(Get this design on a T-shirt!)
Free resources about the England London South Mission:
- Mission address and phone number
- Mission map
- Video interviews with returned missionaries
- Missionary blogs
- Facebook groups
- LDS Mission t-shirts and gifts
- List of past mission presidents
- Cultural articles written by returned missionaries
- Survey with RMs
*Other Mission Pages: England LDS Missions.
London South Mission Address
Here’s a recent address for the England London South Mission. We try to keep this info up to date, but it’s a good idea to check the address with several sources, including your mission packet or the mission office.
England London South Mission
The London Temple, West Park Road
Newchapel, Surrey
England RH7 6NB
Phone Number: 44-1342-833916
Mission President: President Ronald K. Gubler
England London South Mission Map
Here’s a link to the mission map for the England London South Mission (LDS). To access the official, up-to-date LDS.org map for the London South Mission:
Videos with London South RMs
Here are in-depth YouTube video interviews with returned missionaries from the London South Mission. We interview hundreds of returned missionaries each year, so check back regularly to see new RM interviews.
LDS-Friendly Videos about England
Here are LDS-friendly educational videos about England. We scoured YouTube to find the best quality videos about England, that are free from inappropriate music, immodesty and profanity.
London South Missionary Blogs
Here’s a list of LDS missionary blogs for the London South Mission. This list includes the missionary’s name, URL and when their blog was updated.
London South Mission Groups
Here are England London South Mission Groups- for LDS missionary moms, returned missionaries, mission presidents and other alumni of the London South Mission.
- London South Mission (President Lyle Shamo) Group (269 members)
- London South Mission- Kinnersleys 2003-06 Group (238 members)
- London South Mission Pinegar Years 1985-88 Group (191 members)
- London South Mission (President Millar) Group (188 members)
- London South Mission Facebook Group (122 members)
- London South Mission – Whitmore Years Group (105 members)
- London South Mission Moms (LDS) Group (4 members)
- London Mission (ELSM) Preece Years 2000-03 Group (2 members)
London South Mission T-Shirts
Here are T-shirts for the England London South Mission!
Shirt designs include England London South Mission logo/emblem shirts and Called to Serve shirts. The shirts make great gifts for pre-missionaries, returned missionaries and missionaries currently serving. LDS Mission shirts come in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, up to 4XL. The mission designs are printed on white shirts and are shipped to you.
*Simply click on a shirt design to view the details and submit an order. The designs on mission t-shirts may also be printed on other LDS mission gifts, including: England London South missionary aprons, Christmas stockings, ties, pillow cases, teddy bears and Christmas ornaments.
*Click here to browse London South Mission gifts
Recommended Mission Prep Books
Fun fact: The 3 below are authored by Ed J. Pinegar, who presided over the England London South mission from 1985 to 1988!
Fun fact: George Durrant served a mission as a young man in England!
London South Mission Presidents
Here’s a list of current and past Mission Presidents of the London South LDS Mission.
- 2015-2018, Ronald K. Gubler
- 2012-2015, Roger Clive Millar
- 2009-2012, Lyle Eric Shamo
- 2006-2009, Jeffery C. Swinton
- 2003-2006, Richard B. Kinnersley
- 2000-2003, Michael J. Preece
- 1997-2000, James Lamar PArkin
- 1994-1997, Kay R. Whitmore
- 1991-1994, Van F. Dunn Jr.
- 1988-1991, Blaine P. Jensen
- 1985-1988, Ed J. Pinegar
- 1982-1985, Nathan C. Tanner
- 1979-1982, Howard S. Rhodes
- 1976-1979, Richard M. Eyre
- 1973-1976, Robert D. Livingstone
- 1970-1973, Wallace G. Bennett
- 1967-1970, Junior W. Child
- 1964-1967, Don K. Archer
United Kingdom LDS Statistics (2016)
- Church Membership: 186,423
- Missions: 6
- Temples: 2
- Congregations: 332
- Family History Centers: 122
Helpful Articles about England
London South Missionary Survey
Here are survey responses from England London South RMs, to give you a snapshot into what it’s like to live in the mission.
When did you serve?
