When do Mormons go on missions? Male Mormon missionaries are called Elders, and they are eligible to go on a 2 year mission from the ages of 19-26 if they are unmarried and/or have no children. Males can also serve just one mission. For male prospective missionaries who have parents serving as Mission Presidents, they are eligible to go on missions when they are 18.

For female Mormon missionaries, things are a little different. They are called Sisters and are eligible to go on missions starting at age 21. They serve for 18 months and are able to go on repeat missions as often as they would like after counseling with their Bishop. So there is no age limit. However, once or if a woman is married or has children, she is no longer able to go on missions.

But there is a third group of missionaries, senior couples. Any couple in the church who has no dependent children in the home can go on missions of 6, 12, or 18 months. They can go on specialized missions as well, not just proselyting. Senior couples can go on missions devoted to performing family history work, giving tours of church history sites or humanitarian service missions for example. They may also serve traditional proselyting missions. Senior couples may serve as many missions as they would like.

The final group of missionaries are those who lead other missionaries and they are called Mission Presidents. Anyone can be called by church leaders to be a Mission President at any time. They can be newly weds, have young families, or be elderly couples. A Mission President serves for 3 years, which is the longest any missionary serves in the Mormon church.

Most of us when we think of Mormon missionaries think of the young men in white shirts and ties on bikes. These make up a vast majority of the missionary force of the Mormon church and they typically will do one semester or one year of college after graduating high school and then embark on their missions. However they are eligible age-wise to serve a mission up until age 26, so there are some missionaries out there who are a bit older than the others.

To learn more about Mormon missions, check out Wikipedia.

1. A system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.
2. A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister.

Is the Mormon church a cult? By definition one, yes. By definition two, depends who you ask. You see, by the first definition all of Christianity is a cult, all of Islam is a cult, and pretty much every major world religion is a cult. If all it takes is veneration (worship) and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object, almost everyone in the world belongs to a cult.

Now, almost everyone who hears the word cult uses the second definition. The word cult is inherently negative, and typically means some quirky sect that worships some random, obscure person or object. For example, the cult that followed Haley’s comet believed aliens were in the wake of the comet and would take them to their spaceships if they all drank Kool-aid together. Of course, they all died. When we hear the word cult, this is typically what we think.

The reason people think the Mormon church is a cult is quite simple. The church was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. Here is a brief synopsis of its founding:

In 1820, Joseph Smith was 14 years old and very confused by the various religions in the area he lived in upstate New York. He read in James 1:5 that if he lacked wisdom, he could ask of God, who would answer his question. He did just that one morning in a grove of trees near his home. In answer to his prayer, he was visited by God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. They told him that none of the churches were true and that he would restore the truth to the world.

As part of this, he received many revelations from God and other heavenly messengers. One of these messengers directed him to an ancient record buried in the ground. Smith translated it and we have it today as The Book of Mormon. After translating the book and being taught many things about the gospel of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith founded the church as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Naturally, Mormons study the life of Joseph Smith and study his teachings. Because of his central role in restoring the gospel, many mistakenly believe that Mormons worship Joseph Smith in some way. This is completely false. Mormons regard Joseph Smith the same way as any prophet, like Abraham, Moses, Isaiah or Peter. Mormons believe there is even a prophet alive today and that he is the President of the church. He is regarded as all of these other prophets, not worshiped by Mormons.

The only figure or object that receives veneration, worship or devotion from Mormons is God the Father and Jesus Christ. This puts Mormons right in line with mainstream Christianity. Now Mormons do have a unique view of the Trinity, but there is nothing quirky or strange about who or what they worship.

Mormons do not worship Joseph Smith. They learn about him the same way Baptists learn about their founder, Methodists learn about their founder, or any religion studies its founder’s teachings. Mormons do believe some things that others might call crazy, but having a quirky religion and being a cult are very different things. Mormons worship the same being as other Christians, meaning they can in no way be considered a cult, only a quirky sect of Christianity.

The Mormon church is not a cult. If you prefer some definition that does indeed consider the Mormon church a cult, then you are calling every world religion a cult.

Do Mormons believe in fate? Absolutely not. One of the main tenets of the Mormon religion is what they call “free agency.” This is defined as the right every person has to choose. All have the freedom to choose between right and wrong.

However, Mormons also believe in a principle called foreordination. This is not the same as predestination, or fate. When something is predestined, it is going to happen and there is nothing you can do about it. Foreordination means in the pre-earth life we all knew specific roles we could accept in life. Mormons believe that in pre-earth life, we accepted these roles.

For example, Jesus Christ was foreordained to be our Savior. Adam was foreordained to be the first human being. Moses was foreordained to free Israel. Joseph Smith was foreordained to restore the gospel in our day.

These individuals all had the choice to fulfill these roles. Jesus could have decided not to go through with the Atonement. Adam could have decided to kill himself and not spawn the human race. Moses could have decided to stay in Egypt. Joseph Smith could have chosen not to follow the instructions he was given.

