How To Write A GREAT Missionary Letter

As a missionary, I spent a fair share of time anticipating the mail to come. With how busy missionary work is, I don't believe I ever actually had time to wait at the mail box, but communication with my family and friends back home was extremely important to me. If I had time to wait at the mailbox, I might have.

If you've never been on a mission, just imagine how much time you spend checking Facebook, Instagram, texts on your phone, voice mail, Twitter, or even your e-mail. Now imagine being cut off from all of those things, all at once. It can be difficult. However, with all that being said, I know what some of you are thinking, "Yeah, but a good missionary should really be focussed on the work that they are doing." I would agree. Being distracted by things back home can definitely affect your ability to focus on your investigators, serving your companion, and ultimately letting your heart be changed by God's greatest work.

So, in hopes to satisfy both sides of the equation, I've decided to create this post. I would like to suggest what I think make the best missionary letters. This is based on some of the best letters I received on my mission and I sincerely hope it's helpful for those of you who want to keep your missionary family member/friend updated without distracting them.

Before I give you my secret formula, I would like to suggest a few things to NEVER do.

  1. If you have a romanic interest as a missionary friend, never be overly romanic in a missionary letter. You can express your support and love without distracting them. If they are being overly romanic with you, be frank with them and tell them exactly how you feel and what you expect.
  2. Don't ever make them feel jealous of what your are doing back home. Obviously, there is a way to update someone on your fun adventures without causing them to wish they were back home. Don't overly emphasize how much fun something was.
  3. Don't ever spend more than a line (or two at the most) talking about what you are excited to do with them when they come back. It's good to have something to look forward to when you come home, but don't stress it.
I hope those points were obvious reminders. Now, with that out of the way, let me teach you my basic formula for a great missionary letter.

  1. Express your support.
  2. Update your missionary on life back home.
  3. Bring your missionaries mind back to the Lord's work.
Number 1) Express your support. Missionary work is hard and frustrating. If your missionary friend/family member is anything like me, they don't want you to worry, they don't want you to hear about their disappointments, so they stay positive in their letters back home. You are probably doing the same with them. Plus, the joys really do outweigh all the negative experiences. However, that doesn't mean missions are not hard. My mission was the hardest experience I've ever been through. Always include in a missionary letter your support for the work they are doing. Remind them how important the work they are doing is and how much you love them. Consider asking them if you can do anything for them. It's nice to start with this because as you move to updating them, they will know your motives are love, concern, and support.

Number 2) Update your missionary on life back home. This is important! Don't forget it. Some people feel that because they don't want to distract their missionary that they will just talk about scriptures, what they learned in sacrament meeting, or other spiritual topics. It's great to include things like that, but if you don't update your missionary on what's going on, they may feel disconnected and that they are missing out.

Number 3) Bring your missionaries mind back to the Lord's work. My favorite missionary letters ended with something that inspired me to get back to work. They made me want to work harder as a missionary and to be my best. This is important! Some letters do not contain things like this at all. As a missionary it was easier for me to keep my thoughts on home, if that's what the letter ended on. This could be a great place to put an inspiring quote or to talk about what you learned in Sunday school, but honestly, my favorite letters were ones that ended with my family/friends telling me about their own missionary experiences or a miracle they experienced on their missions. You may also consider ending with your testimony (especially on the experience you shared with them). It's important to try and end with this because it gets their mind ready to get back to work.

In conclusion, and to reemphasize, start with expressing your support and concern, update your missionary in the middle of your letter, then finish by pointing them back to the work. Please also remember, that these are just suggestions. I have found them impactful for me, but whatever you write, make sure it sincerely comes from your heart!

What ideas do you have? What is the best missionary letter you wrote or received? Comment below.

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