- 2014-2016 (Yasmina)
- 2013-2014 (Jamison)
- August 1986-August 1988 (Paul)
- 2013-2015 (Oudom)
- 1995-1997 (Daniel)
- 1987-1989 (Mark)
- 1987-1988 (Alan)
- 1999-2000 (Kirsty)
- 2008-2010 (Travis)
- 2009-2011 (Adam)
- 2010-2012 (Carli)
- 1996-1998 (Mwesigwa)
- 1986-1988 (Julie)
What areas did you serve in?
- East Grinstead and Kennington. (Yasmina)
- Launceston, Plymouth, Romsey, Bournemouth, Croyden, Maidenhead. (Jamison)
- London. (Mark)
- Peckham, Redhill, Portsmouth, Poole, Bogner Regis, Eastley, Kingston Upon Thames. (Alan)
- Mitcham, Crystal Palace, Crawley, Chatham, Reading and Hamble River. (Kirsty)
- Maidstone, Jersey, Crystal Palace, High Wycombe, Poole, Bracknell, Bournemouth (Travis)
- Christchurch, Catford/London, Farnborough, Bristol, Guernsey, Croydon. (Adam)
- Tunbridge Wells, Exeter, St. Helier, London. (Carli)
- London(Welling, Battersea, Mitcham, Wandsworth, Streatham)Winchester, Oxford, Bournemouth, Poole. (Mwesigwa)
- Catford, Reading, Gosport, Maidstone. (Julie)
What were some favorite foods?
- Shepherd’s pie. (Yasmina)
- Curry (Indian), chicken stew (African), Shepherd’s pie and full breakfast (English). (Jamison)
- Kebabs, foo-foo, Mars milk. (Paul)
- English Roast Dinner, Lamb, Fish & Chips, African foods. (Oudom)
- Fu fu, beans and rice, hash and beans, meat and potatoes. (Daniel)
- Fu-fu, rice and peas, curried goat. (Mark)
- Gyros, Trifle, Roasted Potatoes & Parsnips, Custard, Cornish Pasties. (Alan)
- Pasta, sandwiches, pizza, chips, vegetarian burgers. (Kirsty)
- Diner kebabs, roast dinner, fish and chips, banoffee pie, chocolate pudding, custard, bagers and mash, road in the hole, proper English breakfast, polish food, Portuguese food, nandos. The list goes on and on. (Travis)
- Donner kebab, pounded yam and peanut soup, jerk chicken, hot wings, I ate a lot of hot wings. (Adam)
- Yorkshire puddings, pastys, cottage pie, chicken and mushroom pie (pies in general), curry, chips. (Carli)
- Jolo fries, English roast, beans on toast, fish and chips,rice and peas, chapati. (Mwesigwa)
- Gyro’s, Burger King, Indian Curry, ALL chocolate! (Julie)
What was a funny experience?
- We needed to carry a wheelchair on a London High Street. (Yasmina)
- Having a drunk guy start singing Hotel California to us. (Jamison)
- We kidnapped the sister’s teddy bear and held it for a ransom of home baked cookies. (Paul)
- Door knocking. (Oudom)
- One of my first G.Q’s (street contacting) on my mission I stopped a man asking if he would be interested in learning more about the gospel, mid sentence I started freaking out because I thought he was Patrick Swayze. He assured me he wasn’t but found it quite funny ( I’m still not convinced lol ). Didn’t think I would be star struck by a celebrity, but I did freak out quite a bit. Quiet dignity…out of the window 😉 (Kirsty)
- Met a guy on Jersey who was convinced he lived in the old West. Was talking about Billy the kid and the OK corral. He was wearing a duster and everything. He was entertaining. (Travis)
- I had a family being baptized and the mother didn’t hold onto the hand rail as she got into the font. She slipped and landed on her back in the middle of the water, it was hilarious because she couldn’t stop laughing even as the Bishop prepared to baptize her. (Catford ward) (Adam)
- Africans. (Carli)
- Chasing rabbits during our P- day with my companion. My companion and I were taking a bicycle test ride down our street of residence after repair while I was wearing my pajamas and a neighbor called our land lady to report me. Also being arrested by police because we were knocking doors in an elderly people’s housing area at 7 pm and police asking us for our IDs only I pull out my temple recommend for identification. (Mwesigwa)
What was a crazy/dangerous experience?
