Waiting for Your Mission Call: What to Expect

As a parent or a soon-to-be missionary, the time between submitting your mission papers and receiving the mission call can feel LONG! Part of it is the unknown…when will your mission call come? When do you plan your mission call opening?

I always find that the more I know, the less worried I am. So I want to help you know exactly what to expect with your mission call.

Let’s dive into how mission calls are assigned and what to expect with receiving your mission call.

How are mission calls assigned for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

After submitting your mission papers, you will see this message in the missionary portal, “Once your stake president submits your recommendation to Church headquarters, it will go through a review process and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will make your mission assignment.”

So exciting! I loved seeing this Facebook post by Elder Oaks about the mission call assignment (shared on the church website here). https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-oaks-shares-missionary-assignment-process

I think it is important to know how the assignments are done so you can understand that they do take time. And honestly, there are many things that could play into your call taking longer or coming super fast, including:

Speed of Stake President Submission: I have heard of many, many missionaries eagerly awaiting their call for weeks only to find out the Stake President hadn’t actually hit submit after the final interview. They are so busy and have a lot going on! This is why I recommend having your missionary follow up with his/her priesthood leader about a week after the stake president interview just to make sure that things are in motion.
Time of year: There will usually be a big influx of mission paper submissions right after General conferences and in the spring time (as high school seniors get ready to graduate and are eligible to leave).
Number of submissions: If you submit your papers during a less busy time, your call could come faster.

How long does it take to receive a mission call?

The official word from the church is that it can take from two to six weeks to receive your mission call after it is fully submitted.

It has been more than six weeks since I submitted my mission papers and I still haven’t gotten my call, what do I do?

I would recommend first going to your priesthood leader (Bishop or Branch President) and have them check their portal for your status. It is possible that it wasn’t submitted by the Stake President.

If the status is showing as Ready for Assignment and it has been six weeks, I would have your Priesthood Leader call to find out what the hold up is.

How do I know my mission call is coming the following week?

There are three ways to potentially see if your mission call will be coming that week. Please don’t yell at me if these tricks don’t work for you. I’ve heard of them working and NOT working for different people.

Priesthood Leader Portal: Become close friends with your Bishop/Branch president. 😉 They can log into their own portal and check the status of your child’s mission call. Current status options are “In Progress, Ready for Assignment, Assignment Made/Call Letter Pending.” You can ask your Priesthood Leader to check the status (maybe on Sundays?) and text you when it shows Assignment Made/Call Letter Pending which would indicate that you’ll get your mission call that week.
Missionary Email Assignment: This trick worked for us, but I know of others who say it didn’t for them…so your mileage may vary. Have your son/daughter go to mail.missionary.org. If they can log in using their usual church login name and password that means they have a missionary account created and will be getting their call that week.
Church Donation Option: As a parent, log into your own church account. Click on your account, then select “Donation” which will pull up a page that looks like a tithing slip. There is a drop down box under “Ward Missionary” that lists all the people in your ward serving missions that you could donate money to. If your child’s name shows up…the mission call might be coming this week!

You also might like: 10 things to do after opening your mission call

What days do LDS mission calls come?

Currently, missionaries are receiving that special text/SMS message notifying them their mission call is available on TUESDAYS around 11 a.m. MST. **In 2024, we are now seeing some missionaries receiving their calls on FRIDAYS!**

Do Holidays effect mission call assignments?

I hate to be this person but Yes! And also Maybe! And possibly No! 🙂 We have seen cases of mission call texts or SMS messages coming in the late afternoon on Tuesdays after a Monday holiday.

Of course, this would only effect you if your call was in queue to come the week of the holiday. This makes for crazy mind games because you can’t be 100% sure your call is coming that week!

So if you are waiting for a mission call, and it is the Tuesday after a holiday…just plan on anxiously waiting for that special text ALL DAY.

How do I get my mission call?

The missionary portal at missionary.churchofjesuschrist.org is where your call letter will be posted when it is ready.

You will receive a text/SMS to the contact number you listed in your mission papers letting you know your mission call is available.

Related Content: 100 of the Best Extras for Missionaries

How do I not lose my mind waiting for a mission call?

I know, I know! We are so excited that it is almost torture waiting to receive the call. Here are some ideas to help you bide your time while waiting.

Visit the Missionary Portal at missionary.churchofjesuschrist.org : It is a wealth of information and inspiration to help you prepare for your mission. Every time you think about your call, jump on the portal and watch a video, read a post or explore!
Call your relatives and ask them questions about their mission/mission call: This is a fun way to connect with family, learn, and get distracted! Ask them what they wish they had known before their mission, the best thing they took with them, what they wish they hadn’t taken, their favorite memory, what they learned etc.
Prep for your mission call opening: Check out this post about How to Plan A Memorable Mission Call Opening that has ideas of things to do to make your mission call extra fun and celebratory. None of these things are necessary…you might want to have a quiet mission call opening at home with just your family…but it can be fun (and a great missionary tool!) to have a mission call opening celebration.
Get the ball rolling to submit your passport application: If you don’t already have a passport, you might want to find out where to apply and get the paperwork started. I wouldn’t actually submit paperwork (unless you want to?) because it does cost around $110. But having the paperwork filled out and knowing where to submit it is half the battle.
Read talks in the Gospel Library about missionary work: Wondering where you’ll get called? Thinking non-stop about where you will go? Hop onto the gospel library app and type in “missionary” to get a bunch of amazing talks.
Mark your favorite scriptures: As a missionary, you’ll want to share with investigators what your favorite scriptures are. Get some scripture marking pencils and find all your favorites.
Help with ward missionary work: Contact the ward missionary leaders and ask if there is some way you can help! You can be a missionary while you wait.

Your mission papers are submitted. Your call is on the way! I know it is hard to wait to be patient, but try to enjoy this time when an apostle of the Lord is looking at a picture of YOU and receiving revelation where you will serve as a missionary.