Missionary Recommendations and Service

Young teaching missionaries are assigned to teach the gospel away from home. These assignments are made by Apostles through revelation. These missionaries serve under the direction of a mission president.

Single men ages 18–25 may serve as teaching missionaries. They usually serve for 24 months.

Single women ages 19–29 may serve as teaching missionaries. They usually serve for 18 months.

Young service missionaries are assigned to serve in the Church and the community while living at home. These assignments are made by Apostles through revelation. They are extended to candidates whose circumstances are best suited for a service mission (see 24.3.3).

These individuals have the same standards for preparation and worthiness as those who are assigned to a teaching mission. All young missionary candidates are recommended through the same process.

Service missionaries serve locally under the direction of a mission president, with the close support of service mission leaders. The stake president provides support in ecclesiastical matters (see 24.7.3).

With the help of their service mission leaders, each service missionary receives assignments that are tailored to his or her circumstances. Assignments are also based on service opportunities (see 24.7.1). These missionaries serve to the full extent of their capacity.

Single men ages 18–25 may serve as service missionaries. They usually serve for 24 months.

Single women ages 19–29 may serve as service missionaries. They usually serve for 18 months.

Service missions for young missionaries are not yet available in all areas of the world. For a list of areas where service missions are available, see ChurchofJesusChrist.org/service-missionary. That website also provides more information on service missions. Where service missions are not available, young members may serve in the same capacity as senior service missionaries (see 24.2.4).

Married members ages 40 and older may be called as senior missionaries as a couple if they do not have dependent children.

Single women ages 40 and older may also be called as senior missionaries if they do not have children living at home.

Single men ages 40 and older may not serve as senior missionaries. However, they may serve as senior service missionaries. (See 24.2.4.)

All senior missionaries are encouraged to find people to teach and help them prepare for baptism. Senior missionaries may also be assigned to support:

• Members and area and local leaders.

• Areas, Church departments, and Church facilities.

• Charitable organizations.

Senior missionaries usually serve away from home for 6–23 months. Those who serve outside their resident country usually serve for at least 18 months.

Senior missionaries are not asked to work the same hours, perform all the same activities, or meet the same expectations as young missionaries. Still, their service is demanding. For this reason, they should be healthy enough to serve. They should also meet financial qualifications (see 24.3.4.2).

Bishops, stake presidents, and other leaders prayerfully consider who could serve. Bishops or stake presidents may interview these members to determine their availability and invite them to prepare to serve.

Assignments for senior missionaries are given by revelation to Apostles. Leaders may recommend specific types of assignments for senior missionaries. However, leaders should not make commitments about the assignment they will receive. Candidates may express a preference for an assignment but should be willing to accept any assignment.

For more information, see SeniorMissionary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

In addition to callings in their home ward or stake, members may serve the Lord as senior service missionaries. These missionaries give valuable service in Church departments, facilities, and missions (see 24.7.1). They live at home.

Men and women ages 26 and older may be called as senior service missionaries.

In addition, young men ages 18–25 and young women ages 19–25 may serve in the same capacity as senior service missionaries if they live where service missions for young missionaries are not available. They may also serve if they are married or have already served as young teaching or service missionaries.

Senior service missionaries are called by the stake president. They serve under his direction. The amount of time they serve each week depends on their capacity, service opportunities in their area, and direction from the Area Presidency.

Senior service missionaries’ assignments are approved by the stake president. He counsels with the missionary and others and prayerfully seeks revelation about each assignment. He may review SeniorMissionary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org when determining assignments.

For more information about senior service missionaries, see 24.7.

The following table summarizes the types of missionary assignments.

Prospective missionaries strive to strengthen their conversion to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. They:

• Work to strengthen their faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

• Strengthen their testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (see Alma 5:45–47).

• Live the doctrine of Christ by “choosing to repent and work righteousness” (Alma 13:10; see also 2 Nephi 31:9–21).

• Pray, study the scriptures (especially the Book of Mormon) and teachings of the living prophets, and keep the commandments (see Alma 17:2–3).

• Participate in temple and family history work (see Doctrine and Covenants 109:22).

• Participate in seminary or institute (for youth and young adults).

Prospective missionaries strive to be worthy of the companionship of the Spirit. This is needed for effective missionary service (see Doctrine and Covenants 42:13–14). Qualifying for the companionship of the Spirit includes being clean from sin (see Helaman 4:24; Doctrine and Covenants 38:42).

