The announced on Friday that it will allow women to serve missions starting as young as 18, lowering the minimum age by one year and making the age requirement the same for men and women.

The change, one of the first big moves by Dallin H. Oaks, equalizes opportunities and is a likely response to increasing numbers of young women who are engaged in the church’s global missions. These opportunities to serve are seen as rites of passages for young church members, who work to recruit new members and share the beliefs of the Utah-based faith that has 17.5 million members around the world. Missions are designed to strengthen their faith, broaden their perspective on the world and prepare many of them for future leadership positions in congregations.

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