The mission application form, or the “Checklist for Full-Time Missionary Recommendation,” is the official Church paperwork you will need to fill out when applying to go on a mission. (Note: you may want to read my earlier post on Mission Papers, which talks about the process of starting and submitting your paperwork from a high-level perspective, and a previous post on the Mission Application Timeline which talks about more details of the application process with particular emphasis on the timing of when to begin each step.)

You can get the “Checklist for Full-Time Missionary Recommendation” from your bishop or branch president. They will give you all the paperwork and help you through the application process. Whether you fill out the physical paperwork, or complete the application online, the form has eight major sections:

1. Missionary Recommendation
2. Priesthood Leaders’ Comments and Suggestions
3. Education and Service of Missionary Candidate
4. Unit Information for Missionary Candidate
5. Personal Health History of Missionary Candidate
6. Physician’s Health Evaluation
7. Dental Evaluation for Missionary Candidate
8. Personal Insurance Information of Missionary Candidate

1. Missionary Recommendation

The first section of the mission application form is called the Missionary Recommendation.  This is where you fill out your name, address, and other contact information. In this section you attach a photograph of yourself, dressed according to missionary dress standards. You will fill in your birth date, confirmation date, and any criminal record you might have.  This part of the application asks for your citizenship information, and residency documents, if applicable. You will need to provide the name, occupation, and contact information of your parents, or caregiver if you live with someone other than your parents.

2. Priesthood Leaders’ Comments and Suggestions

The priesthood leader section has two parts. First is the Bishop’s or Branch President’s Recommendation.  Once you have completed all your paperwork, your bishop will review it and give you a worthiness interview.  He will ask about your testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and make sure you are worthy, willing, and able to serve a mission.  Then he will write a few comments on your application on what he thinks of your leadership potential, interests, talents, or limitations that should be considered in determining the mission assignment. A similar interview and written assessment will then also be done by your stake president, or mission president if you live in an area where no stake is organized.

3. Education and Service of Missionary Candidate

On this part of the mission application form, you are asked your native language and other languages you speak or have studied.  You will then describe your education, including seminary and institute, work experience, and military service.  Here you also specify any extracurricular activities, special skills, accomplishments, previous Church callings, and other leadership experience. This is also the section where you will outline how you will be financing your mission. You will be asked to describe your source of funds, indicating how much money will be contributed from yourself, your family, your ward or branch, and other sources.  You are also given the opportunity in this section to explain any special circumstances that the Brethren should consider when making your mission call.

4. Unit Information for Missionary Candidate

Most of the information that needs to be filled out in this section will be provided by someone in your ward or branch such as the clerk.  This information includes: your membership record number, your home ward or branch unit number, the name of your bishop or branch president, and the name of your stake president.

5. Personal Health History of Missionary Candidate

This is a section that you will fill out yourself or with the help of your parents.  You are asked here to specify whether have currently, have had previously, or have never had about 50 different medical conditions, including: serious injuries, various diseases, allergies, seizures, asthma, diabetes, tattoos, skin conditions, severe headaches, insomnia, tumors, cancers, learning disabilities, emotional instability, been a victim of abuse, used illegal drugs, etc. You will need to answer all of the questions completely and honestly.

6. Physician’s Health Evaluation

This section of the mission application form will be filled out by your medical doctor.  The Doctor will note your height, weight, and blood pressure.  He or she will do a urinalysis and various tests: blood tests, a tuberculosis test, etc. The doctor will fill in your immunization dates (MMR, Polio, Hepatitis A and B), and give an overall missionary fitness report (the doctor’s assessment of your ability to serve) and note any physical or medical limitations.  This part of the form is concluded with the physician’s signature, name, address, and other contact information.

7. Dental Evaluation for Missionary Candidate

Every missionary candidate needs to have a complete oral examination and corresponding form sections filled out by your dentist. All dental treatment, including active orthodontic treatment (braces), must be completed before a prospective missionary begins to serve. (Wearing a retainer appliance is not considered active treatment.) Have your dental examination early, perhaps as early as 6 months before you plan to go on your mission, to allow plenty of time to complete all dental treatment or your application may be delayed. The dentist will need to certify that you will be free of dental problems during the next two years (assuming proper oral hygiene is practiced). For many missionaries this means having wisdom teeth removed before going on a mission.

