Mission field

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In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the term Mission field metaphorically refers to the "place" (ie field) where missionary work is done.

It does not represent a geographical location, but rather represents the masses of people waiting to hear the Church's message, regardless of their location, or their current religious convictions. The term stems from verses in the Doctrine and Covenants which state that "the field is white, already to harvest". This is typically understood as a field of wheat, which when is ripe and ready to be harvested appears white on the top. It is understood that this represents a world which is full of people who are ready to hear the message of the restored gospel, usually via the church's missionaries, and accept conversion into the church. This imagery is reminiscent metaphors in the New Testament which speak of converts as fruit.

[edit] Other uses

Some church members use the term "mission field" to mean locations where the majority of the population are not church members. This type of usage is generally found in Utah, and is used to describe locations outside of Utah. Many church members outside of Utah find this usage condescending and annoying, though the meaning is usually more humorous than a reflection of true feelings.

For instance, some Mormons in Salt Lake City joke that "the mission field begins at 5200 South," a reference to a street about seven miles from the center of town, but few truly believe that geography has anything to do with finding the mission field.