A new video produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tells the story of how the first full-time proselytizing female Mormon missionaries came to be called in 1898. The video is part of an ongoing series by the Church History Department highlighting the faith and works of pioneering Church members throughout the world.
Before 1898, women shared the gospel informally with friends and family and occasionally accompanied their husbands on missions. At the April 1898 general conference, George Q. Cannon of the Church’s First Presidency announced that women could now be called to serve as missionaries.