8. Personal Insurance Information of Missionary Candidate

The final section of the mission application form is several pages of authorizations, releases of information, and medical privacy notices that you and your parents will need to sign.  Health insurance is not required, but if you have health insurance coverage, please do not cancel it.  You will need to provide information about your health care policy so the Church can properly process your medical expenses for events that may happen on your mission. If you become sick or injured during the mission, the Church will provide initial payment for medical expenses, but that is not intended to replace your personal insurance. Health care expenses paid by the Church on your mission are made from the general funds of the Church and are thus sacred in nature and should be treated as such.

Mission Paperwork Complete

Once the paperwork is complete, you will need to make an appointment with your bishop and stake president. You will hand over the forms for them to review and ultimately submit to Church headquarters in Salt Lake.

The LDS Church Seminary and Institute programs are great mission preparation services that all future missionaries should take advantage of. This is what our former prophet, President Spencer W. Kimball said about seminary and institute and how they aid in missionary preparation.

“Young men having planned for 19 years to fill a mission will be more fruitful, more effective, and more successful when they serve and more people will come into the Church and will create more enthusiasm and there will be a chain reaction….Can you imagine what would happen to the seminary and institute programs with so many wonderful young men who have been planning for missions from birth until seminary days? Seminary and institute buildings would be crowded with a new kind of maturity and seriousness that would give the Church a new image. The morality of the youth would greatly increase. They would be taught cleanliness and righteousness in a way that they have never been taught before…I wish every boy and girl could go to seminary, because that is where they learn many of the truths of the gospel. Seminary is where many of them get their ideals settled in their minds about what they are going to do, and they go on missions.” (President Kimball Speaks Out on Being a Missionary, New Era, May 1981, 46)

Testimonies of Seminary and Institute

The January 2009 Ensign article called Nourishing the Soul through Institute as has some great testimonies of mission preparation aided by seminary and institute.

José Araujo, said “Among the many blessings I have received by attending institute are improved family relationships and an increased interest in the scriptures. It has also increased my testimony. Before attending institute, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to serve a mission. Now I know that serving a mission is what I need to do.” (“Strengthening My Testimony,” Ensign, Jan. 2009, 54)

Malinda Morrison said, “My love for institute started back in seminary. I joined the Church at age 14, and I had a thirst for knowledge. I enjoyed learning about the gospel and loved the admirable friends and teachers I met along the way…Just as seminary enriched my life when I was a teenager, institute has enriched my life during my young adult years. I have treasured up the words of Christ in my heart and in my mind (see D&C 6:20; 84:85). These teachings helped me serve the Lord more effectively as a missionary. I am grateful for institute and know that it is an inspired program because I have seen its blessings in my life.” (“Showing Faith,” Ensign, Jan. 2009, 55–56)

Make Seminary and Institute a Priority

President Thomas S. Monson has said the following regarding institute, but I believe it applies to seminary as well:

“I ask you to make participation in institute a priority. Married students and other young adults are also welcome and encouraged to attend. Think of it. Friends will be made, the Spirit will be felt, and faith will be strengthened. I promise you that as you participate in institute and study the scriptures diligently, your power to avoid temptation and to receive direction of the Holy Ghost in all you do will be increased. Divine favor will attend those who humbly seek it. That is a promise which I leave with you.” (April 21, 2009).

And Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this prophetic promise: “Don’t neglect the opportunity of attending seminary and institute classes. Participate and gain all you can from the scriptures taught in these great religious-education settings. They will prepare you to present the message of the restored gospel to those you have opportunity to meet.” (“Raising the Bar,” Ensign, Nov. 2007, 48.)

How Do I Find an Institute Program Near Me?

Visit the Institutes of Religion site for information about any of the more than 500 institute locations worldwide. In many cases, you can register for classes online. If you don’t have Internet access, ask your bishop or branch president for a list of institute locations.

Videos
Here are a couple of videos I found on the LDS Institute program and the blessings, promised by a prophet, if we attend.

Last week we sent my youngest brother Michael to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah, who is on his way to Warsaw, Poland for his mission.  In the days before entering the MTC, in talking with Michael, I realized he didn’t know what to expect once he arrived at the MTC.  So I thought some information about what to expect at the MTC would make a good blog post.  My MTC experience, which I will tell you about below, was nearly 15 years ago, so I thought I would turn first to a New Era magazine article called The MTC Experience.

