Missionary Equalized Payment amount

Hello,
I just sent my son off to the Mexico MTC yesterday. I'm trying to figure out how much his monthly equalized payment amount will be. He does not show up in our Ward Missionary category yet, and I realize it will be probably be several weeks before he does. I can't seem to pin down the amount. I read notices from a couple years ago that payments were going to increase to $500 in July 2020, but I also heard that due to covid, they were holding off on the increase. I get a different answer anytime I ask someone who I would think should know - finance clerks, Bishops, parents of missionaries, etc. Can someone give me a definitive answer? Thanks

You could wait until the first charge hits the ward. There is no requirement that the monthly amount be paid in advance and as long as there are funds in the ward's missionary account to cover, it won't be a problem. If I were you, I would ask the ward clerk to let me know the amount when the first charge hits the ward finances and then plan from that point on.

Or you could pay the old amount and add an additional donation if it comes in higher on the first charge. You know it won't be less than it has been and won't be more than the previously announced amount so you have a general range to plan with.

The charges for our most recent missionaries to enter a physical MTC (in July) is still $400. I don't think the change to $500 will happen without some advance notice.

eblood66 wrote: Wed Aug 24, 2022 2:29 pm I don't think the change to $500 will happen without some advance notice.

I agree. The last official notice I saw said the announced increase was on hold for now.

The charge for the first and also the last months of a mission are pro rata, based on how many days of the month the missionary is either at the MTC or on their mission. Please see the following two links:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/too ... s?lang=eng

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/too ... s?lang=eng

Is there a link to the announcement that the $500 is on hold? Everything I can find says that the amount will increase to $500 but I am also seeing only $400 coming out of the accounts. Just want something definitive I can give all the parents that are asking me.

You're not the only one who cannot find the official announcement anywhere! See this thread from last year "Missionary Fund Adjustment" where this is discussed. I just checked myself once again, and it seems the announcement about the the suspension of the increase to $500 still is unavailable to any leader, including Bishops, clerks, and all.

There seems to have been a period of time where a number of official communications were lost in the ether of the internet, and have not ever returned. The announcement of the mission payments remaining at $400 until further notice, appears to be part of that data loss.

BrianEdwards wrote: Sun Aug 28, 2022 7:08 pm There seems to have been a period of time where a number of official communications were lost in the ether of the internet, and have not ever returned. The announcement of the mission payments remaining at $400 until further notice, appears to be part of that data loss.

There seems to be a problem with the Official Communication Library. For many people, nothing from the Presiding Bishopric is visible. That includes a number of letters about Zoom accounts. It strikes me as likely that equalized payments would have come from them rather than the First Presidency or Quorum of the Twelve.

I do not have either of the letters, and my notes are not complete. But this I do have if it will be of help to anyone here.

The First Presidency announced the increase to $500 USD in a letter dated June 27, 2019. The complete text of the letter is included in this Church news article. The change was to begin on July 1st, 2020.

Note that this article was published as an official Church communication, not solely in the Church News section of the Deseret News. Without a copy of the actual letter, which I read at the time in the Official Communication Library but did not save, this is probably as official as it gets.

In April of 2020 a letter with the following information was sent.

Due to circumstances resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic:

The increase in monthly charges to the ward missionary fund to $500 USD (or the local equivalent), scheduled to begin July 2020, will be delayed until further notice.

Ward missionary funds will not be charged for the time a missionary is at home, including for online pre-field training. Charges will be adjusted retroactive to January 2020.

It appears that at this time the practice of prorating the first and last months of missionary service also began.

Once again, I saw the very short letter, but do not remember its source and did not keep a copy of it. I merely saved the quote in my own personal notes. So while unofficial, I would not hesitate to share this information with the family of a missionary.

Since some have asked, it is helpful to note that the change was announced a year in advance. I would expect that there would be quite a bit of advanced warning once again if/when the change is implemented.


It is correct, as russellhltn pointed out, that around this time the Official Communication Library underwent some changes and many of the letters I would regularly access were lost. I lament the change.

Also, for those who just cannot stand the suspense, I did not save the letters in the first place for two reasons. The seven of our children who served full-time missions had already returned home and moved on with their lives. And I was not serving at the time in a leadership or clerking position where it was important to have knowledge of the actual missionary equalization rate.

Thank you everybody! This has been very helpful.