Senior Missionary Opportunities*
Finding Places for Church Members to Serve as Full-Time, Away-from-Home Senior Missionaries or as Part-Time, Live-at-Home Senior Service Missionaries

I.  Seniors Are Needed as Missionaries.

You should plan to serve a mission when you are a “senior”.  For full-time “Senior Missionaries” a “senior” is at least 40 years old.   For at-home “Senior Service Missionaries” a “senior” is at least 26 years old.  You should not wait for your Bishop or Stake President to ask you to serve.  To be a missionary, you need a desire to serve, a love of God, a love of people, and a Temple Recommend.

  1. Click here to watch Elder Rasband's 13-minute General Conference talk given in the Saturday afternoon session of the 193rd semi-annual General Conference held on September 30, 2023. In his talk, Elder Rasband renewed the challenge to “senior” members of the Church to consider serving as Senior Missionaries or Senior Service Missionaries.  [The link is for the 720p version.  For the 1080p version, click here.]

  2. Senior Missionaries” are full-time missionaries and usually serve away from home.  “Senior Service Missionaries” are part-time missionaries and live at home.  Which type of mission best fits your circumstances?
Senior Missionary
Full-Time, Away-from-Home
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Senior Service Missionary
Part-Time, Live-at-Home
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“If you have the finances, health, and family support to allow it, please consider a full-time mission.  Thousands of full-time opportunities are available and are the greatest priority.”**

  • Married couple or single individual; age 40 and above.
  • No dependents living at home.
  • Able to pay $1,900 to $5,200 a month.†
  • Sufficient health for full-time service.‡
  • Not employed; able to live away from home 6-24 months.
  • Single or married; age 26 or older.
  • Married individuals may serve even if spouse does not.  Spouses can serve in different positions.
  • May have one or more dependents living at home.
  • No additional cost beyond normal living expenses.
  • Sufficient health for part-time service.‡
  • Need not be retired.
  • “Virtual” opportunities are available for those who have an interest in serving using their Internet-connected computers without leaving their homes.
To explore opportunities for a full-time Senior Mission, click here. To explore opportunities for a part-time Senior Service Mission, click here.


II.  Help from Senior Missionary Coordinators

If you need help finding a missionary opportunity that is right for you, contact the Senior Missionary Coordinators (SMCs) assigned to your stake.  SMCs help promote and facilitate missionary work among senior Church members.  The North America Southwest Area is divided into ten Senior Service Missionary Groups, each of which has an SMC couple assigned.  For a list of the current SMCs for the NASW Area, click here.   If you are not sure who are the Senior Missionary Coordinators for your area, please contact the NASW Support Advisers (Elder and Sister Rushforth, https://seniormission.org/sa/), and either of them can tell you whom you should contact.


III.  Conclusion

Start planning your mission.  If family circumstances, physical health, and finances permit, please consider a full-time Senior Mission, usually serving away from home.  If not, please consider a live-at-home, part-time Senior Service Mission.  Set up a planning schedule so that you can be ready as soon as possible.  Let your Stake Senior Missionary Specialist or Senior Missionary Coordinators help you find the right missionary opportunity for you.  WE NEED YOU!

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Notes

**“Senior Missionary Service Made Simple”, Ensign, January 2019.

†Discuss possible funding options with your priesthood leaders.

‡Some missionary opportunities can be adapted to health conditions, including disabilities.



*Not an official page of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Updated January 28, 2025