LDS Missionary Application Boom

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Church officials say they've seen a more than five-fold jump in applications after lowering the eligibility age for becoming a Mormon missionary. New numbers released this week show The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is seeing an average of 4,000 applications started per week since announcing the change two weeks ago. On average, about 700 online applications are opened and started per week. LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson announced at the October General Conference that men can go on full-time missions at 18, instead of 19, and women could go at 19, instead of 21. Church spokesman Scott Trotter said Monday that slightly more than half of the new applicants are women.