The MTC is where missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints go to get doctrinal and language training at the beginning of their missionary service.  There are 17 MTCs located in nations throughout the world including Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, and the flagship MTC is located in Provo, Utah, USA, adjacent to the campus of Brigham Young University. Missionaries not learning a language usually spend 3 weeks in the MTC, while those learning a foreign language will generally spend 9 to 12 weeks at the MTC. The MTC is a crucial part of getting missionaries prepared to serve, but it was not always so.

History of the MTC

In the early 1900s, new missionaries would report to the Mission Home in Salt Lake City, a small building adjacent to Temple Square.  Missionaries would stay there just a day or two before leaving to their assigned areas.  During the early 1900s, the typical English-speaking missionary would arrive on a Saturday and leave the following Wednesday.  Those foreign serving missionaries frequently had to wait longer for visas and would often serve temporarily as tour guides on Temple Square or do clerical tasks at the LDS Church headquarters.

In November 1961, missionaries started heading a few miles south, to Brigham Young University, at the beginning of their mission for some language training.  Soon, a new LDS mission, the Language Training Mission (LTM), was created, with the geographic extent of the mission to be the perimeter of the buildings in Provo, Utah. These buildings included dormitories as well as classrooms for the missionaries.

As the Church and the number of missionaries continued to grow in the 1970s, the church acquired some nearby land near the BYU Provo campus, built dormitories, a gymnasium, and other buildings. The name of the LTM was changed to the Missionary Training Center in 1978, to note that it was for more than just language training.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, other MTCs popped up in other parts of the world.  In 1998, all North American missionaries called to Brazil were sent to the Brazil MTC in São Paulo for the second month of their training.  Although the integrated MTC program was originally thought of as a solution to overcrowding at the MTC in Provo, it has also proven successful in better training missionaries and revolutionized the MTC experience. Now, I believe, many Americans called to serve abroad are instructed to report directly to the MTC in that country.

Life at the MTC

Life inside the MTC is definitely different than life outside, but it is great. There’s so much to learn in just a few weeks at the MTC:

• Gospel doctrines
• How to develop Christ-like attributes
• How to teach by the Spirit
• Communication skills
• A foreign language (for some)
• The mission rules

You will be assigned a companion, put in a district with three or four other companionships.  Your companion and district will be with you throughout your training and you will become great friends.  Every day you will go to classes, on the gospel of Jesus Christ and on your language, with your district, and several times a week you will be able to go together to play sports in the gymnasium.  Once a week you’ll go to the temple, Sundays will be filled with Church meetings, and once a week you have a devotional by a General Authority. You’ll have weekly service opportunities on the MTC campus (‘celestial service,’ as they called it, cleaning toilets, mopping floors, etc.).

If you’ll recall my previous post, Work Hard, Obey, and Love Others, it was at the MTC that a teacher of mine made that challenge that affected my whole mission.

MTC Services

In a lot of ways, the MTC is a virtual city with all the services you will need as a missionary.  Here’s a run down:

• Cafeteria—Three meals a day are served. When missionaries have a scheduling conflict, they can pack a sack lunch instead of eating in the cafeteria.
• Laundry—Washers and dryers are available. Missionaries must purchase their own detergent from vending machines or the bookstore.
• Bookstore—The bookstore is stocked with learning materials, book bags, plus everyday items such as toiletries, white shirts, or treats.
• Dry cleaning—Rates are reasonable. There is a trend for missionaries to gain weight while at the MTC, so suit alterations are also available for a fee.
• Barbershop—Elders are entitled to one or two haircuts depending on their length of stay at the MTC. Sister missionaries are not offered haircuts, although a beautician is available for paid appointments.
• Copy center—Services such as copying, laminating, or binding are available here.
• Sheets and pillowcases—All bed linens are provided. Exchange for clean linen can be made weekly.
• Mail—Letters are delivered to mailboxes, and packages can be picked up at an adjoining window. The MTC will not accept hand deliveries, so you must send packages through the post office or private carriers.
• Banking services—The office has capabilities to cash checks and sell travelers’ checks.
• Medical services—The health center is adjacent to the MTC. Immunizations are available. Health needs can be treated. Also, doctors are on call for emergencies.

BYU hosts a Web site for the Provo Utah MTC. Visit the site for an MTC Virtual Tour and, to get answers to additions questions, see their MTC FAQs page.

My MTC Experience

I entered the Provo, Utah MTC in October 1995 on my way to serving in Rosario, Argentina.  I was in one of the first trial programs of Technology Aided Language Learning (TALL), which I now believe is part of all missionaries’ curriculum.  I loved the MTC from the very beginning; everyone was so nice and the spiritual growth I experienced was phenomenal.

