On-Site Training
Frequently Asked Questions
Recently Updated Questions
General
How will I get to the MTC?
Unless you request travel arrangements through the Missionary Travel section of Missionary Portal, Missionary Travel will assume you are making your own arrangements to get to the Provo MTC.
How should I arrange air travel to the MTC?
Booking Your Flight
Please refer to your call packet or the Missionary Portal.
For further information or assistance, please contact Church Travel directly at 1-800-537-3537.
Luggage Requirements
You are expected to pay for your luggage when flying to the Provo MTC. Each airline determines the fees charged for luggage. International flights cost approximately $100 USD; domestic flights cost approximately $60 USD. Itineraries with multiple airlines may cost more.
Standard expectations are two standard suitcases (up to 62 inches each) up to 50 pounds each.
Carry-ons vary from airline to airline and usually can weigh up to 35 pounds and must be under 45 inches total. There is usually no charge for the carry-on.
Sometimes a carry-on and one personal item are permitted. A purse is usually considered a personal item. Depending on the airline, a book bag can be considered a personal item.
Traveling From the Airport
You may come with a relative or friend.
Missionaries coming from outside the United States and Canada should contact their area travel office regarding transportation from the airport to the MTC.
Missionaries coming from the United States or Canada, who did not make arrangements to ride with a relative or friend, should make their own arrangements with a shuttle company at the airport.
When should I arrive at the MTC?
If you will be traveling from outside the United States, plan to arrive at the MTC on the Tuesday before your on-site training date.
If you will be traveling from the US or Canada, plan to arrive on the Wednesday mentioned above. To accommodate large numbers of arriving missionaries and to allow missionary districts to arrive together, Wednesday arrivals are scheduled by district. Assigned arrival times generally fall between 1:00pm and 2:00pm (Utah time). Please confirm your district's specific arrival time on the MTC Arrival Times website. These times are posted one to two weeks before your on-site arrival date. Plan to arrive during your district's arrival time. Do not plan to arrive earlier or later than your assigned arrival time.
If your travel situation requires you to arrive outside your scheduled time, please contact the MTC Scheduling Office at 385-384-2993.
What preparations are necessary before entering the MTC?
Detailed preparation instructions and guidelines can be found in your call packet. They are also accessible on the Missionary Portal.
For example:
Purchase all required clothing and personal items. Personal time is extremely limited.
Record the completion of all your required immunizations. A list is included in your call packet and on the Missionary Portal. Missionaries should log in and record when their immunizations have been completed before arriving at the MTC.
Resolve all health-related matters, including dental and eye examinations and follow-up treatments. (Note: you or those providing for your support must pay for pre-mission medical conditions - including dental, eye care, and immunizations.) If you are unable to complete all necessary medical and dental care prior to entering the MTC, please contact your stake president so he can adjust your MTC arrival date.
Be set apart as a full-time missionary by your stake president. Your setting apart as a missionary is under the direction of your stake president, or in the cases of districts, the mission president (Handbook 1, 4.3.8). It is intended that you are set apart by your stake president before you arrive at the MTC. In the unusual circumstance that it is not possible to be set apart before arriving at the MTC, your stake president may call the MTC at 385-384-2900 (Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm Utah time) to determine if it would be appropriate to arrange for you to be set apart by a member of the MTC Presidency. Missionaries or their families cannot make this request.
If you are ill on the day of your arrival, please call the MTC at 385-384-2900 for instructions.
We encourage (but do not require) you to participate in Pre-MTC Training. Click here for more information.
What should I bring to the MTC?
Bring the following when you come to the MTC:
Items on the mission clothing list sent from the Missionary Department. This is also accessible on the Missionary Portal.
Soap, towel, and wash cloths.
Appropriate exercise clothing. (You will typically have five gym periods per week, and only one laundry day.)
Warm clothing. (If you will be arriving at the Provo MTC between October 1st and April 1st, it is recommended that you bring a coat. If your assigned mission does not require a coat, you may send it home prior to departing the MTC.)
Current temple recommend
Money for personal items and, if necessary, transportation from the airport.
Government-issued photo ID (i.e., driver's license, passport, military ID, etc.). This ID is required by airport authorities.
Copies of your personal medical and dental insurance cards.
We strongly encourage you to put your name on all clothing, luggage, and other belongings.
Please also note the following:
You do not need to bring your mission call with you, unless required and communicated to you by your Mission President.
You do not need to bring a suit or suit coat to the MTC if your mission does not require one.
You do not need to bring clothes hangers. They take up too much room and add too much weight to luggage. Hangers left by previous missionaries are available.
If you need to purchase a mobile device (either before your mission or when you arrive at your mission), you will be instructed in your call packet to visit the Missionary Portal. The Missionary Portal contains the instructions and information for those that need to purchase a device.
All bedding is provided, including pillows. However, you should bring your own towels and wash cloths.
There is an MTC Store available to currently in-residence missionaries. It carries a small selection of book bags and foreign electrical adapters at a wide range of prices. Items change frequently and discounts vary.
What supplies and services does the MTC provide?
The MTC provides for missionaries:
Room and board (including bedding supplies and meals; excluding towels)
Training materials
Laundry facilities (including dry cleaning services) - You must purchase your own detergent and pay for your own dry cleaning.
Barbershop/salon
There is an MTC Store available to currently in-residence missionaries. It carries a small selection of book bags and foreign electrical adapters at a wide range of prices. Items change frequently and discounts vary.
