I'm curious about something. In my ward, people will randomly turn up in the investigators' class, people whom I know have been members for a long time, perhaps even all their lives. When asked why they are there, they always make it seem as though they just chose to be. One girl, for example, said today that she "learns better" in smaller classes/environments.

Do they really have a choice of what class to go to though? Or is it more likely that someone up high (bishop, etc) asks them to go to fellowship the investigators?

I would think they are mormon volunteers, as in "would you like to attend the investigators class and fellowship the new members?" "Yes, bishop"...

When Madrid's African branch became an English-speaking ward, but was still 95% Nigerian, most white expats attending the other wards in the city were kindly, gently invited to move their butts to the other pews.

A few years ago, longtime, more valiant, members were assigned to specific investigators--to attend class with them, fellowship them, escort them to the Christmas party and to firesides, etc. It was a specific calling. Several of my friends did this, as couples. I would guess that now they are just more sneaky about it.

The teacher of our investigator class (this class is more recently called "Gospel Principles") came to my house to invite me to his class. He politely told me that members who are less active often benefit in going to this more basic class, to "refresh" themselves with the foundations of Mormonism. The class was once called "Foundations of Mormonism." Like a chameleon, it keeps disguising itself to entrap the wayward less actives (who used to be called inactives). Is this clear?

Along with the teacher, was a man who had been one of my best Mormon friends, for many years. We had worked together in the Scouts and in the music. He said he would like to go to the class with me, as he humbly felt he needed brushing up on the basics, too. He said his wife would come with us as often as she could. I said, "So, you have been assigned to fellowship me." He did not deny it. I felt...conspired against, behind my back...targeted...judged. With that approach, I can't imagine anyone agreeing to go through the humiliation of attending that class. Good luck with that....

By the way, I told them no, that I had attended Sunday School and Primary and YW, every week of my childhood, seminary in high school, and all the required BYU religion classes, and institute and Stanford University and University of Utah. I had read the Book of Mormon 8 times. I said that I couldn't imagine how one more class repeating the exact same material, could possible make any difference. I didn't want to think about Joseph Smith and his religion anymore--I wanted to learn more about Christ, and to practice Christian principles in my life, going forward.

To anyone--especially to any Christian--this would be a noble resolve, but these men acted like Satan had hold of me, and shook their heads in pity for me and my children. They said they were sad that I was leading my children astray, and that they would fail without Mormonism. They said this right in front of my children!

I taught the investigator's class for five years and this was an ongoing problem. One adult woman just did not want to leave the class and had to be "coaxed" by the bishop to move on. In retrospect, I think there are some people who are content with the basics or fundamentals of the gospel and not much more. Whether it's a lack of intellectual ability or just a lack of curiosity, I don't know.

It isn't uncommon for members to go to the investigator class to ease their minds about doing missionary work. Kinda cheating, but there you have it.

Ron

We had a few who attended. I think they provided a little bit of support for the teacher as well as the investigators, sometimes by design and sometimes by happenstance. There was a elderly vouple who went there a lot, mostly because they liked to get to know new people coming into the ward and because as he described it- there was too much weird speculation going on in the regular class (yeah we know what he means, don't we?), but in this class the Gospel was clear and simple.

When I was EQP I was assigned to attend gospel principles by the bishop, along with some ward missionaries. So sometimes it's by assignment.

If your calling is ward missionary, your place is in the gospel principals class or investigator's class as you call it. There can be several ward missionaries in that class as they rotate the chapters to do talks on, they are supposed to help set up for baptisms, they go to investigator's homes as needed, they do follow up new member visits for the newly baptized.

Sometimes when a young woman graduates from young women's, she sits in on the investigator class then goes to her newly assigned relief society meeting afterwards. Many college students who are returned for the summer attend the gospel principals aka investigator class as well during their time home.

I preferred the above class and since my husband was a ward missionary I could go, sometimes others would show up and we never thought anything about it. It sure beat the gospel doctrine class where people tried to show how smart they were and proved just the opposite.

I went to the investigators' class a few times out of curiosity. There was never anybody policing what class you go to during the second hour.

I went to investigator's class regularly just before my exit. The BS in there was slightly more tolerable to listen to than the stuff spewed in the adult Gospel Docktrine class.

Me too. Plus it was way more comfortable in there since there would only be 1-2 peeps in there at a time and GD was always full. If I recall correctly, ward mish was always in there.