Were any of you invited to visit other churches? And if so, did you attend?
My family followed the church directive to invite my non-member friends to my Primary and the 3 hour block. Sometimes, my friends' parents would pick them up after attending for an hour. (I was envious because they were going out to eat pizza. My parents never had $ to go out to eat.)
In return, my parents allowed me to visit other churches.
However, I later learned that church leaders were terribly disturbed if members were visiting other churches. Many members who visited the great cathedrals would make a point that they did not attend a worship meeting nor donate any money because they didn't want to support the Great Abominable church.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2025 11:10AM by messygoop.
No, I've not been invited to visit other churches. My late wife's family are a collection of Catholics and various protestant faiths and most are aware that I quit the Mormon church but have left it at that, which is just fine.
My parents let me visit other churches when I was a kid...11 - 12 years old'ish. Lutheran and Catholic, maybe another one. I liked their services better, they were shorter and more colorful, not just fellow church members droning on through boring talks with babies fussing in the background.
My mission president let us visit other churches too. I went to an Anglican church in St. Vincent and I did a non-mormon funeral grave dedication in Jamaica.
I had some friends I met at Thiokol (the name is different now) who were Catholic and I went a few times with the wife. It was "interesting." I thought I'd prefer to put some money in the plate they pass around than pay tithing. My parents didn't care. I hated when I taught primary and they'd tell us to go to visit the kids who didn't attend so I'd drop off a bag of candy or something on their doorstep and sign my name and that was all I'd do. Small ward and people knew I was the primary teacher. Didn't invite any of them to primary or church.
YW was another issue where they pushed us to bug all the girls about stupid stuff and I did it my own way.
Coming from a not extremely active family, I saw enough of what they did as a kid so I avoided doing it to others. And I was also wasn't THAT MORMON.
I told my wife I'd never ask her to go to Mormon services and that I damn sure wasn't going to mass. That strategy worked for the 44 years of our marriage.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2025 08:40PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.
Our student ward met in the late afternoon, so it was pretty easy to arrange. I remember going to a Quaker service, a mass, and one or two Protestant services. We also had a few people representing other faiths come in and speak to our class, including a Moonie and a secular humanist.
Of course, all of this happened in a place both geographically and culturally peripheral to the core of Mormonism.
My mom was a southerner, and we went to tent revivals when they were nearby when we visited her parents. Think “Brother Love’s traveling salvation show.” Great entertainment.
On my mission I went to a Catholic service. Was greeted by the priest and had a nice respectful chat.
My MP would have had a meltdown if he had known. But I never shared those kind of experiences with leadership.
I have attended a couple of other religions. But they all seem the same in that they profess truth based upon non-foundational evidence.
Interesting enough. I never invited anyone to LDS Corp services. I never felt any obligation to do so even on my mission. I have always been of the opinion that people should choose for themselves what they want without my interjecting pressure.
Silence is Golden Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > On my mission I went to a Catholic service. Was > greeted by the priest and had a nice respectful > chat. > > My MP would have had a meltdown if he had known. > But I never shared those kind of experiences with > leadership. > > I have attended a couple of other religions. But > they all seem the same in that they profess truth > based upon non-foundational evidence. > > Interesting enough. I never invited anyone to LDS > Corp services. I never felt any obligation to do > so even on my mission. I have always been of the > opinion that people should choose for themselves > what they want without my interjecting pressure.
My companion and I attended a progressive evangelical service, with rock band guitars and drums. It was part of an investigator agreement who attended our boring church so we visited his.
My MP found out later. He had freely shared his beeper # with local church leaders to tattle on less than obedient missionaries.
One of the few times I was threatened to be sent home dishonorably.
My TBM mom and I attended a Catholic mass and a Baptist meeting one day/year because it was Easter and also Conference weekend. It was very pleasant. My mother was very open minded, and I think she would totally approve of my spiritual path.
possiblypagan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > My TBM mom and I attended a Catholic mass and a > Baptist meeting one day/year because it was Easter > and also Conference weekend. It was very pleasant. > My mother was very open minded, and I think she > would totally approve of my spiritual path.
Nice to hear that. Unfortunately many in the church don't have open minded family.
I went to several churches trying to find something that worked, but it just never felt right. Some were better than others, but none really interested me.
When I was around 9 or 10 I got sent off to something or other with a Catholic friend. I had been coached on questions to ask that were obviously about the differences in the whole God/Jesus/Holy Ghost issue. Of course I didn't say a word, even then I knew it was rude.