The mission papers, from a parent's side.

Your LDS missionary starts their mission papers by meeting with their bishop, who gives them access to the Church's online recommendation. Along the way come a medical and a dental exam and interviews with the bishop and the stake president. Then the stake president submits the papers, up to 150 days before your missionary is available to serve. That's from the Church's Missionary FAQ  (opens the Church's page in a new tab) and Planning When to Serve a Mission  (opens the Church's page in a new tab).

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It starts with the bishop.

To start, your missionary meets with their bishop. He gives them access to the Church's Missionary Online Recommendation system.

If they attend a young single adult ward and live away from home, they talk with that ward's bishop first. He works with your home ward's bishop.

The papers are your missionary's own, so let them lead. You can help with rides to appointments, finding records, and keeping track of what's done.

When they can serve.

Single young men can serve from ages 18 to 25, and single young women from 18 to 29. Elders serve for 24 months and sisters for 18.

Your missionary chooses an availability date, the day they can begin. It can't come before they've reached the age to serve, been a confirmed member of the Church for at least a year, and finished high school.

The Church's planning page suggests leaving at least two weeks between the start of the mission and their 18th birthday and their graduation.

It also suggests leaving time to receive the temple endowment before the mission begins.

Starting between November and May usually means fewer new missionaries at the MTC and in their group arriving in the field, so they might get more individual attention or a more experienced trainer.

And it says that choosing to spend more time preparing doesn't mean someone is any less willing, worthy or obedient.

The medical and dental exams.

A physician and a dentist both examine your missionary. The Church says they can find anything that should be taken care of before the mission begins, and give guidance for staying healthy in the field.

The medical exams can take up to several months to complete, so the Church suggests allowing plenty of time.

Many countries require missionaries to have certain vaccinations.

Healthy wisdom teeth no longer have to come out before a mission. The Church says removal should be considered when teeth show signs of disease or pose a significant risk.

The Church asks for complete medical, mental health and background information, and says accurate information will bless your missionary during their service.

Passport and visa.

The Church names passport and visa requirements among the things that take time before a mission, and says submitting the papers earlier leaves more time to finish them.

Which documents your missionary needs is a question for your bishop. Ask him early what to start on.

The interviews.

Both the bishop and the stake president interview your missionary. The handbook asks them to talk first about your missionary's physical, mental and emotional health readiness and their finances, then about their testimony and worthiness.

If they have concerns, the handbook says they may also counsel with a young missionary's parents, with the missionary's permission.

The money side has its own guide: read what a mission costs, and who pays.

When the papers go in.

The stake president can submit the papers up to 150 days before your missionary's availability date. The sooner he submits them, the more likely your missionary will leave close to that date.

The Church encourages starting with the bishop well before that 150-day window, to leave time to finish everything.

The papers usually go in through your home ward and stake.

Then comes the wait: read waiting for the call.

Our tips for new missionaries are written for your missionary, if they'd like to read them.