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SALT LAKE CITY — Opening a mission call for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an exciting event. A missionary could be called to serve anywhere in the world, and preparations begin immediately after the call is assigned.
For many missionaries, the call to serve outside one's home country was altered after the novel coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the world in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly virus. Other missionaries already serving were sent home to their native countries as the pandemic continued.
Now, after months of uncertainty, that position is changing.
On Wednesday, church officials said "a very limited number" of these missionaries have been sent to serve outside of their home countries in a "deliberate and cautious" approach. All travel is dependent on local health guidelines and travel restrictions, and some missionaries may not leave for several months, officials noted in a news release.
"We recognize conditions can change rapidly, and we will continue to closely monitor world events and make adjustments as needed," church spokesperson Daniel Woodruff said in the release. "The safety of our missionaries and those they serve is our top priority."
Mission offices will send missionaries an itinerary once they are scheduled to travel, and missionaries will share the information with their families. Missionaries and their families have been asked not to contact the church's travel office, embassies or consuls about travel plans or documents.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, missionaries will quarantine for the required period once they arrive in their new assignment.
