I am not mormon but have visited the church throughout the past year and like it much more than other churches. How can I become a member? I am 15 years old.
3 Responses to “I am not mormon but have visited the church throughout the p…”
Miguel Miranda
2009-10-10 18:44:56
Hi friend. Congratulations on your decision to become a member of the Church! As you have already attended church for a year, you clearly know what you want and are making an educated decision. The gospel of Jesus Christ has been such a tremendous blessing in my life. I'm very happy to hear that you have been touched by Christ's message as well. :)
Because you're under 18, you will need your parents' permission to be baptized. The Church does not typically baptize teenagers without their parents' authorization. As your parents have allowed you to attend church for a year, hopefully they're not hostile to the idea of you joining officially. If they do have reservations, I recommend that you continue going to church whenever possible, as if you were already a member. Then, when you turn 18, you can finally accept baptism.
Assuming your parents will allow you to be baptized now, the next step is to visit with the missionaries. They can teach you more about the gospel and make sure you're prepared for baptism. Since you've been going to church for a year, I think most of what they teach will probably be review. You can request a missionary visit online, but it might be easier just to talk to your bishop or branch president. I'm sure he could arrange a visit.
I recently wrote an article entitled "How can I Join the Church?" You might want to read through that article as well.
Good luck! Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Anonymous
2009-10-08 20:18:28
Hello :) I'm very happy for you that you have decided to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joining the church is a big step and requires you to know certain fundamentals of the religion and practice, believe, and abstain from certain things before you can become a member.
The best thing to do is invite the LDS (mormon) missionaries over to your house, they will speak with you, probably give you a few lessons. When you are ready, the missionaries will arrange a baptismal date for you and eventually before your baptism you will be interviewed by a pair of missionaries who will ask you a series of questions, like if you accept Christ as you personal Savior, if you believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, if you obey the Word of Wisdom (i.e. abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, etc). It will be a very easy and simple process, as the missionaries will be there to help you all the way through it, and they will also make sure to stay in contact with you even after you've joined the church to see how you are doing and how things are going for you. The missionaries will walk you through the purpose and importance of becoming a member of the church, the blessings of baptism, and many other things that are fundamental to our church, especially Jesus Christ and the restoration of the gospel. I hope this helped :)
Richard
2009-10-07 00:39:07
The first thing you need to do to become a member is talk with your parents. Ask them for their help in contacting the local bishop and getting some missionaries over to talk to you and your family. It's always a lot nicer when all of your family comes with you to church, or at least knows you are going and they support you. And als count the fact that the first step to joining the church is a desire to do so, and it sounds like you have passed that point! So congrats on taking step #1. :) In the mean time I'll pray that things go well for you. Good luck!
Because you're under 18, you will need your parents' permission to be baptized. The Church does not typically baptize teenagers without their parents' authorization. As your parents have allowed you to attend church for a year, hopefully they're not hostile to the idea of you joining officially. If they do have reservations, I recommend that you continue going to church whenever possible, as if you were already a member. Then, when you turn 18, you can finally accept baptism.
Assuming your parents will allow you to be baptized now, the next step is to visit with the missionaries. They can teach you more about the gospel and make sure you're prepared for baptism. Since you've been going to church for a year, I think most of what they teach will probably be review. You can request a missionary visit online, but it might be easier just to talk to your bishop or branch president. I'm sure he could arrange a visit.
I recently wrote an article entitled "How can I Join the Church?" You might want to read through that article as well.
Good luck! Let me know if you have any additional questions.
The best thing to do is invite the LDS (mormon) missionaries over to your house, they will speak with you, probably give you a few lessons. When you are ready, the missionaries will arrange a baptismal date for you and eventually before your baptism you will be interviewed by a pair of missionaries who will ask you a series of questions, like if you accept Christ as you personal Savior, if you believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, if you obey the Word of Wisdom (i.e. abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, etc). It will be a very easy and simple process, as the missionaries will be there to help you all the way through it, and they will also make sure to stay in contact with you even after you've joined the church to see how you are doing and how things are going for you. The missionaries will walk you through the purpose and importance of becoming a member of the church, the blessings of baptism, and many other things that are fundamental to our church, especially Jesus Christ and the restoration of the gospel. I hope this helped :)