Returned Missionary refers to a member of the Mormon Church who has served as a Mormon missionary and has now returned home. The phrase is generally abbreviated as RM. For young Mormons, and most especially for young male members, serving a mission is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood. Young men who have not yet served a mission are generally discouraged from dating seriously as this would distract from the goal of serving a mission. Once they return home, RMs are generally encouraged to begin dating seriously and to seek to get married, since marriage is highly esteemed in Mormon culture.