So let’s say you’ve read the Book of Mormon. You’ve prayed to God for guidance as to whether this book really is what it claims to be: a sacred volume of scripture, along with the Bible, that contains the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You receive inspiration from God that the things you’ve read are true. Or, maybe you’ve been searching for the true Church. You recognize that in the New Testament, Jesus Christ established His Church. It had apostles and prophets guiding the faithful. You see that continuous revelation, the potential to add new scriptures, temple worship, etc were all important to the New Testament Church. You find out about the LDS belief in the Restoration of Christ’s Church, it makes sense to you (“yeah, where did the apostolic office go?”), you pray about it to your Father in Heaven, and you receive an answer that confirms the truth of the Restoration. Or, maybe you take many of the various other paths people take on their journey to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But what do you do next? Many seem to be somewhat confused about how one becomes a Latter-day Saint (or “Mormon”), so hopefully this will help you. I’ll also share some of my own conversion experiences.
Contact the Missionaries, or, Visit Your Local LDS Congregation
The first thing you must do is get in contact with the local missionaries of the LDS Church. There are a number of ways you can do this. One way is to simply go to this website on Mormon.org, put in your contact information, and the missionaries will give you a call in a few days and see when and where is convenient to meet.
If you simply can’t wait for that call, and are eager to receive the blessings available in Christ’s Church as soon as 
possible, you can just show up at your local LDS congregation for Sunday worship. The missionaries will be there, and you can just go up to them and tell them you’re ready to be a Mormon! I’m sure they’d be thrilled to talk to you. You can find your local congregations by putting in your address at this LDS Maps website.
Either way, you must meet with the missionaries before you become a member of the Church (don’t worry, if you can’t meet them in your home, they can meet anywhere else you feel comfortable, such as a local cafe, park, or even the local church building). This is important because the missionaries will go over a series of lessons on various topics to ensure that you have a basic foundation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ before you are baptized. They will teach you topics such as The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Plan of 
Salvation, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Commandments, and Laws and Ordinances. In addition, they will ask you to read various passages from the Book of Mormon and the Bible.
In addition to this study of the Gospel, the missionaries will ask you to make various commitments as you progress in your journey. For example, they may ask you to read a specific passage from the Book of Mormon by your next meeting. They may ask you to pray to God about something, such as whether Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God. They will ask you to commit to coming to church on Sunday. As well, as I’m sure you know, there are various lifestyle changes that you may have to make in your own life as you become a Latter-day Saint, such as giving up coffee, tea, alcohol, etc as part of the Word of Wisdom, or beginning to live the Law of Chastity. The missionaries will ask you if you will now begin to follow those commandments from the Lord. They will ask you to repent of your sins. They will also share with you many blessings that come from making these commitments.
My experience: As you may know from reading this blog, I researched the LDS Church for many years (off and on) on my own prior to contacting the missionaries. After awhile, I knew that it was right and that I had to follow the inspiration from God I had received and join the Church. I went on Mormon.org and filled out the form there for the missionaries. After a day or two, I became impatient, and filled it out again! Finally, the missionaries called me while I was in class. I called them back, and set up a time to meet them at the local church building.
At our first meeting, they asked me how I found out about the Church, and I shared how much I had been 
reading and pondering. They were pretty surprised at how much I knew, and that I had been reading the Book of Mormon on my own. Because of this, at our first meeting, they asked me if I wanted to be baptized. The missionaries will ask an “investigator” to be baptized when they feel that you know what it means to be baptized, and when you’re prepared. I was taken aback by the invitation, and although I knew that’s what I wanted, I told them that I’d get back to them after some thought and prayer. They also invited me to come to church on the upcoming Sunday, and also to keep reading the Book of Mormon (normally, as mentioned, they may assign a specific passage to read).
Our meetings were a few times a week (about an hour each time), and lasted for two weeks. There is no set time limit for how long you’ll meet with the missionaries prior to being baptized. Some may meet with them for a week or two, others may meet for months to years. Your meeting with the missionaries will begin and close with a prayer. You can talk to them about anything you desire, and they will also go over various lessons. Sometimes a “member” (a Mormon from the local congregation) may sit in on the meeting to offer their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Go to Church!
If you haven’t already, the missionaries will ask you to attend church with them on Sunday. There, you’ll get to see and meet Mormons from your local community, and join them in worshipping God. Mormons go to church on Sundays for three hours. Yes, three hours. Don’t worry, if you can’t stay for all of it, that’s okay. Hopefully you’ll be able to attend at least Sacrament Meeting. Sacrament Meeting is the basic worship service for Mormons. It is led by a “Bishop”, who is the leader of the local LDS congregation. During Sacrament Meeting, LDS pray, sing hymns, partake of “the Sacrament” (blessed bread and water), and listen to sermons, called “talks”, by members of the congregation. This lasts a little over an hour. You won’t have to do anything (there is no standing, sitting, and kneeling like in various liturgical churches, though you may stand for one of the 
hymns). During the Sacrament, the bread and water will be passed within the congregation (you don’t go up to the front for it). When it comes to you, simply take the tray, hold it so the person next to you can take, and give them the tray. The Sacrament is meant for baptized members of the Church, though it’s not a problem if you partake.
