S1E38 - Covenant Joy in Unexpected Places: The Mission Age Change and Temple Service

This week brought a historic announcement from the Church: young women can now serve full-time missions beginning at age 18. My daughters were the first to break the news to me, and the ripple of that moment stayed with me all day.

But the Lord didn’t stop there.

In this episode, I share how that announcement connected beautifully with something He’s been teaching me through my Friday-night temple service. For years I’ve longed to be a temple worker, but my season of life didn’t allow for a traditional shift. A simple Sunday School clipboard changed everything—and opened the door to a new kind of temple service that fits exactly where I am.

As I cleaned the temple this week, conversations with temple staff and a recent discussion with my bishop wove together into a clear theme:
the Lord is making room for His daughters, His servants, and anyone with a willing heart.

We’ll talk about:
• The new mission age announcement and what it means for young women
• Why temple service—including cleaning—is a powerful way to answer President Nelson’s call to “be in the temple”
• How the Lord prepares individual paths of discipleship in every season
• Why focusing our youth on temple covenants aligns with the hastening of the work
• How God honors small, quiet offerings—even a widow’s mite on a Friday night

The Lord is accelerating His work in bold, global ways and also in very personal ways. Sometimes that looks like an eighteen-year-old young woman preparing for a mission. Sometimes it looks like showing up with a mop and a willing heart.

Referenced Media:
Includes an excerpt from the Church’s official announcement video released on November 2025.
(Video courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, used reverently and noncommercially.)

If this episode resonates, I’d love to hear how the Lord is making room in your life to serve Him in your season.