Teach of Jesus Christ
Missionaries study the scriptures, share the restored gospel, answer questions, and testify of the Savior.
His work throughout the world
Invite Others to Come Unto Christ
The Savior’s invitation to share His gospel can begin with teaching, service or everyday kindness.
Follow missionary stories and consider how listening with love can help others draw closer to Christ.
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15On this page: go to a section
Christ's commission
A call to teach, baptize, and help people follow Him
After His Resurrection, Jesus Christ sent His disciples to teach all nations, baptize in His name, and help people live what He taught. Latter-day Saint missionary work continues from that commission.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.” Matthew 28:19Read the Savior's commission
Restoration and early missionaries
From a Book of Mormon in hand to a worldwide witness
Missionary work began before the Church was formally organized and gathered momentum during Joseph Smith's lifetime.
-
1829–1830
The message begins to travel
Early believers shared the Book of Mormon and testified of the Restoration even before the Church's organization.
-
June 1830
Samuel Smith is called
Joseph Smith's brother Samuel became the first missionary called after the Church was organized, carrying copies of the Book of Mormon through communities near Palmyra, New York.
-
1830s–1840s
Missions cross borders and oceans
Missionaries traveled through the United States and Canada and then to England and the Pacific, often serving at great personal sacrifice.
-
Today
Local disciples build a global Church
Missionaries serve among many cultures and languages while local members and leaders nurture faith in their own communities.
Books carried from person to person
Samuel Smith carried copies of the Book of Mormon in a satchel after the Church’s organization. Others shared the message in homes, with neighbors, and through letters. The history of these early missionaries lets us see the work in its small beginnings: a book offered, a conversation begun, a witness shared.
A new beginning across the Atlantic
In July 1837, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, and their companions arrived in Liverpool and began preaching in Preston. The Church’s history of England follows the communities that grew from those beginnings. Read their story beside this harbor scene, remembering the people who received the message as well as those who carried it.
The missionary purpose
Help people draw closer to the Savior
Missionaries do more than deliver a message. They help people build faith in Jesus Christ, turn toward Him, prepare for baptism, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and continue along the covenant path.
That work is personal. It happens through prayer, scripture study, sincere conversation, patient listening, invitations to act in faith, and continued friendship.
Faith expressed through action
What Missionaries Do
Every assignment is different, but the work remains centered on Jesus Christ and the needs of God's children.
Listen and Invite
They seek to understand each person, then offer simple invitations that help faith become personal action.
Serve with Love
Missionaries lift burdens through practical service, community work, disaster cleanup, and everyday kindness.
Strengthen Communities
They work with local members and leaders, support new friends, and help build belonging that continues after a visit.
Learning from the Savior
Bring your joy back to Him
In Luke 10:17–20, the Seventy return to Jesus with joy after serving in His name. He hears their report, then teaches them to treasure something deeper than the power they have witnessed: their names are written in heaven.
There is room in discipleship to bring the Savior our gladness as well as our weariness. As you read, consider what His answer teaches about the joy that lasts beyond a successful day.
A pattern for every disciple
Love, Share, Invite
Sharing the gospel is not limited to full-time missionaries. It can grow naturally from Christlike love, honest friendship, and respect for each person's agency.
Love
See the person first
Pray for people, listen without an agenda, and serve because they are children of God, not because you expect a particular response.
Share
Speak naturally of goodness
Share what gives you hope in Jesus Christ through ordinary conversation, personal experience, scripture, and quiet example.
Invite
Open a door without pressure
Offer a simple invitation to learn, worship, serve, or meet missionaries, then honor the answer with warmth and friendship.
An invitation to know Him
They asked Him to stay
In John 4:39–42, people from the Samaritan town come to Jesus after hearing the woman’s testimony and ask Him to stay. He remains with them for two days. Their faith grows as they hear Him for themselves.
One person’s witness can open a door. John then lets us hear the townspeople speak of what they have come to know. When we invite someone to learn of Christ, we can give them time to read, listen, ask, and discover their own faith in Him.
Every nation, kindred, tongue, and people
A Worldwide Work, Lived One Person at a Time
Missionaries serve across languages, cultures, cities, villages, and local communities. The setting changes, but the pattern remains: love people, respect their agency, teach clearly, and point them toward Jesus Christ.
Scriptures that shape the work
Study the invitation to serve and gather
Matthew 28:19–20
Teach all nations
The risen Lord commissions His disciples to teach, baptize, and trust His continuing presence.
Doctrine and Covenants 4:3
Desires to serve
The Lord connects a willing desire with a call to participate in His work.
