A Few Questions

[Neem1221]

Hello, all. I am interested in joining the LDS Church, but naturally, I have a few questions and concerns before I attend my first meeting.

1. The Health Code - I know it's serious, but I LOVE coffee, and it's hard to give up. Tea I can go without. However, I am slowly weening myself off of it.

2. As far as I know, none of my family members were a part of the LDS Church. Can I still be a Mormon? I don't know if I have any Mormon ancestors.

3. How do the baptismal and confirmation processes work?

4. What is the "endowment ceremony?"

5. I am finishing college, and should be done a year from now. If I am to do a missionary service, how will it work? I can't devote my life right now for two years until I finish school.

That's it for now. If I think of anything else, I will post more. Thanks!

Bless you all.

[Backroads]

Hello, all. I am interested in joining the LDS Church, but naturally, I have a few questions and concerns before I attend my first meeting.

1. The Health Code - I know it's serious, but I LOVE coffee, and it's hard to give up. Tea I can go without. However, I am slowly weening myself off of it.

2. As far as I know, none of my family members were a part of the LDS Church. Can I still be a Mormon? I don't know if I have any Mormon ancestors.

3. How do the baptismal and confirmation processes work?

4. What is the "endowment ceremony?"

5. I am finishing college, and should be done a year from now. If I am to do a missionary service, how will it work? I can't devote my life right now for two years until I finish school.

That's it for now. If I think of anything else, I will post more. Thanks!

Bless you all.

1. Technically, all the Word of Wisdom really does is prevent you from attending the temple. Even so, it's a very important part of obedience to us. It definitely will not stop you from attending a simple meeting.

2. Heck yes you can still be a Mormon! We love genealogy, but we get even more excited when we find non-Mormon ancestors to do temple work for.

In other words, Mormon family or not has no affect whatsoever on becoming a Mormon.

3. I'm going to let a priesthood holder answer that because I'm sure they'll give a better perpective.

4. I'm receiving my endowments in three weeks, so I don't know if I dare answer that yet, either.

5. You can go on a mission pretty much anytime in the early-mid twenties. Feel free to wait till you're done.

[Dravin]

3. How do the baptismal and confirmation processes work?

The nuts and bolts of the process would be here: Family Guidebook Priesthood Ordinances and Blessings Well as it pertains to performing them, is that what you were looking for?

5. I am finishing college, and should be done a year from now. If I am to do a missionary service, how will it work? I can't devote my life right now for two years until I finish school.

Bless you all.

Well there is a one year waiting period after being baptised anyway, so if you are gonna be done with school in a year you couldn't go before you finished school anyway. As far as missionary service you'd want to talk to your Bishop and tell him of your desire to serve. There will be paperwork and discussion of spiritual and financial preparation (if you have student loans for instance then that could be a problem as you don't get paid to serve a mission*). There will also by a physical involved (done by a doctor not your Bishop). You'll also interview with the Stake President (the Bishop is in charge of a congregation (we call them wards) a Stake President is in charge of 6-10 congregations).

* Each missionary pays into a Church wide mission fund, it was $400 a month when I went a couple years ago, the costs involved may have gone up since then, and then the Church takes care of housing and the like and gives you a small stipend for food and the like. At any rate one wouldn't be able to keep abreast of debts while on their mission by virtue of being a Missionary.

[mordorbund]

1. Technically, all the Word of Wisdom really does is prevent you from attending the temple. Even so, it's a very important part of obedience to us. It definitely will not stop you from attending a simple meeting.

Drinking coffee will prevent you from being baptized, and also receiving the Priesthood (a pre-requisite for you serving a mission).

3. How do the baptismal and confirmation processes work?

The link recommended to you covers the ordinance well. Before you can receive it, you will be taught by missionaries so you have an idea of what you're getting yourself into. You will also be interviewed before-hand to ensure that you are prepared to live the commitments that are a part of LDS life.

4. What is the "endowment ceremony?"

The endowment is a temple ordinance where we are symbollically shown life's journey, culminating in receiving the knowledge necessary to re-enter the Lord's presence. Before you receive your endowment, you will probably attend some temple preparation classes that will give you a broad overview of the ordinance and remind you of some relevant gospel principles.

[LDSVALLEY]

My wife likes coffee, doesn't have to have it but enjoys it. Several members, her included, drink what is called cafe-lib which is a coffee substitute made with 0 caffeine content. Thus it is not breaking the Word of Wisdom.

Hello, all. I am interested in joining the LDS Church, but naturally, I have a few questions and concerns before I attend my first meeting.

I wanted to mention a couple of things after reading your opening statement.

1) The only way you can decide to join the church or not is to take the time to attend some services, investigator classes, meet with the Missionaries and begin to study the scriptures. And Pray for direction. You don't have to alter your lifestyle in order to investigate the Church. You don't have to be living the word of wisdom, be a Bible or Book of Mormon scholar to attend meetings and activities.

2) When you come to know that the church is true then you will have the spiritual strength to help you overcome the challenges you might have to face in your lifestyle or thinking in order to be worthy to enter baptism. You do not need to be perfect or to know all things, you need to be committed to trying and diligently working at putting your life in harmony with the Lord.

My issue was not coffee it was tithing. I joined the church but took three years to be able to get the Melchizedek Priesthood because of my issues with it. I was always allowed to participate in all aspects of the church that didn't require me having it. It was not until I had gained enough knowledge of the Lord and enough Faith that I was ready to overcome that hurdle. But I always kept in my mind that it was not the church that was preventing me from attaining that level it was me, but in time my level of faith got me there.

