LDS missions have long been recognized as a rite of passage for young Mormon men, yet young women can and often do serve as full-time missionaries. Some sister missionaries report that their mission experiences were positive and stimulating, while others find that missions marginalize women and can carry a lifelong stigma. General Conference talks, the structure of mission hierarchy, and snide remarks by Mormon men to sister missionaries all reinforce the idea that women are not wanted in the mission field. This panel will discuss the experiences of sister missionaries, talk about how the mission experience can be both empowering and alienating for women, and explore why LDS men are often so proprietary about this unique Mormon experience.

Tamara Taysom, Krista Mecham