American Idol star to take a break, work as Mormon missionary

"American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta startled a Christmas concert crowd in Salt Lake City with the announcement that he’s putting his musical career on hold to become a Mormon missionary.

David Archuleta

The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints strongly encourages its youth to go on two-year mission stints before starting their families or careers.

The Season 7 runner-up comes from a devoutly Mormon family, but saw his singing career skyrocket early as a 16-year-old teenage heart-throb who received millions of phoned-in votes each week from fans.

Unlike Idol finalists Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, Archuleta has not become a star.

His latest album

In fact, he was recently dropped by his record label, Jive, following the disappointing performance of his latest album, 2010′s ‘The Other Side of Down.’

“I’ve chosen to serve a full-time mission,” the teary-eyed 20-year-old

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