{"id":504546,"date":"2026-01-09T20:48:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/504546\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T20:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T20:48:17","slug":"church-announces-new-missionary-approach-at-temple-square-church-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/504546\/","title":{"rendered":"Church announces new missionary approach at Temple Square \u2013 Church News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is adjusting how sister missionaries serve at Temple Square to enhance the guest experience and increase missionary opportunities as the Church prepares for the anticipated Salt Lake Temple open house<\/a> in 2027.<\/p>\n

Sister missionaries will continue serving on Temple Square but will now be assigned to a surrounding mission, sharing their time between a teaching area and Temple Square. This approach mirrors successful models used at the 13 other temple visitors\u2019 centers worldwide.<\/p>\n

Elder Ronald A. Rasband<\/a> of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about the adjustment in a morning devotional with the 128 sister missionaries of the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building on Friday, Jan. 9. <\/p>\n

\"ElderElder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n

The sister missionaries reacted to the historic news with audible gasps.<\/p>\n

Elder Rasband, who chairs the Missionary Executive Council, acknowledged that the sisters were feeling a wide range of emotions. <\/p>\n

\u201cI bear witness that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know you and love you,\u201d he told them. <\/p>\n

And he testified that the Lord is hastening His work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the Lord\u2019s work. You are a part of it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are the pioneer sisters who will begin this now. Others will follow you for years now in this new model, but you are the first ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SisterSister missionaries react to an announcement that they will be reassigned from the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission to another nearby mission in Utah during a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n

He gave them an apostolic blessing that Heavenly Father would bless every one of them and they will be able to share not just this news with others but also their witness and their testimony.<\/p>\n

Elder Rasband told the sisters more about his experience serving as a part-time guide on Temple Square from 1972 to 1976 when he was a university student after his full-time mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cMissionaries at Temple Square play an important role in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, as they welcome millions of visitors from around the world,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Church expresses gratitude for these faithful sisters who have served in this mission over the years. Moving forward, the dedicated service of sister missionaries will continue to be a blessing and allow Temple Square to be a place of inspiration for people of all faiths and backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Elder W. Mark Bassett<\/a>, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Missionary Department, outlined the adjustments and offered further explanation on Friday morning, he testified to the sisters that \u201cthis is a wonderful opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Elder W. Mark Bassett, General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Missionary Department, speaks at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Elder Bassett was president of the Arizona Mesa Mission, which included the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors\u2019 Center, so he saw firsthand the blessing of sisters serving both in teaching areas and at a visitors\u2019 center.<\/p>\n

While this adjustment has been in the works for a long time, \u201cthis was given to us from heaven,\u201d Elder Bassett said. \u201cI want you to know that this work is led by the Savior, Jesus Christ. \u2026 This comes from the Lord, and I can promise you it will be an incredible experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Explaining the adjustment <\/p>\n

In coming months, sister missionaries assigned to the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission will be reassigned by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to one of the surrounding missions. This transition is expected to be completed by July, at which time the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission will be discontinued. <\/p>\n

The surrounding missions are the Utah Salt Lake City Mission, Utah Salt Lake City East Mission, Utah Salt Lake City West Mission, Utah Salt Lake City South Mission, Utah Layton Mission, Utah Ogden Mission and Utah Saratoga Springs Mission.<\/p>\n

\"\"Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n

The assignment of new missionaries to Temple Square will continue to be made by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. <\/p>\n

As part of this adjustment, some returned missionaries will be hired as part-time guides to work with the sister missionaries in enhancing the guest experience.<\/p>\n

With missionaries coming from multiple missions to serve on Temple Square, more will be available during major events and peak visitor periods, such as the summer months and the Christmas season. During times of lower visitor traffic, missionaries can focus more on ministering in their assigned teaching areas. The sister missionaries can travel to Temple Square using public transit, including Frontrunner or TRAX, or, in some instances, by vehicle.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sister Yuanmei Cai is comforted by Sister Julia Santos and Sister Marianne Evangelista after learning they will be reassigned from the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission to another nearby mission in Utah during a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News \u2018Arise and shine forth\u2019<\/p>\n

