Mission Call Opening Party Ideas (and a Game to Guess Where They'll Go)

Few moments in a Latter-day Saint family are as electric as opening a mission call. Grandparents drive in, cousins join on video and everyone crowds around a laptop. Then a young man or woman reads aloud where they'll spend the next two years, or eighteen months, serving the Lord.

Since 2018, almost all calls have been delivered online. The Church explained that before opening the letter, missionaries are notified so they can "gather together family and friends to participate in the experience." Today more than 90,000 missionaries are serving in more than 500 missions, so the guessing game has a lot of possible answers.

This guide covers simple ideas for a mission call opening party, plus a step-by-step look at Field Revealed, a free guessing game we built so friends and family can predict the mission on a map before the call is read.

Mission call opening party ideas

• Start with a prayer. Many families begin this way. It sets the tone before the excitement.
• Let the missionary read the call aloud before anyone looks at a map or a phone. The moment belongs to them.
• Invite people who can't be there to join on a video call. Grandparents, a sibling on a mission, friends from school.
• Play a guessing game. Everyone predicts the mission ahead of time, which builds anticipation all week.
• Have a world map ready, on the wall or on the TV, to find the mission together.
• Serve food from a few likely places. Tacos, ramen and empanadas will cover a lot of the map.
• Record the reading if your family wants to. Set up the camera before the call is opened.
• Write down the moment. Have each guest write a short note to the new missionary to open in the MTC.

How Field Revealed works

Field Revealed turns everyone's guesses into a live world map. One person hosts. Usually that's a parent, but it can be the missionary. Guests guess from their phones, and when the call is read, the host reveals the real mission and the game shows who was closest. It's free, and there's no app.

Step 1: The host sets up the reveal

Choose a title (Elder, Sister, or Elder and Sister), enter the missionary's name and pick your best guess for when the call will arrive. You can add a hometown or ward and a message to guests. You can also add an email so the game can send reminders and results.

You'll get two links. One is a sharing link for guests. The other is a private host link that you'll need to reveal the mission, so bookmark it.

Step 2: Guests drop their guesses

Send the sharing link to a family group chat. Each guest searches the full list of missions or taps a spot on the map. Then they add their name and tap Lock in my guess. Every guess appears on the board and the map right away.

A countdown shows roughly how many days are left until the call is expected. Guesses stay open until the envelope is opened. Once you know the opening time, the host can set it, and the countdown becomes exact.

Step 3: Put the Family View on the TV

On the day of the opening, the host taps Open Family View. The TV shows the map with every guess, a QR code so latecomers can add a guess, and how many people have guessed.

Step 4: Read the call, then reveal it

After the missionary reads the call aloud, the host types the mission and taps Reveal the mission, then taps again to confirm. That second tap is there so nobody spoils it by accident. Every screen updates together.

First, the game pauses on a quiet screen with the missionary's name and mission and a verse: "If ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work" (Doctrine and Covenants 4:3). It invites everyone to "take a moment with this. The guesses will be here when you are ready."

Then the map flies to the mission, and the board ranks every guess by distance.

In our test game, Grandma picked the Spain Barcelona Mission exactly. Uncle Sam, who guessed Mexico, was 5,930 miles away. Expect some good-natured teasing.

While you wait for the call

The days between submitting papers and the call can feel long. A few ways to make the wait meaningful:

• Explore the Mission Map. It covers more than 500 missions, with the language, local time and a phrase to learn for each one.
• Play the mission games. Mission Speedrun, Myth or Fact and Transfer Day are fun for the whole family. See Games for Future Missionaries.
• Study together. Preach My Gospel is a good place to start for the whole family.
• Find the parent groups. Our list of mission Facebook groups for parents can connect you with families in the same mission.

Questions families ask

Is Field Revealed free?

Yes. Creating a game, guessing and revealing are all free. No one needs an account or an app.

Do guests need to give an email?

No. Guests only need a name and a guess. An email is optional, and it's used to send the reveal and results.

What if nobody guesses the exact mission?

The game measures how far each guess is from the real mission and names the closest guess.

Can the missionary play too?

Absolutely. Many missionaries enjoy guessing their own call.

Is this affiliated with the Church?

No. Field Revealed is an independent family keepsake from Weak Things. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mission calls come only through the Church's official process.

Keep reading

• Games for Future Missionaries: Learn the World Before You Serve
• Missionary gift ideas
• Mission Facebook groups for parents