Traveling to and Entering the MTC

The last step missionaries take in preparing to go on a mission is to travel to and enter the missionary training center (MTC). The mission call packet will give missionaries and their families all the details about travel, which is arranged and paid for by Church headquarters, and information on what to bring when entering the MTC (clothing list, etc.). But for those who have not yet received their call, let’s review some of the details.

The majority of the audience of this website is from the United States, so I’ll approach it from that vantage point. I apologize to my international visitors, but you should still get value out of this because much is the same in other countries.

Reporting to an MTC out of the county

If your call letter has indicated that you’ll be going to an MTC out of the country, for example many US missionaries are being sent to the MTC in Mexico, Brazil, and elsewhere, you’ll report directly to that MTC. Your stake president will set you apart as a missionary, and within a day or two you’ll be on a flight to that country. You’ll say your goodbyes to family and friends at the airport, and when you get to the country of your MTC, the Church will have made arrangements to get you from the airport to the MTC.

Reporting to the Provo MTC

Still, the largest destination for US missionaries is the MTC in Provo, Utah. Several hundred new missionaries arrive there each Wednesday. In recent years, they have changed the procedure for dropping of missionaries. Nowadays, you are only allowed one vehicle per family to enter the MTC grounds. When you pull in with the car, you will be directed to a spot to park and unload. You will only have a few minutes for a quick farewell to say goodbye to your family (you’ll need to say goodbye to extended family and friends prior to your arrival). The Provo MTC website encourages you to take pictures before arriving because there may not be time to do it then, but most people report that their is enough time to take a quick snapshot.

Now that I mention it, the Provo MTC website has a lot of helpful information about entering the MTC, like:

• When should I arrive at the MTC?
• What should I bring to the MTC?
• Where should I report?
• May my family deliver packages to the MTC?
• What about travel from the MTC to the mission field?
• And much more on the What to Know page of the Provo MTC website

In fact, the Church now has a section of their website for each of the Missionary Training Centers where you can get answers to questions like those above and many more specifically related to the MTC where you will be training. Please check out those pages or feel free to contact me if you have any questions.