I am having visits with missionaries and things have gone well so far, but I just finshed the 3rd visit and they already asked if I wanted be baptised in two weeks, why so soon? I feel a little too fast for me.
One Response to “I am having visits with missionaries and things have gone we…”
Gabriel Duarte
2010-10-25 04:38:18
The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics.
Hi Ajobrien. I'm happy to hear that you're meeting with the missionaries. As you can probably tell from my website, I'm very excited about the LDS Church! So much of who I am today I owe to the relationship with Jesus Christ that I've developed as I've worshiped Him and gotten to know Him better through His restored gospel. I hope you find the same happiness. This gospel can really transform your life if you let it. I've seen it change many people's lives.
Some missionaries ask about baptism early on because there really are people--quite a few, actually--who seem to have been prepared to accept the gospel message before they ever even met the missionaries. They don't need much time to decide that baptism is the right choice. My wife, for example, did not take long to decide she wanted to be baptized.
However, the amount of time needed obviously varies according to the person. There are two reasons some people take longer to be baptized. As I'm sure you can imagine, a lot of people are afraid of commitment. Fear is not a good reason to put off starting a better life. Being Mormon does take commitment, but everything that's good in life requires personal effort and dedication. In the case of following God, the benefits far, far outweigh the effort required. This gospel can transform lives. It has certainly been the greatest blessing of my own life.
Baptism into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires full immersion in water by a person who holds the priesthood authority to baptize.
The second reason for delaying baptism is more reasonable. Some people may feel that they do not yet know enough about the church. Perhaps they want to visit the church more times or read more from the scriptures. Don't think you need to know everything, because even people who have been members their whole lives don't know everything. Nevertheless, it's reasonable to want to get to know the church better before joining.
The problem for missionaries is that it can be very difficult to tell the difference between someone who is afraid of commitment and someone who sincerely wants to get to know the church better. If you feel you simply need more information, make it clear to your missionaries that you're still interested. Ask them to continue to visit you. Show them that you're interested by reading regularly from the scriptures and going with them to church every Sunday. That way they'll know you're serious about getting to know the church better.
I hope this answer helps, Ajobrien, and I hope the LDS Church can bless your life the way it has blessed mine. Best of luck to you.
Some missionaries ask about baptism early on because there really are people--quite a few, actually--who seem to have been prepared to accept the gospel message before they ever even met the missionaries. They don't need much time to decide that baptism is the right choice. My wife, for example, did not take long to decide she wanted to be baptized.
However, the amount of time needed obviously varies according to the person. There are two reasons some people take longer to be baptized. As I'm sure you can imagine, a lot of people are afraid of commitment. Fear is not a good reason to put off starting a better life. Being Mormon does take commitment, but everything that's good in life requires personal effort and dedication. In the case of following God, the benefits far, far outweigh the effort required. This gospel can transform lives. It has certainly been the greatest blessing of my own life.
The problem for missionaries is that it can be very difficult to tell the difference between someone who is afraid of commitment and someone who sincerely wants to get to know the church better. If you feel you simply need more information, make it clear to your missionaries that you're still interested. Ask them to continue to visit you. Show them that you're interested by reading regularly from the scriptures and going with them to church every Sunday. That way they'll know you're serious about getting to know the church better.
I hope this answer helps, Ajobrien, and I hope the LDS Church can bless your life the way it has blessed mine. Best of luck to you.