I'm new to this site and this forum. A quick question:
I'm meeting with the missionaries now. We did lesson one on the first meeting, they answered a bunch of my questions on the second meeting (didn't have time to actually cover lesson two), but they invited me to be baptized. I was surprised, thought this wouldn't happen until after we'd covered more material. They asked about bringing a counselor from the local ward along with them on the third meeting. I am wondering what this means and why they would do something like this. Any ideas?
It is part of the program to get people to say they will be baptized on he second meeting. Its what the mormons do but is not normal for the rest of the world. You need to know what you are getting into before you jump.
Read as much as you can here. I converted in 1995. It was one of the wirst decisions of my life.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2010 10:35PM by bingoe4.
First, before you make any commitments, go to the home page of www.exmormon.org and read the article "Thinking of Joining Mormonism?" PLEASE!!! Then keep reading other articles and websites linked on this site.
Do NOT let them talk you into getting baptized now! Tell them this is too big of a decision to make so soon and you have a lot of studying to do. If they tell you not to read any materials not put out by the church (they call this "anti-Mormon literature"), you tell them you need to know all sides of the story before coming to a decision.
Nobody has the right to strong-arm you into doing something you're not 100 percent ready to do. If you make the decision to join after a thorough, in-depth study of the church from BOTH sides, then at least then you can say you are going in with your eyes open.
They want you dunked quick. Do not do this. Read this site until you can't read anymore and you will know to send them on their way. They are salesmen. They are not in a serious religious group based on Jesus. They worship JS. It is a cult. They want your money and your time. YOU deserve better. YOU need to do research and read books recommended here. YOU will be amazed what the missionaries do NOT tell you. Do you want to wear Jesus jammies the rest of your life? Do you want to marry in the Temple and let them exclude your family if they are nonmormon. Well, they will be considered unworthy and not be able to go in the Temple. How's that for a loving community? Please be kind but let them know you are more knowledgeable now after much reading and analyzing about their religion and know it is not for you. Best wishes.
I attended a few RCIA sessions with a friend. This is a preparatory class for people thinking of becoming Catholic. You have to take it if you want to join and it lasts for nearly a year. They tell you all about the warts, things like the sex abuse scandal and the Crusades and inquisition. They also make sure you really want to join and know what you are getting into.I made it clear that I was there to support a friend and was not pressured. I didn't attend all of the classes and nobody called or love bombed me That is the way a normal church operatees or should operate. If you are being pressured by a missionary who is acting like a desperate used car salesman, I would advise you to run.If you do join and want to leave, it isn't easy. Be sure.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2010 11:42PM by bona dea.
Take your time. Mormon missionaries are trained to move an investigator (you) from first contact to baptism in two weeks. In reality, it usually takes 1-2 months. Once you become baptized, you will be a member until you formally resign from the Church (even if you stop going). They will keep track of you, and even have a team of people who will find you if you get "lost." There is a missionary "system" they put investigators through. You're already part of the system. You are on the board, and being tracked. You are now at a "two."
I urge you, please SLOW DOWN! Mormonism is not something you should just waltz in to. Study both sides, think about it, then think some more. If you finally decide it is right for you - then we will still be your friends. And if at some point in the future you decide it isn't right, we will still be here with open ears/eyes/minds.
"Come on in. Buy now. Don't wait. This is a fantastic limited offer. Hurry, hurry, hurry."
Think about it. A normal reasonable church would not use carnival barker tactics to manipulate prospective members. Mormons use smiles and a soft tone to mask their aggressive tactics. Don't be fooled.
The day I was baptised a member came up to me and said from this day forward everything I did or said would forever be changed by my baptism decision. Unfortunately she was right, it was like a curse put on me. I've been out for over 10 years, yet here I sit this morning reading posts because I recently had a bad experience with members that came to my door which brought up a flood of bad memories and issues for me all over again. Run, run, run away as quickly as you can, you don't want this misery.
The mishies are probably referring to a man in a leadership position at church (such as the "Second Counselor" to the Bishop). It has nothing to do with mental health counseling, if that is what you are wondering. They don't think you are defective in some way - haha! Mormons have such weird words for things.
The missionaries just want to present a well-dressed, mature, knowledgeable "Authority" to back up all the things they have been telling you. Plus, they may sense you are about to be "anti-ed" and they want someone really good there to answer the deep, doctrinal questions you will inevitably have after a thorough internet search on Mormonism.
I converted in my 20's. My advice to you, hiawatha? Run girl. Run as fast as you can and never look back.
They don't know LDS church doctrine, let alone what your own religion teaches. Try asking them a pointed question. Ask them, for instance, what happened to cause the 1853 Mormon Reformation? Ask them when the church finally quit preaching the Adam-God doctrine during the sermon at the veil of the temple? If you ask them anything like that at all, you will just provoke blank stares. Say, "Well, I was on-line, and I noticed several different versions of the First Vision. Can you tell me why?" Or, "I noticed that the first-person account of Joseph Smith's life was written in 1856. Geez, that's 12 years after he died!"
You'll find that missionaries are not only just annoying salesmen/saleswomen, but sales people who don't even know their own product. Try to watch the PBS documentary "The Mormons," and pay attention to the part that shows how they're trained. Many of us on this board are former missionaries (I served in Italy between 1969-1971), and we know whereof we speak. The LDS church is not the direction you want to take your life.