October 11, 2025, 4:00 AM MDT
When most people think of the missionary work of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they envision young people wearing name tags preaching the gospel on far-off porches.
However, a quiet movement of experienced disciples is increasingly changing the face of evangelism. One phone call, one online lesson, one shift at the Bishop’s warehouse at a time.
These are senior service missionaries, everyday Latter-day Saints who serve the Lord in powerful ways close to home.
Unlike full-time senior missionaries who serve away from home, senior service missionaries live in their homes and serve in their communities.
Men and women over the age of 26, whether single or married, retired or still working, are eligible to serve in assignments that fit their schedules, abilities, and spiritual gifts.
For example, Elder Gary Futral and Sister Nancy Futral serve up to 30 or 40 hours a week from their home in Acworth, Georgia.
“Every senior service assignment has training, even if you think you can’t do it because you don’t know anything about it,” Sister Hutral said, adding, “The Lord doesn’t want us to just sit around and do nothing. Senior service assignments are great opportunities to be of service to the Lord.”
prophet’s call
The late President Russell M. Nelson spoke many times about senior missionaries, calling them “invaluable” in April 2022 general conference and “often literal answers to the prayers of bishops and branch presidents” in April 2016 general conference.
In the same speech in April 2016, he also said, “If you’re starting to think you’re not needed, let me reassure you that you are. There’s not a mission president in the church who doesn’t want more couples serving in missions.”
And in October 2004 general conference, while still a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, President Nelson said senior missionaries are “young in spirit, wise, and willing to work. . . . These dear members serve joyfully and strengthen the lives of others. Even though these seniors may not know the local language, their accomplishments are great and their spirit of sacrifice is priceless.”
President Nelson is not the only Church leader to encourage senior Latter-day Saints to consider serving in the ministry. In 2011, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Our message to older couples is simple: We desperately need you, and we are doing everything we can to make your visit as convenient as possible. The Lord has promised endless blessings to His servants in the vineyard. So go. The times call for it. There are people who need you.”
Most recently, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the need for senior missionaries in October 2023 general conference, saying, “There are many ways senior missionaries can do things that no one else can do. You are a great force for good, experienced in the Church, and ready to encourage and save God’s children.”
Elder Rasband recognized that senior missionaries make many sacrifices, including missing out on important family milestones. However, he reassured the senior Latter-day Saints that the blessings of making such sacrifices to serve as missionaries include the blessings of their families.
He also encouraged seniors to consider the “variety of opportunities” available to them, from serving in missions and temples to providing humanitarian aid to working at Family Search centers, historic sites and research institutes.
“As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask you to serve and perhaps serve again as a missionary to the congregations of Israel,” Elder Rasband said. “We need you. We need you. We are grateful for the lives you have led and the examples you have set in your homes, wards, and stakes. Now, we want you to use your know-how and years of testimony to serve a mission.”
listen to the call
Senior missionaries past and present have countless stories of faith, miracles, and testimonies of the Lord’s love.
Below are some of their testimonies compiled by the church’s Office of Outreach Missions and recently shared through the Joyful Senior Services Facebook page.
Sister Shauna Kay wrote that she “really enjoyed the privilege” of serving on the Young Women General Historic Preservation Committee, where she conducted monthly interviews with members of the Young Women General Presidency and others in the Church History Department’s office.
“When I was in this position, there was a different spirit in the house,” writes Sister Kay, who still serves as a senior missionary. “I have been able to hear and record their stories of service all over the world. They are such loving, caring, and kind women. Every time I spoke to them, they made me want to be better. There were many interviews filled with both laughter and tears. I always felt the Spirit as I listened to how God was working in their lives. . . . These are ordinary people living extraordinary lives serving their Savior.”
Elder Kenneth Rousey wrote that he and his wife, Sister Jean Rousey, serve at the FamilySearch Library. Although the experience was “not at all what I expected,” it was “perfect” for him.
He went on to say that he and Sister Lousey work on a team that digitizes books, saying, “This is a single piece of work that is important in bringing Israel together on both sides of the veil. Just as Church authorities provide temples to people by scanning books and making them available on FamilySearch, we are giving people libraries so they can search for their ancestors anywhere in the world.”
Elder Lousey wrote that service is not a specific role, but a mindset, and a commitment to directing one’s energy toward something meaningful.
“Whether in a mission at home or abroad, in a quiet office or a bustling place, your service is needed and will make a difference in ways you may not realize,” he wrote. “This is an uplifting experience that allows you to strengthen your own family while blessing others.”
Sister Leslie Gekeritz shared her experience serving at the Joseph Smith Memorial for eight years before being released in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She currently serves at the Church History Museum, which is “very spiritual,” she wrote.
“I have learned much about the history of the Church and my testimony has grown in many meaningful ways,” Sister Gekeritz wrote. “The people I serve with are great examples of Christ-like living, and I have had the privilege of sharing my testimony on several occasions. … I have been incredibly blessed to have served as a senior missionary for many years. I absolutely love meeting and greeting visitors and sharing what I have learned about the Church with them.”
Elder Stephen B. Lloyd and his wife, Sister Vicki Lloyd, wrote about their heartbreaking yet beautiful experience ministering to women recovering from addiction in the Utah State Penitentiary.
Elder Lloyd specifically remembers his first visit to the prison with Sister Lloyd: “I looked around and at first I saw women serving time for their mistakes. But then the Spirit touched my heart. The Lord said clearly to my heart, ‘Steve, I love each of these women as much as I love you. You are not better than any of them. They are my daughters.’
“My eyes filled with tears then and now as I remember that moment. The Spirit taught me something I’ll never forget: God’s love is the same for all of God’s children, no matter what they’ve been through.”
Sister Lloyd added that she is amazed at the strength that incarcerated women show when trying to change.
“Watching their hearts and lives truly change is incredibly rewarding,” she wrote.
Sister Heather Nielsen, who serves in the Episcopal Storehouse, writes about helping women order food. The Nielsen sisters said the woman was visibly distraught and eventually told them that this was the first time she had learned about her father’s kidney failure.
The woman asked for a blessing, and Sister Nielsen found two senior missionaries to bless her. Later, the woman said it was no coincidence that she was heading to the bishop’s warehouse when she learned of her father’s health problems.
“She said she felt at peace and knew she would get the physical, spiritual and emotional help she needed,” Sister Nielsen wrote. “This experience strengthened my testimony that God knows each of His children and allows us to be His hands in blessing others.”
