LaDaSa church lowers missionary age for men to 18; Joseph F. Smith shrugs

Joseph F. Smith, not impressed

SALT LAKE CITY - In a move that shocked most members of the church, LaDaSa church president Thomas S. Monson made a major announcement during the most recent general conference. President Monson proclaimed that, effective immediately, young men who had turned 18 and had graduated from high school may be eligible to serve a full-time mission. The previous age minimum was 19.

When made aware of the announcement former church president Joseph F. Smith shrugged.

20 years of regret: "It should've been the September Seven"

Dennis Whitesides

Story by Lyman Johnson
New Plymouth - Regrets, he's had a few. Dennis Brownsides often sits quietly in his New Plymouth, ID home, wondering what could have been. "Had I only known what was coming down the road..." He drifts off into deep thought again, staring into the distance.

I've come to this sleepy Idaho town to answer the question: How close were we to having a September Seven? Dennis and I have been meeting the past few days to pore over old photographs and scan through old journal entries. "I grew up as a LaDaSa. I bet you didn't know that". I did actually. I'd done my homework. "Let's get back to the journals," I say wearily. It's been a grinding, depressing few days.