Brigham Young University and the training of missionaries

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been a missionary church since its founding in 1830. Missionary work introduces individuals to the gospel of Jesus Christ and strengthens the testimonies of members of the Church.

Brigham Young University has been involved with the Church’s missionary efforts since its founding in 1875. The Brigham Young Academy offered classes to prepare missionaries for their labors and that tradition continues today. Faculty members at Brigham Young University were involved in developing the language training programs utilized at the Missionary Training Center. The Church’s Missionary Training Center grounds are cared for Brigham Young University and Brigham Young University’s Food Services helps to feed thousands of missionaries each year. Many of the teachers at the Missionary Training Center are Brigham Young University students.

The history of the Missionary Training Center and its connections to Brigham Young University is told in two excellent books held in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections’ Americana Collection:

• BX 8656.1 .C838x 2001 vol.1-2 Cowan, Richard O., Every man shall hear the gospel in his own language : a history of the Provo Missionary Training Center and its predecessors (Provo, Utah : Missionary Training Center, c2001).
• BX 8656 .M68 2012 Missionary legacy : a school in Zion (Provo, Utah : Missionary Training Center, 2012)

If you have questions about these books or materials available for studying the history of the Missionary Training Center, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.