Missionary work is challenging. Physical, mental, and emotional demands can be stressful. Missionaries often work in unfamiliar conditions. Health may be affected by a change in diet, climate, or living conditions. The missionary schedule is also demanding. (See Alma 17:5; 26:27–28, 30.)

Young teaching missionaries must be committed and physically, mentally, and emotionally able to work the full missionary schedule. (See Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ [2019], 2.4.)

Young service missionaries work a schedule customized to the full extent of their talents, skills, and capacities.

Prospective missionaries prepare to serve by strengthening their physical, mental, and emotional health. They also work to develop resiliency and self-reliance.

Leaders may need to counsel sensitively with a candidate about his or her health challenges before submitting a recommendation. Some candidates may need to receive professional care for their health challenges (see 31.3.6). A candidate who has been prescribed medication must commit to take it throughout his or her service as directed by a health care professional.

Financial sacrifice is part of missionary service (see Mark 1:17–18; Alma 15:16). Missionaries and their families have primary responsibility for contributing financially to missionary service. They should make appropriate preparation and sacrifice. They should be financially self-reliant to the extent possible in meeting contribution commitments.

Family members, bishops, and other leaders help youth prepare to serve a mission. Bishops invite each young man to become a missionary, as well as each young woman who desires to serve.

• Help them become effective member missionaries in sharing the gospel before they receive a call to serve.

• Provide opportunities for them to serve and teach.

• Arrange opportunities for them to accompany full-time missionaries.

• Invite currently serving missionaries or others who have served missions to share their experiences teaching and serving.

• Love and inspire each person to be prepared to serve a mission.

• Encourage them to devote additional time to prayer and study of the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon.

• Organize a missionary preparation course.

Family members and leaders encourage senior members to consider senior missionary service. This may include helping them:

• Review their physical and financial ability to serve a mission, either away from home or while living at home.

• Identify missionary opportunities they could fulfill.

• Become effective member missionaries in sharing the gospel before they receive a call to serve.

• Understand the blessing that missionary service will be to their family (see Doctrine and Covenants 31:5–6).

Family members and leaders encourage all missionary candidates to study:

• The Book of Mormon and other scriptures.

• Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Adjusting to Missionary Life.

Family members and leaders help all candidates commit to follow missionary standards. They encourage candidates to study the missionary standards handbook that pertains to their probable assignment:

• For young teaching missionaries: Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

• For young service missionaries: Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ—Service Missions

• For all missionaries: the sections “Use Technology Righteously” and “Follow the Safeguards for Using Technology” in chapter 2 of Preach My Gospel.

Missionary work is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. All candidates are required to have medical professionals assess their health readiness.

Health assessments are reviewed by the area office and the Missionary Department. Sometimes, health concerns could affect a person’s ability to serve away from home. In some situations, the recommendation may be returned with instructions on how the person can improve his or her health readiness.

The bishop and stake president conduct thorough, spiritually searching, and uplifting interviews with each candidate. They use the missionary recommendation interview questions. They discuss the candidate’s:

• Testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel (see 24.3.1).

• Meeting the standards of worthiness (see 24.3.2).

• Physical, mental, and emotional health readiness (see 24.3.3).

• Financial readiness (see 24.3.4).

The bishop and stake president also review information about standards of worthiness and health readiness in the Missionary Online Recommendation System. If a stake president in the United States or Canada has questions, he contacts the Missionary Department (see 24.9.3). Elsewhere, he contacts the area office. The bishop and stake president do not add any eligibility standards. Nor do they change the interview questions.

The information in the recommendation form contributes to the revelatory process of mission calls. Leaders ensure that all information requested is fully disclosed.

If the bishop and stake president have concerns about a candidate meeting the standards of worthiness or about his or her health readiness, they counsel together and with the person. With a young candidate’s permission, they may also counsel with his or her parents. The bishop and stake president do not submit a recommendation until the person has repented of serious sin (see 24.3.2.1). Depending on the person’s physical, mental, or emotional health, they may discuss the possibility of being assigned as a service missionary.

In urgent cases when the bishop or stake president is unavailable, he may authorize one of his counselors to conduct these interviews.

In districts, the mission president or an assigned counselor interviews and recommends missionary candidates. District presidents do not conduct these interviews.

The stake president may submit a recommendation for a young missionary candidate up to 150 days before his or her availability date. The stake president may submit a recommendation for a senior missionary candidate up to nine months before his or her availability date. The availability date must be when all of the following conditions are met:

• The person has reached the qualifying age for service.

