Mormons to seek more missionaries

Chicago Tribune/April 8, 2005

Salt Lake City -- Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were urged during a recent general conference to increase the number of young people serving as church missionaries.

More than 59,000 Mormon missionaries are at work in 339 mission fields around the world, but their ranks have been decreasing in recent years, said M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, which leads the church along with its First Presidency.

Men embark on the optional missions at age 19, and women at 21. Leaders in each of the church's 26,000 wards and branches were asked to identify at least one more young person for missionary work this year.