The age ranges for the young single adult and single adult members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been adjusted.
Effective immediately, “young single adult” (“YSA”) now refers to unmarried Latter-day Saints ages 18-35, with the term “single adult” (“SA”) now describing unmarried Church members ages 36 and older.
Where available, young single adult wards may include those ages 18 to 35, with single adult wards for those ages 36 to 45.
Until now, young single adults referred to unmarried members ages 18 to 30. Single adult referred to unmarried members ages 31 and older.
And in areas with many young single adults — particularly in YSA stakes — leaders may consider recommending adjustments in units, such as a ward for members ages 18 to 25 and a separate ward for those ages 26 to 35.
The age-adjustment announcement came in a July 18 letter from the Church’s Priesthood and Family Department to stake, district, temple and mission presidencies; bishoprics and branch presidencies; and stake and ward council members in the United States and Canada, with general authorities, general officers and Area Seventies copied on the correspondence.
The Priesthood and Family Department oversees curriculum (like “Come, Follow Me”), programs and training for Latter-day Saints and leaders.
The letter also noted that institute classes are now available for ages 18 to 35, with classes to be divided by ages 18-25 and ages 26-35, unless attendance numbers are too small to justify dividing classes.
The YSA age adjustments are not exclusive to the United States and Canada. Other areas will receive similar instruction. The age changes are to be included in coming weeks in chapters 14 and 37 of the “General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
The letter directs area presidencies to work with stake presidents to determine what is best for the single adults and young single adults in their areas and to propose changes in units, if needed. The leaders are to consider how their decisions might impact a single adult ward if a significant number of members ages 31 to 35 transition to a young single adult ward.
Young single adults are encouraged to attend institute, the letter says, “where they will find friends, feel a sense of belonging and experience Christ-centered teachings.”
A historical look at student and singles wards
In a special January 1956 conference meeting in the BYU Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, Utah, the Church created its first student units — the Brigham Young University Stake and its 12 student wards, named B.Y. Campus 1st Ward and so forth. Each ward had between 300 and 700 members.
After a quarter-century of student wards, the Church approved the creation of singles wards, with a Sept. 17, 1982, First Presidency letter announcing a new policy “pertaining to wards for nonstudent single adult members of the Church.”
Presidents of stakes — but not student stakes — could request permission from the First Presidency to organize a ward for single adults if there were enough members to support the appropriate Church programs and if the proposed ward could be accommodated in an existing meetinghouse.
“Single adults, in consultation with their parents and home ward bishops, may decide whether to attend their home ward or affiliate with a singles ward,” the letter stated.
More adjustments came four years later, when an April 1,1986, First Presidency letter directed that “those who have formerly belonged to the Church’s Young Adult, Young Special Interest and Special Interest groups are now part of two new groups: Young Single Adults and Single Adults.”
Young single adults were then identified as unmarried Latter-day Saints ages 18 through 30, with single adults 31 and above.”
The letter was accompanied by a copy of the Church’s revised Single Adult Activities Guide, with each ward to have “a mature married couple” as young single adult advisers, assisting with organizing activities, teaching, training and classes.
Wards and stakes were also to have single adult committees, Gospel Doctrine classes for young single adults and organized home evening groups.
In additional correspondence, the First Presidency noted changes in guidelines for singles wards — membership was to be limited to unmarried members 21 through 30 years of age, a singles ward should be discontinued if membership dropped below 200, and single members could not cross stake boundaries to be in the singles ward of another locations without area presidency approval.
In 2011, the Church did away with “student” designation for wards, branches and stakes by reorganizing, realigning and renaming its units for Latter-day Saints ages 18 to 30.
Under the “young single adult” name or “YSA” acronym, the reorganized units became all-encompassing for Latter-day Saints ages 18 to 30 — student or not. A YSA ward was to average between 100 and 150 members, with a YSA stake to be comprised of a half-dozen to 10 YSA wards.
The geographical realignments had YSA stakes more closely aligned with conventional home stakes to enhance communication and coordination between leaders of both.
The renaming resulted in YSA wards and stakes not carrying institutional names like BYU 5th Stake but community-related names such as Provo Utah 1st YSA Stake or Salt Lake City 10th YSA Ward.
