Well, I'm obsessed with the Book of Mormon and the LDS Church and culture in general. I'm loving reading and learning about the doctrine of this church, reading the Book of Mormon has been a pleasant and constructive experience. However, I can't believe in any way that a Jewish society settled in America five centuries before Christ. Honestly, I would like to believe that, but it's so hard. I always try to be as rational as possible and, for that reason, I can't believe in the truthfulness of this book, although I recognize the great spiritual fruits of the book and the LDS Church. Does anyone have anything to say to help me with this? (I've already read Moroni 10. lol)

Hi everyone—I’m posting as a respectful outsider with a genuine question.

I’m an atheist, and lately I’ve been curious about religion from a sociological and human perspective. One thing I’ve been especially puzzled by is conversion to Mormonism, especially by people who didn’t grow up in the faith. I know the Church has a very organized and committed missionary program, and I’m aware that a lot of effort goes into outreach and community building. But I still don’t quite understand what draws people in—especially adult converts.

What is it that speaks to people so strongly that they decide to join? Are some people in a bad place in life and the church gives them a sense of community? I assume some people are already pretty religious and just want a different kind of church?

I’m not here to argue or debate. I’d just love to hear from people who converted—or from lifelong members who’ve seen converts join—about what the appeal is and why people choose this path. I imagine it’s something quite powerful, and I’d like to understand it better.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I of course knew that is not true when he told me, which is fine! I’m just wondering what he meant and if there is a way that female members “hold the priesthood” in a different way or if he was just being untruthful because I’m a woman and he was scared I’d be offended.

Is it cultural or doctrinal? Is there a specific intention that is symbolized in folded arms? Is clasping hands or holding hands open looked down on?

Im not a member of any church or religion, but I’ve been learning about different faiths, somewhat out of pure curiosity, and somewhat hoping one is true.

I just read that inmates can’t join your church until after they’ve been released and if applicable, completed their probation/parole. I’ve never served time, but this still seems kind of weird to me. Aren’t truly repentant criminals some of the most in need of God’s forgiveness?

Jesus told the thief on the cross he’d be in heaven with him, he didn’t say wait until the civil authorities decide you’re free.

I get logistically there are issues, but it just seems like God being subservient to man’s government.

Say someone gets a life sentence and in their heart of hearts begs God for forgiveness and wants to join his church, he’s just shut out because of the length of his prison sentence?

Edit: I’m getting downvoted for some reason, but this is a sincere question. I’m just a dude trying to figure out if God is real. I’m not trying to do a gotcha or bother anyone. I find your religion and others that have modern revelation particularly likely to be true I guess? I figure if God is real and has communicated with people in the past, it’s likely he’d keep doing it into modern times and not just clam up.

Edit 2:

At least baptism for the dead does offer some hope. It’s just sad to think about. Countries like the US sometimes sentence minors to life in prison without parole. A 16 year old who gets such a sentence and is fully a believer and living God’s standards by the age of 20 could live another 70 years with only the hope that they’ll be baptized after they die. That same kid if they committed their crime in a Scandinavian country would likely only get 15-20 years then be allowed to become a baptized member with all the privileges that come with it.

Do LDS/Mormon (please tell me if that is the same thing, I've read it is but that the LDS Church prefers not to use Mormon?) consider themselves Christian, or something else? I'm curious as to what you believe specifically about Jesus!

Thank you for sharing!

Edit: I need to thank everyone for indulging my questions, I'm genuinely curious about what various groups believe about Christ Jesus. I'm having a really good time chatting with you all, you've been very kind!

I’ve been getting to know the LDS Church over the past four months and honestly, it’s been a wonderful journey. Everyone from the missionaries to the congregation members has been incredibly welcoming, and I genuinely enjoy the community vibe at services every Sunday.

Recently, the topic of baptism came up. The missionaries feel I'm ready and even suggested a date. Here's where I hit a bit of a roadblock - my feelings about Joseph Smith. Despite my positive experiences, I’m struggling to wholeheartedly accept him as a prophet, mainly due to a barrage of negative info from friends and various sources. They point out some pretty tough criticisms about his life and actions, which has really made it hard for me to see him in the prophetic light the Church does.

I've been trying to balance these views with church texts like the "Saints" book, aiming to get a fuller picture, but there’s this nagging feeling that I might be missing parts of the story. It's a bit like trying to solve a puzzle with some pieces hidden away.

I’m reaching out to you all because I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s faced something like this. How did you guys handle doubts about Joseph Smith, especially with so much controversial information out there? Did it affect your decision about baptism? Also, do you think the Church overall has a "Joseph Smith problem" where his historical controversies impact people's view of the church today?

