Since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lowered the qualifying age for missionaries in October 2012, the number of sister missionaries serving worldwide has tripled and now totals more than 22,000. The surge of sister missionaries recently caught the attention of ABC News’ “Nightline,” which aired a segment Tuesday titled “The New Face of Mormonism: Women.”
“For the first time, women are able to become missionaries when they turn 19 instead of 21,” correspondent Juju Chang says in the video. “It may sound like a tiny change, but it is marking a massive revolution.”
The interview features six sister missionaries from three continents who are serving in Orlando, Florida. All of the six missionaries are the first women to serve missions in their families. Chang joins the sister missionaries in door-knocking and teaching appointments. She even learns how to gracefully ride a bicycle in a skirt.
The sister missionaries are not fazed as they answer tough questions and share their testimonies. When asked about how she feels about not holding the priesthood, Sister Rachel Thomson from New Zealand provides a brief response.
“We have our own kind of power,” Thomson said.
Watch the video at ABC News.
