What Do LDS Missionaries Do?

LDS missionaries spend their days teaching people about Jesus Christ and the restored gospel, serving their communities, and studying scripture daily following a structured schedule. Their work combines direct teaching, service projects, language immersion, and personal spiritual development, all coordinated through companionships and under the direction of local mission presidents.

A Typical Missionary Day

A missionary's day is carefully structured to balance study, service, and proselytizing. The day begins at 6:30 a.m. with personal scripture study and personal prayer. At 8:00 a.m., companions engage in companionship study — reviewing their approach, planning the day, and discussing spiritual topics together. For missionaries within their first months (especially those in non-English-speaking missions), 2–3 hours are dedicated to language study. During morning and afternoon hours, missionaries engage in active proselyting — knocking on doors, street contacting, following up with people interested in learning more, and teaching scheduled gospel discussions to investigators who have agreed to meet. Lunch may be eaten with members of the church or quietly with their companion. Afternoons continue proselytizing until 5:00 p.m. Evenings include dinner with church members (a key teaching opportunity and source of spiritual support), weekly leadership meetings, email home on designated days, and preparation for the next day. Missionaries retire at 10:30 p.m. This rhythm, repeated five or six days a week, forms the backbone of a missionary's service.

What Missionaries Teach

LDS missionaries teach a series of gospel discussions collectively known as the Missionary Lessons, though specific curricula have evolved over time. The core doctrines presented are:

**Lesson 1: The Restoration** — The history of Joseph Smith, the First Vision, the Book of Mormon, and how God restored the true church.

**Lesson 2: The Plan of Salvation** — God's eternal plan for His children, including the premortal existence, mortality, and the afterlife.

**Lesson 3: The Gospel of Jesus Christ** — Jesus Christ's central role in God's plan, His atonement, and how faith in Him brings salvation.

**Lesson 4: Commandments** — Key doctrines like the Word of Wisdom (health code), Sabbath observance, and personal moral standards.

**Lesson 5: Laws and Ordinances** — Temple ordinances, baptism, confirmation, and the eternal significance of entering covenants with God.

Teaching is conversational, interactive, and centered on the investigator's questions and readiness. Missionaries are trained to listen for spiritual promptings and adapt their approach to each person's needs.

Missionary Rules

LDS missionaries operate under a detailed set of rules designed to maintain focus on their mission and ensure safety:

- **Constant companionship:** Missionaries are never alone. They are always with their assigned companion, even sleeping in the same bedroom. - **No phones for entertainment:** Smartphones are restricted to email, maps, and church-approved tools. Social media, games, and streaming are prohibited. - **Limited family contact:** Missionaries may call or email family members on designated holidays and days (typically two per month). - **Modest dress:** Men wear white shirts, ties, and dress pants daily. Women wear modest dresses, skirts, or dress pants. - **No R-rated movies or adult entertainment:** Missionaries avoid content rated R and above, keeping minds focused on their calling. - **Observance of the Sabbath:** Sundays are reserved for church meetings, spiritual reflection, and limited proselyting. - **Physical health standards:** No smoking, alcohol, or coffee (part of the Word of Wisdom, the church's health code). - **Obedience to local mission rules:** Individual mission presidents may impose additional guidelines based on local culture and security.

These rules are taught as protective boundaries that allow missionaries to remain spiritually focused and safe.

Language Learning

Missionaries assigned to non-English-speaking countries spend 8–12 weeks at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) learning basic conversational language skills. Upon arriving in their assigned country, they continue intensive language study — often 2–3 hours daily for the first three months — before beginning full proselyting schedules. The immersion approach accelerates learning; many missionaries become conversant in a new language within 6 months and fluent within a year. This language acquisition is celebrated as evidence of divine help; missionaries often report unexpected facility with languages previously unfamiliar to them. Senior missionaries and experienced language-learning missionaries mentors assist newer missionaries, and local members help with practice and cultural context.

Senior Missionaries

Missionaries aged 55 and older, often called senior missionaries, serve in specialized roles. They may lead humanitarian projects, manage administrative functions, teach in educational institutions, work in mission offices, or serve in proselyting capacities in their assigned locations. Senior couples bring maturity, professional expertise, and decades of life experience. Many serve one to two years after retirement, finding the experience deeply fulfilling. Senior missionaries are not subject to the same intensity of door-to-door proselyting as younger missionaries but remain fully committed to service and gospel sharing.