Elder Brian K. Taylor, General Authority Seventy and president of the Utah Area, spoke to the sisters as well on Friday. He read Doctrine and Covenants 115:5<\/a>, which says, \u201cVerily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations.\u201d <\/p>\n

Elder Taylor told the missionaries that is what they are doing. \u201cThat is what you will continue to do for the rest of your lives, and we are so proud of you and so grateful to be serving here in the Utah Area with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Utah Area presidency had already planned a meeting on Temple Square with the other mission presidents in the Utah Area and their wives, and so they were also in attendance Friday morning and heard the news at the same time.<\/p>\n

Elder Bassett invited the mission leaders to stand, and the sister missionaries were able to turn around and see the couples who will be their new mission leaders when their reassignments are made in the coming months. <\/p>\n

\"\"Sisters Cristal Dimacali, Katrina Tau and Peiu Nanai embrace after learning they will be reassigned from the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission to another nearby mission in Utah during a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n

Sister Clara Alba, from Barcelona, Spain, said now she will have the chance to serve with Church members in other parts of Utah.<\/p>\n

\u201cI truly believe that the Lord is preparing His Church to grow even more. I am very happy. The opportunity to serve other people in other places brings me great joy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Sister Eliza Simpson, from Huddersfield, England, said even with all of her emotions from the news, she knows how much the Lord loves His children. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo many lovely memories here that we\u2019ve been able to create with all the sisters here, but I feel like the Lord has a plan, and I feel like that\u2019s where He needs all of us to be,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\"ElderElder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles fist-bumps Sister Gwennever Espina at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News \u2018Visitors love our young sisters\u2019<\/p>\n

Temple visitors\u2019 centers around the world also use a model where sister missionaries serve part of their day in a teaching area and part of their day at the visitors\u2019 center. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, missionaries at historic sites spend the first four months of their missionary service there before they move on to a teaching mission.<\/p>\n

The Church\u2019s New York and Pennsylvania Historic Sites Mission<\/a> President Thomas McCoy and his wife, Sister Lani McCoy, said that in addition to gaining strong testimonies of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration, sister missionaries who serve at the historic sites become \u201ccomfortable talking to not only individuals but large groups of people, and they learn how to testify in normal and natural ways,\u201d said President McCoy.<\/p>\n

The sisters are also a blessing to visitors, particularly young Latter-day Saints. The McCoys have often observed young women asking the sister missionaries about their decision to serve, listening intently and frequently ending the conversation with, \u201cI\u2019m going to serve a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe visitors love our young sisters. They possess a vitality, and their spirits are strong and so ready to share the gospel,\u201d Sister McCoy said. \u201cIt\u2019s powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ElderElder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles waves as he leaves a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Temple Square missionary timeline<\/p>\n

Volunteers and missionaries have served on Temple Square for more than a century.<\/p>\n

In 1922, the Church began organizing and staffing part-time and full-time volunteers to welcome visitors.<\/p>\n

In the 1980s, full-time missionaries, primarily senior couples, began assisting with tours at Temple Square, with language support by young missionaries in the Utah Salt Lake City Mission. <\/p>\n

In 1995, the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission was officially established.<\/p>\n

\"SisterSister Laura Daetwyler, Sister Eliska Kutilova and Sister Alyssa Weech react to news that they will be reassigned from the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission to another nearby mission in Utah during a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News \"\"Elder Brian K. Taylor, General Authority Seventy and president of the Church’s Utah Area, speaks at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News \"\"President Ra\u00fal E. Braun, Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission president, speaks at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News \"\"Sister missionaries react to an announcement that they will be reassigned from the Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission to another nearby mission in Utah during a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News \"ElderElder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks at a missionary devotional in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is adjusting how sister missionaries serve at Temple Square to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":504547,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[226081,50,103],"class_list":{"0":"post-504546","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-missionary-work","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-world"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115867111322112877","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}