Editor’s note: This and other related articles were published September 2026 in the Deseret News’ magazine titled Missionary Work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Around the world, young service missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are serving Heavenly Father’s children.
Like full-time teaching missionaries, young adults called as service missionaries serve for up to 18 months for young women and up to 24 months for young men. They serve as close to full time as their circumstances allow, and each has a customized mission experience uniquely tailored to his or her talents, skills and gifts.
The service missionary purpose, as found on ChurchofJesusChrist.org/service-missionary, is:
“Help others come unto Christ by serving with loving kindness as the Savior would. Minister in His name to the one through the power of the Holy Ghost and live as an example of faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, covenant keeping with God and enduring to the end.”
The key objectives of a service mission are:
- Provide an opportunity for all willing young women and young men to serve the Lord and increase in testimony of Him.
- Help each service missionary prepare for a lifetime of service.
- Provide needed and valuable service to Church and community organizations.
“When we serve Heavenly Father’s children, we help lead them to believe in God,” the Church’s website explains. “When we serve others, we demonstrate our love to Heavenly Father: ‘When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God’ (Mosiah 2:17).”
Service missionaries go through the same recommendation process as teaching missionaries and receive their mission calls from the President of the Church.
Examples
A service missionary in Salem, Oregon, was undergoing cancer treatments on his mission. Another in Dallas, Texas, served while facing brain tumors.
A young man with Down syndrome, in Huntington, West Virginia, watched four older siblings serve a mission and wanted to serve as well. His stake president suggested a service mission, and his parents assisted him in his efforts. When Nathan Welch arrived at the food bank each week, he often showed up wearing a cape.
In Iowa, Emmett Oakley found joy serving the community and the Lord after losing both legs.
“Serving my mission has given me so much knowledge and has strengthened my testimony of the love that God and the Savior have for me,” Oakley said. “From my own experiences, I know that Christ is with us every step of the way. He does not abandon us in hardships. He walks beside us, carrying us when we feel we can no longer stand.”
Logan Castleton made music videos in California for social media about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Austin Evans used his medical skills to serve at a medical clinic in Utah. Seth Cannon helped wildfire survivors tell their stories in Oregon. Domonic McKendry gardened on the temple grounds and indexed names at his family history center in Australia. Alex Murphy served at a Church camp in New Zealand. Bekki Andrews drove a forklift at the bishops’ storehouse in California. Hashkeyelwod Calkin planted, pruned and harvested peach trees at the North Ogden Orchard Welfare Farm in Utah.
Norway’s first service missionary, Claus Andersen, had the opportunity to use one of his talents: cutting and splitting wood.
He started with a teaching assignment but fell ill and returned to Norway. His main assignment was based in Oslo with Operasjon Ved, or Operation Wood. He also served individuals by felling trees and splitting them into firewood for them.
“We do our best to be worthy representatives as we carry His name in the service we do,” he said.
Lois Herring began with a teaching mission in Alabama then transferred to a service mission at home in Orem, Utah. She served at the Lindon Bishops’ Storehouse, worked at the temple and played as an accompanist for a seminary choir — thus using her talents in different ways.
She referred to how it is sometimes said that teaching missionaries are the voice of the Lord and service missionaries are the hands of the Lord.
“I think we’re the hands and voice of the Lord even as service missionaries, but I think that understanding that we are serving as the Lord would — that really helps when missionaries are adjusting,” she said in 2022.
On his service mission in Huddersfield, England, Daniel Miller spent his days working with animals and plants and serving people on both sides of the veil.
“I feel like that impression over a year ago to talk to Bishop to go on a service mission, that’s really helped me,” he said in July 2025. “I’ve met so many incredible people on my service mission. Not only from within my faith but from outside of my faith. I’ve met so many incredible people, and I feel like I would have never done all those incredible things if I didn’t get that impression.”
Tryston O’Toole was surprised to be called on a service mission in Corona, California, in 2021. His diagnoses and medication meant he wasn’t considered for a teaching mission.
But as the stake president explained the concept of a service mission, a warm, reassuring feeling confirmed to O’Toole and his family that it was a call from the Lord.
Five years later, O’Toole described his mission as one of the greatest blessings in his life.
“If it wasn’t for a mission, I wouldn’t have anything that I have right now,” he said. “It’s how I met my wife. It’s how I got my first real job. Literally everything that I have up until this point is because of my mission.”
Integration
In September 2023, the Church announced that young service missionaries would be integrated into teaching missions under the leadership of mission presidents.
Elder Marcus B. Nash, a General Authority Seventy and then executive director of the Missionary Department, said integrating service missionaries into the traditional mission structure was an inspired step in the forward progress of missionary work.
“Both service missionaries and teaching missionaries are important to the call to gather Israel. As the teaching and service missionaries fulfill their respective missionary roles under the loving direction of their mission presidents, missionary work will be enhanced, and the missionaries — both service and teaching — will be uplifted and blessed through their association.”
Service missionaries continue to report to a service mission leader couple who works under the priesthood keys of the mission president. The service mission leader couple provides day-to-day supervision and assistance to each young service missionary.
The local stake president and bishop continue to function as the ecclesiastical leaders and conduct regular worthiness interviews with each young service missionary.
When the change happened in January 2024, young service missionaries began attending zone conferences, participating in interviews and other activities. Many also began going out on teaching visits with a companion.
President Justin Spencer, who at that time led the Utah Salt Lake City West Mission with his wife, Sister Kristen Spencer, said they were grateful to have young service missionaries in their mission.
“They have infused an exciting, new energy into our mission,” he said. “It is so rewarding to see the teaching and service missionaries interacting with one another at zone conferences and in other settings. To us, they are all simply missionaries who are striving to fulfill the Savior’s purpose.”
To learn more about the service mission program, including how to get started, resources for leaders and the role of parents, go to ChurchofJesusChrist.org/service-missionary.
