Missions and Missionaries

Welcome to the research guide on missions and missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Missionary work has been an integral part of the Church from the day it was organized in 1830; indeed, ever since Samuel H. Smith, brother to the Prophet Joseph Smith, began his mission in June 1830, hundreds of thousands of Saints have followed the call to preach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This guide was constructed to aid those researching missionaries and the missions in which they served. The records featured in this guide can help to research information about missions and specific missionaries, including their calls, dates of missionary service, and the geographical areas in which they served.

This guide contains both online and on-site resources. Online resources are collections of digitized content that are accessible from your computer; to access an online resource, click on its title. (You may need to sign in to the catalog to view online resources.)

At the Church History Library, historians and technicians digitize hundreds of items every month. If a collection is not currently available digitally, you can request digital access through the Ask Us inquiry form. Some collections are digitized but, because of copyright law, require that you be logged in to view digital images; in such cases, you may also need permission before downloading items.

On-site resources can be viewed at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. You can access the item or collection information in the online catalog and request to see the source when you visit the library.

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Some knowledge of the history of missionary service in the Church can be extremely helpful when researching missions and missionaries. For example, the age at which missionaries are called to serve has varied over time. In the 19th century, there were no age guidelines for missionary service. Typically, married men were called, and the calls were often extended directly from the pulpit during Church meetings. In the mid-20th century, Church leadership began to define an age limit for full-time missionary service; subsequently, fewer married men were called to full-time missions. Some individuals also served settlement, educational, genealogical, and medical missions instead of—or in addition to—a mission focused solely on proselyting.

Of course, exceptions exist. Don Carlos Smith, brother to the Prophet Joseph, was the youngest missionary in the history of the Church, being called at the age of 14 to serve with his father, Joseph Smith Sr.

The length of a full-time mission has varied over time as well. For example, while many people are familiar with the 18-month or 2-year assignments served by full-time missionaries today, missions in the past could be relatively short, as with Samuel Smith’s first mission in 1830, which lasted only a few weeks. They could also be very long; Wilford Jenkins Cole and Ellen Elizabeth Chase Cole served for over a decade in Hawaii, while Samuel Otis Bennion and Charlotte Ella Towler Bennion served for almost 30 years overseeing the Central States Mission.

A series of policy changes like these can be found in the “Time Line” section of this guide.

Two significant changes in naming conventions are important to note when researching missions and missionaries. Following discussions of the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve, many mission names were changed in mid-1970. The changes were implemented to “provide more uniform names which will more adequately designate the areas involved and to have a better procedure for using names which include compass designations or similar words.” For example, the Andes Mission was renamed the Peru-Ecuador Mission.¹

In 1974, Church leadership again chose to rename missions to “make them more easily identifiable with the area they serve.” The change differed from the 1970 rename by adding to the mission name the city where the mission was headquartered. For example, the Ireland Mission was renamed the Ireland Belfast Mission.²

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These resources are available digitally through the Church History Catalog or other online locations, as noted.

Church History Biographical Database

This database records the service of approximately 47,000 Latter-day Saint missionaries during the century following the organization of the Church. Individual missionary pages contain personal information, where and when they served, and photographs, when available. Profiles may also contain links to digitized journals, letters, and so on made available by the Church History Library, the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University, and FamilySearch.

For privacy reasons, the database contains only records of individuals who (a) are deceased or (b) began their missionary service 80 (or more) years ago. Also, bear in mind that the bulk of its information came from a register kept in Salt Lake City. Thus, if a missionary did not pass through Salt Lake City on their way to their mission assignment, they might not be listed. The database is continually updated as we find additional missionaries’ records.

Missionary Department Missionary Registers, 1860–1959 (CR 301 22)

A record of missionaries set apart in Salt Lake City, Utah, for full-time missionary service. These volumes are sometimes referred to as the “Missionary Record.” Missionaries who did not come to Salt Lake City to be set apart are generally not listed in these registers. Occasionally, especially in the 19th century, persons traveling on Church business or to collect genealogical information were also set apart as missionaries and, as such, are listed in the registers. Entries are in chronological order of the date the missionaries were set apart. Each entry includes birth and parentage information, baptismal date, priesthood office of male missionaries, residence at time of call, mission assignment, and other setting-apart information. In some cases, entries indicate when the missionary returned or include other comments.

