LDS Church announces flexible schedules for Mormon missionaries

Stock image | Photo courtesy of Mormon Newsroom, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this week announced changes are coming to the daily schedules of full-time missionaries to improve the health and productivity of the missionaries.

LDS missionaries serving around the world will be able to work with their mission presidents to customize their schedules for safety, cultural, health, productivity and other needs, according to a statement issued Wednesday by LDS church officials.

Currently, there are more than 71,000 missionaries serving in 422 missions worldwide, according to the LDS church. A typical day for a full-time missionary consists of waking up at 6:30 a.m. to exercise, shower, eat breakfast and study before going out to proselytize for the day.

Missionaries then return to their apartments by 9 p.m. each night. However, church officials said those hours will now be more flexible, depending on the culture of the country where the missionaries are serving.

Missionaries serving in Latin America, for example, may need to leave from and return to their residence later, whereas the culture in some African nations may require missionaries to leave and return to their apartments earlier.

In addition to the flexible daily hours, the missionary preparation day will be adjusted, according to the statement, allowing more time for things like laundry, shopping, communicating with family, exercising and participating in recreational activities.

“The most significant change in the schedule is to give the missionaries and also mission presidents the latitude to make the necessary decisions and adjustments in the daily work of the missionary,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in a statement.

The Church said it is also simplifying the information missionaries report related to those they are teaching.

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1 Comment

  • .... January 30, 2017 at 3:04 am

    Well that should improve Bob’s life LOL !

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