PROVO, Utah — In each mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a mission leadership council — typically composed of the mission president, his wife, assistants to the president, zone leaders and sister training leaders — is organized to discuss missionaries’ needs and how to move the work of the Lord forward.
This council is much more than a meeting, said Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders on Thursday, June 18. It is both a sacred setting and sacred opportunity.
“The mission leadership council is central to establishing a strong and effective mission. It shapes the culture of the mission and helps move the Lord’s work forward,” he said.
During his remarks to 193 newly called mission leader couples going to serve in 64 nations around the world, Elder Soares invited leaders to make mission leadership councils “a place where the Spirit of the Lord can consistently teach, testify and guide.”
The missionary purpose lies at the heart of the mission leadership council — on helping God’s children come unto Christ and be transformed through His Atonement, Elder Soares taught.
He suggested three key elements to help mission leaders lead these councils in a way that invites revelation, strengthens unity and keeps the missionary purpose at the center of their efforts.
“As you do so, I promise, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that you will see your missionaries grow in faith, in unity and in their capacity to lead in the Lord’s way,” he promised.
1. Prepare
To prepare for a purpose-centered mission leadership council, mission leaders have to first understand the needs of the mission, said Elder Soares.
“You learn needs as you go out among your missionaries — finding, teaching, and observing their efforts. Inspiration will come from missionary interviews, weekly letters and input from young missionary leaders. You will also come to understand those needs as you review how the work is progressing,” he said.
Elder Soares also encouraged mission leaders to follow up on the previous council and review key indicators, goals and plans.
“As mission leaders, you are not simply asking for an accounting of numbers. You are inviting an account. An account is a sacred opportunity for missionaries to share their experiences, their efforts and the ways they have seen the Lord’s hand in their work,” Elder Soares explained. “As they share these experiences, the Holy Ghost will teach you — and them — far more than numbers ever could.”
2. Counsel together on challenges, opportunities
One of the blessings of the mission leadership council is that it is truly a council, Elder Soares said. “In this setting, you hear the voices of your missionaries — their thoughts, their impressions and their experiences. To hear their voices, you may consider inviting them to submit questions or topics to you in advance of the meeting. As you counsel together, the Spirit is present and revelation is received.”
Elder Soares encouraged leaders to guide but not dominate these councils. “Ask inspired questions. Listen carefully. Encourage your young missionary leaders to share their perspectives.”
Missionaries who feel loved and valued will speak more freely, listen more carefully, and unite more fully, Elder Soares noted. “As you counsel together in this way — listening with humility, seeking the Lord’s will, and acting in unity and love — you will experience what might be called spiritual synergy.”
3. Ensure the work of the council continues
The council is not finished when the meeting ends; rather, the work continues as the principles, impressions and plans received are carried to each missionary — through zone conferences, district councils and especially through companion exchanges.
“As you go forth and labor alongside your missionaries — finding and teaching with them — you show forth the pattern,” Elder Soares told mission leaders. “You model what effective exchanges look like, and by your example, you help establish this culture throughout the mission.”
Help young missionary leaders understand the why of the exchange, what success looks like, and how the exchange helps enable each missionary to fulfill their missionary purpose, Elder Soares taught. “When companion exchanges are conducted in this way, missionaries can be strengthened in their divine purpose; their faith can deepen, their gifts can be enlarged, and the work of salvation can go forward with greater unity, power and love.”
Elder Soares promised mission leaders that as they center their mission leadership councils on the Savior and on the divine missionary purpose, He will magnify them. “He will inspire your thoughts, guide your decisions and bless your missionaries to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. Through your faithful leadership, many of God’s children will come unto Him and feel His redeeming love.”