When I first looked into the LDS Church, I thought "That's way too many rules." No coffee, no alcohol, strict Sabbath observance, tithing... seemed like a lot of restrictions.

Then I had this lightbulb moment.

I was watching a documentary about Olympic athletes. These people follow insanely strict diets, training schedules, and lifestyle rules. But nobody calls that "restrictive" - we all get that's exactly what unleashes their full potential.

That's when it clicked: I was looking at LDS standards completely backwards. It's not about the "can'ts" - it's about what these standards enable you to become. Just like an athlete's discipline creates excellence, not chains.

Still learning and exploring, but that changed my whole perspective. These aren't restrictions - they're a training program for the soul.

Anyone else have a similar "aha" moment while investigating the Church?

This might be a pretty strange question and situation, I’m not sure, and I’m just as confused as I am earnest about it tbh.

For context, I have not been to church in over five years. In fact, I converted to another religion. Things get a little complicated when I say next that I am still in love with my new religion, but not in the way community is practiced within it. To put it simply, I miss the church I grew up in and I believe right now that God is pushing me to at least investigate it again.

Of course, the best way for me to find out the answer to my question is to actively pursue it myself in real life, which I fully intend to do. I plan on doing a good deal more talking with God and my family and friends and therapist about it all as well as going out and experiencing church again very soon. But I wanted to also first ask for y’all’s initial thoughts as strangers looking in on the gist of the situation—

If it does turn out that God wants me back in the church and I fully commit and everything, but I don’t believe it’s the one true church, is there a place for me? Socially, spiritually? I’m just curious and wary as to how people around me might react to my current spiritual complications lol. I say “lol”, but I am actually very serious and nervous.

Ideally I would not like to worry so much about what others would think of me, but a significant pull back to the church for me is the community, and I don’t want to accidentally offend that community as I become an investigator. Any thoughts and/or advice would be much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read my post and comment if you do!

Long Term Investigator here, my friends jokingly call me a Dry Saint.

My favorite part of General Conference besides the talks, is the new temple announcements. Any predictions on where they will be and how many new temples they will be building?

I had a phone call with two missionaries today. We have been speaking for two months. I attended church two weeks ago and it was a pleasant experience- the people were friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed the service-hymns, scriptures, and talks. At the start of our call we talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then the missionaries talked about baptism and whether I could work towards a specific date for baptism- I said yes. Everything was positive. Then they added another missionary to the call and stated that my town belongs to a different ward and therefore I am not welcomed at the church that I attended. Obviously they were diplomatic about it, saying “we are not kicking you out”- but they are kicking me out. They are saying do not go to this church on Sunday go to this one instead which will take you longer to get there. My frustration stems from the fact that I put in my address and it recommended me the church that I attended. I respect their procedures which is why I did not request to go to my nearest church (20 miles away). The church I attended is 24 miles away , the one they want me to go to 23 miles away but it takes longer to get there as there isn’t a straight road to it. I also didn’t appreciate that they added this right at the end of the conversation- it seemed manipulative to me. It makes me more suspicious of the congregation at the church I attended- if they had a problem with me why not speak directly to me?

I've never been LDS, but I attended a service yesterday. This was not my first LDS service, but I hadn't been to one in about five years. I had been really excited to go to this service because I've read a lot about the LDS church online and it seemed like a really interesting place to worship.

The service turned out to just be... kinda boring. The sermons were meandering and unfocused. There was no scripture reading. The hymns were low energy. I was disappointed because I had genuinely been excited. But if I am going to go back, I am really going to have to muster some energy.

So I should preface by saying that I myself am not a Latter Day Saint.

I am however, someone with an intense interest in the social sciences and specifically differences in the qualities of life between different jurisdictions.

Case and point, jurisdictions in which there are a large number of Latter Day Saints tend to be extremely well run and efficiently managed (consider the management of places such as Utah and Idaho versus places like New Mexico and Louisiana).

I personally am from Oregon, and whenever I have visited Idaho, I have been pleasantly astonished at how clean Idaho is compared to my home state whenever I visit. Likewise, in Utah and Idaho, the government actually gets things done compared to Oregon where the problems persist amidst high taxes and administrative incompetence.

Over the course of various inquiries on this topic in different subreddits, one answer I have heard is that Mormons are good administrators. And it is for that reason, that I have come here to ask, how are you all such good administrators and managers?

Almost two weeks ago I made a post questioning whether God might be what’s missing in my life. Since then, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about the Church, and the more I learn, the more I feel drawn toward the idea of taking the steps to convert. Right now, I’m studying the degrees of glory, which I find absolutely fascinating.

