What happens when a missionary dies. What is the church's procedure? What is their support?
I am sorry for the question. I don't mean any disrespect or offense to anyone. And I am very sorry for those who have lost their lives in any kind of service.

I remember hearing when I was in the MTC, that if you die on your mission, a General Authority will speak at your funeral. That's all I've ever heard on the subject.

It's an interesting question though. I wonder if the church would be held liable?

Not likely, unless they were directly responsible by negligence or some sort of recklessness. Most deaths that I recall involving missionaries seem to be from auto accidents. I recall hearing of a carbon monoxide death of several missionaries, a murder or two...Most deaths seem to be the result of another individual or an accident caused by the missionary or someone else. I don't know how the church could be held responsible.

And don't forget the deaths of missionaries killed by other missionaries.

I think a couple of missionary kids had been murdered in South America or someplace. Monson spoke at one of the funerals, and what he said had tears running down my face as I read it in the Ensign.

He said something like, "Remember, Charlie (or whatever the kid's name was) has not been released from his mission call! He is continuing to serve, preaching the Gospel to those on the other side of the veil! Let that be a comfort to all of us who knew and loved him!"

Reading that absolutely tore me up. Even now, after all my years as an exmo, I have very mixed feelings about that. If you were that kid's mother, how could you express the very natural grief you would feel over a murdered child, when a Mr. Bigshot from the Big Three was telling you how proud you should be that your lost son is "still preaching the Gospel!"

I hear if you die on your mission, you get a free pass straight to the top of the celestial kingdom (and a bunch of virgin wives, no doubt)