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In a new statement, Church spokesman Eric Hawkins affirmed that missionaries will again be called to serve in the African nation of Liberia.
"Non-native missionaries (those from outside Liberia) will serve in surrounding areas until it is determined that it is safe for them to enter Liberia," he said.
In August of last year, the Church pulled missionaries from both Liberia and Sierra Leone in response to concerns over the Ebola outbreak in the region. Missionaries who were serving in those two nations at the time we reassigned to surrounding missions. No missionary was ever diagnosed with the disease.
"Ensuring the safety of missionaries is a top priority," a May statement from the Church said. "Since the Ebola outbreak of last year, the Church has been monitoring the situation."
An earlier statement from the time of the crisis shared, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a strong presence in Liberia and Sierra Leone." It also noted that "thousands of our members continue to live, worship and serve." During the peak of the outbreak, the Church provided these members in affected areas with sanitation supplies and food.
In this week's update, Hawkins also spoke to the strong membership in the region. "We are touched by the faithfulness of the members in this region as they have continued missionary work in the absence of full-time missionaries. We know they will welcome the return of elders and sisters to their country."