At the beginning of their service, missionaries usually spend 3 to 9[1] weeks at an MTC where they receive training in doctrine, conduct, proselyting methods, and, when required, a new language.

As of July 2023, in addition to Provo, there are 9 MTCs throughout the world,[2] in Brazil, England, Ghana, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, and South Africa.

During their training, the elders and sisters will spend the majority of their time in class, with breaks for meals, church services, temple attendance, fitness activities, service projects, and personal preparation time (for laundry, letter writing, etc.).

Missionaries are also encouraged to use their time outside class to actively study church scriptures and doctrine, and a language if necessary.

In some cases, missionaries learning foreign languages go directly to the MTC in the country where they are called to serve.

The MTC was originally started by LDS Church after some of its missionaries were stranded in the United States due to difficulties in obtaining passport visas to other countries.

In 1925, a small building adjacent to Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City had a dormitory for brand new missionaries.

Often, they would even be interviewed by these apostles during this time and attend a service in the Salt Lake Temple, staying just a day or two before leaving to their assigned areas.

Missionaries who had difficulty trying to get to their assigned areas would then either serve as tour guides on Temple Square or do clerical tasks at church headquarters.

In 1971, the old Lafayette School at 75 East North Temple Street was converted into the new Salt Lake Mission Home, and English-speaking missionaries would arrive on a Saturday and leave the following Wednesday or Thursday.

By November 1961, missionaries gathered at the Hotel Roberts in downtown Provo under the direction of Ernest J. Wilkins, a professor of Spanish in the BYU Languages Department.

Curriculum was still planned directly by the foreign language departments at BYU, in coordination with the LTM mission presidency.

Mission presidents soon asked church headquarters to have all the missionaries, regardless of their visa status, attend language training before their departure.

At about the same time the Provo Temple was built, the church acquired some nearby land which was originally slated for expansion of the BYU campus.

The name of the LTM was changed to the MTC in 1978, to note that it was for more than just language training, although it would continue to be a significant feature of the facility.

Ultimately, even this growth could no longer be accommodated and it became apparent the church would need to build training centers in places other than Provo.

The Ghana MTC was built first because of the rapid growth of the church in West Africa and the need for more missionaries there.

[10][11][12] Following a church announcement on March 29, 2018, the MTCs in Santiago, Chile and Madrid, Spain closed in January 2019.

The announcement stated that "this decision comes as Church leaders continue to seek the best use of resources worldwide according to the needs and demands of each area.

"[13] Citing the same reasons, the church announced on December 12, 2018, that the MTC in the Dominican Republic would also close in January 2019.

[24] Following a church announcement on March 29, 2018, the MTCs in Santiago, Chile and Madrid, Spain closed in January 2019.

[13] On December 12, 2018, the church announced the MTC in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic would also close in January 2019.