Should these individuals not have fulfilled their foreordained missions, God would have had someone else fulfill them. He knows whether or not we will fulfill these missions before we are even born, so Mormons believe God has a plan for each of us, and he knows whether or not we will follow that plan, but Mormons believe we all have a choice to follow that plan.

Mormons do not believe that events outside of their control are going to happen no matter what. All things are a result of a choice made by you or someone else. Yes, God is active in our lives as well. But He does not have a schedule of events waiting to happen to you on specific days and times.

He has told us He will bless us when we keep His commandments. So when we are righteous, he blesses us. When we are not, he withholds blessings. None of that is fate, it is choice. Mormons believe that God is bound when you do what He says. He cannot break His word.

So no, Mormons do not believe in fate and believe they control their own fates and destinies.

Can Mormons serve in the military? Yes, Mormons can serve in the military. In fact, here is a list of famous Mormons in the military.

The Mormon church even makes special sets of scriptures specifically for military personnel. They are extremely small and can fit in various pockets of the uniform.

The current President of the Mormon church, Thomas Monson, served in the military and has told stories about it. The church does not prohibit any member from serving in the military and is extremely supportive of members in the military.

The Book of Mormon, which is Mormon scripture, tells of many wars fought between the inhabitants of ancient America. One of the prophets who participated received a revelation from God in which he was commanded to defend his family, even unto bloodshed. Mormons feel justified in defending themselves and their families.

You can see more info of the LDS church’s positions on the military here.

Can Mormons cut their hair? The short answer is yes. Mormons, both male and female, are allowed to cut their hair and are equally free to grow their hair out.

This myth hearkens back to Sampson in the Old Testament. He was under covenant to never cut his hair or else lose his immense strength. Delilah famously tempted him to give up the source of his power which he did. Once his hair was cut, God took away the strength he had been given.

There are other religions in the world where members are not allowed to cut their hair. Sometimes you see their men wearing turbans so as to keep their long hair from getting everywhere. Mormons are not one of these religions.

The Mormon church owns a university in Utah called Brigham Young University, or BYU. There are dress and grooming standards one must keep up in order to attend. One of these is for men to have their hair neatly trimmed around their ears as well as to not allow their hair to cover their collars. In other words, keep your hair short. So they cut their hair pretty frequently.

Not only can Mormons cut their hair, there are several Mormon barbers and hair dressers. There is nothing in the set of Mormon church beliefs that prohibits any members from cutting their hair.

“We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

And this is the Wikipedia definition of the Trinity:

“The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial. Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being. The Trinity is considered to be a mystery of Christian faith.”

And last quote, this is the account from Matthew 3 of Jesus being baptized:

“16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

In the Mormon church, God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are referred to as the Godhead. The main difference between the Godhead and the Trinity is in physical form. The Trinity belief is that God can manifest himself as any of three beings: Father, Son or Holy Spirit. Kind of like how H2O can be water, steam or ice; three different forms. However, where this idea fails is in the account of the baptism. Jesus comes up out of the water. He sees the Spirit of God light upon him. A voice from heaven is heard declaring Jesus is His beloved Son. H2O can be water, steam or ice, but it cannot be all three simultaneously.

The Godhead concept is that these three personages are all separate, distinct Beings. God is the Father of us all. Jesus Christ is His Son. The Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit, not flesh and bone. The confusion comes when Jesus says things like “The Father and I are one.” When he says things like “I am in the Father and the Father is in me. If you have seen me you have seen the Father,” it can get really confusing. Makes it sounds like Jesus Christ and God the Father are one in the same.

This is what happens when two individuals become so close as to be considered one. For example, in marriage we are to be as one. That isn’t suggesting husbands and wives morph into each other. They are separate, distinct people who are as one. Not literally of course. But perfectly united. So much so that you will often hear a prospective father announce “we are pregnant!” Well, no, your wife is. But couples say this all the time. Are they both pregnant? Nope. But because in their marriage they are as one, they can declare such a statement without people giving them an odd look.

For more evidence of the Godhead, think about John 17. Jesus gives the intercessory prayer. Who is he praying to, himself? And when Jesus ascends to heaven, he proclaims he is ascending to “my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” Or when Stephen is stoned in Acts, who does he see? “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Wouldn’t there have to be two personages Stephen is seeing for one to be on the right hand of the other?

For Mormons, the most conclusive evidence comes from Joseph Smith. As a boy of 14 he was confused as to which church to join. He read James 1:5 and determined he lacked wisdom and would ask of God. He went and prayed in a grove of trees near his home. In answer to his prayer, he saw two Personages, whose glory defied all description. They came to him and one spoke, pointing to the other, and said “Joseph, this is my Beloved Son. Hear him!”