• The person has been a confirmed Church member for at least one year.

• The person has completed or is no longer attending high school, secondary school, or the equivalent. (This applies only to young missionary candidates who will not be 19 years old by their availability date.)

Young missionary candidates and their stake president plan for when the stake president should submit the recommendation. They may use the Submission Planning Tool and the Mission Release Date Planning Tool for help.

Missionary recommendations are usually submitted through the home ward and stake. Bishops of away-from-home wards, such as a young single adult ward, may process a missionary recommendation. They must first confer with the bishop from the home ward. The home ward should be listed as the funding ward.

Sometimes a member who desires to serve and is recommended for missionary service may not be called as a teaching or service missionary. This may be due to health challenges, not meeting the standards of worthiness, legal issues, or other circumstances. The bishop and stake president express love and gratitude for the member’s willingness to serve. Leaders may address questions to the Missionary Department at 801-240-2179 or Missionary.Prefield@ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

The stake president and bishop encourage the member to press forward on the covenant path as a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ. They also encourage pursuing other important endeavors, such as education or employment for young members.

Newly called missionaries are encouraged to receive the temple endowment as soon as possible and to attend the temple as often as circumstances allow (see Doctrine and Covenants 43:15–16; 105:33). This applies to teaching missionaries and to service missionaries if appropriate for their circumstances. For information on receiving the endowment, see 27.2.

Newly called missionaries who are endowed may serve as temple ordinance workers before they begin missionary service as appropriate (see 25.5).

The bishopric invites newly called missionaries to speak in sacrament meeting before beginning their mission. This is a regular sacrament meeting. The focus should be on the sacrament and the Savior. The missionary should be invited to speak about Jesus Christ, His restored gospel, and the joy of sharing the gospel and serving others.

The missionary’s family members and friends are not normally invited to speak. The regular time of the meeting is not extended.

Members and leaders should avoid anything that may distract from the sacred nature of a mission call or create unnecessary expense. For example, they should not:

• Print special sacrament meeting programs.

• Form reception lines after sacrament meeting.

• Hold open houses, except for family gatherings. If a family gathering is held, it is recommended that it not conflict with Sunday meetings.

The home stake president sets apart each missionary as close as possible to his or her mission start date. In urgent cases when the stake president is unavailable, he may authorize one of his counselors to set apart missionaries. He may also delegate responsibility for setting apart senior service missionaries to a counselor.

The mission president or one of his counselors sets apart missionaries who are called from districts in his mission. The district president does not set apart missionaries.

A brother who will serve away from home must have received the Melchizedek Priesthood before being set apart as a missionary. A brother who will serve as a service missionary should hold the Melchizedek Priesthood if appropriate for his circumstances. For instructions on ordination to an office in the Melchizedek Priesthood, see 18.10.

Shortly before a missionary is set apart, the stake president or an assigned counselor interviews him or her. If the missionary no longer meets the standards of worthiness or if there are changes in health that could affect the missionary’s service, he or she is not set apart. The stake president contacts the Missionary Department (see 24.9.3) or the area office for guidance.

The setting apart should be a special experience. Family members and close friends may attend. The stake president helps them understand and feel the sacredness and importance of the call to serve as a representative of Jesus Christ and His restored Church.

The setting apart and accompanying blessing should not be recorded. However, the missionary is encouraged to write in his or her journal about the experience and to note parts of the blessing that were especially meaningful.

The stake president explains that the person should follow missionary standards after being set apart.

A missionary’s setting apart is for the call to serve, not for a specific missionary assignment. If a missionary’s assignment is changed, he or she is not set apart again. If a missionary is released and is later approved to return to service (see 24.6.3.2), he or she is set apart again as a missionary.

The Church pays for young teaching missionaries to travel to and from the missionary training center (MTC) and the mission assignment. The Church also pays these costs for senior missionaries who serve away from home for more than one year.

Immediate family members may bring a missionary to an MTC. However, they are not expected to do so. The MTC does not have a meeting for families to say farewell to their missionaries.

For airport security and other reasons, families and others are discouraged from meeting missionaries at airports when missionaries leave the MTC to their mission assignment.

For senior service missionaries, the bishop, stake president, and missionaries counsel together to identify local opportunities to serve.

For young service missionaries, the service mission leaders identify appropriate service opportunities. The missionary’s parents or guardians generally participate in the discussion.