I was in the MTC just after I completed my first year of college at BYU and all the facilities (beds, laundry, cafeteria) was just like in the BYU dorms.  I was amazed at how they just threw us into Spanish, teaching us to pray and contact people in Spanish on our very first full day at the MTC.  A the MTC, in a lot of ways, I felt I had a stress-free life.  I had no worries about what was going on in the outside world, I just studied Spanish and the gospel and felt the Spirit all day, every day.

Other missionaries I knew, though, had a harder time.  Many missionaries have a hard time learning the language and many have a hard time being spiritual.  If you have largely ignored spiritual things throughout your life, then  going to the MTC can be a difficult transition.  All the more reason to spiritually prepare before your mission.

I had one very spiritual, faith-promoting experience after I had been in the MTC for about a month.  We had a lesson on faith and as I sat there listening, my mind and soul seemed to open up and receive knowledge from heaven.  After the class, one of the other missionaries asked me what I had learned about faith, and as I tried to convey through words what I had felt the Spirit of the Lord poured over me like never before.  The other missionaries and I worth both greatly edified by this experience.

The more I learned about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the more I realized how much I didn’t know.  The more I studied the scriptures, the more I wanted to immerse myself in them and learn all that I could.  An hour a day of personal scripture study suddenly didn’t seem like nearly enough.

I came away from the MTC with more gratitude in my heart, more meekness and penitence, a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon, understanding of the importance of obedience to the commandments and to the mission rules, deeper gospel knowledge, a stronger testimony of the Church and of the atonement of Jesus Christ, greater sensitivity to the Spirit, greater trust in the Lord, and joy and happiness that worldly things cannot bring.

At the conclusion of my MTC experience, I wrote in my journal, I knew I had had a life altering experience, even if I never set foot in the mission field.  While that is certainly true, oh how little I realized how much I would learn and grow once I got into the mission field.

I’d like to address a question I have gotten from time to time regarding law of chastity violations and the ability to later go on a mission.  Many young people who have had issues with sexual morality want to repent and go on a mission, but frequently they don’t know if their prior actions will prohibit them from ever serving.

While it is far better to never engage in these transgressions, let me reassure you that they can repented of, and generally these young people can eventually go on a mission.  Law of chastity issues are very serious in the sight of the Lord, though, and if serious enough, or if not fully repented of, may disqualify you from going on a mission. 

What is the law of chastity?

The law of chastity is the Lord’s commandment that we keep ourselves sexually pure.  For young people preparing for a mission, sexual purity means refraining from sexual relations and other sexual perversions such as homosexual activity, masturbation, viewing pornography, and heavy petting (inappropriate touching). Here is a concise definition of chastity from the LDS.org Gospel Topics section:

Chastity is sexual purity. Those who are chaste are morally clean in their thoughts, words, and actions. Chastity means not having any sexual relations before marriage.

…In the world today, Satan has led many people to believe that sexual intimacy outside of marriage is acceptable. But in God’s sight, it is a serious sin. It is an abuse of the power He has given us to create life. The prophet Alma taught that sexual sins are more serious than any other sins except murder and denying the Holy Ghost (see Alma 39:3–5).

Sometimes people try to convince themselves that sexual relations outside of marriage are acceptable if the participants love one another. This is not true. Breaking the law of chastity and encouraging someone else to do so is not an expression of love. People who love each other will never endanger one another’s happiness and safety in exchange for temporary personal pleasure.

Our Heavenly Father has given us the law of chastity for our protection…Those who keep themselves sexually pure will avoid the spiritual and emotional damage that always comes from sharing physical intimacies with someone outside of marriage.

Priesthood leaders determine worthiness

As much as I want to and try to help young people who email me with law of chastity concerns, these issues must be worked through with priesthood leaders before a potential missionary can be declared worthy to serve.  Elder M. Russell Ballard, in a talk called The Greatest Generation of Missionaries (Ensign, November 2002) said, “as divinely appointed judges in Israel, the bishop and the stake president determine worthiness and resolve concerns on behalf of the Church.”  So if you are struggling with sexual sin, please, talk to your parents and make an appointment to go see your bishop or branch president.  They will love and support and help you through.

