Interview Questions

If you choose to serve a mission, you and your Church leaders will want this sacred time of service to be joyful and inspiring. With that goal in mind, it’s important for you to be prepared, worthy, and able to serve.

To help you prepare, here are the questions that your bishop or branch president will ask you to determine your readiness. You can discuss these anytime with him and with your parents or Church leaders.

Worthiness and Testimony

1. Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost?

Testimony: “Experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words” (Alma 32:27).

2. Do you have a testimony that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God and the Savior and Redeemer of the world? Please share your testimony with me. How has the Atonement of Jesus Christ influenced your life?

3. What does it mean to you to repent? Do you feel that you have fully repented of past transgressions?

Repentance:

“By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:42–43).

4. Will you share your testimony with me that the gospel and Church of Jesus Christ have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God?

5. Do you have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon?

6. Full-time missionary service requires living gospel standards. What do you understand about the following standards?

a. The law of chastity

In reference to the law of chastity, have you always lived in accordance with what has been discussed? If not, how long ago did the transgression(s) occur? What have you done to repent?

Law of chastity: “Chastity is sexual purity, a condition that is ‘pleasing unto God’ (Jacob 2:7). To be chaste, you must be morally clean in your thoughts, words, and actions. You must not have any sexual relations before you are legally married” (True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference [2004], 29).

b. Avoiding pornography

Avoiding pornography: President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency has explained that exposure to pornography runs on a spectrum from inadvertent exposure to compulsive use, or addiction. Knowing one’s level of involvement helps one find the appropriate solution. Learn more in “Recovering from the Trap of Pornography,” New Era, Oct. 2015, 2–7; and overcomingpornography.org.

c. The law of tithing

d. The Word of Wisdom, including the use of drugs or the abuse of prescribed medications

e. Keeping the Sabbath day holy

f. Being honest in all you say and do

Have you lived in accordance with all of these standards? Are you now living in accordance with them? Will you live in accordance with them as a full-time missionary?

Capacity and Eligibility

7. Do you have any legal actions pending against you?

8. Have you ever committed a serious violation of criminal law, regardless of whether or not you were arrested, you were convicted, or the record was expunged?

9. Have you ever sexually abused a child in any way, regardless of whether or not you were charged, you were convicted, or the record was expunged?

10. Have you ever committed any other serious transgression or misdeed that should be resolved before your mission?

11. Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

12. Do you have any unpaid debts? How will these debts be paid off before your mission or managed while you serve a mission?

13. Do you currently have or have you ever had any physical, mental, or emotional condition that would make it difficult for you to maintain a normal missionary schedule, which requires that you work for 12–15 hours a day, including studying for 2–4 hours a day, walking or biking for up to 8–10 hours a day, and so forth?

Many worthiness and health conditions that would hinder you from serving a successful mission can be overcome. Seek the help you need. If you still have ongoing health concerns at the time you are ready to serve, let your bishop or branch president know. This will allow the Church to consider your situation before assigning you to a mission. For example, see Sister Fletcher’s story following these questions.

14. Have you ever been diagnosed with or received treatment for dyslexia or other reading disorder? If so, are you comfortable reading the scriptures and other documents aloud? Do you believe that you could memorize appropriate scriptures and other information with the assistance of your companion? In what ways do you now compensate for this disorder?

15. Have you ever been diagnosed with or received treatment for a speech disorder? If so, are you comfortable speaking in front of others? Do you feel that you have adequate tools to help you learn, teach, and communicate?

16. Have you ever been on medication or otherwise treated for any of the following conditions: attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or autism spectrum disorder (including Asperger’s)? If yes, please explain.

17. If you were being treated for one of these conditions and discontinued treatment, did you do so under a doctor’s supervision? If not, why did you stop? How well have you been functioning without treatment or medication? When was the last time you were on medication for these issues?

Find videos and other resources on mission preparation at lds.org/go/81850.