Historian’s Office Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, circa 1925 (CR 100 160)

This collection is a listing of nearly 14,000 full-time missionaries who began their service between April 1830 and December 1900. This compilation, prepared under the direction of assistant Church historian Andrew Jenson, is arranged chronologically. It includes a list of missionaries called each year and features biographical information about many of the missionaries. The list of missionaries who served prior to 1860 is incomplete; this subset of names was compiled from a variety of sources, which are often cited in the record. Information about those who were set apart in Salt Lake City between 1860 and 1900 was drawn from the missionary registers mentioned above. Because Jenson and his assistants drew upon several sources, the biographical information found in this collection is sometimes more extensive than that provided in the registers.

Missionary Reports, 1831–1900 (MS 6104)

A collection of reports submitted by returned missionaries that describe their experiences. Most reports are for missions in the United States.

First Presidency Missionary Calls and Recommendations, 1877–1918 (CR 1 168) and Missionary Department missionary papers 1888-1928 (CR 301 28)

Two collections of correspondence pertaining to mission calls issued during the administrations of John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph F. Smith, and Heber J. Grant. Series includes prospective missionaries’ responses to inquiries and official calls, endorsement letters from local ecclesiastical leaders (usually bishops), and “genealogy” forms completed by missionaries to fill in the missionary register. Also includes letters written by stake and priesthood quorum leaders, mission presidents, members of the First Council of Seventy, and Apostles to submit names of potential missionaries.

Missionary Department Missionary Record Index, 1830–1971 (CR 301 43)

This is a card index on microfilm listing full-time missionaries set apart through 1971. It also serves as an index to missionary registers kept from 1830 to 1959 (see CR 301 22) and setting-apart forms used from 1960 to 1971. Remote digital access for this collection is limited. Please sign in with your Church Account and click “Request Digital Access” to submit a request for access to the needed section. These records are also available on microfilm in the Reading Room of the Church History Library.

Lists and Registers

Some lists were also compiled to document those who had served as missionaries for the Church. Many of the lists and registers are closed to research because they contain private information about missionaries (for more information, see our access policy). However, some are available for research, a few of which have been digitized:

• Hawaiian Mission Missionary Lists, 1850–1900
• Samoan Mission Missionary List, 1888–1924
• Southern States Mission Record of Missionaries, 1900–1916
• Fremont Stake Missionary Record, 1905–1912

If you feel that a register is necessary to your research, use the Ask Us service to request more information. In your request, please include the call number of the register and describe the information that you are looking for.

Photographs

The library has a large collection of portraiture and other photographs. You can search for the names of missionaries or missions in the Church History Catalog; select the “digital” and “photographs” filters on the left side of the screen to find collections containing their pictures. For more information on finding missionary photographs, check out the Missionaries section of the Photograph Collections research guide.

Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia

Compiled by Andrew Jenson, this four-volume set includes a large collection of life sketches and photographs of early members of the Church. The volumes include a few selected entries about women in the early Church. Entries include missionary service, although specific dates or locations are not always mentioned. The first volume was published in 1901 and the last in 1936. The index found in volume 4 covers the entire set. The digitized copies are hosted by the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.

Encyclopedic History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Compiled by Andrew Jenson and published in 1941, this volume contains brief histories of missions, as well as branches, wards, stakes, conferences, districts, selected localities, and Church publications; it also contains entries on miscellaneous subjects, such as the Salt Lake mission home, Historian’s Office, YWMIA and YMMIA, and The Tabernacle Choir. A digitized copy is hosted by the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.

Mormon Missionary Collections

This is an index to the holdings of Brigham Young University’s L. Tom Perry Special Collections that relate to the missionary efforts of the Church. The index includes the Mormon Missionary Diaries, which is a digital collection of missionary diaries spanning from 1832 to the 1960s. The website is hosted by the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.

Journal History of the Church

The Journal History is a daily history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 2008. It is a scrapbook created from newspapers, minutes, diary entries, and other sources. Parts of the Journal History have been indexed, and it is available online up through 1923. The link above connects to the research guide on the Journal History for more specific information and help in navigating the collection.

