VIDEO: David Archuleta To Go On Mormon Mission

Americon Idol Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta has three albums out and a loyal fan base that affectionately calls him "Archie," but he's putting it all on hold for a higher calling. Archuleta, 20, told fans at the Salt Lake City stop of his My Kind of Christmas Tour that he was taking two years off to embark on a full-time Mormon mission. “I would like to make a special announcement: that I’ve chosen to serve a full-time mission," he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Archuleta, a native of Murray, Utah, said the hiatus was not a requirement, but rather something he felt he needed to do. “It’s not because someone told me I was supposed to do it and not because I no longer want to do music anymore,” he said. “It’s because it’s what I feel I need to do next in my life. It’s the same feeling that I’ve always tried to follow in my life — the feeling that’s allowed me to have the opportunities I’ve had, the challenges and the blessings, too. And I’ve learned to trust that feeling and answer when it calls. That’s the reason why I know I have to do this in my life."

The mission will require Archuleta to adhere to a strict dress code and to wake up early to proselytize the faith of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. During the two-year period he will have limited contact with his family.

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