AboutHannah Expertise I can answer questions concerning standard doctrines, scriptures, curiousities, Mormon culture and society. I will not respond to debates. I'm sorry, but there are some things that I simply will not answer, not because I don't want to, but there are some things that the LDS people do not discuss casually--it's only talked about within the temple. Though I am a member, I do not believe that anyone could convert anyone to a religion over something as impersonal as the internet. So I won't even try to.
Experience I have been a member of the LDS church for 8 years. Though I'm still a young person, I can answer most things about the church.
Question #1. I was just wondering if Mormons believe in the holy trinity?
You see i am dating this guy i really like him; however, he is a Mormon and i am not! I am very intrigued with the religion i have been attending all types of activities to get educated on the religion. It is just i can't bring myself to ask them about the holy trinity (believe it, or not) i am very careful not to offend anyone!
#2. Why is it that Mormon husbands insist upon their wives wearing all the undergarments (it is pretty much a whole outfit) underneath their clothes?
#3. What if a Mormon marries outside of their religion? Does their family and and church disown them?
#4 Can people convert to being a Mormon? How would one go about it? Would one have to make up for lost time, for example go on my 2 year mission etc...?
#5 Why do mormons have to go on their 2 year missions?
#6 Why is it so critical that a morman must get married (sometimes very young)? Why do mormons have to have so many children?
These are just a few of my questions. I hope that i have not offended you by any of them, if so i apologize.
*by the wae way just incase you are wondering i am non denominational. I am very active: i sing in my church, do tons of community service, work with the youth and little kids . Just so you know a little about me.
Answer
So, here’s a really sad story. I wrote a big huge long reply for you, and then instead of enter, I hit tab, and we all know what that unfortunate action leads to. So here we go, answer number 2.
So, these are all questions that I have been asked, on this question service and also in my day-to-day life. They are not offensive in anyway, and far from uncommon, so don’t worry about that.
1) No we do not. We believe that all three are separate beings, Heavenly Father being God, Jesus being his son, and the Holy Ghost being their messenger.
2) Firstly, men wear them too. Secondly, men do not insist upon it. It’s a personal choice of the woman’s. Unmarried women wear them as well, and it’s just a symbol of covenants that they have made with God. Usually in their early twenties or very late teens, members choose to partake of these covenants. The garments are worn by man and woman alike (though women’s tend to be more feminine in appearance, but they are no larger).
3) Mormons, though encourage to marry within the faith, can marry anyone that they choose. There are hundreds of thousands of half-member families. Families do not disown those who marry outside the faith, and it is far from being an excommunicatory offense (there are only a handful of those…it’s very uncommon. Among them, interestingly enough for the stereotype of Mormons: polygamy). They however, cannot be married in the temple, but they may be married in a bonding earthly marriage fully recognized by the church.
4) Yes. Conversion is VERY common in the LDS faith. To convert, a person meets with the missionaries. The missionaries then tell them about the church. If they want to accept it, the person will then be baptized and confirmed. There is no lost time, as it were. Missions are not required, and as soon as they are baptized, the person is just as much a member as everyone else. The only difference is that men will need to receive the priesthood. If the male convert is over the age of twelve, he may receive the Aaronic priesthood (ordinarily received at twelve). A year after that, if he is over eighteen, he may receive the Melchizedek priesthood (ordinarily received at eighteen).
5) Mormons do not have to go on missions. Some do, so do not. For men it is extremely encouraged, though not required. Probably only about 10% of women ever do (female missions, by the way are a year and a half). Neither of my parents ever did (my dad a convert who never did for a long and complicated list of reasons and my mom because she never felt she should), but they still have been strong in the church, raised six kids who are also all strong members, two of them on missions currently. Boys go when they are about nineteen, and girls when they are about twenty-one though they can go when they’re older than that, but not younger.
6) Mormons do not have to get married, though they cannot receive the highest degree of glory in heaven without it. However, most do, but some do not (I have Mormon relative well into their 50s who have never married). We do tend to get married younger than the national average, but once again, it’s not required. Because marriage is so important to us, there are some that get married at 18, 19 or 20 (though not usually younger than that). Still, average marrying age among Mormons is about 21-24, so still a bit younger than the national average. It just kind of is.
Children are also not required, but there are a variety of reasons why we tend to have a lot. There’s not really a doctrinal reason why, but some things my affect it. 1) We, as mentioned before, tend to get married on the younger side, so we have more child-bearing years per marriage if you think about it. 2) We don’t believe in abortion, that might change some stuff. 3) We believe that Christ cannot return to earth until every spirit has had an opportunity to live on earth, so we find it crucial that couples continue to bear children 4) Though it’s not contraband and we’re not told we can’t, using birth control is not as popular among Mormons as among others. Some still use it, but it’s less common in our culture (come on, every religion has a culture, right?). 5) We don’t think of five kids as THAT big anymore…so by having more kids, we’ve set up ourselves to have large families. Five kids is just…well five kids. You don’t have herds of kids in our mindset until you’re up around ten (though I’ve known more than one LDS family with upwards to fifteen…and eight, nine, ten is a lot, but not WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU THINKING big. Don’t worry…we start to wonder about people once they pass thirteen) So, growing up around it, I’m not disturbed or freaked out to think that I might one day have…eight kids or so. It doesn’t seem unheard of to us.
If there’s anything else I can help you with, or anything you want me to elaborate on further, just let me know, and I’d be happy to.