Digitized Church Periodicals

The Church History Library and FamilySearch have made many early periodicals published by the Church available online. These early publications often contain information on missionaries and their work in various areas. Two examples are:

• The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star 1840–1970: Published in England, the Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star was the official Church publication for the Saints in the United Kingdom. It was overseen by the European Mission and contains a variety of information on missionaries and mission activities from throughout Europe.
• Liahona, the Elders’ Journal 1907–1944: A combination of the Liahona 1907 of the Central States Mission and the Elders’ Journal of the Southern States Mission 1903–1907, Liahona, the Elders’ Journal served a broader audience and contains arrival, transfer, and release information for missionaries throughout the United States. It would also occasionally publish photographs of missionary groups.
  

Other missions at various times have published similar periodicals; some of these are available digitally. Some are closer to newsletters than they are to magazines.

Utah Digital Newspapers

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In the early years of the Church, it was common for missionaries to send reports to their hometown newspaper or the Deseret News. Utah Digital Newspapers houses a digital collection of many Utah newspapers published since the mid-19th century which contain these reports. This searchable database is hosted by the University of Utah and the Mountain West Digital Library. Try searching for a missionary’s surname along with the word “mission.”

Preach My Gospel

This Church-produced manual is designed to help missionaries learn how to teach the basic principles of the gospel to those interested in learning about the Church.

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

This small, Church-produced handbook outlines the basic standards and conduct for full-time missionaries. Some previous editions are available at the Church History Library as well.

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The following on-site resources can be viewed in the Church History Library Reading Room in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Manuscript Histories (Series 2 and 3)

Manuscript histories are unpublished compilations of historical information about individual Church units (wards, branches, stakes, and missions). They are classified with call numbers beginning with “LR” (for “local records”). The California Mission, for example, is “LR 1316,” and anything produced by that mission will include “LR 1316” in the call number. The Manuscript History is always series 2—that is, “LR 1316 2.” Initial information was gathered by staff members of the Church Historian’s Office starting in the 1890s.

Quarterly historical reports from 1925 to 1967 and annual reports from 1968 to 1983 were added to previous Church Historian’s Office compilations. As the Church grew, collecting and compiling these Manuscript Histories became more difficult and the process of collecting history for each unit was moved to individual units, which submitted the histories as part of an annual report. Those are classified as series 3—that is, “LR 1316 3.” Annual reports from 1984 to 1999 were submitted only from stakes, districts, and missions; current annual reports from wards (2000–present) are submitted collectively by each stake and added to previous compilations.

Information includes descriptions (in varying degrees of completeness) of historical events and activities, lists of callings and releases, newspaper clippings, newsletters, programs, sustaining sheets from ward and stake conferences, and photographs. Check the catalog record for each history to see if it is available for research; many of the histories have restrictions because they contain private information on missionaries and members (for more information, see our access policy).

Compiled Histories

Sometimes historians and amateurs have written unofficial histories of missions. These histories generally do not contain the level of detail of the manuscript histories, but they are sometimes easier to navigate and can provide a starting point for looking through other, more in-depth records. These histories are generally listed in the Church History Catalog, but searching a mission’s name in Studies in Mormon History may also point to some.

Published Mission Histories

In rare instances, a professionally written history has been published for a mission, such as History of the Scandinavian Mission, by Andrew Jenson. Other works highlight the growth of the Church in an area or country and often discuss missionary work. One example is Taking the Gospel to the Japanese: 1901–2001. A few theses and dissertations also have been written about specific missions. The Church History Catalog and BYU’s Theses on Mormonism are two places where many of these can be found.

Guide to Mormon Diaries & Autobiographies

Compiled by Davis Bitton, this volume lists diaries, journals, and other biographical writings found at several institutions. It is a useful starting point, but, since it was published in 1977, it is out of date, making it worthwhile to check the institutions’ online catalogs for additional mission-related materials.

Go Ye into All the World: The Growth and Development of Mormon Missionary Work

This book is a compilation of essays on a variety of topics relating to missionary work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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The following is a timeline listing some of the changes made in missionary policy over the years and some major events relating to the Church’s missionary work. The policies mostly come from First Presidency circular letters, many of which were published in Messages of the First Presidency.³

4 June 1837 – Heber C. Kimball becomes the first mission president when he is set apart to preside over what became the British Mission.