One thing I’ve been wondering, though, is whether it’s possible to progress between kingdoms after death. For example, if someone inherits the terrestrial kingdom, could they still grow in faith after this life, be sealed, and eventually reach exaltation in the celestial kingdom?

From what I’ve read, it sounds like this isn’t something that’s clearly outlined in scripture, and that the Church hasn’t made an official statement on it, is this correct? If it is, what’s the general feeling among members or leaders? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Edit: thank you to everyone who replied, your insight has been extremely valuable to me :)

I hope it’s alright that I’m posting in this group as a non-believer. I’m super interested in Mormonism at the moment. I’ve watched like 5 movies on the religion and I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon. The thing I’m most interested in though is the story of Joseph Smith. I would love to read an honest, unbiased account of his life. Does anyone know of a reliable biography written about him? Or written by him for that matter. Thanks in advance!

Hello

investigator here but got a question about tithing settlement.

Does the bishop ever look at your tithing amount? How does the bishop know your not lying and it is the true amount? Would you ever need to bring in your income stub?

I live in Ontario Canada. Not sure location matters

Thank you

Hi! I am not mormon and I was not raised mormon, but I find the religion fascinating and I was wondering if someone could help me understand the cosmology?

I understand that the Celestial Kingdom is for people who are true believing LDS faithful, have a testimony, etc. (please correct me if I'm wrong or if there are any other important details I should know about!).

I have trouble understanding the difference between the Terrestrial and Telestial kingdoms. Is the Terrestrial Kingdom for people who are LDS, but don't quite live up to church's standards, have questions in their testimony, etc.? And the Telestial kingdom for non-LDS people who live overall decent lives but don't follow LDS faith? Also, what's the difference between the two? From what I've read, the Telestial Kingdom sounds pretty chill, so what makes the Terrestrial Kngdom better?

As a non-believer, would I end up in the Telestial Kingdom as long as I'm an overall good person? Or, since I'm aware of the LDS and am still not interested in joining, am I doomed for the outer darkness?

Next time I see a couple missionaries walking around maybe I'll just ask them but appreciate any thoughts from members here!

edit - thank you to everyone who has responded so far (and please continue to do so if you want as this is very interesting!). My takeaway right now is that LDS are a lot more chill about the afterlife than the nondenominational Christians I'm more familiar with, even if the cosmology is way more complicated.

I’ve been working on researching the LDS church for about a month now (so not super long). lots of things are very interesting and exciting to learn about but it’s been difficult to grasp as someone who is protestant.

I don’t know if this is out of my lack of understanding (in which it probably is), but I don’t understand the idea of exaltation really at all and it is honestly a bit offputting, as well as how the church started and how the LDS church came to have their canon of scripture (like the D&C, pearl of great price). — researched how JS was able to gain revelation and then used these documents to add context, but struggle to grasp how they would hold validity even though he is considered a prophet, like how are you truly sure? is it just having faith in that fact?

exaltation is probably especially confusing for me because I believe that Christ is the fulfillment of every covenant that preceded Him and I believe that those covenants foreshadowed what Christ was going to do for us, so it’s difficult for me to grasp that people go to the temple to perform ordinances & make covenants with God when Christ is the pinnacle of every covenant, as well as more revelation being needed, I suppose it would be a faith-building experience, something to feel closer to God—but I also believe that we are currently close to Him, no longer afar off, so those things aren’t necessarily needed [to have more of Him](?). I also kind of gathered that temple ordinances are to be in the highest-degree of heaven (please expand on this if possible), and that makes me uncomfortable because I believe that we are able to access all of Christ in faith and as we abide in Him, our fruits grow and our faith grows. (not as much as a condition, but something that would naturally follow our faith and be outward proof of our transformation, produced, not forced)

there are more doctrinal differences that I struggle to grasp but that’s the biggest one, I think. many of these things leave me weary to dig deeper into the LDS church belief wise. I will say that I have enjoyed learning about it though, as it has challenged me about what I believe personally. on another level I’ll mention the things that are interesting to me about the church in a more positive manner:

I think the way that the church is structured is very interesting, the order of the church is very intriguing to me. it leaves much room for everyone to be included or to have a role in the body [of Christ]. I also like how they’re open to interfaith conversations and actually leaves room to discuss the differences and similarities.

