Returned Missionary
You’ve received the call. The time is coming for your mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) to begin, and you know your day-to-day life is about to change.
Preparing for your mission means more than packing your bags. It’s about readying your mind, body, and spirit for the challenges ahead. Every mission brings new experiences that can stretch you physically, mentally, and emotionally. In this blog, we’ll offer guidance and encouragement to help you navigate those adjustments and thrive in the meaningful journey of missionary life.
The Importance of LDS Mission Prep Before Becoming a Missionary
Mission prep is about more than learning how to teach or studying scripture—though those are important, too. It’s a time to develop spiritual stamina and practical habits that will support you through the highs and lows of missionary life. The better prepared you are before you go, the more open you’ll be to the growth and service that lie ahead.
Effective preparation can also ease the transition once you're in the field. From waking up early and managing a daily schedule to communicating clearly and working with a companion, many aspects of missionary life can feel overwhelming at first. Building these habits now, while you're still at home, helps create a strong foundation for when the challenges come.
Tip #1: Being On an LDS Mission Isn’t an Excuse to Forget About Your Health
As a full-time missionary, your schedule and daily responsibilities will be very different. But it’s essential to continue to honor your body and take care of your health. Even if you’re walking or biking all day, be sure to make time for 30 minutes of daily exercise where the movement is just for you. This will help your immune system, energy, and mood (see Preach My Gospel, viii.)
Next, be prepared for the weather. If it’s hot or humid, break up your missionary activities so you can spend 30-60 minutes in the shade or in air conditioning. To cool down, run cool water over your wrists or neck, and wear sunblock and light clothing. If it’s cold, wear layers, gloves, and a hat.
Finally, get plenty of sleep. Take the last hour of the day to relax, write in a journal, have a light snack like milk or fruit, listen to calming music, or talk to your companion. If you have work to do during this hour, consider getting a second alarm clock and setting it for 30 minutes before you should go to bed. When it goes off, stop work, begin to relax, and prepare for bed.
Tip #2: LDS Missionaries and Mental Health: Don’t Ignore Your Emotions
As you’re pouring your mind, body, and soul into spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, you may experience challenging emotions. Let go of frustrations surrounding what you can’t control, like past mistakes, differing cultures, or even the weather. Focus on things you can do something about, like your own choices and responsibilities.
Being away from your family and friends, you might also experience sadness or even seasons of depression. To deal with these feelings, review uplifting scriptures and stories. When you read these accounts, imagine your name in them: 2 Nephi 4; Mosiah 24:13–14; Alma 36:3; D&C 4; 6; 31; Proverbs 3:5–6; Helaman 5:12; and “Adversity” in True to the Faith.
Tip #3: Overcome Social Anxiety and Shyness with a Game Plan
Getting to know new people and living out the truths of Preach My Gospel might feel easy for you, but for many, it’s the most daunting part of serving a mission. If you’re concerned about the everyday interactions of an LDS missionary, here are some tips to help:
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Ask questions. Pre-plan questions to ask others before you interact with new people. Ask people about their work, hobbies, family, or personal history. Listen for opportunities to testify on a gospel principle that might connect with them. And be willing to answer any questions they might have for you. (See Preach My Gospel, 183–84.)
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Learn how to end conversations. Once you’ve discussed what’s necessary and have asked for referrals, it’s OK to end the conversation. Try saying something like this: “It’s been great to talk to you. We'd better get back to work. Thank you for your time!”
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Get to know one new person at every meeting you attend. Be sure to use the person’s name at the beginning and end of the conversation. And, if it helps, write down the name so you’ll remember it.
Some missions will take you to a new culture where a different language is spoken. If this is your situation, you’ll want to develop a language study plan. Follow these strategies for success:
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Set goals and then choose tools you can use to help you learn, like a pocket-sized dictionary and approved language learning apps.
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Memorize vocabulary and phrases. Identify vocabulary and phrases in the brochures, scriptures, and other Church publications you’ll use. Then, memorize what you know you’ll need to incorporate into daily conversations.
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Learn grammar. Use the grammar text you received at the missionary training center or a text approved by your mission president to help you understand the grammar and sentence patterns. Then, prepare sentences to use in your scheduled activities that apply these grammar principles.
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Actively listen. Listen carefully to native speakers. Imitate what you hear. When you hear something you don’t understand, write it down, and find out what it means.
Tip #4: Build a Foundation of Trust and Respect with Your LDS Companion
You’ll be with your companion almost constantly, so building a healthy relationship with them is essential. Your designated companion—another missionary assigned to serve with you—might have a different personality, background, or perspective. Even if you don’t have much in common, learning to listen, communicate openly, and show mutual respect will strengthen your partnership and help you both serve more effectively.
Living with a companion means you’ll likely encounter habits or differences that challenge your patience. That’s normal. During companion inventory (a time set aside to talk openly), ask thoughtful questions and really listen to your companion’s perspective (see Preach My Gospel, 185–86). When disagreements arise, speak honestly but kindly about what’s bothering you. Approaching these moments with humility and respect helps avoid defensiveness and builds trust, even when it's not easy.
Tip #5: Invest in Your Spiritual Well-Being
The stress of a mission sometimes leads missionaries to question the strength of their testimony. If you find yourself in this situation, remember that to have faith is to trust the Lord’s perfect goodness, love, wisdom, and fairness (even though we don’t perfectly understand).
Alma teaches that “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true” (Alma 32:21). You don’t need “perfect knowledge” to have faith. When you’re struggling with this, study Alma 32 to help deal with your questions.
Be patient with yourself throughout the process. Time and experience will often make sense of things that might be confusing now. Remember Nephi’s assertion: “I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:17). Build on what you know by the Spirit to be true about God.
Tip #6: Continue Your Post-Mission Spiritual Education at Southern Virginia University
After your LDS mission, deciding what comes next can feel overwhelming. You've just spent months—maybe years—focused entirely on serving others and growing in your testimony. Now you're looking forward, wondering how to keep that momentum going.
That’s why so many mission presidents encourage returning missionaries to pursue education. It’s not just about getting a degree—it’s about continuing to seek truth, grow in wisdom, and prepare to make a meaningful impact. As the Lord teaches in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118: “...seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
Southern Virginia University offers a Christ-centered environment where your spiritual and intellectual growth can continue hand-in-hand. As the only East Coast university for Latter-day Saint students, SVU is a community where you'll feel at home. Over 90% of students share your faith, one in three have served missions, and there's a scholarship dedicated to supporting your next chapter as a returned missionary.
Looking to learn more about making the transition from missionary to college student? Be sure to check out our one-stop guide: From Returned Missionary to Student: Making the Move to College.
