What do missionaries teach?
The Mormon missionaries teach the gospel as revealed to Joseph Smith by God, which gospel, Mormons believe, contains a fullness of truth. While many other churches and beliefs also contain truth, Mormons believe that they possess more of it than any other belief system.
The following paragraphs describe some of the things that a Mormon missionary might teach you.
Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and of mankind. He suffered for our sins and died for us all. Through His Atonement, we will all be resurrected as He was resurrected. He also gave us the ability to forsake our sins and turn to Him for salvation.
Joseph Smith Jr. was the first prophet of the Mormon Church and its organizer. When he was fourteen, he had a vision, often called the First Vision. In this vision, he saw God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. They told him not to join any of the churches currently on the earth, as none of them were true. Joseph Smith’s knowledge of truth would increase as he grew older and God revealed more unto him. He was murdered by a mob in 1844, but the Church has continued to have prophets since.
Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, a record made by an ancient people who lived in the Americas centuries ago. This record stands as a companion to the Bible and another testament of Jesus Christ. Part of what it details, after all, is the coming of Christ to this ancient people and that which He taught them.
The Mormon prophet today is Gordon B. Hinckley. The Church has a biannual meeting called General Conference in which members of the Church listen to the Prophet, Apostles, and other General Authorities speak inspired messages for the Church as a whole.
Mormons believe in temple worship. Mormon temples are sacred, holy places and Mormons hold them and what goes on inside them with great reverence. The temple is where Mormons are sealed together in eternal marriage—in Mormon belief, marriages can last forever, as can families. Also inside temples, the ordinances of baptism for the dead and the endowment are performed.
Because of this belief in eternal families, Mormons put special importance on the family. They hold weekly meetings in their homes, called Family Home Evening, which are meant to strengthen family unity and provide opportunity for gospel lessons. Parents are supposed to be very concerned about the welfare of their children and both husband and wife play a focused role in their raising, although the mother has the primary nurturing role.
The eternal nature of families is also the eternal nature of every person on earth. In the beliefs of Mormonism, as we will live after this life, we also lived before this life, in the spirit world. We are the literal spirit children of God and He cares very much for our welfare, as we care for the welfare of our own children.
The missionaries may also talk to you about other things and will gladly answer any questions or concerns you may have about the Church, or about God and Christianity in general. They are not there to pressure you into beliefs that you do not have and, instead, will encourage you to find out about the Mormon faith by reading the Book of Mormon yourself and asking God by prayer whether it is true or not.
Indeed, near the end of the Book of Mormon, it reads:
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:3-5)
We invite you to test Moroni’s exhortation.