You may remember which companion was with you for a particular story, but a reader picking up your mission book years later may not. Organizing your letters by transfer can give them that context.
In Letters Home, you can name and order transfers, record their length in weeks, assign companions, and assign letters to the appropriate transfer. For LDS mission books, you can also choose a table of contents grouped by transfer, companion names in the contents, and transfer divider pages.
Your collection timeline is separate: it records a start date and an end date. Transfers are not currently connected to those dates, so entering a transfer's length does not place it on a dated mission timeline.
Set Your Collection Dates
Open your collection's Settings and find Collection timeline. Enter the start and end dates, then select Save timeline.
These dates describe the overall period covered by your collection. They do not assign letters to transfers or set the dates of individual transfers.
If you are still checking an old mission's dates, use the original letters and other records to confirm them. The date a family member forwarded an email may differ from the date it was written.
Add Your Companions
In the Organization section of collection settings, add the companions you want to use and save your changes. Check the spelling of each name before assigning it to transfers.
Companions belong to the collection. A transfer can use them as defaults for its letters, and individual letters can override those defaults when needed. That is useful when a letter needs different companion information from the rest of its transfer.
Create and Order Your Transfers
In Transfers, give each transfer a name, enter its length in weeks, and select its default companions. Put the transfers in the order you want, then save.
Choose names that will make sense to a future reader. For example, a name such as “Transfer 2 — Riverside” can provide more context than “Transfer 2” alone. This is an example of a name you could enter, rather than a separate area field.
Use the length that fits your record; do not assume every transfer lasted the same number of weeks. Remember that the week count records a duration. It does not establish a transfer's start or end date.
Assign Letters to the Right Transfer
Open a letter, enter edit mode, choose its transfer, and save. Repeat for the letters you want to organize.
Read the letter itself when checking an assignment. A subject line about a funny story may hide the sentence mentioning a new companion or a move. If a companion changed within a transfer, review the individual letter's companion information too.
Creating transfers alone does not assign letters to them. Check the assignments rather than expecting the collection dates or transfer lengths to sort everything for you.
If you cannot confirm where a letter belongs, keep your research notes in a separate document while you check. Ask the missionary when possible, and avoid turning a guess into a fact.
Choose How Transfers Appear in Your Book
For an LDS mission book, look for Contents and sections in book setup. The available options let you:
- Include a table of contents grouped by transfer.
- Show companion names in the table of contents.
- Insert a transfer divider page before each transfer section.
These options use the transfer and companion information associated with your letters. They help readers follow changes between sections; they do not create a dated mission timeline.
Before printing, check the book preview for transfer names, section changes, companion spellings, and letters assigned to the wrong transfer. Check photo captions as well: our mission photo caption guide offers simple ways to preserve names and context alongside your pictures.
If you are still gathering your letters, start with how to turn missionary emails into a book. You can build the collection first, then review its transfer assignments as you prepare the book.
Have an Idea That Would Help?
Would a different way to organize transfers, companions, or mission dates better fit your needs? Share your idea through our Suggestions and roadmap. Tell us what you are trying to do and what would make it easier. Everyone can read the roadmap; sign in to submit a suggestion or vote on an existing idea.