- We were knocking doors and we had like a really bad feeling in that place. It felt like being in Silent Hill. (Yasmina)
- Had a crazy guy on the street look me in the eyes and ask me if I was willing to die for what I believed. (Jamison)
- Got attacked by a big guy with a large screwdriver. (Paul)
- People try to tear down your faith. (Oudom)
- Me driving a Vauxhall Nova in Aldershot, Reading Zone on way to Vera Bishops house when Elder Allee pulled up the hand break on a corner and we did a power slide! (Mark)
- We were surrounded by an unruly group of black youth but before they harmed us, one of them recognized us and told the others that we were “the Elders” and we were to be left alone. (Alan)
- We were teaching a man who started speaking in tongues, we asked what he was doing. He told us he had promised God when he wrote the Bible he would never read it, and he was praying to God to know what to do with us. He then almost in a trance while still speaking in tongues, went to the kitchen and opened the drawer. My companion and I had ran away before he came back out! There is a difference between just being scared, and feeling a bad spirit there, we both felt that, it was terrifying. Of course, we laugh about it now lol. (Kirsty)
- I had to avoid being mugged by some drunk guys once because my comp told them we had money by making sure they knew I could handle myself if it came down to it. (Travis)
- I crashed a bike on a steep hill coming into St. Peter’s Port on Guernsey the channel island. My companion came back up the hill 10 minutes later looking for me…… We were going much too fast and my leg swelled to double its normal size (no NHS on Guernsey either) and I couldn’t walk for a week or so. (Adam)
- Met a Satan worshiping witch. Luckily the spirit told me, “NO!” when we were invited into her home. We later read in the area book that she had bad spirits in her home and to never enter it. (Carli)
- While serving in Winchester, we had bicycle accident involving my companion while on our way back from a dinner appointment. He broke his nose and front teeth and was unconscious, ending up in emergency room at Winchester Hospital. He couldn’t remember anything, not even my name for a few hours. It was pretty scary. (Mwesigwa)
- When the Elders drove us places. Yup, crazy and dangerous! 🙂 (Julie)
What was a spiritual experience?
- Serving at the London Temple Visitors’ Centre was amazing. I was able to see people getting their testimony sitting in front of the Christus. (Yasmina)
- Baptizing my convert Pamela. (Jamison)
- My companion and I were going through some lists of street contacts one day, following up on them. We found one that was quite a ways away, so we didn’t go, then it turned up on two more lists we were looking at, so we went. He got baptized. (Paul)
- God does hear and answer the prayer of faith. (Oudom)
- Knocking on less active members doors and hearing them say that they had been praying we would come over. (Mark)
- I was led to the homes of many individuals that needed and wanted the Gospel. (Alan)
- My trainer was a beautiful girl, inside and out. Still the sweetest person I have known. She used to sing to everybody! I was quite cynical about it at first. I half expected us to get stabbed in London as people rejected our message, then my companion would sing I am a child of God to them. She proved me wrong though, she believed in the power of the songs she sang and we ended up singing to everybody, busses full of people would join it to How Great Thou Art. One day a lady said she didn’t have time for our message and pointed to her daughter, Her daughter was in a wheelchair, one with the headrest to protect her head as her body shook about quite a bit. My companion asked if we could sing for her, we sat down with her and sang I am a Child of God. The girl sat still with tears in her eyes, the mum cried too. The Spirit was so strong! Another one was a lady getting baptized didn’t mention until literally the last minute she was scared of the water. She got quite upset unable to get in the water, one of the members was a swimming teacher and tried to help her. Nothing was working and there was no way she would get in and was really upset. We asked for her to have a blessing, and immediately she was calm and walked straight in and put her head under and got baptized. It sounds just like a regular story, but if you could have seen how scared and upset she was, then felt the Spirit so strong. It was an amazing thing to witness and experience. (Kirsty)
- Tons bro. I gave a blessing to a recent concert who was having trouble with her faith and it was a powerful experience. (Travis)
- Too many to write here but I was named in a Patriarchal Blessing of a less active member that I would help baptize her husband. He’s baptized, helped organize a new branch and he became a member of the Branch Presidency there. Also studying and praying with companions/brothers and just being overwhelmed with love and comradely is something I’ll never forget. (Adam)
- My greatest spiritual experiences came in helping a woman understand that God is her loving Father in Heaven and that she is His daughter. She wasn’t baptized, but I remain close with her and hopeful for her spiritual future. (Carli)
- Baptizing a lady in her 60’s who was found while in the process of committing suicide at her home. Being approached by a golden, finding him while out knocking on doors and telling us that he had been looking for us for a while before we found him. (Mwesigwa)
What are some interesting facts about the London South Mission?
