Does missionary work cost money?

[sdl54]

Does it cost money to do missionary work with LDS church?

[Jennarator]

It doesn't have to. You can invite someone to church for free.

Now if you are reffering to a fulltime mission, people are encouraged to save and pay for it. Travel, room, board, and all materials used do cost. The church has a system where the missionary pays a certian amount per month and that covers expenses whereever you might be sent on a mission.

There's lots more to it, but in a nut shell, that covers it.

[JudoMinja]

Those who wish to go on a mission are encouraged to save up enough money to pay for it on their own. If they cannot do so, they are expected to turn to their family for contribution, and if that won't cut it to their ward. I don't have enough experience with it to know if the church will deny someone going on a mission if they cannot secure enough to pay for it through these means, but I do know there have been several who have gone on missions "fully funded" by the church.

However it ends up being paid for, every penny goes toward necessary expenses for the mission. Missionaries get a very small "paycheck" every month that is supposed to cover their needs for rent, utilities, clothing, and food, but it is a very small amount as members are expected to sign up to have the missionaries over in their homes to help with feeding them dinner and providing a setting for invetigators to intermingle and receive discussions.

[Vort]

Missionaries get a very small "paycheck" every month that is supposed to cover their needs for rent, utilities, clothing, and food, but it is a very small amount as members are expected to sign up to have the missionaries over in their homes to help with feeding them dinner and providing a setting for invetigators to intermingle and receive discussions.

To be clear, adding to and emphasizing what JudoMinja and Jennarator wrote in the previous posts:

Missionaries receive no "pay" whatsoever. Not only is it an unpaid position, the missionaries are responsible for their own expenses. If the missionaries cannot pay their expenses, their families are expected to do so. Only in cases where no such family funds can be procured is the local ward asked to contribute.

However, some missions are vastly more expensive than others, even on the order of a thousand or more dollars per month just for basic living expenses -- apartment, food, clothing. Missionaries have been known to turn down a calling because they simply didn't have the money to fulfill it. To alleviate this problem, the Church instituted an "equalization" program a few years ago. Each missionary (or his/her family) contributes a set amount, currently around $400 (I think), each month to the Church's missionary equalization fund, and the Church then sends a check for living expenses to the missionary, which may be more or less than $400. This way, missionaries of limited means can still serve wherever they are called.

To repeat: Missionaries do not receive a paycheck of any sort. They are responsible for their own expenses; they do not even receive maintenance pay unless they are in need of assistance, and then that pay typically comes from local (home ward) sources. I do believe there are available Church funds to support truly indigent missionaries, but I don't really know how they are administered, how much is available, or who qualifies.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Vort

[RipplecutBuddha]

In San Diego, where I served, each missionary had a bank account opened for them through Bank of America, and each month a set amount was put in the account. The money was intended for food, laundry, cleaning supplies, replacing damaged clothing, bedding if needed, etc.

However, it was made explicitly clear that the money in the accounts were held as sacred funds and were not to be used for trivial or lavish items. I spent some of mine on film for my camera, and that's about as lavish as I got. Occasionally we would eat out, but most of our dinners were at member homes, so we didn't need much for food even.

Also the senior companion would get additional funds for fueling the mission car. The amount was set, and stayed with the car if the missionary got transferred. Most senior compaions would just withdraw the full set amount and we'd keep it either in the apartment or in the glove box of the car. That way, the money was always set aside for the car alone.

Finally, when the missionary was sent home, he/she spent their last night at the mission home, and their bank acccount was closed with whatever remaining funds returned to the general missionary fund.

I can't remember how much it was a month, but while it wasn't much at all, it was always enough, and we were expected to pay tithing as well.

[beefche]

I can't remember how much it was a month, but while it wasn't much at all, it was always enough, and we were expected to pay tithing as well.

What? You were expected to pay tithing on your NSF? Why? I was told specifically by my mission president that we are NOT to pay tithing. We could pay a fast offering, but other offerings should not be paid with the missionary funds.

[Dravin]

My Missionary Handbook states:

Tithing and Fast Offering

You are not expected to pay tithing on funds you receive for your mission. You should pay tithing through your home ward on any other income. Contribute fast offerings each fast Sunday in the ward where you serve.

[RipplecutBuddha]

right you are, it was fast offerings, not tithing. My bad.