In that same talk, Elder Ballard went on to say, “Please understand this: the bar that is the standard for missionary service is being raised. The day of the ‘repent and go’ missionary is over. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you, my young brothers? Some young men have the mistaken idea that they can be involved in sinful behavior and then repent when they’re 18 1/2 so they can go on their mission at 19. While it is true that you can repent of sins, you may or you may not qualify to serve. It is far better to keep yourselves clean and pure and valiant.”

Raising the bar

Our former prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, also spoke of the need to raise the worthiness standards for missionaries. In fact, he commented on Elder Ballard’s talk saying, “Elder Ballard has spoken to you concerning missionaries. I wish to endorse what he said. I hope that our young men, and our young women, will rise to the challenge he has set forth. We must raise the bar on the worthiness and qualifications of those who go into the world as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ” (“To Men of the Priesthood,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2002, 57).

President Hinckley further said, “the time has come when we must raise the standards of those who are called … as ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. … We simply cannot permit those who have not qualified themselves as to worthiness to go into the world to speak the glad tidings of the gospel.” (“Missionary Service,” Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, Jan. 11, 2003, 17).

Elder L. Tom Perry has also spoken on missionary worthiness, comparing these standards with those needed to enter the house of the Lord, the Holy Temple.  Said he, “Personal worthiness is the minimum spiritual standard for serving a mission. This means that you are worthy in every way to make and to keep sacred temple covenants.” (From Raising the Bar, Ensign, November 2007)

Worthiness interview

As I mentioned above, and as I talked about in my other posts on the Mission Application Timeline and the application process for Mission Papers, only a bishop (or branch president) can interview missionary candidates and recommend them as worthy to serve a full-time mission. In this interview, your priesthood leader will ask you if you meet the qualifications for missionary service revealed in section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants: faith, hope, charity, love, an eye single to the glory of God, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, and diligence.

Full-time missionary service is a privilege, not a right, and therefore, potential missionaries must be worthy in every respect in order to receive that privilege. If you have had law of chastity violations, your bishop and stake president (or branch president and district or mission president) will need to confirm that your repentance is complete prior to submitting your application.  They will make sure that you are prepared spiritually for your mission call and that you have been free of transgression for a sufficient time to manifest genuine repentance. If you have had multiple or serious violations of the law of chastity, this time period will likely be at least one year from the most recent occurrence.

Repentance

If you have had problems with the law of chastity, to prepare for a mission you will need to become worthy, and you will need to go through the repentance process. Complete repentance of law of chastity violations is necessary before a potential missionary can submit the paperwork. As many young people are a little afraid or unsure how to begin the repentance process, let’s review the steps.  

• Faith in God. Repentance is an act of faith in Jesus Christ, and acknowledges the power of His Atonement. We can be forgiven only on His terms, and as we recognize the power of His Atonement to cleanse us from sin, we “exercise [our] faith unto repentance” (Alma 34:17).
• Sorrow for Sin. Sincere repentance means acknowledging that we have sinned against God’s commandments. This admission will lead to “godly sorrow,” which “worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Godly sorrow leads to a sincere desire to change and a willingness to submit to the requirement for forgiveness. 
• Confession. “Whoso confesseth and forsaketh [sin] shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). Repentance means going before God in humble prayer, acknowledging our sins, and pleading for His help. Serious transgressions, such as violations of the law of chastity, also need to be confessed to the Lord’s priesthood representatives who are your local bishop or branch president. While only the Lord can forgive sins, these leaders play a divine role and will help you through the repentance process.
• Abandonment of Sin. The Lord has said, “By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:43). True repentance means resolving that we will forsake our sins or in other words that we will never repeat the transgression.
• Restitution. Another part of repentance is restoring, as far as possible, all that has been damaged by the sinful actions.  Whether that is fixing someone’s property or someone’s reputation, restitution shows the Lord that we are doing all we can to repent.
• Righteous Living. Repentance is not complete until we fill our lives with good choices and endure to the end in righteousness. We must engage in activities that bring spiritual power like reading the scriptures and praying daily for the Lord to give us strength beyond our own.

My young brothers and sisters, the Lord loves you.  If you have fallen into sexual transgression, He has provided a way back. The road of repentance is available thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Lord, your family, and Church leaders will help you repent and fully prepare for your mission.

For those of you striving and succeeding at keeping yourself clean and pure in spite of this increasingly sex-obsessed world in which we live, I applaud your faith and courage. If you always obey the law of chastity, you will be spared the hardships that inevitably come when we violate God’s commandments.  You will keep yourself worthy to become one of the Lord’s chosen representatives, and you will have immense joy and eternal blessings for the missionary work you will perform.