You must provide your own spending money for miscellaneous expenses (you will receive a small weekly stipend to help with these purchases):
Stamps (available at the MTC)
Snacks
Stationery
Essential personal care items, etc.
It is recommended that missionaries have a personal debit or credit card for emergency use, travel, or personal items not covered in their weekly MTC stipend. Check cashing is available at the MTC for US currency only up to $100 USD a day. The MTC does have an automatic teller machine (ATM). Large amounts of cash are discouraged.
Can I bring my musical instrument to the MTC?
Please do not bring musical instruments to your mission unless you have permission from your mission president and the instrument is appropriate for Sunday meetings. If you are approved to bring an instrument, please do not play it while at the MTC, including in the residence halls. The MTC has practice rooms with pianos available. You may check out music, violins, violas, cellos, and flutes at the music library.
What time should I keep open to meet the Provo MTC President on my first Sunday of online training?
The one hour "Come and See" Welcome Devotional will start at 5:30 p.m. Utah time. Please invite any family members in your home to reserve this time, too, so they can participate with you.
What if I am fluent in or speak some of my mission language?
If you are already fluent or speak some of the second language to which you have been assigned and you have not spoken to someone at the MTC, please call 385-384-2900 and ask for the Training Department receptionist.
Why do I keep receiving emails about my immunizations?
Automatic notification emails are sent when immunizations are not shown as complete in the Missionary Portal. Please record when your immunizations have been completed before arriving at the MTC.
Can I be set apart at the MTC?
Your setting apart as a missionary is under the direction of your stake president, or in the cases of districts, the mission president (Handbook 1, 4.3.8). It is intended that you are set apart by your stake president before you arrive at the MTC.
In the unusual circumstance that it is not possible to be set apart before arriving at the MTC, your stake president may call the MTC at 385-384-2900 (Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm Utah time) to determine if it would be appropriate to arrange for you to be set apart by a member of the MTC Presidency. Missionaries or their families cannot make this request.
May I have visitors at the MTC?
Your schedule will not allow time for visits from family or friends.
Advise your family not to request visits because such visits would distract you and your companion from your training. This includes arranging visits at or near the Provo Utah Temple, the MTC, or any neighboring facilities.
Church leaders have asked that missionaries not be excused from the MTC to attend funerals, marriages, farewells, baptisms, or other family activities.
Missionaries may communicate with their families on their weekly preparation day and other special occasions. More information can be found here.
When will I receive travel plans to my assigned mission?
Church Travel will handle arrangements for your travel to your mission. We strongly recommend you follow all travel instructions found in your call packet. They are also accessible on the Missionary Portal.
Church Travel will give you official passport and visa instructions. You must follow these instructions carefully.
You may be requested to send certain documents required for a visa. If you do not submit these documents by the requested date, your departure to your assigned mission may be delayed.
You will receive your itinerary for travel to your mission and related instructions on or before your last preparation day.
Your departure may be delayed because visas to certain countries are difficult to obtain.
You will pay for your luggage when going to the mission. Please keep your receipt so you can be reimbursed when you arrive. Each airline determines the fees charged for luggage. International flights cost approximately $100 USD; domestic flights cost approximately $60 USD. Itineraries with multiple airlines may cost more.
My training goes over Christmas and is a week longer than I expected. Why is that?
Missionaries training over the Christmas holiday may have an extra week of training due to a “blackout” week for travel where no missionaries travel to or from the Provo MTC. To allow the missionaries to complete their training and arrive in their assigned missions on the normal transfer date for that mission, some missionaries will begin their training a week earlier than usual and have an extra week of training at the MTC.
Information for Family and Friends
How can I communicate with my missionary (phone calls, mail, packages, etc.)?
Missionaries may communicate with their families on their weekly preparation day, other special occasions, and at times as a part of a training experience. See Communicating with Missionaries at the MTC and this Church Newsroom article for more information.
Preparation day is the same day each week but could be any day of the week (Monday through Saturday) depending on a missionary's assigned schedule. Only your missionary may share this information with you.
An MTC mailing address will be emailed to your missionary on the Thursday before entering the MTC. It will be sent to their Church-provided email account, which can be accessed through the Missionary Portal.
Missionaries may also communicate with family from the airport when traveling to their mission. The MTC Store sells an inexpensive phone card which missionaries may purchase if they desire.
Please do not request visits. Such visits would distract your missionary and his/her companion from their training. This includes arranging visits at or near the Provo Utah Temple, the MTC, or any neighboring facilities. Church leaders have asked that missionaries not be excused from the MTC to attend funerals, marriages, farewells, baptisms, or other family activities.
Any packages or letters for missionaries must be sent through the US Postal Service, UPS, or other commercial carriers. Approved same-day-delivery services are available in cities close to the MTC.
The MTC cannot accept packages or other items delivered any other way.
Mail to missionaries should be addressed with their full name and mission assignment.
Do not send perishable food items such as pizza, restaurant food, or frozen treats. Mail services do not guarantee that these will be safe to eat when they arrive.
When is my missionary leaving the MTC?
A tentative departure date is included in your missionary's MTC mailing address.
Missionaries are notified of specific travel plans from the MTC to their assigned mission on or before their last preparation day. They are encouraged to forward this information to their family. Only your missionary may share this information with you.
Church leaders and security offices request that missionaries not have visitors at the airport or MTC when departing for their missions.