What a mission costs, and who pays.

While your LDS missionary serves, they and your family give a specific amount each month to your ward's missionary fund. The Church's handbook says missionaries and their families have primary responsibility for it, and that no one who has prepared should be delayed from serving for financial reasons. The amount isn't on the Church's pages this guide follows, so ask your bishop. That's from the General Handbook  (opens the Church's page in a new tab).

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The monthly contribution.

In some countries, the amount is the same for each missionary, wherever they serve, and it's set at Church headquarters.

In other countries, the bishop, the stake president, your missionary and your family agree on an amount together, and it's recorded in the papers.

The handbook says leaders can get the list of countries and the amount from the Missionary Department or the area office, so your bishop is the one to ask.

Each month the Church withdraws the contribution from the ward missionary fund and uses it for missionary work worldwide.

When payments start.

Contributions begin when your missionary arrives on-site for MTC training, not during training at home.

A missionary account opens in your ward's records when the call comes. Each month is charged for the days your missionary was in the field, MTC days included, and if they come home early, only for the days they served.

The Church's finance guidelines ask the ward to share the account's balance with the people paying it, such as parents.

Month by month.

The handbook asks that no more than the monthly amount be given in advance.

Contributions are consecrated to the Lord and can't be refunded, even if a missionary comes home early, so the Church discourages paying for a mission ahead of time.

Help from family, friends and the ward.

Extended family and friends can help. Those who live in your missionary's home country can give to your ward's missionary fund for them, and where the Church's online donations are available, they can choose your missionary's account.

Someone in another country gives to the General Missionary Fund instead, which can't be set aside for one missionary.

If your family needs help, the handbook asks the bishop to counsel with you about what you can give, and says he may adjust the amount for your family's circumstances. If need remains, the bishop or stake president may ask ward or stake members to give to the ward missionary fund.

The Church asks leaders and members not to ask people outside their own ward or stake to help pay for a mission, except family.

Money in the field.

Each month, the mission gives your missionary support funds for food, transportation and other living costs. They're asked to use them only for the mission, and not to save them or send any home.

Other costs come from personal funds, the money sent from home. The Missionary Standards list costs such as replacement clothes and shoes, a bike and its repairs, medical costs the mission doesn't pay (such as copays, normal eye or dental visits and care for preexisting conditions), and souvenirs and gifts.

The handbook asks that personal costs be kept small, and the Church's finance guidelines ask bishops to encourage families to give the monthly contribution before sending money to their missionary.

The Church strongly encourages missionaries to keep their existing medical insurance if they can.

Before they leave.

Clothes, shoes and luggage come before the mission. The full list of what to bring is in the Missionary Portal after the call. Our missionary packing list can sit beside it.

Healthy wisdom teeth no longer have to come out before a mission, which the Church says avoids unnecessary procedures and reduces costs for families.

For the steps before the call, read the mission papers, from a parent's side. When the call comes, read opening the mission call.