March 4th, 2025, 8:41pm
Sister Janice Hyilton remembers walking into the car with her late husband Vivian “Bad” Halton. and young children who were baptized by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1970. It was a beautiful spring day in Atlanta, Georgia, and flowers were in bloom.
“One day, we’re going to serve the mission,” Bud Hyilton told her. And they did.
Sister Halton and her husband joined in four full-time senior missions before their death in 2020.
“I really felt that I needed to serve another mission and I am very happy that I did,” Sister Hilton told Church News. “I am very pleased to have the opportunity to serve the Lord.”
Sister Hylton, who turns 89 this month and closes her 18-month service, serves as a medical screener for senior missionaries and a nursing instructor at Ensign University on the mission at Utah Salt Lake City headquarters.
“My testimony really strengthened every mission, every mission, and this is here too,” she said, referring to her current assignment. “It’s amazing. I work with Choice People and can work with couples and senior sisters who are eager to serve. Their testimony has strengthened mine.”
The desire to serve – again
Elder and sister Halton served at the London South Mission, England from 1998 to 2000, the Quezon City Mission in the Philippines from 2004 to 2005, the Utah Salt Lake City Church from 2008 to 2010, and the Washington DC Temple Mission from 2012 to 2014.
Sister Halton said their mission experience congratulated five children, 21 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
A few years after her husband passed away, while Sister Hilton was watching the October 2023 general conference, Elder Ronald A. Lasband, a quorum of the 12 Apostles, spoke directly to members of the Senior Church.
“As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to serve as a missionary of the Israeli gathering, and perhaps to serve again. We need you – we need you,” pleaded Elder Rusband.
Sister Halton recalled: So I thought, “Why not? I can do that. I’m blessed with health and energy so I can do that.”
With her urban studies and over 30 years of experience as a doctoral nurse, Sister Halton said her mission as a senior medical screener and nursing instructor was “ideal.”
“I really learned that everyone has a mission,” Sister Hilton said. “I hope people understand that the church is taking into account where they want to serve, how long they have time, what they want to do.” It doesn’t always turn out exactly as desired, she added, “But the Lord knows where they should go, and it all goes well.”
Senior Single Mission
Sister Rebecca L. Craven – her husband, President Ronald L. Craven, serves as mission leader on missions at Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a former member of the young female general – said Sister Hilton in nursing and her sensitivity to others “makes her work extremely valuable.”
Senior single sister missionaries like Sister Halton “play a key role in Israeli gatherings,” Sister Craven said.
“They have incredible life, family, work and church experiences. They have spent their lives developing spiritual gifts. When they choose to serve their mission, they bring a lot of wisdom and talent along with them. They understand that this means growing permanently, learning, and serving to the end.”
In November 2024, the church announced an expanded opportunity for a single senior missionary, both male and female. For decades, senior singlesister missionaries were able to serve on limited missions, but were not previously called to serve full-time missions.
Elder W. Mark Bassett, 70 people and executive director of the Church’s Mission Bureau, said:
“We are grateful for these adjustments and look forward to many of our loyal members who are taking part in building God’s Kingdom as full-time missionaries.”
For more information about full-time senior missionary expansion services opportunities at senior missionary at senior missionary at senior missionary.
