"Thus it will be that the female exemplars of the Church will be a significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church in the last days." (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Nov. 1989)
Ogden—all 70 Sister Missionaries from the Utah Ogden Mission spend 5 hours each day serving at the Ogden Temple Open House in addition to their regular teaching and proselyting responsibilities. Many are traveling over an hour each way. This is just one example of the dedication and contribution young single sister missionaries make in the work of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' missionary efforts. This force of 70 sister missionaries has nearly tripled from the 25 single sisters serving in this mission during the dedication of the Brigham City Temple in 2012. Sister missionary efforts around the world are growing at an exciting pace today; but the contribution of females in this work has a long and rich history as well. (See history.lds.org and click on "Pioneers in Every Land")
Lucy Mack Smith represents one of the first examples of female missionary efforts in the Latter-day Church. In June of 1831, she arranged to go to Michigan to visit her brother's family and introduce the gospel to them. She worked along with her son, Hyrum, and niece, Almira Mack, helping in the conversion of at least 3 people at that time. During this time, many women contributed to missionary efforts by sharing their beliefs and testimonies with family members and friends in person, and through letters.
Apostle Parley P. Pratt wrote in 1840, "It is [a woman's] privilege and duty to warn all, both men and women, of what God is doing in these last days, so far as they have the opportunity,- and invite all to come and submit themselves to the gospel of Christ." Over the next couple of decades, LDS women in Great Britain began to participate more fully by distributing tracts and inviting recipients to come and hear the authorized missionaries preach.
In 1851, Eli Kelsey, president of the London Conference, called on "young men and maidens” to help with an ambitious plan to distribute 25,000 tracts. Sisters made an enormous contribution resulting in 300-400 baptisms.
During 1865, LDS women began to be specifically set apart for missions, with many serving before that after having received a sort of general blessing by the power of the priesthood. However, nearly every single one of these missionaries was a married women accompanying her husbands into the mission field. Their missions consisted mostly of keeping house and cooking for their husbands and other missionaries, with only occasional public speeches.
In 1898, the presidency of the European Mission had appealed to the presiding authorities of the Church to send them some "lady missionaries." They were asking for dedicated female missionaries, asserting there were "instances in which our sisters gained attention in England where the Elders could scarcely gain a hearing." Presidencies of missions in the U.S. began petitioning for the same, and under the leadership of President Wilford Woodruff, single sisters began to receive calls for full-time proselyting missions.
President Thomas S. Monson, current president of the Church announced in October 2011 that sisters could receive mission calls and begin serving at age 19 rather than 21. He also said, "We assure the young sisters of the Church...that they make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome their service." The response from young women around the world is unprecedented. There are now more sisters serving in the mission field than the total female membership of the church in 1947 when the pioneers traveled west to Salt Lake City with over 20,000 currently serving in 2014.
Author and speaker Mary Ellen Edmunds brings expression to the excitement many members have felt as this strong force has grown. She said, "On a beautiful Sunday morning, (April 2013) I had the extraordinary blessing of speaking to all the lady missionaries at the Provo Missionary Training Center. I was "blown away" when I walked in the room and saw over 1,200 women! It thrilled my soul!"
In the words of Sister Charlene Hiers, wife of the Utah Ogden Mission President Maurice Hiers, "Our sister missionaries use a gentle approach, are very good teachers, and share powerful testimonies, representing well the Savior, the Church, and the mission."
(To learn more go to: history.lds.org and click on "This Grand Opportunity" and check out the "Related Sources")
