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Returning Latter-day Saint Missionaries Adjust To Living In Quarantine

Ben P L

As the coronavirus pandemic grows, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are adjusting to coming home and living in quarantine. 

“When I first got the call I was heartbroken,” Gunner Harward said. “It was awful to hear that because I had six more months and I totally committed myself to going into full two years.”

 
Harward returned from his mission in Texas on Monday. He is one of thousands of missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who were sent home to be in quarantine amidst the coronavirus pandemic. 

The church announced Friday that missionaries nearing the end of their service would come home to stay, and others would return home to have a two week quarantine period before being temporarily reassigned to a new mission in their home country. 

According to Harward, when he got home the most difficult thing was having a change of mindset from being busy talking with people each day, to being in quarantine. 

“The only thing I’ve really struggled with is just having things to do, just because when you’re a missionary you have your whole day planned out,” he said.  

Harward said initially the pandemic happened so fast, that it was hard to understand what was happening or what it would mean for his mission. 

“As it kind of went on, it made it a little bit more peaceful,” he said.

In addition to bringing home missionaries, missionary training centers will be teaching prospective missionaries online before they are sent to their assigned areas.