After Sacrament Meeting, there is Sunday School. In Sunday School, there are different classes. The main class for adults in the Gospel Doctrine class. In this class, Mormons study one of their volumes of scripture. The class is taught by someone from the congregation called to be a teacher. This year (2014), Mormons are studying the Old Testament. Another class available is the Gospel Principles class, which is the one the missionaries will most likely invite you to attend. This class covers basic topics central to Mormonism, such as the Atonement, Our Heavenly Family, Jesus Christ, Repentance, Gifts of the Spirit, Service,the Sabbath, Temples, Prophets, etc.
After Sunday School, men and women will separate into different classes. Men go to various Priesthood classes, while adult women attend Relief Society. There, we receive more education in the Gospel, as well as guidance for our lives as sons and daughters of God.
After that, 3 hours from when you first stepped into the building, it’s over! Sometimes, there will be a “linger longer”, where the congregation will have food, BBQ, desserts, or any other treats. Feel free to stay for that if you desire.
Don’t worry, your missionaries will stay with you and help you find where you need to go, so you won’t be there alone. Also, chances are the other members and leaders will recognize that you’re new, and will come up to you to help you with anything you need.
My Experience: I was a little nervous going to church for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect. Although I knew two Mormons from college, I still wasn’t sure if they would be “weird”. So, when I got to the church, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mormons were “normal”! This was a Young Single Adult (YSA) congregation, so everyone was around my age (18-30). It was really nice to be around so many young people at church, since I was used to being one of the few in a sea of graying/whiting older people.
I enjoyed Sacrament Meeting, though it was definitely different from the Catholic Mass I was used to. No candles, no incense, no bells, no robes, etc. However, within the simplicity, I felt at peace, and it simply just felt right. I also greatly appreciated Sunday School. Catholic parishes generally don’t have religious education for adults outside of RCIA for those converting to Catholicism (though there are some parishes that do). It was great to have a formal, Church-organized effort to continue education of members from childhood to our elderly years.
Invitation to Be Baptized!
SO, you’ve been meeting with the missionaries, you’ve gone to church, you’ve committed to live the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom (or at least begun the road to following these commandments), you’ve been reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible, and most importantly, you’ve been praying about everything to God. Guess what, the missionaries have also been praying for you, and about you! When the time is right, the missionaries will invite you to be baptized, and to set a date for your baptism. This date can change if necessary, however it’s always great to have a goal to look forward to.
As you may know, the issue of “authority” is important. In the Bible, we see that Jesus Christ specifically went to John the Baptist, because he had the authority from God to baptize. We see Jesus Christ giving the New Testament apostles authority. Likewise, Mormons believe that, as the restoration of Christ’s original Church, only The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the authority to perform ordinances such as baptism. So, although you may have been baptized in another church, you will have to be baptized by the authority of God.
So, the missionaries ask you to be baptized, you agree, and you set a date (could be tomorrow, could be next week, next month, etc). Congratulations! Once you do this, various things will happen. The Bishop of the congregation will want to meet with you. Another missionary (not one of the two you’ve been meeting with) will meet briefly with you to ask you a few questions to ensure that you are prepared for baptism (such as your belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, the Restoration, the Laws of Chastity and Tithing, the Word of Wisdom, repenting of your sins, and whether you are ready to enter the covenant of baptism).
Your missionaries will show you the baptismal font in the church building, and go over how the baptism is done (i.e. where to put your hands, bend your knees, etc). Remember, Mormons baptize by full immersion, just like in the New Testament.
You’ll also want to start thinking about the program for your baptism. Your missionaries will help you with this. You should select hymns that you like to be part of the program, as well as two speakers to give short talks on the topics of “baptism” and “confirmation-receiving the Holy Ghost”. If you’re not sure, the missionaries will be fine with guiding you on that. Also, you should think of who you want to baptize you (as well as confirm you)! The missionaries will gladly perform both ordinances. However, if you have a friend in the ward congregation that is at least a “priest” in the Aaronic Priesthood, and they are okay with it, they can gladly baptize you. For your Confirmation, the person must be at least an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. Finally, think of who you would like to attend your baptism. You can invite friends, family, and members of the ward congregation. Or no one!
Once this is all done, your missionaries will put together the program and organize everything, along with the Ward Mission Leader and Bishop. All you have to do is show up to your baptism (bring a towel just in case there aren’t any!)!
