| Senior citizens are living longer, enjoying better health and have more money than anytime in our nation's history. They also currently comprise 12.7% of the U.S. population, with their numbers growing all the time. By the year 2030, 1 out of every 5 Americans will be over the age of 65. Among the Mormons, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this robust and experienced group is in great demand for serving service missions throughout the world. Currently, 4,108 senior-aged missionaries serve missions lasting between 6 to 18 months. But the need is much greater. During the 2000 calendar year there were requests by church leaders worldwide for an additional 2800 senior-aged missionaries.; With the United States Mormon population estimated at over 5.1 million, that translates to an estimated 647,700 possible Mormon seniors that could be eligible to serve. Thus, less than 1% of all Mormon seniors are currently serving missions. Only 16.9% of those senior missionaries now serving are outside the U.S., whereas most of the requests are for couples to serve in international areas. Senior couples are allowed to specify on their application to serve a mission where they might like to serve. Most choose to serve inside the United States.; This study is a two-tiered study investigation of the perceived and real barriers that prospective senior missionaries have in serving missions, and why when they do serve, they choose not to learn a foreign language. This study combined elements of a qualitative study in how the barriers were identified and elements of a quantitative study in how those barriers were ranked as to which are perceived to be more difficult to overcome. Sixty-two IDS members between the ages of 50 and 80 were asked to complete a survey where they listed demographic information as well as completing a paired-comparison as to which barriers were more difficult for them to overcome.; The second tier of the study involved the use of The Modern Language Aptitude Test to determine if the perceived barrier of the fear of learning a foreign language by older adults was perceived or real. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
