The Calling of a Missionary

  When a young man or woman decides to go on a mission, he/she must first be found spiritually, physically, and mentally worthy to do so.   

  The Savior taught, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19).  Church members consider it a privilege to show their love for other people and the Lord by sharing the gospel.

Missionaries generally begin serving when they are from 18 to 21 years old. Many retired seniors, men, women, and married couples also serve missions. Missionaries serve from 18 months to 2 years. Missions are voluntary, and missionaries are not paid for their service.  Missionaries come from around the world, and they serve wherever the Church calls them. While serving full-time, missionaries are official representatives of the Church.

As is done with every single perspective missionary, Elder Wilde first had to fill out his paperwork stating his desire to serve with recommendations from his ecclesiastical leaders of his worthiness in order to serve a mission.  This paperwork was then sent to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The perspective missionary then waits for the special e-mail to come with the particulars of his/her "calling."  This calling and the place where the missionary will serve is done by revelation through the Lord's servants, the prophets. A member of the Quorum of the Twelve assigns prospective missionaries to one of 449 missions of the Church throughout the world.

When Elder Wilde received his mission call on February 3, 2025, he was absolutely thrilled.  He would be serving in the Guatemala Coban/Belize Mission for a period of 24 months and would be preaching the gospel in Spanish.  He was told that he would begin his mission on July 14, 2025, in Home MTC.  Then he would report to the Missionary Training Center in Mexico on July 23, 2025.