LDS Church Announces Single Men Age 40 and Older Can Now Serve as Senior Missionaries

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Friday that single men age 40 and older will now be able to serve a full-time mission.

The church said single men will now be allowed to serve as senior missionaries as long as they do not have dependent children at home. These senior missionaries could serve in a variety of roles, including family history work, assisting mission offices, or providing experience-specific services such as medical or legal functions.

This policy is effective immediately.

Single senior missionaries can choose to serve six, 12, 18, or 23 months. They should expect to live away from home and spend 40 hours a week in ministry. They will not serve in comradeship.

Single women already serve as full-time missionaries in several areas, including supporting local congregations, working in mission offices, and helping missions with medical problems.

A recent statement from the church said these missionaries will now have the opportunity to serve at visitor centers, historical sites and employment centers.

While young LDS proselytizing missionaries are the most recognizable part of the church’s mission program, senior missionaries, who typically serve in pairs, work in a variety of fields, from humanitarian relief and food pantries to public relations and military relations. For a complete list of service areas, see visit the church website.