Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending on the particular mission, a mission president may also be the presiding priesthood leader of some or all Latter-day Saints within the geographic boundaries of the mission.
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Mission presidents are assigned to a mission by the leadership of the LDS church and typically discover the location a few months before their departure.[1] Mission presidents are typically men between 40 and 65 years old.[2] A mission president must be married; typically, his wife and any minor children accompany him on his mission. Mission presidents are either retired or leave their vocations for three years to preside over their mission. Prominent examples include a former United States Congressman,[3] a former Governor of Utah,[1] a two-time Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award recipient,[4] and a Harvard Business School professor.[5] They usually leave in July, though some leave at different times due to emergencies or medical conditions.
Candidates are typically interviewed after the autumn conference of the LDS Church by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Mission presidents supervise a group of approximately 60-200 missionaries and direct their missionary labors.[4] Missionaries are typically between the ages of 19-25, but can also include senior-aged couples.
Mission presidents are usually assisted by two counselors who reside within the mission boundaries; the three men together constitute the mission presidency and are each given the honorific title "President". The counselors serve in the mission presidency for varying periods of time while maintaining their regular employment. The responsibilities of the counselors are generally oriented towards the members of the church within the mission.
Mission presidents are also assisted by two or more full-time missionaries under the title of "assistant to the president", whose duties are primarily directed toward supervision of the missionary work under the direction of the mission president. These assistants lead an independent hierarchy that may or may not correspond with local church units. The role of a mission president's wife varies depending on the age of her children and her background.
Where there are no stakes in the mission boundaries, the mission president is the presiding authority over the church within the mission. In that instance, the mission is divided into districts which are composed of branches.
Mission presidents are typically respected and admired by the missionaries they supervise. Obedience to the mission president is considered a vital part of missionary work.
After his three-year term ends, a mission president generally returns to his vocation and activity in his home ward and stake. Many general authorities of the church have previously served as mission presidents, but it is not necessary for a person to have been a mission president to become a general authority.
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