My experience: As I mentioned, my missionaries invited me to be baptized at our very first meeting. I took a day to think and pray about it, and called them back the next day to say that yes, I would like to be baptized. After that, we finished the remaining missionary lessons, and I attended church. I met a few people from the ward that sat in on our meetings. I met with another missionary who went over the pre-baptism interview questions, which lasted about 5 minutes. I thought of hymns that I had heard the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing before that I enjoyed, chose two, and also asked two of the guys that I had met to speak at my baptism. I also asked my two missionaries to perform the baptism and the confirmation.
Your Baptism!
So the day is finally here! If you’re like me, you’re probably very nervous. The missionaries probably asked you to wear what you wear to church on Sundays, bring a towel, and the time to be there.
You arrive at the church, and the service begins. Everyone will sing the hymns you chose, and talks will be given by the people you selected. Then, it’s baptism time. You will go into the changing room, and change into a white jumpsuit (yes, very attractive). The person baptizing you will also change into white clothing. You will step into the waters, and the baptizer will call you by your full name, and say “Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” He will then fully immerse you under the water, then bring you back up. Two witnesses will watch to make sure that you have been fully immersed. And with that, you’ve been baptized!
After you dry off and change, congregation leaders will welcome you to the ward, the closing hymn will be sung, the closing prayer will be offered, and that ends your baptismal service. People will congratulate you on becoming a member of Christ’s Church, and usually there will be some refreshments after.
My experience: My baptism experience was very interesting, to say the least. As a procrastinator, I have a habit of being late to events. That said, I was running late to my own baptism. The missionaries and the Ward Mission Leader called me to make sure I was still coming. Finally, I made it, and I was surprised at how many people were there to see me baptized.
After I was baptized, I realized that I forgot to bring a towel! I looked around the changing room, and couldn’t find anything. Finally, I just sucked it up, put on my clothes, and walked out with a huge water spot on my pants. At least it was that much more memorable.
Your Confirmation!
After you’re baptized, you will also be confirmed. With Confirmation, you are not only confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but you also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, as well as a priesthood blessing.
Confirmation is usually done on Sunday, as part of Sacrament Meeting. Your missionaries will let you know when this will be. It’s usually the Sunday following your baptism. Near the beginning of Sacrament Meeting, the bishop will announce that you were recently baptized, and that you will now be confirmed. You will go up to the front of the chapel, and sit in a chair. The person you asked to confirm you, as well as various other men holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, will stand in a circle around you , and lay their hands on your head. You will then be called by your full name, and hear the words, “In the name of Jesus Christ, and by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, I confirm you a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and say unto you, ‘receive the Holy Ghost.'”. He will then give you a blessing as the Spirit guides him to. After it’s finished, you will shake the hands of everyone in the circle, and go back to your seat! Chances are you’ll feel very at peace as you receive the Holy Ghost as a constant companion in your life.
And with that, you’re officially a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You’re officially a Mormon!
My experience: Because my congregation wasn’t meeting the Sunday after my baptism (there was a Young Single Adult Regional Conference), I was confirmed in the traditional, or “family” ward congregation that meets in the same building. It was great to meet so many new people, many of whom came up to me to congratulate me and encourage me in my new life as a disciple of Christ. I felt very calm and at peace, and happy to hear that I was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.
Although this is a long post, I hope this gives you some insight into how to become a Mormon. Although I used a lot of words, the process is simple:
1) Meet with the missionaries
2) Start reading the Book of Mormon
3) Pray about what you’re reading and studying, as well as for guidance on whether the things you are learning are true.
4) Start living the commandments
5) Once you know these things are true, set a baptism date
6) Be baptized
7) Be confirmed
8) Be Mormon
and there were also Apostles outside of the Twelve. Similarly, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a Council or Quorum of Twelve Apostles, as well as a “First Presidency” composed of three Apostles. All are also regarded as prophets who receive revelation from God in directing the Church of Jesus Christ, just like the ancient Church.
the name of Jesus Christ. We readily accept the reality of Heavenly persons and angels interacting with people on earth, however we do not pray to/through them.
t proselyte baptism has been performed in Judaism, and was always done by immersion. Further, Jews sometimes immerse themselves in a “
go to our meetinghouses/chapels, where we pray, sing hymns, participate in the Lord’s Supper (we call this “the Sacrament”, and it is blessed bread and water), and listen to sermons or “talks” by members of the congregation. We also have Sunday School classes where we study the scriptures and doctrines 
of the Gospel, and other types of classes (women attend Relief Society, men attend various Priesthood meetings depending on their priesthood office).