There are several other scriptures used as evidence that the “oneness” Jesus describes between himself and the Father is not literal but is in fact figurative. In sports you often hear how a team plays “as one.” They are all on the same page. They are all thinking the same thing. They all have the same game plan. They each know their roles. So it is with the Godhead. It is not a mysterious Trinity that cannot be understood. Father, Son and Holy Ghost are perfectly united in all things. They are perfect in all things. But they are each separate and distinct personages. Thus Mormons reject the notion of the Trinity and believe in the doctrine of the Godhead.

• There are 318,947 members of the church in Africa
• There are 18 missions in Africa, meaning there are about 2,000 missionaries on the continent
• The Mormon church provided aid and relief to over 46 million people in Africa from 2003 – 2010

Needless to say, Mormons don’t have anything against black people and the Mormon church does not have an anti-black policy.

However, this was not always the case. When Joseph Smith founded the Mormon church, part of the restoration of the full gospel was restoring the Priesthood, God’s power and authority to act in His name. Black members of the church were not allowed to hold the Priesthood until 1978. Why you ask? No one knows. In fact, there is no statement from Joseph Smith regarding the matter. In reality, we know of two black people that did receive the Priesthood while Joseph Smith was still alive, Elijah Abel and Walker Lewis.

The policy of prohibiting black people from holding the Priesthood appears to have begun under Brigham Young. From there, leaders of the church speculated as to why God would tell Brigham Young through revelation to withhold the Priesthood from black people. Some said black people must not have been faithful in the premortal life. Some said black people were cursed from Cain through every generation since. None of these theories was ever recognized by the church or declared authoritative. These were the opinions of church leaders at the time. They were based on previously received revelations and the scriptures, but that doesn’t mean they were true. Many of their statements appear to demonstrate some level of racism as well.

This stems back to the same reason early church leaders enacted polygamy. The prophet received a revelation and church leaders and members followed. People then speculated as to why God would give such a commandment, and rumors have abounded since. God commands and God revokes. That is the important thing to remember about Mormon theology. He told some to have plural wives. He revoked that commandment. He told the prophet to withhold the Priesthood from black men. He revoked that commandment.

There is no sense in speculating as to why God does such things. Many church leaders, members and critics have speculated as to why black men could not received the Priesthood for 130 years. No one knows why. But Mormons are not racist and do not believe black people are cursed. At least Mormon theology does not believe that. Some members may think that, but that’s not what the Mormon church teaches.

For this reason, many people think Mormons and other Christians don’t “believe” in dinosaurs. This is false. Mormons recognize that dinosaur fossils are real, and they are really old. Mormons also have additional scripture beyond the Bible, so they see the creation in a slightly different light.

Mormons have three accounts of the creation in all of their scriptures. The Genesis version is one and there are two in the Pearl of Great Price. In these extra versions the Creation is spoken of in terms of periods of time, not days. Because Genesis says days, everyone assumes each creative period was 24 hours. This is not true.

For example, how long is a day to us? 24 hours, right? Because that’s how long the Earth takes to do a revolution in regards to the sun. On what “day” did God create the sun? Not day one, so how long was day one? This is why Mormons understand these days to be creative periods- undisclosed amounts of time.

Also, Mormons recognize that Adam and Even did not partake of the forbidden fruit immediately after entering the Garden of Eden. No one knows for how long they were there before they partook of the fruit. This could have been thousands of years. How did a human live that long? Because they were literally God’s creations, and God made them that way. We don’t understand the science of it.

At any rate, Mormons don’t believe the Earth itself is 7,000 years old. Perhaps it has been about 7,000 years since the fall, but Earth has been around a whole lot longer than that. Thus, dinosaurs and anything else could have roamed around at any time before Adam and Eve or anytime during their sojourn in the Garden of Eden. Mormon theology does not teach what happened to the dinosaurs or anything, but it does not deny their existence nor their age.

• Mormons believes Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world
• Mormons believe the Bible to be the word of God, as far as it is translated correctly.
• Mormons believe in faith, prayer, virtue and all other principles taught in the Bible.

However, Mormons believe a few things that are different from traditional Christianity:

• Mormons believe God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are three distinct personages. God the Father and Jesus Christ have perfect, immortal bodies, while the Holy Ghost is still a personage of Spirit.
• Mormons believe the church established by Jesus and operated by his Apostles after his death was lost from the earth following the death of the Apostles. It was subsequently restored by a modern prophet, Joseph Smith, beginning with his first vision in 1820.
• Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is also the word of God, not just the Bible.
• Mormons abstain from harmful substances, such as coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
• Mormons believe that to be saved, one must have faith in Jesus Christ, repent of his/her sins, be baptized by immersion by someone with the Priesthood authority and receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.
• Mormons believe we are saved by grace, after all we can do.
• Mormons believe that marriage is eternal, and couples are sealed in Mormon temples for all time, not until death do they part.

These are the basic beliefs of Mormons that differ from traditional Christianity. So the next time you are wondering, what are the beliefs of the Mormon Church? Just remember this handy little list.