2023 Seminar for New MTC Leaders is first for all from 10 MTCs

PROVO, Utah — For the first time, all new leaders called to preside over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 10 missionary training centers worldwide gathered at the same time and site before departing to begin their two-year assignments.

The three-day 2023 Seminar for New MTC leaders started Tuesday morning, Jan. 10, at the Provo MTC, as the Missionary Department welcomed the 10 couples who will serve as MTC presidents and MTC Relief Society presidents. And sitting beside each couple was the manager of operations at the respective MTC.

“The purpose of this seminar,” said Elder Marcus B. Nash, a General Authority Seventy and Missionary Department executive director, “is to reaffirm the source of the calling for these mission leaders, to enable them by both inspiration and practical instruction to help the missionaries grow spiritually and to deepen their conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ, so that they then in turn can bring light and life to the lives of those to whom they will be sent to in the mission field.”

By Missionary Department projections, these new MTC leaders will collectively help train, transition and influence more than 80,000 new missionaries over their two-year assignments.

In previous years, the annual seminar would bring together new leaders for about half of the MTCs in attendance, staggered with the following seminar for the leaders new that year for the other MTCs.

But with the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in visa restrictions and travel limitations for not only missionaries but also mission and MTC leaders over the past two-plus years and changing service start and stop dates, it just so happens that all MTC leadership changes are happening in January 2023.

“So this is the first time we’ve had all the MTC leaders together at the same time with the managers all in the same room,” said Kelend Mills, the department’s administrative director of MTCs. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for Elder Nash to really help them understand the vision of what MTCs do.”

And following introductions led by David N. Weidman, the Missionary Department’s managing director, Elder Nash shared that vision in the day’s opening session — the vision of missionary work and missionary training centers.

The seminar runs through Thursday, Jan. 12, with Wednesday’s middle-day sessions slated to be at Church headquarters for scheduled training and interactions there with members of the Missionary Executive Council, chaired by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and including Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Twelve.

In addition to Elder Nash, other council members are Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Presidency of the Seventy; Bishop L. Todd Budge, second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric; President Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women general president; and Sister Amy A. Wright, first counselor in the Primary general presidency.

Much of the training is being led by members of the executive council and the executive directors of the Missionary Department. Topics range from ecclesiastical and administrative roles to medical and emotional responsibilities and from adjusting to missionary life to lifelong conversion of missionaries.

“MTC presidents and their wives specifically have the responsibility to watch over the missionaries’ spiritual well-being — so their testimonies are grown and being mindful of challenges they may face. They’re watching over individual missionaries and their progress,” Mills said.

“Meanwhile, the MTC managers have the responsibility for the operations of the MTC — the buildings, the food, the finances, the training programs — and so they work very closely together.”