- Extremely multi-cultural. Heavy with history, hidden wonders, and places to explore. (Jamison)
- Lots of historical sites like Oxford, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, etc. (Paul)
- Left home as a boy…returned home a man of God. (Oudom)
- Southern England has a plethora of historical sites and much to learn about world history not to mention all the Church history. (Alan)
- London temple is the mission headquarters. London is amazing! Jersey is amazing! The entire mission is amazing. We also have Stonehenge inside the mission. Canterbury cathedral as well. (Travis)
- It’s awesome. It’s super varied from rural and mostly white areas to the diversity of London proper. It was the top baptizing mission in Europe for several consecutive years when I went out. (Adam)
- It contains 4 islands, 3 of which have missionaries living in and serving there. It also contains Windsor castle, Stonehenge and Oxford. #funfacts (Carli)
- I was the first missionary from Uganda and East Africa to serve in England London South Mission. I understand ELSM was the second most expensive mission in the church, after Japan, during our time. Most people in England keep dogs or cats for pets. If serving in London, there is a lot pollution from traffic emissions. The easiest way to get around and about in London is mainly by use of double decker buses or tube trains. People in London are more receptive and friendly compared to those who live outside. English people are very reserved and rarely crack jokes but are very friendly too. In London, people walk very fast and are time conscious. You can’t get around London areas without using a road map. (Mwesigwa)
- I had no idea I would have a hard time understanding those English folk. I thought I knew the English language, apparently not. I even was born in England and have English-speaking parents. It took awhile, but I eventually got it. (Julie)
What was the weather like?
- Rain, rain, rain, rain. Cold, cold, cold, cold. Once it was sunny, hahaha. Just kidding. It was most of the time cold, but some days, not really often, is was warm. (Yasmina)
- Wet. Worst flooding in 300 years. (Jamison)
- Gray, except for two weeks in July. (Paul)
- Rain, cold. (Oudom)
- It rained a lot. (Mark)
- Near perfect, except for when it rained. (Alan)
- I’m British do it was normal for me. Wet and windy winters Hot and Sunny summers, nothing too extreme. (Kirsty)
- Cold and wet in the winter and hot in the summer. It rains but not as much as some people tell themselves it does. (Travis)
- Amazing. Mild and moist. Great for green grass and beautiful trees and flowers. (Adam)
- There were days of snow, sun and rain. Mostly rain. (Carli)
- Typical English weather is wet and cold during winter and warm during the summer, doesn’t snow a lot in most areas. (Mwesigwa)
- The HOT balmy weather year round. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? I thought it would never get warm again. Always cold!! (Julie)
Any things you really like about the area/people?
- I love English people. I love that the members there are really converted. It’s hard to get an English person to listen, but when they do get their testimony, they are really strong converts and have a strong testimony. (Yasmina)
- Once you got to know them, they were amazing. (Jamison)
- It was really cool to be surrounded by history every day. Some places I lived at were older than my country. (Paul)
- They are nice and England is a super diverse country so you meet people from all over the place. (Oudom)
- English people were so great. Wonderful sense of humour. (Mark)
- There were area of good sized church members and some where there were none. It was interesting to meet in a fire house or above a store for church. (Alan)
- My mission was the best experience, I liked everything. I liked that there was diversity a lot, I got to learn about different cultures. I liked a lot of the African people were happy to talk about the gospel and also share it with their friends, while making us jellof rice, lol. I even liked the English teenagers who would laugh at us or chuck eggs at us on the council block estates, because it made us laugh and gave us funny stories, sometimes the scarier ones made us feel like we were doing something good standing up for what we believed in. I loved ELSM as you had city and country, I am British so I got to stay jn my comfort zone too. (Kirsty)
- I loved everything! Even the bad times have become golden memories. (Travis)
- Diversity and craziness. (Adam)
- Beautiful landscapes and a variety of people. Never a boring day. (Carli)
- Serving in London was very unique due to the multi cultural background of the city with people from all over the world (Africa, Asia, South America, etc). It makes it very colorful, vibrant and exciting. The country side is very green and typically English. The people are more receptive in London compared to outside London. English people are more reserved and seem to mind their own business. (Mwesigwa)
- All areas I served in were absolutely beautiful. I loved the people! I loved exploring as many castles as I could. (Julie)
Any packing/clothing advice?
