Hello!

[Mday16]

Hello! I'm somewhat new to these forums and will be attending church for the first time this Sunday! I'm going to a YSA Ward so I figured I would say hello on here! :) I'm kinda nervous to go so if anyone would be willing to share their experience that would be great! :)

[JudoMinja]

I attended a singles ward while I was going to college. I don't know exactly what your experience will be like from the perspective of someone who's never been to an LDS service, but I know there were a number of things that stood out to me as very different from attending a family ward.

Since everyone there is single and ranging in age from 18-30, sacrament meeting is VERY quiet. As the sacrament gets passed around and everyone is focusing on thinking of the Savior, it gets so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and at first it was distracting (since I was used to hearing babies crying, toddlers coloring/snacking, etc) but eventually became a very calming and spiritual experience. It was much easier to focus and personalize things.

There was also, at least it seemed to me, a lot more socializing between meetings than in a family ward. Our sacrament meeting often went over on time a whole half-hour, then people would spend almost another half-hour talking with each other before the "second hour", so that lesson was always cut very short. Everyone is discussing plans, activities, parties, studies, etc. It's easier to relate with everyone, because you're all at a similar stage of life, but I also missed the presence of the little kids and the "older" generations.

It was NOT like the movie "The Singles Ward", which I saw before attending . That movie is supposed to be a funny spoof, and while it was funny I was afraid it would really be like that- everyone playing matchmaker and trying to marry each other off... constantly. Asking each other on dates and nosing into peoples relationship buisness. I was so nervous first going in... But it ended up being no different than any other social setting with people my own age. I made friends and connections, and their was no pushing or "masterminds" trying to get me married off.

It was fun, enjoyable, and spiritual- and like any other religious service, I think you get out of it what you put into it. And that there is a great diversity among the people attending- some are very friendly and outgoing, some less social and quiet, and so on and so forth. I hope you enjoy your experience. :)