Utah, LDS Mission Calls and Recommendations - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection contains the letters to and from prospective missionaries as they received and accepted mission calls. The records are courtesy of the LDS Church History Department and will be hosted by their website.

Record Content
The index generally contains the following:


 * Full name of missionary
 * Address or Residence
 * Date departing for mission

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * Your Ancestor’s name
 * Other identifying information such as their residence and date or place of mission.

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name: Fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

Related Websites

 * Church History
 * Missionary Diaries

Related Wiki Articles

 * LDS Genealogy
 * LDS Missionaries
 * LDS Church Records
 * LDS Membership Records
 * Early Church Information File (ECIF)
 * Utah, FamilySearch, Early Church Information File (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):