Coverage of the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders

In January, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the names of the newly called mission leaders for 188 missions worldwide, including 55 newly created missions.

From June 18-21, these couples heard counsel and instruction from each member of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, as well as other members of the Missionary Executive Council, before they report to their missions in July.

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Opening the four-day 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders on Thursday, June 18, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — who chairs the Missionary Executive Council — announced that 193 couples from 26 countries will serve in 64 nations. Thirteen of the couples participated in the seminar remotely from the Brazil and Ghana MTCs.

Elder Rasband encouraged the leaders to be defenders and protectors of missionaries’ faith.

“If false narratives weaken their faith, the truth will strengthen their faith,” he said. “I promise you that truth will fill them with a desire to fulfill their purpose.”

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Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the 2026 Seminar for New Mission Leaders on Thursday, June 18, 2026, in the Provo Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. 2026 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Currently, 87,000 missionaries are serving around the world, but “in coming weeks, we will have the largest number of full-time missionaries in the Church’s history,” President Dallin H. Oaks told new mission leaders on Saturday, June 20.

The prophet dentified three overlapping characteristics of “the only true and living church,” one of which is a “unique and true testimony of Christ. That is the key to everything else,” he said.

Learn more in this related Newsroom article. President Oaks Says Soon There Will Be More Missionaries Than Ever

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said Thursday that today’s missionaries are called in a manner similar to how Christ called his apostles and early leaders of his church: “Willingness first, ability in time.”

He added: “No matter who you are, if you have desires to serve, you’re on the team. You don’t have to be good at it in order to start. Just follow Jesus Christ, walk in His paths, and seek to become more like Him.”

President D. Todd Christofferson, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, who spoke on Friday, June 19, said that repentance is not only a doctrine, “it is central to fulfilling our divine purpose.”

“The Good Shepherd rejoices when we repent and return to His fold, and when we help another to repent, we share in this joy and feel a part of what He feels,” President Christofferson said. “For a missionary, could there be a sweeter or more life-shaping experience than this?”

Closing the seminar on Sunday, June 21, President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, said mission service opportunities are each unique for each person called to serve, and the Lord likewise gives unique blessings to those who serve.

“Your mission will build faith. He has called you and your missionaries to His service. He chose you to bless the missionaries He calls to your mission. He has a plan for their service and for yours,” he said.

Besides devotional-type meetings and discussions with Church leaders, the seminar included breakout sessions, panel discussions and classroom activities where the new mission leaders practiced teaching with new missionaries who are training in the MTC.

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