippines.
- Senior leaders have publicly celebrated the milestone and released training videos and family guidance as thousands of new missionaries receive placements and prepare for service.
- The surge follows the November decision to lower the minimum missionary age for young women to 18 and reflects short-term factors such as a bump in 18-year-old church members and higher seminary and institute engagement.
- The expansion will change local logistics and family planning for many missionaries by increasing demand for training-center placements and assignments, and it signals a return to the large-scale growth the Church saw after its 2012 age changes.