Ever since I was little I have always heard about the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints and had a certain admiration for it. Shortly after turning 25 years old, the elders knocked on my door, and I decided to become an investigator. My boyfriend was also Mormon, but my decision to receive the elders didn’t have anything to do with him. The missionaries have been coming to my house for 10 months, but I broke up with my boyfriend a month ago. Strangely, this breakup seems to have strengthened my desire to investigate the scriptures even more. I’m starting to receive answers to my prayers, and I feel like this really is the right thing to do. However, I’m not a virgin anymore. I can’t really say I broke the law of chastity because when I lost my virginity I didn’t even know about the church. I’m getting ready to be baptized, and I know I have to have an interview. This is really worrying me because I want to be baptized, but I’ve already repented of this sin. I don’t want to have to confess it to any of the elders. I don’t know if in the interview they specifically ask about the law of chastity. Is this something I really need to discuss with the elders?
One Response to “Do I need to tell the elders that I lost my virginity?”
Carlos Cruz
2012-10-28 16:04:20
Chastity: What are the limits?
Hi friend. I'm happy you've decided to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I really love being a member of this church, and I always get excited when others express interest as well. Sometimes our life gets so busy that we can easily get caught up in the superficial things of the world. It's very important to have a spiritual anchor that can remind us that life is more profound and beautiful than the trivial things we deal with every day. This church has served just such a role in my life. I hope it can help you too!
The LDS Church has published a book that teaches missionaries how to help those who want to know more about our beliefs. The book is entitled "Preach my Gospel" and is available for anyone to read, even people who are not currently serving missions. Chapter 12 of that book describes how the baptismal interview should be conducted. As I interpret the published questions, it is not typically necessary to confess chastity-related sins; the new convert need only commit to keeping the law of chastity in the future. I encourage you to read through the interview questions to learn more before your interview. This interview is not nearly as stressful as many investigators imagine it to be. ;)
I hope this answer helps! Congratulations again for your decision to join this wonderful church.
The LDS Church has published a book that teaches missionaries how to help those who want to know more about our beliefs. The book is entitled "Preach my Gospel" and is available for anyone to read, even people who are not currently serving missions. Chapter 12 of that book describes how the baptismal interview should be conducted. As I interpret the published questions, it is not typically necessary to confess chastity-related sins; the new convert need only commit to keeping the law of chastity in the future. I encourage you to read through the interview questions to learn more before your interview. This interview is not nearly as stressful as many investigators imagine it to be. ;)
I hope this answer helps! Congratulations again for your decision to join this wonderful church.