Converting to Mormonism involves many different steps and procedures, one of which is the important step of being baptised into the Mormon faith. Every denomination of Christianity has its own methods and beliefs surrounding baptisms. The LDS community is no different.
For those who are Mormon, baptism is one of the most important steps toward becoming a believer of Jesus Christ. Though baptism isn’t something Mormons take lightly, everyone is welcome to receive a baptism if they wish to do so.
LDS Baptism Interview Questions: Examples
Before an individual makes the commitment to convert, they meet with a missionary numerous times. The meetings act as pre-qualification steps to determine if the individual is serious about converting and ensure they understand what becoming a Mormon entails.
Once the meetings are complete, the church will ask a potential convert a series of baptism interview questions.
Here are some of the most common LDS baptism interview questions:
- Do you believe that God is our eternal Father? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?
- Do you believe the Church and gospel of Jesus Christ have been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith? Do you believe that [current Church President] is a prophet of God? What does this mean to you?
- What does it mean to you to repent? Do you feel that you have repented of your past transgressions?
- Have you ever committed a serious crime? If so, are you now on probation or parole? Have you ever participated in an abortion? A homosexual relationship?
- You have been taught that membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints includes living gospel standards. What do you understand of the following standards? Are you willing to obey them?
- The law of chastity, which prohibits any sexual relationship outside the bonds of a legal marriage between a man and a woman?
- The law of tithing.
- The Word of Wisdom.
- The Sabbath day, including partaking of the sacrament weekly and rendering service to fellow members.
- When you are baptized, you covenant with God that you are willing to take upon yourself the name of Christ and keep His commandments throughout your life. Are you ready to make this covenant and strive to be faithful to it?
All of these questions are taken from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints manual.
Why Is There an Interview?
The baptism interview is a way to help the person who is converting to feel comfortable with their decision. Keep in mind that this doesn’t only apply to people who are converting from another religion or coming from an outside place.
Mormons are not baptized until they can answer the aforementioned questions which means that they’re not baptized until they’re older. Though some denominations practice infant baptism, a child who grows up in the LDS church is not baptised at birth because they believe the ability to answer baptism interview questions is an important part of being baptised.
It’s also a time for the candidate to understand the steps they need to take to repent before they can be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
The process of repentance can sometimes be a long one and it requires the person to really take a deep look at themselves and be honest. They need to look at all the things they’ve done wrong in their life and ask God in prayer to forgive them, promising that they’ll do better.
Even though they are baptized, they will still do wrong and that is okay. But it’s important for converts to understand the importance of asking for forgiveness and agree to continue to do so after they are baptised.
In all denominations of Christianity baptism is a beautiful thing. It’s wonderful to see people who were once sinners, washed clean of that sin so they can comfortably walk in a different light with Christ. Anyone who wants to convert to Mormonism must be baptized. Baptism questions are a requirement as well and there is no way to bypass this step.
Despite the questions seeming like a test, baptism questions are not intended to be difficult, challenging, or tricky. Nor are the questions meant to scare people away or discourage them from becoming a member of the Church.
Rather, Mormon baptism questions are used to test the heart of the individual rather than their brain. The leaders of the church want to make sure your heart is in the right place. And they want to ensure you understand why you’re getting baptized and what it means for you and your future.
Who Conducts the Interview?
Typically a district or “zone leader” will ask the interview questions. These are missionaries that operate in the local area where you live.
In most cases the leader will suffice but if there is someone who has committed serious sins such as murder or rape, the mission president will interview those individuals because they will be more curious about their decision and why they want to convert.
Is Permission Required to Baptize a Minor?
The most important thing about baptism is free will. No one is forced into the Mormon religion. Even if other family members are Mormons, an individual is not forced to become one or to be baptized.
The Mormon Church is very concerned with baptism being a choice and because of this they have a set of rules that must be followed to make sure children are given a fair chance to make up their own minds about baptism.
That said, minor children are able to be baptized under the following conditions:
- The missionary must obtain permission from both parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and they must understand the doctrine that a baptized child will be taught and the covenants he or she will be expected to make. You may ask for this consent to be in writing if you feel it will help prevent misunderstandings.
- The missionary must have discerned that there is clear evidence that the child understands the baptismal covenant and will make every effort to keep it through obeying the commandments, including faithfully attending church meetings.
- The child’s primary residence is not with parents who are polygamists. If one or both of the child’s parents are polygamists, you must contact the mission president for additional information.
- The baptism is not prohibited by local laws and culture.
In addition, If any individual in the immediate family of the person intending to be baptised is not prepared for the baptism, the person in charge of the baptism will not proceed. For example this could mean that the father of a child who wants to get baptized has an objection to the child’s decision.
How to Know if Baptism is the Right Choice?
One of the biggest feelings that we all have as Christians is the feeling of guilt or doubt about whether or not we’re living our lives as we should be. We sometimes feel like we’re sinners and there’s nothing we can do about it.
These are normal feelings and we all doubt ourselves sometimes but it’s important to realize that Jesus taught people who felt the same way. He still led them toward the right path and He will always do that for us as well.
Christ led His disciples and said that if they loved Him they should keep His commandments. We all strive to do the same but we fall down sometimes and that’s okay.
The whole purpose of baptism is not for you to be “perfect” or completely free of sin, it’s so you can start down the right path that will lead you in the proper direction.
We’re born into this world as sinners. No matter how hard we try we will never be able to compare ourselves to God, nor should we. The important thing to remember is that God never asked for us to be perfect, he asked for us to do our best and to repent when we fail.
Part of the thing that makes Christianity so great is that we never have to go through it alone. Whether you’re a Mormon, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, or any other denomination; we have church communities, resources, and help to get us through anything. Membership of a church and involvement in the local church community is so important to the spiritual walk.
We all go through things in life that will test our faith. Whether we lose a job, get sick, suffer from addiction, or battle mental illness, we have our church community to lean on and baptism is the first step in developing that relationship.
Have You Been Baptized?
Regardless of what denomination you follow, baptism is part of the process. Some denominations like Catholics and Lutherans baptize at birth because they believe that you’re born with original sin and you need to be cleansed of that sin as soon as possible. Others believe that you should wait until you can outwardly confess your faith in Jesus Christ.
Either way, the question must be asked, have you been baptized and do you wish to be? If not, why? Are you unsure about your faith or simply afraid of being able to commit to the requirements that baptism brings with it?
Make sure you’re not too hard on yourself if you haven’t been baptised because baptism is deserved by all who want to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. The key word there is “develop.” It doesn’t mean that you need to have a perfect relationship with Him already, this is the foundational step in that growth.
If you haven’t been baptized and you want to reach out to a local church but aren’t sure where to start, talk to someone in your family or friend group who has been baptized and see what steps they had to take.
Many churches will baptize anyone who wishes to be with little requirement other than the intention of building a relationship with God. Now might be the time for you to wash away your sin. If it’s not, that’s okay too. It’s a big decision and one that should be made with plenty of thought and consideration.
Final Thoughts
We talked about the LDS baptism interview questions in this article but we also talked about so much more. We talked about the spiritual side to the process of deciding to get baptized and what that could mean for you.
No matter what denomination you follow, baptism is an important step. While outwardly it is a symbolic representation of washing away sins, it is also a lasting reminder of our human need for forgiveness and grace from a Heavenly Father who will always be there for us.
