GotMyCallA resource for families of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
For future missionaries · updated October 2026

How to prepare for a mission

The best mission prep is simple and steady: take a missionary preparation class, start reading Preach My Gospel now, and build the everyday skills a missionary needs, like cooking, managing money, walking a lot and handling stress.

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Find a prep class ↓ Start your papers →

What to know

Classes are offered by wards, stakes and institutes, and every Church school has a missionary preparation course.

  • Take a class: ask your bishop or your local institute when the next mission prep class starts.
  • Read Preach My Gospel: the 2023 second edition is in Gospel Library.
  • Build life skills: cooking, laundry, budgeting, exercise and handling stress.
  • Plan your timing: your recommendation can go in up to 150 days before you’re available.

Sources: Teacher Manual 2025 · Newsroom · Liahona · Mission timing tool

College plans? School, scholarships and your mission →

Young women can now start at 18. Serving at 18 →

Take a mission prep class

  • At churchBranches, wards, stakes and institutes run missionary preparation classes. Some last a few weeks and some last months. The manual can also be used at home.

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  • What the course coversThe 2025 course has 13 core lessons that follow Preach My Gospel, with extra time on chapter 3, the lessons missionaries teach. It adds 10 short skill practices, from introducing the Book of Mormon to intentional breathing and healthy thinking.

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  • Not sure you’ll serve? Come anywayThe manual says the class is also for people preparing for a service assignment, or who just want to share the gospel better.

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  • Institute (ages 18–35)Missionary Preparation is institute course 130. It’s 2 credits and can count as CES transfer credit. You practice teaching the missionary lessons in class. Not every institute offers every course, so check with yours.

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Official prep lessonsMissionary Preparation: A Teaching Resource (38 languages) · institute · 2026 seminary lesson.

Sources: Teacher Manual 2025 · Institute Course Catalog

Mission prep at Church schools

  • BYUREL C 130 Missionary Preparation, 2 credits. Recommended for all prospective missionaries. Returned missionaries can’t take it.

  • BYU Independent StudyREL C 130 online. Start anytime and take up to a year. Tuition applies.

  • BYU-IdahoREL 130 Missionary Preparation, built around Preach My Gospel.

  • Ensign CollegeREL 130A and REL 130B, Missionary Preparation Parts 1 and 2, 1 credit each.

  • BYU-PathwayPathwayConnect students take one institute course each block. Missionary Preparation (130) is in the institute catalog, but what’s offered varies by location.

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Sources: BYU · BYU Independent Study · BYU-Idaho · Ensign College 130A · 130B · BYU-Pathway · Institute catalog

Your prep library

All in the Gospel Library app. Tap a tile to open it.

  • Missionary Preparation: A Teaching Resource (2025)Written for teachers, but it works for studying at home.

  • General Handbook, chapter 24The official guidance on who can serve, health and finances.

Sources: Newsroom · Teacher Manual 2025 · Adjusting to Missionary Life · General Handbook 24

Get your body ready

  • Walk and bikeMissionary work is physically demanding. The Church’s Missionary Exercise Program says you may walk or bike for many hours a day. Build a habit now that mixes cardio, strength and flexibility.

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  • Eat balanced mealsVegetables, fruits, grains, healthy fats and protein, with less junk food, soda and fast food. Drink plenty of clean water.

  • Allow time for examsMedical and dental exams and vaccines can take months. Healthy wisdom teeth no longer have to come out. Step by step: Medical & dental.

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Sources: Missionary Exercise Program · Missionary Standards, ch. 4 · Newsroom

Build your mind and heart

  • The General Handbook asks future missionaries to strengthen their physical, mental and emotional health and build resilience.
  • If you take medication, you’ll keep taking it on your mission as prescribed.
  • Stress and homesickness are normal, especially at the start. Adjusting to Missionary Life has a self-assessment that points you to tools for each kind of stress.
  • The prep course practices breathing, healthy thinking and handling feelings of inadequacy. Unsure? See Not sure you’re ready?.