Keep asking questions but you should know up front that often the answers make no real sense to someone who has not yet begun to establish a testimony. I use logic for example, it helped me know the church was true because it made logical sense to me that we would have Prophets on Earth because God had given our ancestors Prophets to help them and he loves us equally so we should be given the same help.

But giving up 10 percent of a 5 member 1 income family (and a lower middle class one at that) just didn't make any logical sense. I finally figured that if everything else was logical somehow this must be as well so I did it. There is no logic on how we can pay 10% of our income and end up with more money at the end of the month until you can factor God into the math. Simply it works.

Go, seek, ask, study, learn, laugh, and enjoy the journey.

[mnn727]

Everyone else is covering everything pretty well, but I wanted to touch base a bit more on this one:

You don't have to serve a mission, in fact you shouldn't unless you want to, and you won't be allowed to for at least 1 year after Baptism -- so you have some time to learn what you're going to be teaching.

[dahlia]

Since the costs for being a missionary have come up, can you tell me what people normally do to pay for it? Do they save over the child's lifetime - it seems with tithing, saving for college, sports expenses, etc. it might be hard to do, but I guess not impossible. Do people pay in each month? I know the church helps with some missionaries - how is that decided? Do you have to do some kind of income report? What if all you can say is 'I wasn't able to save for the kid's mission?' Would the church say 'tough luck?'

[LDSVALLEY]

Since the costs for being a missionary have come up, can you tell me what people normally do to pay for it? Do they save over the child's lifetime - it seems with tithing, saving for college, sports expenses, etc. it might be hard to do, but I guess not impossible. Do people pay in each month? I know the church helps with some missionaries - how is that decided? Do you have to do some kind of income report? What if all you can say is 'I wasn't able to save for the kid's mission?' Would the church say 'tough luck?'

Often the youth works at saving a portion of the cost, many families expect them to raise 1/2. If the family or potential Missionary can't raise some or all of the money then often it will be put to members of the Ward or Stake to help fund someone's mission.

I know of one case where a family in another Ward simply had no means of paying for a mission so the Mission President went around discreetly to members all over the Stake whom he know potentially had extra resources and asked them to contribute. He served two years and baptized several people thanks to the efforts of many who did not even know him.

The desire is that the potential missionary earn at least a portion of the funds himself in order, I believe, to give him a stake in the work and effort he is going to do. When you pay into something you have a stronger desire to see a good return on your dollar.

We have 2 girls and a boy. They started mission funds around age 5, not much $8.00 per month but each of them has added several hundred to those amounts on their own desire over the years. I don't know how much they will have and the cost by the time they are old enough to serve or even if all three will go on a mission but the money will be there for them if they choose not to. As for the remainder we have yet to be able to put any aside for them, I expect it will end up being added onto our mortgage to fund it.

People have sold cars, furniture, stuff they could live without, sometimes other siblings have helped cover the costs etc.

I didn't grow up in the church, joined when I was 29? so never had the opportunity to serve a mission but I will do what I have to in order to give my children that chance.

But it will be worth it no matter the financial cost not just because it serves the Lord but it serves them and helps them grow the right direction and provide focus.

[tubaloth]

Hello, all. I am interested in joining the LDS Church, but naturally, I have a few questions and concerns before I attend my first meeting.

Super, just take it a step at a time. Don't try to go to fast. Start reading the Book of Mormon and meeting with the Missionaries. They can help you move at your own pace.

1. The Health Code - I know it's serious, but I LOVE coffee, and it's hard to give up. Tea I can go without. However, I am slowly weening myself off of it.

That wasn't really a question, more a comment. We believe that God knows our bodies the best. It makes sense that he would help guide us in how to take care of them. If God tells us something is bad for our body (no mater how good we think it is) I better have Faith in God.

2. As far as I know, none of my family members were a part of the LDS Church. Can I still be a Mormon? I don't know if I have any Mormon ancestors.

That isn't a problem. When Joseph Smith joined the church, nobody was a member in his family either. It has to start somewhere.

3. How do the baptismal and confirmation processes work?

You are taught "discussions" by the Missionaries. More you are taught about our church so you know what you are joining. You read the Book of Mormon. You pray to find the truth of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Once you feel this is true then you choose to be baptized. (they set a date/goal) you go to church and keep learning.

They have a baptismal program at the church (where the baptismal font) is.

Then around a week later in church they well confirm (lay hands on your head) and confirm you a member of the church and give you the gift of the Holy Ghost. You can talk to the missionaries more about this process.

4. What is the "endowment ceremony?"

It is other covenants that are made in the Temple. We talk about being endowed with power from God.

5. I am finishing college, and should be done a year from now. If I am to do a missionary service, how will it work? I can't devote my life right now for two years until I finish school.

That is super that you are thinking about a mission even before you have joined the church! I don't think I can fully see how amazing this is. A mission isn't for everybody. You don't HAVE to go a mission. First you have to wait a year after joining the church to even go. But mostly after that time a mission is something you and the bishop talk about. If you feel you want to spread the gospel and the bishop and you feel you can do it, then you can submit papers. Again don't get a head of yourself.

Again, find the missionaries. They can answer your questions a lot better then people over the internet. Good Luck!