How are calls made?

[allredcon]

How are mission calls made? Does your background REALLY make a difference? Or do they pick anyone to really go anywhere. Say someone wanted to speak a different language; is it just luck of the draw? What about if you want to stay in the states?

[LDSVALLEY]

I joined the church as a married adult and never went on a mission and kids are not old enough yet.
But Mission calls come from prayer and the spirit. While the Lord might take into account any natural abilities you have speaking French to a French language country for example it is not universal. Know of a fluent French speaking Missionary went to a Spainish language based country while an English one from the same Stake went to France at the same time.

While I have seen a few local leadership pick people for callings not based on prayer that is the exception. The vast majority of calling including Mission calls are based on the direction of the Lord.

[tubaloth]

There probably are a lot of different factors. What missions need missionaires that month that you are going out. The place where you are from, and also what your local leaders right about it. The Bishop and Stake President write about what they know about it. We are talking about like how good did you do in school, to lanagues you took, to how long you have been a member and so forth. I think with that information then the church, is guided to where you should serve.

With deep and humble prayer, lots of fasting too.

[Misshalfway]

Originally Posted by Utahrulzz

With deep and humble prayer, lots of fasting too.

Yeah...but they take into account a lot of things such as health concerns, etc. And I am sure the local leaders send commentary about special cases and unique concerns. They do (at least they did when I applied) ask if you know any other languages. So, I guess what I am saying is that there is human influence and decision making involved.

I also wonder sometimes if we were to see the war board of missions and their needs/changes/world events etc. that this would also influence how decisions are made and the content of prayers.

[Justinator1]

“I have had [many] experiences feeling of the Holy Ghost…But I’ve never felt what I have felt as I have…participated in the assigning of missionaries…Because of technology, it is possible for us to have your picture and the information about you displayed. And then quickly, on that same screen, all the missions of the Church with all of their needs are displayed. Within minutes, and sometimes less than a minute, the impression comes so powerfully that it would be, if it were a single instance, something that you would never forget. Can you imagine sitting there for hours at a time, having that happen time after time without interruption? I testify to you that it is real…[The Lord] somehow not only knows you but loves you enough to ensure that your call is where He needs you to go to teach the children of our Heavenly Father.”

(Pres. Henry B. Eyring, “Called of God,” address delivered at the Missionary Training Center, Aug. 26, 1997).

[cougarfan]

Originally Posted by Justinator1

(Pres. Henry B. Eyring, “Called of God,” address delivered at the Missionary Training Center, Aug. 26, 1997).

That is a very interesting quote. When I was a young man I was called on a mission and got all the information about what to bring and everything, then, about a week before I was to enter the MTC they changed my mission. They sent me to a different place. I always wondered about that one. I had to buy totally different stuff because the weather was so different in the two missions.

I wonder if they do the changes the same way they do the callings. Of course this was before all the technology so it would have been a lot different.