Today I want to talk in more detail about the mission application timeline, the steps involved in the mission call process, when to begin, and how long to expect the steps to take.

A couple of months ago, I blogged about mission papers and the process for applying to go on a mission. That post dealt with the process from a high-level, perhaps too high of a level, because I still get a lot of questions on precisely when to initiate the steps in the application process. Below I will attempt to answer some of these common questions; let’s hope I succeed.

Availability Date

As you can see in the chart above, the timing for when to start the application process depends on your availability date. So your first step will be to determine the date you are available to start serving a full-time mission.  Your availability date is generally the day your turn 19 if you’re a young man, or the day you turn 21 if you are a young woman.  Your availability date should not be prior to this birthday, but could be later depending on circumstances such as schooling, etc.

Four Months Prior: Start Application Process

Four months prior to the date you are available to start serving, you can begin the application process. Starting your mission papers is done by first setting up a meeting with your bishop.  He will go over the spiritual and physical requirements to serve a mission.  He will tell you about the application process and he will either give you the paper work or give you directions to log in to the mission papers website (the Missionary Online Recommendation System).

Three Months Prior: Submit Paper Work

The process of doctor and dentist visits, filling out the application, getting your photo, meeting with your bishop and stake president, etc. generally takes at least a month.  The last step of the paper work, meeting with the stake president, should take place around three months before you would like to begin your mission.  The stake president, who ultimately submits your mission application to Church Headquarters, is actually not even allowed to send in the paper work more than three months prior to your availability date.

Two Months Prior: Receive Mission Call Letter

After the application is submitted, depending on several factors, you should get your call letter in about 2 to 4 weeks.  That letter will have your mission assignment and the date you should report to the MTC.  The Church normally tries to allow two to four months between the issuing of the call and the beginning of the mission.  In the packet you receive from Church Headquarters will also be additional instructions and information from your mission president specific to your mission.

One Month Prior: Go To The Temple

LDS Temples Integral Part of Missionary Work and missionaries generally go to the holy temple to receive their endowment just prior to leaving on their mission.  Through the temple endowment, missionaries receive knowledge, power, and protection from on high to do their work.  The Church also has a seven-lesson temple preparation course that future missionaries ought to take.  Talk to your bishop about arrangements for this class; you’ll probably want to start taking this course around the same time you start your missionary application.

Conclusion

So that’s it.  Here’s a recap of the steps and mission application timeline.  Please note that the time periods are approximate.

• First, determine your availability date.
• 4 months prior: Start the application process by meeting with your bishop.
• 3 months prior: Submit the paper work (generally done by the stake after your interview with the stake president).
• 2 months prior: Receive your mission call letter and further preparation instructions specific to your mission.
• 1 month prior: Go to temple to receive your endowment.

Then it’s off to the MTC and your mission.  Good luck and may God bless and be with you.

The blessings of missionary work are infinite and eternal, though there are costs and sacrifices that must be made.  As you saw in my last post, LDS Mission Cost, one of those sacrifices is the need for young men to save almost $10,000 to pay for their mission.  And I do believe that, as much as possible, young men should pay for their own mission, because even greater blessing flow that way.

Paying for a Mission

This is what President Spencer W. Kimball said on the subject:

“Remember it costs money to go to the various parts of the world and preach the gospel. Remember, then, it is your privilege now to begin to save your money. Every time money comes into your hands, through gifts or earnings, set at least part of it away in a savings account to be used for your mission.”

A young man’s mission preparation consists of “preparing to finance his mission so it may be his own contribution, so far as possible. How wonderful it would be if each future missionary could have saved for his mission from birth. How wonderful it would be if every boy could totally or largely finance his own mission and thereby receive most of the blessings coming from his missionary labors.”

“Of course, if the boy is a convert in his teens, his years of saving are limited. If he lives in a country where the economic standards are low and opportunities are severely limited, he can still be governed by this policy so far as possible and do the best he can.”