9 April 1844 – With Joseph Smith having declared his candidacy for president of the United States, Brigham Young announces in general conference that elders will be called to both “preach the Gospel and electioneer.”⁴ President Young then asks for volunteers, and 244 respond. The average number of missionaries per year before 1843 was usually under 100; from 1843 to 1844, the number of missionaries increased fivefold.

30 April 1844 – Addison Pratt becomes the first missionary to preach in a language other than English, on the island of Tubuai in the South Pacific.

4 August 1857 – All missionaries recalled to Utah in anticipation of the arrival of Johnston’s Army.

25 April 1860 – The missionary registers begin, with Joseph F. Smith, future Church president, being the first entry.

15 May 1893 – George Q. Cannon publishes an article in the Juvenile Instructor stating that missionaries should not expect to be released at two years but to serve for as long as needed.⁵

1 April 1898 – The first single women to be called as full-time missionaries, Inez Knight and Lucy Jane Brimhall, are set apart for the British Mission.

22 August 1900 – Calling missionaries in good physical health is emphasized.⁶

4 February 1902 – Missionaries are not required to pay tithing while serving.⁷

22 May 1911 – All missionaries should receive their endowment before their departure.

4 October 1918 – President Joseph F. Smith announced in general conference that the Church would not be calling missionaries who were within draft age. [this will shift footnote numbering, which I won’t change here, but the source is “In Conference Report, Oct. 1918, 3.”]

4 October 1925 – During general conference, President Heber J. Grant requests that every ward in the Church (1,000 at the time) provide an experienced, financially stable missionary for a “Short Term” mission to North America.⁸

12 March 1927 – The term district is to be used in place of conference when referring to a territorial division within a mission.⁹

19 January 1937 – Men called to English-speaking missions are to serve for two years, and those in foreign-speaking lands for two and a half years. Women are to be called for 18 to 22 months.

26 September 1940 – After being interviewed and recommended by the bishop and stake president, missionaries are to be interviewed by a General Authority at a stake conference.¹⁰

23 December 1941 – Due to World War II, recommendations of women for missionary service are temporarily discontinued.

23 March 1942 – Due to World War II, recommendations of men for missionary service are to be confined to either Seventies or high priests.¹¹

25 April 1942 – Missionary farewells should not be held on Sunday but on some appropriate weekday, and the bishop should supervise the preparation of farewells.¹²

20 November 1943 – Additional guidelines for missionary candidacy are given: men of draft age are not to be recommended for missions without extreme extenuating circumstances; such recommendations also require First Presidency approval. Additionally, female stenographers and professional schoolteachers are not to be called as missionaries, nor are the wives of mature brethren. Men outside draft age can be called if they have good health and would suitably represent the Church and if their families can manage in their absence.¹³

8 February 1945 – An urgent request was made for missionaries who speak Spanish.¹⁴

26 December 1945 – Church leadership reiterates that missionary farewells should not be held on Sundays but on an appropriate weekday. A returning missionary may report her or his honorable mission at a sacrament meeting, though.¹⁵

30 January 1947 – If a farewell consists of entertainment programs, they should be held on a weekday. Where farewells are held on Sunday, they should be conducted as the regular sacrament meeting services. There is no objection to the taking of contributions for the missionary.¹⁶

24 April 1947 – Recommendation that youth and middle-aged individuals be called on missions.

21 September 1948 – While the preferred age for female missionaries is 23, a temporary exception is made to allow women as young as 21 to serve.

27 September 1950 – Male missionaries should be 20 years of age, unless they have two years of college or military service, in which event the age requirement is waived.

20 October 1950 – Male missionaries should be 19 years of age, unless they have two years of college or military service, in which event the age requirement is waived.¹⁷

14 March 1952 – Age for missionary service should be 20 for men and 23 for women. Generally, divorced men or women should not be recommended for missionary service.

25 March 1953 – Returned missionaries will no longer report to General Authorities. This report will instead be made to the stake presidency and high council.

10 July 1953 – Exceptions for women under the age of 23 are suspended.

17 September 1955 – Wartime restrictions lifted on calling 20-year-old men for missionary service.¹⁸

28 June 1960 – A man may be called as a missionary at 19 if he has completed two years of college or one year of college with six months’ military service. Women may be 21 years of age (for office duty). Older couples may stay up to two years; however, they are initially called for only six months.

