From the day the mission call arrives to the hug at the airport, there are plenty of chances to show a missionary you love them. The right gift depends on timing. A farewell gift should be useful in the field, a care package should be light and practical, and a homecoming gift should help them remember the experience for years. This guide covers LDS missionary gifts for each stage, with ideas for elders, sister missionaries, and the missionary moms waiting at home.
How to Choose a Missionary Gift
A few questions will narrow things down quickly:
- When will they get it? Before the mission, during it, or after they return. Each stage calls for a different kind of gift.
- Will they use it every day? Missionaries live out of a suitcase and a small apartment. Gifts that earn their space are the ones that get used.
- Can it be personalized? A name, a mission, or an outline of the country or state where they serve turns an ordinary item into a keepsake.
- How much does it weigh? For anything you mail, small and light is better for both you and your missionary.
When in doubt, ask. Your missionary or their family will know what is already packed and what would actually help.
Before the Mission: Farewell Gifts
Farewell gifts go into the suitcase, so choose things a new missionary will reach for daily: scriptures, a journal, a recommend holder, and for elders, an oil vial and ties. If they need new scriptures, a durable option like the Simulated Leather Quad offers name personalization.
A hardcover keepsake journal with an engravable leatherette cover that can be personalized with the outline of their mission country or state and a line of text. It has 112 lined pages and a satin ribbon bookmark, with multiple colors and fonts to choose from. Many missionaries treasure their mission journals for the rest of their lives.
This stainless steel oil vial can be customized with an elder's name and mission. A leak-proof rubber seal keeps consecrated oil where it belongs, and the durable design is made to prevent leaks and breaks.
Designed especially for missionaries, this holder reads "Called to Serve" and "For behold the field is white already to harvest" on the front, with D&C 4:4 on the back. A clear sleeve holds the recommend, and it folds down to a compact 2" x 3 1/4".
A meaningful tie for a mission farewell and the months that follow. It is made of polyester for durability and comfort, comes in sizes for all ages, and features faith-centered symbolism throughout the design.
During the Mission: Care Package Ideas
A care package is a reminder that someone at home is thinking of them. The most welcome items are practical, lightweight, and easy to share with a companion. Before you send anything, check the mission's mailing guidelines and keep packages small so they travel well. Letters, family photos, and notes from friends cost almost nothing to add and are often the part missionaries love most.
Missionaries have long made paper symbols to help teach the Plan of Salvation. This kit upgrades that idea with 15 engraved wooden pieces in a lightweight metal tin, so it travels easily to lessons. For missionaries teaching in another language, the Universal Language Plan of Salvation Teaching Kit works in any mission.
More light, practical ideas that fit easily in a padded envelope or small box:
For a longer list, see our 20 care package ideas for your favorite missionary.
After the Mission: Homecoming Gifts
Homecoming gifts honor the service your missionary gave and help them hold on to it. Plaques, rings, and other keepsakes are popular because they last. To make the airport reunion special, browse our missionary welcome home signs and banners, and read these tips for picking up your missionary at the airport.
This hand-made plaque displays your missionary's picture, name, home ward, service area, mission scripture, and mission geography. Choose cherry, red alder, or solid walnut wood with gold or silver plate engraving; the photo is secured with 4 brass or silver screws. See every size and style in our missionary plaques, and find the perfect verse in our 100+ mission plaque scripture ideas.
A stainless steel ring engraved with the name of the mission, the flag of the country or outline of the state where they served, and their dates of service. It is a keepsake a returned missionary can wear every day.
LDS Missionary Gifts for Elders
Elders wear a white shirt and tie nearly every day and are often asked to give blessings, so the most useful gifts support that routine. Good choices include an oil vial, ties, tie accessories like the Angel Moroni tie clip, and a pocket priesthood ordinance card with instructions for consecrating oil, administering to the sick, and other blessings. For a gift that marks where he served, a custom mission pin features an image of his mission country. Shop the full collection of gifts for elders.
LDS Missionary Gifts for Sister Missionaries
Sister missionaries appreciate gifts that are pretty and practical at the same time. Jewelry that tells the story of her mission is a favorite, along with journals, scripture cases, and study supplies. The Missionary Name Tag Necklace can be customized with her name, mission, and a mission scripture, and it makes a thoughtful farewell or homecoming gift.
This stainless steel ring has a delicate wheat design and can be engraved with her mission name and mission dates, with inside engraving available too. It comes in sizes 4-10, including half sizes, and makes a lovely farewell or homecoming gift.
For more ideas, browse our gifts for sister missionaries or read our post on gift ideas for LDS sister missionaries.
Gifts for Missionary Moms
Missionary moms (and dads, grandparents, and siblings) serve in their own way while their missionary is gone. A gift that keeps their missionary close can mean a great deal during the months apart.
Custom engraved for a specific mission and featuring an image of the country or state where her missionary is serving, this necklace is a beautiful daily reminder for a missionary mom, grandmother, or friend.
Customize this 17 x 23 inch calendar with the missionary's name, mission, dates, and the outline of the state or country. It is a fun way for parents and siblings to count down to homecoming together.
Other ideas for the family at home include the My Heart Is In necklace, engraved with the mission country outline and city, and the Personalized LDS World Mission Map Poster, which helps a ward or family keep track of where all their missionaries are serving.
Shop More
Find journals, plaques, jewelry, and more for every stage of the mission in our full collection of LDS missionary gifts, or browse LDS gifts for every occasion.