Hi! I’m a recent convert. I’ve only been in the Church for a few months, but I love the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! I’m trying my best to keep my covenants. My goal is to get my Young Women’s Medallion. I wanted to clarify something, though: how old do I have to be before I can start dating? Do I need to marry a return missionary? What if a non-member boy shows interest in me? Please help me. Thanks.
Hi Mary. I'm happy that you're enjoying all the blessings that come from being a member of this wonderful church! Congratulations on your recent conversion. I suggest that you talk with your young women's leader about the specific requirements to earn your medallion. I can tell you about general church standard's, though.
1) The church counsels its young members to wait until they are 16 years old before dating.
2) Serving a mission helps a young man mature in the gospel, and that maturity can certainly bless a subsequent marriage. However, there are many wonderful men in the church who, for various reasons, never served full-time missions. Many of them have attained spiritual maturity through other life experiences. The church certainly does not teach that only return missionaries can marry.
3) The church does teach the importance of marrying in the temple, though, which requires a lot of spiritual preparation. Only marriages performed in the temple are "sealed" so they can last forever, even after death. There are many excellent people who belong to other religions, but these people have not been prepared for temple worship. Consequently, it's best to date people who are willing to prepare themselves. Perhaps you could talk to your friend about the church to see if he's interested in learning more and preparing himself to enter into the temple. Lot's of people first get to know about the church through friends, families, and romantic interests.
1) The church counsels its young members to wait until they are 16 years old before dating.
2) Serving a mission helps a young man mature in the gospel, and that maturity can certainly bless a subsequent marriage. However, there are many wonderful men in the church who, for various reasons, never served full-time missions. Many of them have attained spiritual maturity through other life experiences. The church certainly does not teach that only return missionaries can marry.
3) The church does teach the importance of marrying in the temple, though, which requires a lot of spiritual preparation. Only marriages performed in the temple are "sealed" so they can last forever, even after death. There are many excellent people who belong to other religions, but these people have not been prepared for temple worship. Consequently, it's best to date people who are willing to prepare themselves. Perhaps you could talk to your friend about the church to see if he's interested in learning more and preparing himself to enter into the temple. Lot's of people first get to know about the church through friends, families, and romantic interests.
I hope this answer helps! Lots of new members have questions. Please feel free to post any you might have on this site. We're happy to help.