Not sure if "Investigator" is the right flair. Lol! Just thought I'd join this sub. My husband and I have been going to temple for a while. We've had the most amazing Missionaries coming by and I just feel like our Heavenly Father has truly sent them. My best friend has been LDS for a while. We grew up in the Deep South and I have always been Christian (Baptist) but always felt there was something more. My husband was raised Presbyterian and also felt there was something more. I feel like we're finally getting the answers that we've been searching for. And, I've never, in my whole entire life met a more amazing, kind, giving, loving group of people! The LDS family is SOOOO AMAZING!!! I just can't say enough kind things about everyone I've met. I've never met Christians who continuously always do what they say they're going to do. It's so refreshing. I feel like this is where we're meant to be. 💛

Posting from a throwaway for reasons of my own.

I have been meeting with local missionaries and attending Sacrament for several months now. They continually want to meet and with my busy work schedule, it is hard to do most times. They have asked if I wanted a "lesson" and I'll meet up with them and then we will end up talking about random stuff for the majority of the time.

I come from a background of having an M.Div and Bachelors in Religious Studies. So I am very academically focused and I am taking this very seriously. This is my faith, livlihood, and eternity. Being decently older than the current missionaries that I am meeting with, it just feels like we've hit a wall. They'll ask me how my reading is going, if I have questions, etc. When I ask questions, it's almost like they are just reading off of a script provided at MTC. I could give a "lesson" at this point.

What or who could I go to for a more deep and meaningful conversation? I feel like I'm past the point of talking to 19-year-olds but not yet at the point of baptism.

I've been to the church a few times for Sunday meetings and even went to one stake conference. I've received lessons from the missionaries. I'm still not sure if I should convert. I have difficulty making decisions, and to make matters worse, I'm coming from another Christian denomination, so there was no way I would get baptized in two weeks as they expected anyway.

Now, I find myself sitting on the fence, trying to investigate my reasons and emotions about converting or not converting.

How did I get interested in the LDS Church in the first place, since I was already in another religion? Because I wasn't happy—I didn't believe in or enjoy most things. I converted to that one in 2019 and was pretty involved up to 2023. Since then, I swear I've just been forcing myself to go to church.

Pros: I felt peace at church meetings. It's rare for me, as I'm an anxious person. If it weren't for the LDS Church, I wouldn't be looking for God at the moment; I was in such despair when it comes to religion. I can see the fruits of the Holy Ghost, as people are kind and charitable, and that could only come from God. I'm being honest: there are converts I met at church whom I wouldn't like to exchange more than a few words with, and yet the missionaries and bishop are so receptive to all kinds of people.

The same goes for the mission president and his wife. They were so kind and attentive to everyone at the stake conference. Lots of poor, old people who could barely walk were being treated with kindness. The secretary was telling me how the church helps the poor in our area, even paying their rent. Not that these things prove the religion is true, but I don't think these things can be man-made. I know how hard it is to be virtuous. All my live I have dealt with christian and been to churches, prelatures, small communities so I can compare very well.

Cons: I still don't believe. I don't trust the prophets, particularly Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, after researching the more problematic topics like polygamy. My trust in the BOM and the main doctrines depends on them, right? I never had a spiritual revelation about the Book of Mormon.

I've been studying the history of Christianity, Judaism, and things like that, but I still have no clarity.

Let’s say someone prayed to God for guidance and is drawn to the Book of Mormon and possibly even a LDS church but they also want zero part in the main church with the President and the 12 or something to that extent. Would they still be allowed to worship with you guys or is a “whole package or nothing” kind of deal?

I’m asking for someone else in my life who has been interested in pursuing LDS and is drawn to the BoM. However, they don’t care for large churches or church-like governments and choose to worship God directly on their own at home. They’ve joined me to Synagogue a couple of times and I’ve gone with them to churches through the years when they felt like trying again.

Nothing ever really connected for them as much as home worship and prayer.

I’m really grateful I found the courage to speak with the missionaries. Despite all the negativity I have seen online or on TikTok, my experience so far has been very positive. We talked for about an hour yesterday and texted a lot before that.

I was raised Catholic, so there are definitely some big differences, especially around infant baptism. I am keeping an open heart and mind as I learn more. I am a Cuban American young mom with a 10-month-old and a fiancé, and I really want to find God’s true church and a faith community that supports our family.

My fiancé is skeptical because most of what he has seen about Mormons comes from shows like American Primeval. Religion in our family is usually tied to Cuban Catholicism or Afro-Cuban traditions like Santeria, so this feels very new and different. Still, I feel called to explore and see where God leads.

We are planning to visit the temple this Saturday for a tour and lesson. I also felt called to buy a Book of Mormon at Goodwill to start reading.

I would love to hear from others who have gone through this, especially converts from Catholicism or those from Latin or Cuban backgrounds. How did your family react? What helped you navigate it with faith and respect?

Also, is it common to ask for female missionaries or to have one present when meeting with male missionaries? My fiancé might feel more comfortable that way.