What Can I Expect When I Go to Church With the Mormons?

Going someplace new for the first time can be a scary experience, especially when you don’t know what to expect.  The purpose of this page is to help you know what to expect when you go to Sunday worship services with the Mormon missionaries.  You may have a lot of questions about what Mormons do at their worship services or what is expected of you.  The following will give you a tour of a typical Sunday service at a Mormon Church.  To get directions to the Mormon chapel nearest you, see the chapel locator on the LDS Church’s website.  This will also give the time that the local congregation meets.

Preparing for Church

Because church is a special time set apart from the rest of the week to worship God and learn more about His Gospel, Mormons believe that it is important to dress appropriately for church services.  This is typically referred to as Sunday dress and includes a suit or slacks and dress shirt for men and a dress, skirt, or suit for women.  You should be aware that most members will be dressed nicely and you would probably feel more comfortable if you dress similarly.  However, no matter what you wear, know that you are welcome.  Note that congregations near tourist sites are very tolerant of a variety of tourist attire and receive many visitors to their meetings.  However, modesty is always appropriate for Mormon church meetings.

Arriving at church

Mormons typically come as families all dressed in their Sunday best to prepare for church.  Try to arrive early so you can find a good seat and get comfortable with your surroundings.  Many people like to chat quietly in the foyer and catch up on what is happening in their lives.  This is a great opportunity to meet the local members and learn your way around the church building.  To take a virtual tour of a typical Mormon meeting house, see “What to expect at Sunday meetings” and click on “Virtual chapel tour.”  You should keep in mind that Mormon congregations frequently share buildings and so many people will be there, some of whom may not be in your congregation.  Don’t be scared if the parking lot is already full, it could just be members the previous congregation who may not have left yet.

Mormon Sacrament Meeting

Typically, the first meeting on Sunday is Sacrament Meeting.  Sacrament meetings usually last one hour and 15 minutes.  Members and visitors are encouraged to arrive early and be reverent in the chapel.  The chapel is a sacred place that should be respected, and that means that children should not run, and voices should be kept quiet.  Take time to pray or study the scriptures quietly before services begin.

When it is time to begin, the bishop or one of his counselors will stand up and invite everyone to sing a hymn together.  Hymn books are available in every pew or bench.  After the hymn, a member of the congregation will say a prayer.  The congregation should remain quiet and say “Amen” together at the end of the prayer.  After the prayer, whoever is presiding, or leading, the meeting will announce the program.  Since Mormons don’t have professional clergy, members of the congregation give the sermons, called talks.  There are typically two or three speakers who speak for ten minutes apiece.  The bishop has previously asked them to speak on a specific gospel topic.

Before the talks begin, the most important part of the Sacrament Meeting is held, this is called administering the sacrament.  “The sacrament” is how Mormons refer to the Eucharist and it is blessed and passed by members of the priesthood, often teenage boys ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.  The Sacrament Service begins with a hymn that helps us reflect on the mission and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

After the hymn, during which the priests break the bread into small pieces, the sacrament is blessed by a person holding the priesthood.  This is done at a table at the front of the chapel, typically off to one side of the rostrum.  First he blesses the bread, which symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ.  This prayer must be said precisely, so if the person makes a mistake, he will start over.  Mormons believe that what they eat and drink for the sacrament is not as important as the spirit in which they do it.  The Lord Jesus Christ gave a revelation to Joseph Smith in which he said:

For, behold, I say unto you, that it mattereth not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink when ye partake of the sacrament, if it so be that ye do it with an eye single to my glory—remembering unto the Father my body which was laid down for you, and my blood which was shed for the remission of your sins (Doctrine and Covenants 27:2).

Today Mormons typically use bread and water.  No matter what is used, the important thing is what the bread and water symbolize, not what they are.  After the blessing has been said, members of the priesthood pass the sacrament to members of the congregation.  For Mormons, the sacrament symbolizes a renewal of their commitment to follow Jesus Christ and of the covenants they made with Him at baptism.  Because of this, if you have not been baptized into the Mormon Church, you should not partake, although young children who have not been baptized are allowed to partake.  After the bread is passed, the water is blessed and passed to the congregation.

After the administration of the sacrament, the services continue with talks on gospel themes and often hymns.  Some weeks there are special services.  The choir may sing or there may be a guest speaker from somewhere else.  Typically on the first Sunday of every month, unless there is a special conference, Mormons hold a fast and testimony meeting.  On this Sunday, all the members fast together and during the services there are no set speakers.  Instead, members of the congregation go up to the front as inspired by the Holy Spirit and share their testimonies about God, Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel.  Everyone is encouraged to participate, even children.  Even non-Mormons who feel impressed by the Spirit may speak. At the end of the meeting, the congregation sings a closing hymn and someone says a prayer.