s believe that certain ordinances are necessary for eternal life (for example, the Bible repeatedly says that baptism is necessary, and gives no exceptions, such as “baptism of desire” or “baptism of blood”, as Catholics believe). Therefore, God has provided a way for these ordinances to be performed for our ancestors that did not have the opportunity to receive them in life (it is believed that once performed, such “proxy ordinances” present them with the opportunity to accept or reject them in the spirit world). LDS therefore perform ordinances such as “baptism for the dead”, which was also performed anciently (1 Corinthians 15:29-“Else what shall they do which are 
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?”).
t is very beautiful, highly symbolic, and unique to the Latter-day Saint faith (though again, there are many ancient confirmations for the ritual). Going to the temple for one’s own Endowment is a great, spiritual day. In the temple, all “patrons” wear white clothing.
endeavored to give man a means by which they can interact with God, and be given divine strength and assistance. I remember visiting a Hindu temple in high school with a friend, and was amazed by the devotion exhibited by the devotees there. They not only viewed their temple as a sacred space, but as a place where the gods actually dwell, and where the people can interact with them, be seen by them (darshan), and be given various blessings through the worship offered therein. Similar beliefs can be found in practically all religions, including Christianity.
presence.
Of interest to Latter-day Saints that have participated in this ordinance are the writings of the early Christian theologian Cyril of Jerusalem. Bryce Haymond at the Temple Study has a very interesting post on the topic of 
history and scriptures. So, the question then becomes, did Joseph Smith and his associates make this all up, or were they divinely inspired to restore pristine rituals, rituals that we find echoes of anciently and even today in the practices of Catholicism and Orthodoxy?
The Latter-day Saint belief in Heavenly Mother is certainly unique within the broad spectrum of Christian beliefs. To me, it seems to be a very logical and natural extension of various other unique LDS beliefs, such as God the Father being an exalted man, humanity being created in the literal, physical image of God, eternal marriage, and the future exaltation of God’s children. Traditional Christians generally reject all of those premises. Instead, they believe that God the Father is not actually male/gendered, since He transcends time and space, and existed prior to creation (and therefore prior to matter, which He created. in contrast, LDS believe that matter is co-eternal with God). While they do believe that God the Son is male, this is only due to His Incarnation and Bodily Resurrection to Heaven. While traditional Christians do not accept a belief in a divine Mother in 
Heaven, after reading Paulsen’s article, I couldn’t help but think about the Catholic and Orthodox beliefs and practices surrounding the Virgin Mary (who is frequently referred to as Mother, the Virgin Mother, Blessed Mother, and 
Divine, at least in the sense that she is not God, though she may partake of the divine nature, and is outside of time and space due to their belief that Heaven and God are beyond time and space, prayers are directed to/through her, asking for her intercession in various matters, and she is reverenced in many ways. Catholics/Orthodox tend to view her role as a Queen Mother, as she is the mother of Christ the King.
e, faithful, catechized Catholic would leave the Catholic Church for 
me, I’m also considering volunteering as a temple ordinance worker! Latter-day Saints (or “Mormons”) have two major worship spaces. The “meetinghouses” are where Sunday worship services, Sunday school, weekly classes and social events, etc. are held. Latter-day Saints also have “temples”, which are very sacred spaces regarded as the literal “House of the Lord”, where His Spirit dwells, where we can feel His presence in a special way, and where we can participate in various sacred ordinances.
mple (we’re having a ward temple trip on Thursday evening to perform baptisms for the dead, can’t wait for that), being in the presence of God. I also love reading about the ancient Jewish tabernacle and temple(s), and the 
ordinances that took place there, as well as the ancient Christian mysteries and their relationship to the temple. Reading about all of these areas further testify to me of the restoration of the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the restoration of various temple rites in the Lord’s Church. I am particularly fascinated by washing and anointing rites, especially what I find on this 
these news articles demonstrate an erroneous understanding of our practice.
Mormons practice these “proxy ordinances” in sacred buildings known as 
So, what has happened since I last posted? Well, I was set apart as a ward missionary, and I’ve been enjoying that calling. As a ward missionary, I have the opportunity to sit in on lessons with the full-time missionaries and investigators, as well as teaching the Gospel Essentials class during Sunday School. I really enjoy doing both, as what I love to do is talk about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I couldn’t imagine receiving a calling that didn’t involve some aspect of preaching the Gospel. Teaching reminds me of the old days when I taught catechism classes to young students in my Catholic parish.
Latter-day Saints, I am perhaps a little more familiar with the actual endowment ceremony than the typical Latter-day Saint. After studying the endowment and the restored temple concept, I am really amazed at how much of the theology and concepts surrounding the endowment are found in the Bible, as well as in ancient Judeo-Christian practices. The article “
As Christians, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints firmly accept as Truth the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, atoned for our sins through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and crucifixion at Calvary, and after the third day, He was resurrected. “
feature talks (sermons) from our apostles and prophets on the Resurrection, and resurrection-themed hymns will also be sung. Also, families typically join together in their own celebrations of the Resurrection in their homes.
Eternal Musings 