Life Help: Mental HealthThe Church’s own mental health page, with help for you and for families. Open Life Help →

Sources: General Handbook 24 · Adjusting to Missionary Life · Teacher Manual 2025

Life skills: cook, clean, budget, work

  • Everyday skillsElder Eduardo Gavarret of the Seventy lists the skills that help most: saving money, washing and ironing clothes, sewing, shining shoes, cooking, talking with others and serving others. Try cooking dinner for your family once a week and doing your own laundry.

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  • Work and moneyMissionaries and their families are primarily responsible for the cost, and the Church asks them to plan and sacrifice. Money shouldn’t stop anyone from serving. A young person who has prepared “should not be delayed from serving for financial reasons,” and the bishop can adjust the amount and ask ward or stake members to help. The Personal Finances for Self-Reliance course teaches budgeting. Monthly amount: How much a mission costs.

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  • LanguageChapter 7 of Preach My Gospel, “Learn Your Mission Language,” covers how missionaries learn a language. Once your call comes, start here and start learning your mission language before the MTC.

Sources: Liahona, July 2024 · General Handbook 24 · Personal Finances for Self-Reliance · Newsroom

Timing

  • Your stake president can submit your recommendation up to 150 days before your availability date.
  • Elders usually serve 24 months and Sisters 18.
  • Taking more time to get ready “does not mean you are any less willing, worthy, or obedient.”
  • Ready to begin? How to start mission papers.

Sources: Mission timing tool · Newsroom · General Handbook 24

Preparing as a senior couple

  • Couples and single men and women 40 and older with no dependent children at home can serve. Most serve 6 to 23 months; couples serving outside their country usually serve at least 18.
  • Couples need to be healthy enough to serve and meet financial qualifications. Seniors pay for their own food, personal items and fuel.
  • Talk with your bishop and browse opportunities at SeniorMissionary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. More: Senior missionaries.

Sources: General Handbook 24 · Senior missionary site

Questions

Tap to open · 10 common questions
When should I start preparing for a mission?

Now. Seminary, institute and practical skills learned at home all help. Begin talking with your bishop well before the 150-day window for your recommendation.

Do I have to take a mission prep class to serve?

None of the official sources we checked say it’s required. The Church says the class can play an important role in preparing, and BYU recommends it for all prospective missionaries.

Is mission prep only for people who are sure they’re going?

No. The course is also for anyone considering a service assignment, or who wants to share the gospel better.

Which edition of Preach My Gospel should I use?

The second edition, released in 2023. It’s in the Gospel Library app.

Can I get college credit for mission prep?

Yes. Institute course 130 is 2 credits and can count as CES transfer credit. BYU’s course is REL C 130, BYU-Idaho’s is REL 130, and Ensign College’s is REL 130A and 130B.

What if money is the thing holding me back?

Talk to your bishop. The General Handbook says a willing young person who has prepared shouldn’t be held back from serving for financial reasons.

What if I’m worried about anxiety or homesickness?

That’s common. Read Adjusting to Missionary Life and talk with your bishop. Some people may need professional care first.

Is this the same as an LDS mission?

Yes. This guide is for people preparing to serve as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

How early can I submit my mission papers?

Up to 150 days before your availability date. The Church says submitting earlier can give more time for medical, dental, passport or visa needs.

Can young women serve a mission at 18?

Yes. Since 21 November 2025, young women who choose to serve may start at 18 after high school graduation or its equivalent. Service is optional for young women (Church Newsroom, Nov 2025). See serving at 18.

Sources and fine print

Tap to open · 17 official pages + fine print

. Official pages, your call packet and the Missionary Portal are always the final word. GotMyCall.com is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Most missionaries begin with one or two weeks of MTC training online at home. At-home MTC: what to expect →

Endowment before your mission How to start mission papers At-home MTC Thinking about serving? Service missionaries Opening your call Call wait time Packing list MTC locations Letters & packages Farewell & homecoming Call letter sample After opening your call Missionary Portal Medical & dental Passport & visa Mission cost Call packet Staying in touch Not sure you’re ready? Provo MTC drop-off Christmas mailing deadlines Costs: young vs senior Call opening party plan