Mormon Sunday School

After Sacrament Meeting, the members divide into different groups for Sunday School.  Little children under four can go to nursery, children from 4 to 11 have Primary classes, which are Sunday school classes for children; teenagers have classes of their own based on age groups, and adults often have a variety of classes to choose from.  Since you are new to the Mormon Church, you will most likely go to the Gospel Principles class, which is also known as Gospel Essentials.  Ask the missionaries or a member where it is located.  In Sunday School, members study the gospel together.  One person is appointed to be a teacher and to lead the discussion, but everyone is encouraged to participate by asking questions and voicing their opinions.  Don’t be shy about speaking up, because if you don’t ask questions, you’ll never get the answers you’re looking for.

Sunday School begins with a prayer and sometimes a hymn if the teacher decides to do so.  Lessons vary from week to week, but focus on gospel themes like resurrection, repentance, tithing, and so on.  Class ends with a prayer.  Sunday School lessons are correlated throughout the Church.  This means that all over the world Latter-day Saints will be studying the same material at approximately the same time.

Priesthood/Relief Society Meetings

The last meetings of the day for adults (teenagers and children have their own classes, see Primary and Young Men and Young Women) are the Priesthood and Relief Society meetings.  At this time, men and women split up and receive their own instruction.  Men go to Priesthood and women go to Relief Society.  Since the men’s group is split into two, the Elders and the High Priests, ask your missionaries which one you should attend.  All women go to Relief Society.  These meetings generally include lessons geared for either men or women specifically, though typically drawn from the same manual, as well as discussions about activities and service projects and the needs of the congregation.  These meetings are an important time to strengthen bonds among brothers and sisters in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  After this meeting, which concludes with a prayer, Sunday services are over.  Members often linger to chat in the halls and foyer, or outside if the weather is good.  Families are encouraged to spend Sundays together and discuss what they learned at Church.  Sundays should, where possible, be a day of rest from chores, sports, and work and be devoted to learning about God and serving others.

Young Men/Young Women in the Mormon Church

Young Men/Young Women:
Boy and girls ages 12 to 18 are going through one of the most difficult and important transitions in their lives.  For this reason, the Mormon Church has special classes and programs to help them.  These should always be a support to the family, where the most important teaching will occur.  These programs are called Young Men’s and Young Women’s.  They frequently do activities together or separately.

Young Women
The Young Women’s program exists to help teenage girls navigate the perils and struggles of adolescence and to keep them strong in their faith and in their values.  The theme of the Young Women program is:

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

Faith, Virtue
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works, and
Integrity.

We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values, we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

The Young Women program is divided into three age groups to better focus on and serve the needs of young women in today’s world.  These three groups are called:

• Beehives (ages 12 and 13)
• Mia Maid (ages 14 and 15) (pronounced maya maid)
• Laurels (ages 16 and 17)

Each age group has its own presidency drawn from the girls themselves and adult women are assigned to advise the group.  Through the Young Women program, these girls learn about God, service, and their divine self worth.  One of the highest goals of a young Mormon girl is to obtain her Personal Progress award which requires her to make and keep commitments, perform service projects, and progress spiritually through prayer, service, and scripture study.

Young Women also do many fun activities as a group and strengthen each other through friendship.  Weekday activities are called Mutual and are held on the same night each week (usually Tuesday or Wednesday).  These can be service projects, cultural and educational activities, or even just having fun with one another in a wholesome environment.  In many places, young women also have yearly camps, usually called Girls’ Camp or Young Women’s Camp where they spend time together in the summer learning and having fun.

Young Men
The Young Men’s program is sometimes referred to as the Aaronic Priesthood since most of the young men hold some office in that priesthood.  Like the Young Women’s program, the Young Men’s program helps teenage boys deal with the social and peer pressure they face every day.  Through it they learn important lessons about personal worthiness, respect for women, faith in Jesus Christ, and service.  The purpose of this program is to help young men:

• Become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and live its teachings.
• Serve faithfully in priesthood callings and fulfill the responsibilities of priesthood offices.
• Give meaningful service.
• Prepare and live worthily to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood and temple ordinances.
• Prepare to serve an honorable full-time mission.
• Obtain as much education as possible.
• Prepare to become a worthy husband and father.
• Give proper respect to women, girls, and children.

The Young Men’s program is also divided into three age groups:

• Deacons (ages 12 and 13)
• Teachers (ages 14 and 15
• Priests (ages 16 and 17)

Each age group has its own leaders taken from the young men and also adult men who are assigned to help advise and supervise activities.  The boys are expected to plan and run many activities themselves.  Each young man should work toward obtaining his Duty to God award which requires years of work.  To obtain this award the young man must pray and read his scriptures regularly, participate in Church worship services regularly, establish and pursue goals in education, physical health, and do service to others.

The Young Men also have weekday activities called Mutual.  In North America and some other countries, these activities are typically associated with the Boy Scouts of America and the boys are encouraged to earn merit badges and ultimately their Eagle Scout.  Young Men frequently play games, do service projects, and go camping.  On Sundays, the boys and girls from the same age groups have Sunday School classes together.

For the Strength of the Youth
Several years ago the Mormon Church published the pamphlet, For the Strength of the Youth.  This pamphlet discusses dating, personal appearance and modesty, the influence of media and the internet and the importance of a strong relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is available online, or free from the missionaries.
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