Young Men and Women as Mormon Missionaries

Starting at the age of 19, young men in the Mormon Church are encouraged to serve as missionaries; young women are also invited to serve if they desire at the age of 21. A mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lasts approximately 24 months for young men and 18 months for young women. After significant preparation and study, these young men and women send in a letter and form to the headquarters of the Mormon Church acknowledging their interest and readiness to serve a mission. Within a few weeks, they receive a letter in response from the President of the Church calling them to serve in an assigned mission around the world. Within a couple months, these newly called Mormon missionaries attend a Missionary Training Center (MTC) for approximately 3 weeks if they are called to a mission where they will speak their native language. If the missionary has been called to serve speaking a foreign language, these missionaries usually spend approximately 8-12 weeks in the MTC to gain more language training.

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