- Good shoes for the rain. A good jacket for the rain. And winter clothes. (Yasmina)
- Pack a real raincoat/waterproof winter coat. Buy a pair of hush puppy shoes, only shoes that held up to constant walking. Try to pack light. Don’t want to have to lug heavy bags through trains and buses. (Jamison)
- It doesn’t get very cold and doesn’t often get very warm. Bring a sweater. (Paul)
- The best time to buy new clothes is at the end of summer and beginning of the new year. (Oudom)
- Travel light. (Mark)
- Buy good shoes, it seems they don’t see a decent pair of shoes in England. (Alan)
- Dress for comfort, look respectable, try not to look too pretty of whimsy so you will be taken seriously and not give off the wrong impression. Good strong comfortable shoes. (Kirsty)
- Don’t get a trench coat. Get shoes that will be durable because you will walk. Be prepared to buy more shoes. Bikes are for the birds. You will not come back with anything suit or dress clothing related from the US because it’s better in the UK. Cufflinks and socks are a thing you should embrace as well. (Travis)
- No, anything you don’t have can be cheaply picked up here in England. (Adam)
- Many pairs of tights–many. Comfortable and durable shoes, you walk/run LOADS. Bring many sweaters for layering during the winter, along with a warm, waterproof winter coat. (Carli)
- Short sleeves for summer and enough warm coats for winter, plus an umbrella and a-z map if you are serving in London itself. (Mwesigwa)
- Really good shoes! (Julie)
What blessings did you receive from serving a mission?
- I was able to get to know the Savior much better and know who I am. (Yasmina)
- Meeting so many amazing people, being able to serve people. Learning how to listen and bear my testimony. Learning how to live on my own. (Jamison)
- Learned to trust God a lot more. (Paul)
- Strong relationship with God, Learn to be yourself. Spiritual understanding. (Oudom)
- My testimony, knowledge, understanding and love for the the Savior and His gospel grew immensely. The chance to lose my life in service for two years was a great foundation for the rest of it. (Mark)
- Countless. It’s been 16 years and not a week goes by I don’t talk about it. So many experiences helped my testimony to become solid, that I can share with my husband and children. If I hadn’t served and learned about different cultures I’m not sure my marriage with my foreign husband would have been so easy to adjust to. (Kirsty)
- There are too many to count. (Travis)
- Married with two children sealed in the temple and doing my dream job. Huge temporal blessings. I also gained a forgiveness for sins and a bond with my Savior which is more precious than any thing. (Adam)
- My favorite blessing is the people I’m blessed to know and continue to visit and see around the world. (Carli)
- The blessings are countless. I gained a testimony of not only the gospel but also of service. My English improved for the better, picked up an accent. Got inspired to take a study course in broadcasting and I became a television broadcaster. I married a sister I once knew and served within the same mission, around the same time and we have been blessed with two wonderful little boys. More I was blessed to know every one I served with or around during my mission. (Mwesigwa)
What are some skills you gained?
