Completion of Your Mission

6.0

Introduction

Prepare yourself now to continue your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ and as a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when you return home and as you fulfill your life’s mission.

6.1

Staying Connected

Continue to communicate with those you have taught and worked with on your mission, including your mission leaders. Support and strengthen them through your words and example, and celebrate important events in their lives.

6.2

Returning Home from Your Mission

Because you remain a missionary until you have been released by your stake president, you are expected to follow all missionary standards until that time. Consider returning home directly. This is especially important if you are serving in a country other than your own where visa requirements are enforced. Delaying your return home could make it difficult for future missionaries to obtain travel visas. If you meet family to travel home, seek counsel and direction from your mission president in advance.

You may not complete your missionary service in another mission or request to be moved to another mission after your release date in order to be the companion of a relative.

When you return home, arrange with your home stake president to be released as soon as possible.

As soon as you can after returning home, get screened for tuberculosis, even if you were tested for it before your mission and do not have symptoms.

6.3

Serving and Growing after Your Mission

When you return home, continue to live the gospel standards. Make sure to:

Pray and study the gospel daily.
Attend and participate in your home or young single adult ward.
Seek opportunities to serve in the temple if there is one nearby.
Attend institute or religious education classes.
Seek education and employment opportunities through Church and other resources.

Live so that you will experience the kind of joy described in the Book of Mormon when Alma the Younger met fellow missionaries later in life:

“And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the land of Gideon southward, away to the land of Manti, behold, to his astonishment, he met with the sons of Mosiah journeying towards the land of Zarahemla.

“… Therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

“But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God” (Alma 17:1–3; italics added).