COVD-19 continues to wreak havoc around the world and close to home. On Thursday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced an outbreak of the virus at the Provo Missionary Training Center.

In releasing the information, and how the church plans to contain the outbreak, the following statement was provided.

“Since the Provo Missionary Training Center resumed in-person training in June, precautions and COVID protocols have helped to keep any COVID cases to a minimum,” said Sam Penrod, church spokesperson. “These precautions include requiring all missionaries to be fully vaccinated before arrival and available testing of those training in the MTC.”

“However, after several missionaries tested positive earlier this week, all 588 missionaries in the Provo MTC were tested and a total of 91 tested positive. Of the missionaries who tested positive, few have reported being symptomatic or feeling ill,” Penrod added.

The Provo MTC continues to operate at a reduced capacity and so there are ample facilities to isolate those who are negative and quarantine those who are positive,” according to Penrod.

“Additional protocols are now in place involving procedures in the cafeteria and gymnasium. Face coverings will be worn indoors during all classes, meetings, and devotionals. Missionaries will not travel to their assigned missions unless they are negative for COVID or have completed all necessary quarantine periods. New arriving missionaries will be required to have a negative COVID test when they report on Wednesdays,” Penrod said.

In the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak the church took drastic measures to make sure missionaries were safe.

In a letter released March 31, 2020, church leaders announced a drastic move.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has required many adjustments to missionary service, including the need for large numbers of missionaries to return to the United States and Canada from around the world. The ability to reassign these missionaries — even on a temporary basis — has now become more limited by changing conditions. This has created a measure of uncertainty for many missionaries and their families.”

Since that time newly called missionaries are doing some of their missionary training from home, prior to going to their assigned missions. Vaccinations have been an important part of that preparation.

Nearly one year later the Missionary Department of the church sent the following message to church leaders in the United States.

“COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available in many places throughout the world. All missionaries and prospective missionaries are encouraged to safeguard themselves and others by being vaccinated. Individuals are responsible to make their own decisions about vaccinations.

On Jan. 19, 2021 a portion of a letter from the LDS Church First Presidency said, “As appropriate opportunities become available, the Church urges its members, employees and missionaries to be good global citizens and help quell the pandemic by safeguarding themselves and others through immunization. Individuals are responsible to make their own decisions about vaccination. In making that determination, we recommend that, where possible, they counsel with a competent medical professional about their personal circumstances and needs.”

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