- I learned to be more patient and love all the people. (Yasmina)
- Money management, house keeping, planning, etc… (Jamison)
- Picked up a bit of some African languages when working in the inner city. (Paul)
- Teaching and loving people. (Oudom)
- Confidence, the ability to talk to anyone about anything, and teaching skills. (Mark)
- Communication, being bold, the commitment pattern, finding common ground with people, empathy, humility… (Kirsty)
- Working with others to help each other get better as a person. (Travis)
- Study skills that helped me draw nearer to God but also equipped me for university. Manners and politeness in the face of occasionally hostile people that has proven an invaluable skill in the workplace. (Adam)
- Scheduling/organizing, hard work, using time wisely, prioritizing, lesson planning, teaching, interpersonal communication, etc. (Carli)
- Good communication. Improved cooking, time management, driving, keeping within my budget. Gained more knowledge of the gospel and went home applied it, found and baptized a young man who later was called to serve in the same mission I did. He became the second Ugandan to serve in England London South Mission. (Mwesigwa)
- Being able to talk to strangers, a big confidence builder. (Julie)
What do you wish you knew/did at the beginning of your mission?
- I would have liked to know the lessons better and the teachings from Preach My Gospel. (Yasmina)
- I wish I had demanded to talk to the mission therapist before my 6th month mark and not had a mission president that made me wait. I also wish I knew that my personal health was more important than the work and had taken time to maintain my health. (Jamison)
- That it’s my effort that’s important, not how people react. (Paul)
- Using money wisely because my trainer and I didn’t burger at all. So often we didn’t have enough money. (Oudom)
- No matter what the question or problem, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer. Understanding this sooner would have encouraged me to be bolder with people from the start. (Mark)
- It’s not just a saying “no regrets.” You really do regret missed opportunities, being distracted or homesick or lazy or silly, all these off days could have been spent so much better. I wish I had been more like my trainer. (Kirsty)
- Not to waste money on a trench coat. (Travis)
- How important it was to have fun and enjoy myself. A mission should never be a chore, the Gospel’s truth rings truer when the happiness it brings is evident in your face and demeanor. (Adam)
- Studied Preach My Gospel more and focused on object lessons AIDS. (Carli)
- I wish I had known how to love every one more than I did when I got on my mission. Wish I had known how cold it was going to be before I got here especially coming from a warm tropical African climate. (Mwesigwa)
Any advice/testimony for pre-missionaries going to London South?
- Forget yourself and go to work. Time goes fast and we just have 2 years or 18 months to serve the Lord as full-time missionaries. Also, bring your investigators to the Visitors’ Centre, you will see miracles there! 🙂 (Yasmina)
- Make sure you have everything spiritually, mentally, and healthwise in order. You will have the best, hardest experience ever, and everything that pops up makes it all the harder. (Jamison)
- Leave your life behind and lose yourself in the work. (Paul)
- Be thou converted. (Oudom)
- Be bold. The need for the answers that the gospel brings is urgent. (Mark)
- Work hard, don’t miss opportunities…you will regret it later, lock your heart, focus, get involved with the ward…but stay the missionary, when it ends and your heart is breaking…still smile when you hug your Mum, her heart was breaking your whole mission. (Kirsty)
- Don’t be afraid of anything. If you show up and work with your heart and ask God for help you will make it home a true servant of Him. (Travis)
- Recognize that it’s only 18 months/ 2 years of your life. Just give it all you have and get right back to your life after. Thoughts of home are normal, but look at the bigger picture, just like your teaching your investigators. Enjoy this fun fun time until the very end! (Carli)
- Always love the people you serve, it’s demanding and challenging but it is the key to the success of your mission. As our mission mum always said copying a leaf from President Hinckley’s parents during his mission to England, “forget yourself and go to work”. There is no substitute for this work for the time you are called to serve. Stay 100% obedient, your mission will become more meaningful to you after your return home and look back to it. (Mwesigwa)
What was a funny language mistake?
- I was in the bus with my companion and I said to her “Sister, press the button” my pronunciation was bad and she understood bottom… It was awkward… Hahaha. (Yasmina)
- I waved to somebody across the railway platform and didn’t know that the way my hand was positioned was a gesture that is like giving them the finger. (Paul)
- My French companion used to pronounce stiff-necked people as stiff naked people! (Kirsty)
- Don’t remember any. (Travis)
- Never blindly repeat any snippets of foreign language people teach you. You don’t know what it is and it’s usually offensive. (Adam)
- After having a nice meal with some members and being asked if I wanted more food, I said…… I know…… “No thanks, I’m stuffed.” (Julie)
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