President Kimball Speaks Out on Being a Missionary, New Era, May 1981

Tips on Saving Money for a Mission

• Start early.  When my son was four years old I got him a piggy bank to start saving for his mission.  Starting early will help you develop better money saving habits, and it will also help you let interest work in your favor.
• Find ways to earn money.  Ask your parents, friends and neighbors if they have chores you could do to earn money for your missionary fund. 
• Budget! Make a budget, or plan, for how much of the money you earn will be saved for your mission.  Allow your self some money to spend on fun things too, but you’ll probably want to save at least 50% of each pay check for your missionary fund.  And don’t forget 10% for tithing.  
• Open a saving account.  When you get old enough and want to graduate from the piggy bank system, opening a savings account will be a safe way to store your money and it will also allow you to earn interest on the money you have saved.
• Get a part-time job.  When you get old enough, ask your parents about getting a part-time job.   I got my first job working at McDonald’s when I was 16 years old.  This was a great way for me to add to my missionary fund.  If your parents don’t want you to work during the school year, see about getting a summer job. 
• Talk to your parents.  For many of these options, you will need your parents’ help, so be sure to work with them to develop a plan for how your mission will be paid for.  Even if your parents can afford to pay for your mission, as President Kimball said, it is a good idea for young men and women to pay for some or all of their own mission.

Saving for Missions: Examples

The following are four examples of how young men are saving money for their missions.  They come from Mission Made Possible, a New Era article in June 2004.

Adam Sessions, age 12, Morgan Park Ward, Chicago Illinois Stake.  Adam’s plan is  simple: “For every five dollars I get, I give two to my mission fund,” he says. He also always makes sure to pay his tithing.  Starting at 12 might seem early, but Adam’s really excited that he has seven years to save for his mission. He’s not old enough to have a part-time job, but he does jobs for people in his neighborhood, such as emptying recycling bins, and shoveling snow from side walks.  Along with his financial preparation, Adam has also set a goal to finish reading the Book of Mormon by the time he’s 13. He reads every day. 

Nathan Neeley, age 15, Westchester First Ward, Chicago Illinois Stake.  Nathan started saving when he was 10.  He began by delivering papers, shoveling snow, and mowing lawns. Now that he’s 15, he babysits for some of the families in his ward. After paying tithing, he puts away 10 percent of each paycheck for his mission.  He’s had the desire to serve since Primary when he sang “I Hope They Call Me on a Mission.”  “And when my brother went,” he says, “that made me want to go even more. It made a big difference for me. He set the example. He really changed his attitude toward life because of his mission.”

David Montoya, age 17, Orland Park Ward, Chicago Illinois Stake.  David’s paycheck disappears into his mission fund so fast you’d think it was one of the coins he can make appear or disappear at will. A master of the sleight of hand, David turned his magic hobby into mission dollars when he started working at a magic store and later performing as “Magician Monte” at local restaurants and birthday parties on weekends. Now that he’s attending a local community college, he has a job as a bank teller and only does his magic show on the side.

“Your mission starts way before your mission,” David says, as he looks sage-like over the top of his glasses. He’s been preparing since he was 12, when he decided he wanted to go on a mission. Sacrifice and discipline are what David credits with his successful mission-savings plan. He started putting away half his paycheck when he was 14. At 17, he almost has all his mission money saved.

Anthony Haga, age 19, Rock Island Ward, Davenport Iowa Stake.  Anthony’s first job was as a bagger at a grocery store on an air base. He saved 25 percent of his money for his mission fund at first. He later got a job at a car wash through a friend in his seminary class. He’s been working there ever since and has been saving half his earnings for his mission. A few months ago, however, Anthony realized he wouldn’t meet his goal if he maintained this saving pattern. He would have to step it up. So he cut his other expenses and started putting away much more money. And he counts it as a blessing of paying tithing that he also got a raise at work. He’s going to make it.

And it’s a good thing too, because he just got his mission call to Boise, Idaho. Because he’s been through saving for his mission, Anthony has some advice: “Be prepared to work for your money, but I can testify that when you work to earn as much as you can, then the Lord will take care of the rest.”

Many of my readers have wondered: how much does an LDS mission cost?  The current LDS mission monthly cost for young men and women in the United States is $400 a month. That comes out to a total of $7,200 for 18-month long missions for sisters, and $9,600 for young men who serve two-year missions.

Mission Costs Vary for Some People and Places

I specify that the figure above is for young men and women in the US, because mission costs vary for senior couples and for young people outside the US.  To find out the current cost of an LDS mission outside the United States, please see your bishop or other Church leader in the country.  For senior missionaries in the United States, the average cost of a mission for couples who do not live at home is approximately $1,500 per month. Mission costs for senior missionaries range from $800–$4,000 per month (which includes expenses for housing, utilities, food, and transportation), but about 80% of all missions cost less than $1,800 per month.