Doctrine and Covenants 18:15–16
Joy in helping souls return
Missionary service finds its deepest joy in helping even one person come unto Jesus Christ.
Mosiah 18:8–9
Bear one another's burdens
Disciples witness of God through compassion, comfort, and a willingness to mourn with others.
A place to gather
Explore and study
Christ looks across a relief center where people share blankets and supplies near damaged buildings.
Tents and tables fill the plaza while people distribute blankets and supplies. Christ looks across the gathering from a low stone wall. The damaged buildings remain in view, but so do the many people working to meet immediate needs.
Matthew 25 draws our attention to people who need food, shelter and care. Some of us can carry supplies; others can cook, organize or listen. A community needs each of these gifts. As neighbors find their footing again, a meal together can bring the pleasure of ordinary company as well as relief.
Who nearby could use practical help and a patient listener?
Called to serve
Different Assignments, the Same Savior
Missionary calls and assignments are suited to the missionary and to the needs of God's children.
Young adults
Teaching Missionaries
Young elders and sisters serve away from home, learn to teach the gospel, and invite people to come closer to Jesus Christ.
Learn about teaching missionsLocal service
Service Missionaries
Young service missionaries live at home and serve God and His children through assignments shaped around local needs and individual capacity.
Explore service missionsExperience offered
Senior Missionaries
Senior couples and individuals may teach, support Church operations, strengthen local leaders, serve charities, and use a lifetime of experience to bless others.
Discover senior opportunitiesHis care along the way
He goes with them
In Doctrine and Covenants 84:88, the Lord promises to go before those He sends and be beside them. As you look at Jesus beside two missionaries on a neighborhood street, consider what His promise means for those who serve.
His promise in Matthew 28:20 reaches beyond the first joyful conversation. A long walk, a difficult question, or a quiet day of service can also become a place to turn toward Him. The picture invites us to trust His companionship.
A welcome and a conversation
Begin with peace
In Luke 10:5–7, Jesus teaches His disciples to enter a home with a greeting of peace and receive the hospitality offered there. This pictured welcome invites us to linger over those simple instructions.
A conversation about faith can begin with that same care for another person. Listen to what matters to them. Share a passage when it is welcome, and let friendship continue even when the next step takes time.
A simple first conversation
What Happens When You Meet Missionaries?
You can meet at home, online, at church, or in another comfortable public place. Missionaries will listen to your questions, pray with you, read scripture with you, and discuss the teachings of Jesus Christ. Missionary visits are free.
- Choose a time and place.Meet in the setting that feels comfortable to you.
- Bring your questions.The conversation should begin with what matters to you.
- Decide your next step.You choose whether and how the conversation continues.
Bring a question from your reading or a conversation you are preparing for.
Continue the journey
Choose a path to learn or serve
Follow a trusted source, deepen your study, or begin a real conversation.
Study Preach My Gospel
Learn the doctrine, skills, and Christlike purpose that guide missionary service.
Explore Church History
Meet the people who helped share the restored gospel around the world, and read the records of their lives.
Discover Global Stories
Use the official Church History collection to learn how faith took root in many places.
Meet Missionaries
Ask questions and learn about Jesus Christ in a free conversation arranged around you.
Independent website. focusChrist is not an official website of, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Missionary information and next steps link to current official Church resources.
Watch, read, and reflect
Faith shared through words and service
These messages join personal testimony with sincere care for another person.
Church video
What Do Missionaries Do?
See how missionaries seek to follow Jesus Christ by teaching His gospel and serving people.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church video
Missionary Work: Sharing What Is in Your Heart
Explore simple, respectful ways disciples can love, share, and invite.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Study before a conversation, or continue afterward
Meeting missionaries can bring both curiosity and uncertainty. You can prepare by reading a short passage and bringing your own questions. You may ask what a term means, request the source of a teaching, or say that you need more time. A respectful conversation makes room for your background and your choices.
In Matthew 28:18-20, the risen Jesus commissions His disciples to teach and baptize, and promises His presence. Read the commission with its focus on Him. It explains the Christian invitation to discipleship; it does not remove another person's freedom to consider, ask, or decline an invitation.
Start with Jesus Christ
Learn what Latter-day Saints mean by His Atonement and Resurrection. Bring a question about how those beliefs shape daily discipleship.
Read a passage before discussing the book
Explore its purpose and try a focused reading. Separate questions about its teachings from questions about its origin.
Consider the invitation to pray
Learn about prayer and recognizing guidance, including times when answers come slowly.
After a conversation, return to the original passage and write down what was explained, what you understood differently, and what remains open. You do not need to resolve every question in one visit.