After years of preparation and weeks of waiting, when that precious email or text message notifies a future missionary that their call is available, the anticipation of their assignment hits its peak. But how are mission calls assigned?
When many people think about this question, Elder David A. Bednar’s 2017 general conference talk, “Called to the Work,” comes to mind. But other Church leaders have also shared details about this unique process in recent years, including President M. Russell Ballard, Elder Ronald A. Rasband, and President Dallin H. Oaks.
Here are a few of their insights on the divine inspiration behind this special process.
The Call
In that 2017 talk, Elder Bednar put forth an important distinction between a mission call and a mission assignment:
“The [mission call] letter is signed by the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the first two sentences read as follows: ‘You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the ______ Mission.’
“Please note that the first sentence is a call to serve as a full-time missionary in the Lord’s restored Church. The second sentence indicates an assignment to labor in a specific place and mission. The important distinction expressed in these two sentences is essential for all of us to understand.
“In the culture of the Church, we often talk of being called to serve in a country such as Argentina, Poland, Korea, or the United States. But a missionary is not called to a place; rather, he or she is called to serve. As the Lord declared through the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1829, ‘If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work.’”
The “Interview”
In 2015, President Ballard shared an interesting insight into the process of “interviewing” prospective missionaries:
“In the early days of the Church, missionaries were interviewed by a General Authority before they went on their missions. These days you are interviewed to serve as missionaries by your bishops and stake presidents. … That is simply a reflection of the reality in a worldwide church. …
“Fortunately, the Lord has provided ways for us to reach out to you. … Although this is done without a traditional face-to-face interview, technology and revelation combine to provide an experience that is remarkably intimate and personal.
“Your photograph comes up on a computer screen, together with key information provided by your bishop and stake president. When your picture appears, we look into your eyes and review your answers to the missionary recommendation questions. For that brief moment, it seems as if you are present and responding to us directly.”
In 2010, Elder Rasband shared his experience of accompanying President Henry B. Eyring in assigning missionaries. He said: “As each picture appeared, to me it was as if the missionary were in the room with us. Elder Eyring would then greet the missionary with his kind and endearing voice: ‘Good morning, Elder Reier or Sister Yang. How are you today?’”
President Oaks shared that Apostles always fast to prepare to assign missionaries. Here’s how he described the process in 2015:
The Assignment
As Elder Rasband has explained, once the information regarding the missionary is reviewed (medical history, Bishop’s and Stake President’s notes, etc.), the General Authority assigning the calls refers to another screen that “displays areas and missions across the world.” Of an experience assigning a specific missionary, he shared:
“As we were nearing the completion of that assignment meeting, a picture of a certain missionary appeared on the screen. I had the strongest prompting, the strongest of the morning, that the missionary we had before us was to be assigned to Japan. I did not know that Elder Eyring was going to ask me on this one, but amazingly he did and I rather tentatively and humbly said to him, ‘Japan?’ Elder Eyring responded immediately, ‘Yes, let’s go there.’ And up on the computer screen the missions of Japan appeared. I instantly knew that the missionary was to go to the Japan Sapporo Mission.
“Elder Eyring did not ask me the exact name of the mission, but he did assign that missionary to the Japan Sapporo Mission.
“Privately in my heart I was deeply touched and sincerely grateful to the Lord for allowing me to experience the prompting to know where that missionary should go.
“At the end of the meeting Elder Eyring bore his witness to me of the love of the Savior, which He has for each missionary assigned to go out into the world and preach the restored gospel. He said that it is by the great love of the Savior that His servants know where these wonderful young men and women, senior missionaries, and senior couple missionaries are to serve. I had a further witness that morning that every missionary called in this Church, and assigned or reassigned to a particular mission, is called by revelation from the Lord God Almighty through one of these, His servants.”
The Spirit of Revelation
For anyone who has served a mission or supported a loved one who has served, there is no denying the spirit of revelation involved in a mission call and assignment—and latter-day apostles have testified of this truth, too.
These wise words from Elder Bednar are just one example:
“Each mission call and assignment, or a later reassignment, is the result of revelation through the Lord’s servants. A call to the work comes from God through the President of the Church. An assignment to one of the more than 400 missions presently operating around the world comes from God through a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, acting with the authorization of the Lord’s living prophet. The spiritual gifts of prophecy and revelation attend all mission calls and assignments.”
For more great content on missionaries and mission calls, check out these articles below:
► The first sister missionary from Gambia enters the MTC
► 3 cousins called to serve missions in the same country: ‘Ever since we were little, we did everything together’
► Watch: This missionary giving Post Malone a Book of Mormon in the airport will make your day