Service may be provided in person or remotely using technology. Leaders may use the following resources to find information about service opportunities:

• Internet: ChurchofJesusChrist.org/service-missionary or SeniorMissionary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• Phone: 1-801-240-4914

• Email: support-servicemission@ChurchofJesusChrist.org

Service missionaries live in their own home or with another family member approved by the Missionary Department. They provide or arrange for their own transportation to their place of service if needed.

Young service missionaries should not spend the night or live in teaching missionaries’ housing.

Service missionaries are trained and supervised at the place where they serve. They also receive day-to-day supervision, help, and training about their duties from the service mission leaders (for young service missionaries) or the manager of their service assignment (for senior service missionaries).

The stake president is the ecclesiastical leader for senior and young service missionaries. He and the bishop conduct regular worthiness interviews with young service missionaries. They also conduct interviews for temple recommends, ordination to priesthood offices, and patriarchal blessings when applicable.

The mission president and his wife set the spiritual and behavioral expectations of the mission. They counsel regularly with the service mission leaders who oversee the missionary’s schedule, assignments, and overall health. Together they help the missionary understand and follow service missionary standards.

The mission president refers matters of personal worthiness to the missionary’s stake president.

Young service missionaries do not attend an MTC. They receive virtual training, along with training at their places of service.

For more about training and supervision, see Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ—Service Missions.

The bishop or stake president may give ward or stake callings to service missionaries if the callings do not interfere with the mission assignments or schedule. For young service missionaries, these leaders coordinate with the service mission leaders.

Young service missionaries are typically called to serve for 18 or 24 months. It is anticipated that each missionary will complete the time of service indicated in his or her assignment.

In some circumstances, after a missionary has received the call, the missionary, parents, and service mission leaders may counsel together to identify an alternative release date. The service mission leaders submit any proposed change to this date to the mission president. If he approves the change, the service mission leaders notify the missionary’s stake president of the new release date.

Sometimes a service missionary needs to end his or her mission early for health, worthiness, or other reasons. In these situations, the stake president notifies the mission president, the service mission leaders, and the area service mission specialists. The stake president then contacts the assigned in-field representative in the Missionary Department to have each early release reviewed and approved by an assigned General Authority.

For information about a service missionary potentially returning to service, see 24.6.3.2.

Service missions for young missionaries do not exceed 24 months for men. These missions do not exceed 18 months for women.

Senior service missionaries may extend their service to a date agreed on by the stake president, operations manager, and missionary.

The stake president releases teaching and service missionaries and conducts a release interview. One of his counselors may release senior service missionaries. In districts, generally the mission president or an assigned counselor releases missionaries. For exceptions, see 6.3.

The following guidelines for this interview may be helpful.

• Commend them for serving a mission.

• Invite them to share mission experiences.

• Encourage them to continue as a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ.

• Counsel them to build on good habits they developed as a missionary.

• Encourage them to follow the Spirit daily and live honorably.

• Encourage them to consider and prepare for the future, including education and employment for young missionaries. Help them set goals and make plans as needed. Review progress on My Plan with young missionaries.

• Avoid promising specific blessings as a reward for missionary service.

• Encourage them to always live worthy of a temple recommend.

Stake and district presidents invite recently released teaching and service missionaries to report on their service in a high council or district council meeting. Bishops may also invite recently released missionaries to report in a ward council meeting.

Where appropriate for distance or other circumstances, recently released missionaries may provide their reports using technology or only in a ward council meeting.

The bishopric schedules time for recently released teaching and service missionaries to speak in a sacrament meeting. The meeting is a normal sacrament meeting. The bishopric ensures that the principles in 24.5.2 are followed.

Recently released missionaries may speak in sacrament meetings in other wards as invited by a member of the stake or district presidency. They may also be invited by a member of the high council or district council.

Leaders promptly give ministering assignments and callings to recently released teaching and service missionaries. This includes being considered as temple ordinance workers as appropriate (see 25.5).

• Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

• Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

• Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ—Service Missions

• Adjusting to Missionary Life

• Adjusting to Service Missionary Life: Resource Booklet

• Missionary recommendation interview questions

• My Plan: A Guide for the Returned Missionary and Mentor

• ChurchofJesusChrist.org/callings/missionary

• ChurchofJesusChrist.org/service-missionary

• SeniorMissionary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• MissionaryRecommendations.ChurchofJesusChrist.org (available to local leaders and missionary candidates only)