With over 90,000 active missionaries now serving, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has achieved a significant new benchmark. This figure surpasses the prior high of 88,500 established just last July. The primary driver of this historic jump in service participation is women. According to church data, the count of young women on missions has exceeded 30,000, marking the largest cohort of sister missionaries ever recorded in the faith’s history. Deseret News Faith reports that the majority of these women are from the United States.
This spike follows a policy adjustment implemented less than twelve months ago. Church authorities reduced the minimum age for female missionaries from 19 to 18. Although the announcement came in November, many prospective missionaries delayed their departure until after graduating high school in the spring. In 2025, the total missionary force stood at 78,596. The current count reflects a 14.5% rise in personnel. To accommodate this expansion, the church established 55 new missions globally in July.
Currently, 506 Latter-day Saint missions are active worldwide. Among the new locations are 16 in Africa and 14 within the United States. Additional expansions included seven new missions in South America and five in the Philippines. New mission centers were also established in the Pacific region, Europe, Canada, Asia, and Mexico. This growth coincides with a record-breaking period for conversions.
In the last three years, the church has welcomed more than 900,000 new converts. A single-year record of 385,490 convert baptisms was set in 2025. Total membership climbed past 17.88 million in 2025 as the pace of growth accelerates. During a June address, Church President Dallin H. Oaks indicated that further records were imminent. He remarked, “It is inspiring to see the number of young church members who continue to answer the call to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.” He further noted that these missionaries are “helping to bless the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every year who are choosing to be baptized into the Lord’s church.”
Alongside missionary work, the church is modernizing musical worship. Recent updates to the Gospel Library app assist members in locating and utilizing sacred songs on a daily basis. These features aim to enable members to “participate more fully and joyfully in worship.” Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles discussed this shift in a recent video. He stated, “Let the singing be transformed.” Additionally, citing Deseret News Faith, he said, “Let us have a tempo that encourages us to sing energetically, (and) let us pray and remember our Savior Jesus Christ.”
Members can now curate personal playlists featuring hymns and other uplifting music. The application also enables searching for songs based on specific themes or topics. A new virtual hymn board is available to assist in planning music for stake conferences. These updates are intended to strengthen faith among youth and young adults during a time when many are departing organized religion.
The increase in missionaries also mirrors a rise in the population of Latter-day Saints who are 18 years old. Leaders anticipate that this demographic will soon encounter a demographic cliff. Enrollment in seminary and institute programs reached new peaks this year, with 1.09 million students participating in these discipleship-focused initiatives. President Oaks has observed that the foundation of this growth is the message of Jesus Christ.
Despite wider societal trends, the church continues to witness young people deepening their faith. The combination of increased female missionary service and updated worship tools indicates a shift in the faith’s operational approach. The statistics from 2025 and the new records established this year suggest a clear trajectory.
