Advice for investigators?

[Hyena]

I guess I'm just looking for some constructive suggestions to help those of us struggling with the decisions on how to proceed with considering the LDS church. There are too many concerns to list, but I imagine that many of the people here once went through similar experiences.

So if you had a list of words of wisdom for those considering the LDS, specifically in addressing potential fears like the apprehensiveness of joining a group that is unfamiliar, to the best way to seek out missionaries or how to address them or questions that should be presented once missionaries are involved, if they even need to be? I mean, could someone just walk into an LDS church and request an immediate baptism because they did their own research?

I just figure since some of you already went through this you'd have a few good things for the uninitiated that you wish someone had told you before hand.

[Hyena]

And I'm sorry for being something of a pest... I just noticed I tend to create a bunch of new threads. I'll try to taper off a bit from now on.

[pam]

Don't hesitate to ask questions. We don't care how many as long as they are sincere questions. :)

[skippy740]

Please keep asking good questions! That is exactly what this forum is for.

Speaking as a former missionary, here are my recommendations:

Keep your focus on your relationship with the Godhead - God the Father, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit - those are whom we make our covenants with.

The foundation of a testimony begins with The Book of Mormon.

Is The Book of Mormon the word of God?

- If not, don't join the Church.

If so, then Joseph Smith is a true Prophet of God.

The Church restored through Joseph Smith is the Lord's Church restored in our day.

Just about everything else is an appendage to that.

Everything else may enhance your journey, or be a hinderance to it.

***

In meeting with the missionaries, my BEST recommendation is to simply let them know how you feel and what you think. Be open with them.

The role of a missionary is to preach and teach... but not with an eye of criticism. It's not a test for you to pass. It's not a test of knowledge. It's a "test" of humility, testimony and faith. It's a "test" of repentance - to follow the commandments and align your life in accordance with the commandments that have been revealed.

But it's not an interrogation, or any kind of judgement during discussions.

Just "dive" right into the discussions and enjoy them. Ask your missionaries the same questions you are asking us here.

Let us supplement your missionary discussions, instead of having missionary discussions supplement what you're learning here.

Let the missionaries help guide your path... and keep praying as you do so. God will guide you through the Holy Spirit.

[jayanna]

I would highly suggest going on to mormon.org and chatting with a missionary online. The missionaries are messengers of the Lord, stay humble and let them do the work they have been called to do. It is their joy, and they will care for you the way your Heavenly Father wishes you to be cared for.

You are welcome to come to any church service on any Sunday you have an inclination to come. There is a class for those investigating and it is very helpful to sit in and listen to others ask questions and the responses. Sometimes they can come up with some you might have forgotten to ask. The questions in the class tend to center around the topic of that lesson for the day. If you have a long list of questions you can ask the missionaries during your discussions you have with them.

I personally think it would be best to go as soon as possible, if you're a worry wort like me with an outstanding and creative imagination, best to jump in before fearful ideas start popping up. Imaginations can be so very wonderful and yet so awfully self-defeating at times.

Friend on here are great and all, but we can only give you words. The Elders will bring a sense of the Holy Spirit into the lessons that will mean more than our words can. Stay humble, and let the Holy Spirit guide you wherever He wills. Sometimes it all sounds too good to be true, but it is true. The world makes us jaded I know, almost afraid to believe in something so wonderful, but here it is. The Chruch of Jesus Christ really has been restored to the Earth once again. Don't miss out on it.

[dahlia]

I guess I'll add that you don't have to be perfect to be baptized. I was really worried about that - I still had questions (but probably not doubts, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten baptized) and thought I had to have everything clear. But you don't. Baptism is a first step - you have a lifetime to learn the rest.

I hope that the ward you wind up in is as welcoming as mine has been. It is difficult to join a new group - especially when they start asking you to give a prayer or do this or that and you are still confused about how things work - but it is easier if the people around you are supportive.

[Hyena]

I guess I'll add that you don't have to be perfect to be baptized. I was really worried about that - I still had questions (but probably not doubts, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten baptized) and thought I had to have everything clear. But you don't. Baptism is a first step - you have a lifetime to learn the rest.

I hope that the ward you wind up in is as welcoming as mine has been. It is difficult to join a new group - especially when they start asking you to give a prayer or do this or that and you are still confused about how things work - but it is easier if the people around you are supportive.

I think this singular concern ranks chief amongst my greatest fears and probably what holds me back the most.

[Gramajane]

Somethings that may help you is to think of the Church as kind of like a school. We are all here to learn and to help each other. I've been totally active all my life ( attended 4 years of seminary in high school, getting straight As) and I'm still learning (I'm 64).

I understand (but I haven't seen it Yet) that there is a video of a ward sacrament meeting on either LDS.org or Mormon.org for people to get an idea of what a meeting is like.

I made a hobby of studying other churches (while still attending my own) since I was a teenager, so I know that churches vary a LOT!

LDS do not have any congregational kneeling in church, or any repeating out loud (well we do say amen at the end of prayers, not during) and we sing. We do not call down people to come to the front to join etc.

You can not just join when you go, as it needs to be ascertained that you know what you are covenanting to with your baptism. So they need to at least give you an interview, but the best is to meet with the missionaries enough to be sure you have the basics and that you intend to continue in the faith. Repentance steps, and understand about chastity etc.

I gained a friend who lived on a distant island in AK, who listened to the radio - Armstrong's Worldwide church of God, and from that realized she needed to be baptized. So as we had gone there in our commercial fishing work, and met their family, when she came to town, she told me she had decided to let our church baptize her.

I was sad to find that she was not interested in what LDS believed, (yet) she just thought that baptism was generic (as it is in most faiths). I suggested the Baptist church down the street, (I had friends in that) who I was pretty sure they would baptize her.

She was upset as she felt as she was honoring me and my faith, but finally came to understand so well, later, that she actually got some missionaries to come to their Island, just to teach them! She joined and is still active after all these years, though it was hard to not be able to attend meetings.

[pam]

I understand (but I haven't seen it Yet) that there is a video of a ward sacrament meeting on either LDS.org or Mormon.org for people to get an idea of what a meeting is like.

This may be what you are referring to: