Vaccinating Missionaries

Dear Parents,

I pray this finds each of you doing well and would like to thank you for the support you provide to your Sister or Elder. The missionaries are working diligently as they find and teach more individuals than during pre-covid times. They continue to outperform themselves week after week. This is the result of our Mission Leadership Council meetings with the young mission leaders and their zeal and desire to work closely with every missionary companionship. Each missionary is truly amazing!

The mission will be blessed with a mission meeting with Elders Kevin W. Pearson (North America West Area President) and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on Friday, March 12. This is a special treat for each of us as we will be privileged to learn from an apostle. We are all looking forward to Friday!

Recently the mission received a visit from Church News who published an article with an embedded video that was prepared for the Church World Report to be shown between April 2021 General Conference sessions. The 7+ minute video will be edited to approximately 4 minutes for the World Report. Please see the article and video below.

How Missionaries Are Comforting Californians During COVID-19

The California San Jose missionaries provide significant humanitarian relief as they serve in food banks. Because of this they are considered "food handlers" and therefore qualify to receive the covid-19 vaccination. The mission has made appointments for each of our missionaries to receive the vaccine on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week, and will require each missionary to accept or reject the appointment.

In a statement released by the First Presidency on 19 January 2021 it was recommended, "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."

The covid-19 immunization is not a requirement for missionary service. Please let me know if you or your missionary elects not want to receive the vaccine. All missionaries will continue to wear masks, use hand sanitizer, be encouraged to wash their hands with soap and water frequently, and physically distance while outside of their apartments, attending mission meetings, attending church, and teaching the gospel. Receiving the vaccine is not a reason to became lax in the area of self protection.

The mission is merely making the receipt of the covid-19 vaccination available to all missionaries, but again is not a requirement.

Please do not reply all, but directly to me if you do not want your missionary to receive this vaccine and I will assist in removing them from the list of recipients.

Please accept my heartfelt gratitude to each of you.

With much love,

Gary A. Smith
Mission President
California San Jose Mission