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Church leaders said Wednesday that older Latter-day Saints are responding in historic numbers to a call for more senior missionaries made last month by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
He and another church leader said Wednesday that President Russell M. Nelson is following the response and that it has been historic in size.
“We’ve had a tremendous initial response to Elder Rasband’s talk,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We’re not making any predictions, but the starting process is way up. It was a great talk and personal to him, and a lot of people are responding in a wonderful way.”
Elder Cook chairs the Missionary Executive Council. Elder Rasband is the vice chair. Completing missionary applications takes time, so it remains unclear how many seniors will receive mission calls.
“The response to that talk has been overwhelmingly positive,” Elder Rasband said. “I don’t follow this personally, but our department who measures these applications tells me people are filling out applications. I’m told by our people that it’s a higher number than ever in history, that even in one month, the number of applications that have been started, for missionary couples, has exceeded anything in history. That’s in one month.”
He said those filling out applications still have much to do.
“They’ll go from starting an application to getting their medical work done and everything ready, so that they can receive a call from the president of the church to serve as missionaries,” Elder Rasband said. “And then they’re going to be out throughout the world serving the Lord, which makes me personally very, very happy.”
In his conference talk, Elder Rasband said, “Mission fields around the world are pleading for your help.”
He added, “As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to serve as a missionary in the gathering of Israel and perhaps serve again. We need you — we need you.”
Elders Cook and Rasband spoke to the media Wednesday to report a 28% surge in all missionaries over the past two years and announce that the church will open 36 new missions in July 2024.
President Nelson has told the church that senior missionaries are invaluable.
“We also welcome senior couples to serve when their circumstances permit. Their efforts are simply irreplaceable,” he said in an April 2022 conference talk.
Elder Rasband expressed gratitude for church members responding to President Nelson’s call for more missionaries and to his plea for more senior missionaries.
“I am joyful,” he said. “I am grateful for President Nelson being bold and inviting our young men and young women and senior couples. I am grateful for the inspiration that came to me at general conference to invite them very specifically in my conference talk by using my own parents’ example.”
My recent stories
Church announces most missions in its history with opening of 36 more in 2024 (Nov. 1)
Temple sites in Austria, Virginia and Pennsylvania will bring blessings to Latter-day Saints (Oct. 30)
About the church
See the a list of the invitations President Nelson has given since he became president of the church.
Church leaders released a statement on Hurricane Otis.
The church gave emergency food and supplies to flood victims in Ghana.
See a complete list of Latter-day Saint temples in operation or under renovation.
See a complete list of all Latter-day Saint temples under construction.
What I’m reading
Philadelphia Eagles kick returner Britain Covey, who is a church member, was featured with his family in one of the team’s “Unscripted” videos.
The display of data is worth the click for this piece on gender bias in tweets by college athletic departments.
Yes, I’ve been following the apparent budding romance between Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Church member and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid made a delightful comment about it.
Behind the scenes
