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SALT LAKE CITY — A change is coming to the designation for missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are serving in Russia.

The elders and sisters serving in the country will now be known as volunteers, not as missionaries.

This is in response to a new Russian law aimed at combatting terrorism, but it also restricts religious organizations in the country.

All LDS missionaries serve on a volunteer basis, but with the new law set to take effect on Wednesday, the Church is making adjustments to what the missionaries assigned to Russia are involved with and known as to comply with the law that is impacting all religious organizations.

In the 25 years since the LDS Church was first established in Russia, missionary efforts have helped the faith grow to more than 22,000 members who participate in 100 congregations throughout the country.

But with a sweeping new anti-terrorism law that, in part, restricts a faith organization's missionary efforts to within houses of worship, many religions are having to make changes in how they operate in Russia.

When the law was enacted ten days ago, the LDS Church responded with a statement which read in part: "The Church will honor, sustain and obey the law. Missionaries will remain in Russia and will work within the requirements of these changes. The Church will further study and analyze the law and its impact as it goes into effect."

In an email message from mission presidents distributed to the relatives of missionaries currently in Russia, family members are instructed to refer to their family members in the future as volunteers rather than missionaries who are involved in volunteer service.

Currently, seven missions are established throughout Russia, headquartered in major cities throughout the country.

The new law impacts all religious organizations in Russia. Other faiths have expressed concerns that the law is vague, leaving a lot of questions about how it will be applied.

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