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Elder Stanley Nance and his wife, Rosalie, of Bountiful, Utah, are currently serving as public affairs missionaries in the Madagascar Antananarivo Mission. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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The Levesques pose during a service project in the Oregon Salem Mission. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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Senior missionaries at the Manhattan New York Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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Elder Clair and Sister Julia Hopkins are serving at the Manhattan New York Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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Elder Steve and Sister Robyn Levesque with Oregon Salem Mission President Michael and Sister LuAnn Samuelian at the Portland Oregon Temple. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
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Senior missionaries serving in New York City. Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
By Sarah Petersen, Sarah Sanders Petersen, For the Deseret News

When President Thomas S. Monson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that both male and female missionaries could serve at a younger age, the response was overwhelming, and the number of young men and women in the field increased significantly. However, the number of senior missionaries serving has also increased.

On Oct. 6, 2012, President Monson announced that men could serve at 18 and women at 19. At that time, there were 58,000 missionaries serving.

There are now 83,471 missionaries serving worldwide, according to Mormon Newsroom. Eight percent of them are senior missionaries, meaning age 40 or older.

Mormon Newsroom reported that there are now 6,609 senior missionaries serving, and before the October 2012 announcement there were 5,778.

Read more about senior missionary service at mormonnewsroom.org.

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Email: spetersen@deseretnews.com | Twitter: @Sarah_DNews

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