21 July and 26 August 1960 – Men may serve when they are 19, regardless of their previous educational or military experience.

26 May 1961 – Older couples in good health are needed as missionaries.

4 December 1961 – The Missionary Language Institute is founded in Provo, Utah. It later comes to be known as the Language Training Mission when a mission president is called to preside over it in 1963.

22 August 1962 – Outgoing missionaries will not routinely be interviewed by General Authorities. Stake and mission presidents will have the responsibility for final interviews.

16 June 1963 – The Language Training Mission is established in Knight-Mangum Hall on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah.

1968 – Language Training Missions established at Ricks College and the Church College of Hawaii (later renamed BYU–Idaho and BYU–Hawaii, respectively).

8 February 1969 – Mission duration is standardized so all missionaries, male and female, serve for two years. The only exception is those called to specific short-term missions.¹⁹

20 June 1970 – Missions’ name format is changed to make them more uniform.²⁰

8 March and 24 March 1971 – Women will serve for 18 months. Older couples will also serve for 18 months.

20 October 1972 – Missionaries should be set apart before entering the Salt Lake Mission Home, and it should be done no later than a few days preceding the missionary’s departure from home.

13 November 1973 – Recommendations may be made for local men in foreign countries to serve at the age of 18.

27 June 1974 – Mission names are changed to better correspond with the geographical areas they serve.²¹

October 1977 – The first international missionary training centers—in São Paulo, Brazil, and Hamilton, New Zealand—are opened.

26 October 1978 – Salt Lake Mission Home is closed. English-speaking missionaries will train for four weeks, and non-English-speaking missionaries will train for eight weeks at the missionary training center in Provo, Utah.²²

August 1980 – A standard name tag for full-time missionaries is approved, and missionaries are to purchase them from the Provo MTC bookstore.

8 October 1980 – Women between the ages of 40 and 70 may serve for a period of one year. Couples may serve for 6, 12, or 18 months if they are under 70 years of age.²³

2 April 1982 – Effective this date, men will serve for 18 months.²⁴

1 January 1985 – Effective this date, men will again serve for 24 months.²⁵

February 1990 – Each new missionary is provided with their first name tag at no cost.

1 January 1991 – The cost of serving a mission is equalized for missionaries called from the United States and Canada, regardless of where the missionary serves.26

8 February 1991 – The cost of serving a mission is equalized for missionaries called from the United States and Canada, regardless of where the missionary serves; a short time later, the cost of serving a mission is equalized for all missionaries worldwide.

May 1991 – Church-service missionaries can be called for 6-, 12-, or 18-month assignments. Full-time Church-service missionaries can be called for 12 or 18 months.²⁷

11 December 2002 – Official communication from Church headquarters stresses that missionary service is a privilege; ward and stake leaders “have the serious responsibility to identify worthy, qualified members who are spiritually, physically, and emotionally prepared for this sacred service and who can be recommended without reservation.”²⁸

2 June 2011 – Senior missionary couples may serve for 6, 12, 18, or 23 months, effective at beginning of September 2011. Also, housing costs for senior couples capped at $1,400 (USD) per month.²⁹

6 October 2012 – Men may begin missionary service at the age of 18, and women at 19.³⁰

5 September 2018 - All future missionary calls will arrive via online delivery.

30 December 2018 - Dress standards are changed for sister missionaries serving in the Church; sister missionaries are now allowed to wear dress slacks.

2 January 2019 – All young men and young women in the U.S. and Canada will use the same online application process, regardless of whether they will serve a proselyting or service mission; they will use the same recommendation forms, complete interviews with local ecclesiastical leaders, and receive medical evaluations before receiving a mission call from the President of the Church to serve either a proselyting or service mission.

15 February 2019 – Missionaries are now allowed to communicate with their families “via text messages, online messaging, phone calls and video chat in addition to letters and emails.”³¹ Previously, missionaries’ communication with their families was limited to letters; phone calls on Christmas and Mother’s Day; and, depending on the mission, emails.

16 March 2020– The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates changes to missionary training, mission length, destinations, and how the work is performed.

23 June 2021 – Limited in-person training resumes at the Provo Missionary Training Center though most missionaries will continue to begin their training online from home.

1 May 2023 – Online training for those missionaries learning foreign languages is reduced to one week for five of the MTCs.

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