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The Orr Family Farm, a farm-themed amusement park and horse stables, attracted thousands of visitors each year from Oklahoma and beyond. But when a powerful tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, the Orr Family Farm was decimated. Amid the chaos and cleanup, family member Shelby Orr is leaving for 18 months of missionary service.

Since President Thomas S. Monson announced lower age requirements for missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last October, more men and women are applying to serve. Among them is a family of four (a mother and her three children), who, as KUTV in Salt Lake City reports, received their mission calls on the same day.

Today we feature stories from several news outlets that explain what Mormon missionaries do, a Wall Street Journal column that provides a glimpse inside a Mormon temple, and an ABC News article that makes it clear that the Church is politically neutral and members have diverse political views.

Today’s edition of “Getting It Right” includes mentions of the Church’s worldwide reach, belief in Christ, missionary service and respect for other faiths. We also include inaccurate reporting about Church leaders weighing in on moral issues and how the Church balances faith and reason.

Daniel Burke of Religion News Service provides valuable insight into how Mormon missionaries are impacted by their choice to sacrifice 18 to 24 months of their lives to serve others.

A University of North Carolina freshman basketball player who rose from third-stringer to NCAA tournament starter in 2012, has decided to take a two-year hiatus and be a missionary for the Church.

The New York Times has published an in-depth piece about Mormon missionaries in Uganda. The article, written by Josh Kron, explains the transformative effect missions have on the young men and women who serve, meticulously follows the active day in the life of missionaries in Uganda and clarifies common misconceptions people have of Mormons.

Being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a positive and challenging experience for the women and men who volunteer. In an interview with the Research on Religion podcast (supported by the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion), Deseret News associate editor Allison Pond discusses her mission to Russia in the late 1990s.

Turning down million-dollar contract offers for two years of nonprofit service might seem silly to some. But that’s just what 19-year-old Australian rugby star Will Hopoate did in May when he chose to become a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) instead of accepting a lucrative offer to keep playing rugby.

Many recognize the image of young men and women missionaries riding bikes and wearing name tags as a symbol of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). But these are not the only missionaries giving service and spreading the message.