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Every year, tens of thousands of young Latter-day Saints embark on a journey to serve as full-time missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These missionaries, who often travel globally, dedicate 18 to 24 months of their lives to sharing the gospel message and following the example of Jesus Christ. They serve at their own expense and prioritize service over personal interests.
Currently, nearly 80,000 young men and women are engaged in missionary work across 450 missions worldwide. The safety and well-being of these missionaries are paramount concerns for the Church. To mitigate risks, each missionary undergoes training and adheres to specific standards designed to protect them physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Missionary standards include living by moral commandments such as honesty and healthy living, maintaining physical health through regular exercise, focusing on mental health, staying with assigned companions, communicating regularly with family, following guidelines when entering homes, returning home by specified times depending on local conditions, using technology responsibly without disclosing personal information, avoiding carrying cash or valuables, steering clear of high-risk activities like contact sports or swimming, reporting safety threats promptly including assaults or harassment incidents, and adhering to service guidelines that prohibit handling dangerous machinery.
Training for missionary safety is conducted frequently in various settings such as missionary training centers and mission conferences. Key topics covered include automobile safety through driver certification programs and monitoring systems in some areas; bicycle safety including equipment usage; carbon monoxide and smoke detector awareness; cultural sensitivity; diet hygiene; exercise routines; electrical safety measures; insect bite prevention strategies; pedestrian safety practices; appropriate behavior with children; securing safe housing; managing natural disasters or political unrest situations; situational awareness techniques; and stress management skills.
The Church has supplemented its "Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ" booklet with a series of "SafetyZone" videos released in 2019. These informative videos are shown during training sessions at missionary centers and throughout the duration of a missionary's service to educate them about potential hazards they may encounter.
Despite comprehensive precautions and guidelines aimed at ensuring their safety while serving others around the world—accidents can still occur resulting from unforeseen medical issues or criminal acts which have tragically led sometimes even towards serious injuries or deaths among missionaries involved within these circumstances—the Church remains committed towards providing necessary support both emotionally & physically whenever required alongside offering numerous resources available via Gospel Library application teaching essential principles regarding overall personal protection methods utilized amongst all active members participating directly therein."
