The ministry of the Savior exemplifies the two great commandments: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). When we serve our neighbors, we demonstrate our love to Heavenly Father: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God” (Mosiah 2:17).
Welcome to Service Missions
Service Missions Family Orientation | Elder W. Mark Bassett
A Service Missionary Handbook is given to every service missionary who is called. The handbook gives counsel and guidance about topics such as commitment to serving the Lord, personal conduct, and daily schedule. Before beginning the service mission, missionaries should carefully review the handbook with their parents and stake president.
Adjusting to Service Missionary Life
A service mission can be both joyous and stressful. Hard work and service are proven tools in managing worry, despair, and weariness. They are essential for anyone engaged in the Lord’s work, both during and after missionary service. But hard work and service alone are not your only tools. Other resources are professional help, priesthood blessings, counsel from experienced adults, and Adjusting to Service Missionary Life: Resource Booklet. The Lord will help you develop skills and attitudes to help you succeed as you serve and minister to others.
Common Questions
Parents help identify the prospective service missionary’s interests, abilities, and talents. They give priesthood leaders and service mission leaders insight into ways the service missionary can serve effectively. Parents also provide input in determining which service opportunities would be the best match for the missionary. They commit to provide the support needed during the mission, such as following up on each day’s activities, providing transportation as needed, covering medical and auto expenses as needed, and offering loving support.
Young men and young women who have a desire to serve a mission and are worthy to do so fill out an online recommendation that is processed by the stake president. Based on the information given in the application, including the evaluation of the bishop, the stake president, and medical professionals, a service missionary assignment may be made. The Quorum of the Twelve and General Authority Seventies oversee the mission recommendation process, and a missionary call is issued from the Lord through His prophet.
No. All applicants are considered first for teaching missions. Young men and women whose circumstances are best suited for a service mission will be called as service missionaries. If an applicant is called as a service missionary, the call is from the prophet, and the service is tailored to the applicant’s unique talents, skills, and gifts and to the local environment.
Young men and young women whose circumstances are best suited for a service mission are called to be service missionaries. This assessment is made either during the missionary recommendation process or after an individual serves a portion of a teaching mission and returns home before the expected completion date. A service missionary is called by the Lord through His prophet to serve in an environment uniquely tailored to his or her talents, skills, and gifts.
After a young man or young woman has been called to serve as a service missionary, a customized mission matching the missionary’s talents, skills, and gifts is created by the stake president with the help of the missionary, his or her parents, and the service mission leaders. Assignments may be adjusted during the mission.
Service missionaries serve at approved community charitable organizations (such as food banks, refugee services, shelters), Church operations (such as storehouses, canneries, temples, seminaries and institutes), or in assignments from their local Church leaders.
Service missionaries live at home and serve locally. In some rare cases, service missionaries may receive permission to serve away from home while living with relatives. In no circumstance do service missionaries live alone.
Service missionaries always wear the service missionary name badge at their service assignment, during service mission meetings, and at Sunday Church meetings. They do not wear the name badge at other times.
No. Dating is not permitted for service missionaries during their missions. Service missionaries can participate in ward, stake, and young single adult activities.
Service missionaries and their families are responsible for the expenses related to their missionary service. These expenses include but are not limited to transportation, food, clothing, medical, dental, and auto insurance. Service missionaries are responsible for transportation to and from their service locations. Service missionaries receive no financial support from the General Missionary Fund.
Although service missionaries do not have companions like teaching missionaries do, their safety and well-being are top priorities. The stake president and parents ensure that there is appropriate support, supervision, and protection during the service missionary’s daily service schedule. Where applicable, service mission leaders may create companionships for missionaries who are serving at the same location or for special service activities or gospel study.
Yes. Service mission leaders provide appropriate leadership development opportunities to missionaries as part of their mission experience. Missionary leader roles are available to both sisters and elders.
Yes. It is recorded the same way as a teaching mission.
No. The service missionary should transition into employment or post–high school training or education.
Yes. The missionary may be reassigned to serve for a period sufficient to complete the balance of 18 or 24 months of service.
Safety and risk considerations are a vital priority to the interests of the missionary, the Church, and community charitable organizations. All charitable organization assignments require a prior written agreement that protects the missionary’s and the Church’s interests. This must be coordinated through the Service Mission Office. Certain types of activities are prohibited or restricted because they may pose a higher risk to individuals and organizations. Service missionaries may not engage in the following types of activities under any circumstances:
Unsupervised, one-on-one interactions with children or vulnerable adults
Bathing, babysitting, or providing other similar kinds of personal services
Operating machinery, equipment, or vehicles without proper training or certification
Other higher-risk service opportunities carried out by service missionaries at charitable organizations are carefully managed through agreements. Similar higher-risk service opportunities at Church operations and at stake-assigned locations are managed through policy and training. These higher-risk activities include:
Tutoring or mentoring in group settings.
Handling or possessing any cash, securities, or other valuables.
Rendering a professional opinion.
Operating machinery, equipment, or vehicles without proper training or certification.
Service missionaries speak in sacrament meeting before and after their missions, receive the same recognition as teaching missionaries (mission plaques, bulletins, newsletters, and so on), and report to the high council upon completion of their missions.
In Summary
Service missions complement teaching missions by allowing others to experience God’s love through receiving Christlike service. Now more than ever, young women and men who have a desire to serve will be given the opportunity to further the work of the Lord as a missionary. This will be a great blessing to the missionaries, to their families, and to those they serve.