Missionaries Pay Their Own Expenses

Missionaries are expected to pay their own expenses while on the mission.  When my parents were young, each missionary paid his or her own actual living expenses.  So a mission to Japan, for example, could have been much more expensive than a mission to Argentina.  In 1990, though, a new program was introduced to equalize the financial responsibility for each missionary. Now, all young missionaries pay a flat monthly rate into the Church missionary fund.  Each missionary, then, is allocated what he or she needs for the expenses in that mission.  This approach has reduced the burden on the missionary, and his or her family, who may have been assigned to work in a more expensive area of the world.

Expenses Covered

The monthly allowance missionaries are given is designed to cover food, lodging, transportation, and other mission related expenses. Missionaries are asked to bring extra personal money for additional items they would like to purchase such as souvenirs. Church members around the world are asked to invite their local missionaries to meals to help reduce the overall cost of the missionary program.

Start Saving Early

Young people in the church are encouraged to save money throughout their childhood and teenage years to pay for as much of their mission as they can.  Parents, family, and friends may also contribute financially to pay for a missionary’s expenses.  Missionaries who cannot save the required funds may also obtain assistance from their home ward or stake, though personal and family sources of funds should be exhausted first.

Supplemental Financial Assistance

For many countries outside the US, if authorized, there is supplemental financial support available from the Church.  If the missionary candidate cannot be supported fully from personal, family, ward or branch, or stake or district funds, then a request can be made for this financial assistance. Missionaries are asked not to request this special assistance until they, their family, and ward or branch and stake or district have committed themselves to provide all the financial support they can.

Source of Funds Section of Mission Papers

When filling out mission papers, missionary candidates are asked to indicate the source of the funds that will pay for their mission.  They are asked how much money will be contributed per month in support of the mission from: Self, Family, Ward or Branch, and other sources.  So be prepared to answer that question. 

Do all that you can to save for your mission.  Start saving at an early age so that you can serve a faithful mission for the Lord and not be a financial burden on your family.  The Lord will bless you many times over for the sacrifice of time and money you make to go on a mission.

 I was sad to hear that Truman Madsen passed away last week at 82 years of age and after a long battle with cancer.  Many of you young future missionaries may not even know who Truman Madsen was, so let me tell you a little about him and about the influence he has had on me.

I first learned of Truman Madsen when I was a freshman at BYU and he gave a devotional address.  I had a professor urge us to go listen to the talk, calling him “a general authority without authority.”  I quickly learned that though not a General Authority of the Church, he certainly was an authority on many gospel and Church history topics. 

Truman G. Madsen was a grandson to the seventh president of the Church, Heber J. Grant.  He was a Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University, and former Director of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Jerusalem.  He wrote numerous books and released countless recorded talks, and he was one of the editors of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.

Some of my favorite lectures by Truman Madsen are:

• Joseph Smith the Prophet.  Eight Lectures by Truman G. Madsen
• Timeless Questions Gospel Insights, Recorded Lectures by Truman G. Madsen
• Jesus of Nazareth, Four volumes on the life and mission of our Savior
• The Presidents of the Church: Insights into Their Lives and Teachings

When I returned from my mission and began again my studies at BYU, I was lucky enough to have Truman G. Madsen as my stake president.  A couple of his teachings that I remember from that time was once, in stake conference, he was giving a talk about moving forward with faith.  He said, to paraphrase, “some day, when you die and are in Heaven, you will realize that you accidentally married the right person.” 

Though smarter than just about anyone else, Truman Madsen was also humble.  I once met him when he was my stake president and I had requested a meeting to talk about a personal issue.  When I told him the situation, he said he felt unqualified to help, but one of his counselors in the stake presidencies had particular training and skill in that area and he suggested I talk to him instead.  

Truman G. Madsen’s love of the gospel and love of learning were contagious and had a profound impact on my life.  He will certainly be missed by me, by the LDS community, and by any who knew him.  A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 2, at noon, at the Provo Utah Tabernacle. Here are some additional news articles about him from the last couple of days:

• LDSLiving: Truman G. Madsen Passes Away
• Mormon Times posted a video: Truman Madsen – his life and thought
• Desert News: Passing of Truman G. Madsen a great loss
• Truman G. Madsen’s Biography
• And the following video was posted by BYU’s Daily News