A Latter-day Saint’s Guide to Visiting Other Churches.

 

If you were born and raised a Latter-Day Saint, the idea of going to another church would be a foreign concept. But the action of attending your friends’ church is one of the most powerful ways to show you are a true friend. Countless times I’ve met converts who joined the church because their member friends asked them to come to church with them and offered to go to their church also.

As someone who has participated in interfaith dialogues across the country with people ranging from evangelicals from California and South Carolina to the former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and even with an Islamic Professor from Islamabad! I realized I have a bit of experience with other religions. With that context, I wanted to write a guide for Latter-day Saints to help when you visit other churches.

What Parts of their Worship Services Should I Participate in?

 

The biggest question most Latter-day Saints have when attending another churches worship service is what should I do? Should I participate or just observe? Should I take the Eucharist (their sacrament) or not? The general rule of thumb I have always observed and applied is Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

For Christian churches, I will participate in singing their hymns and reading the scriptures. As we are worshiping and praising the same God. But when it comes to ordinances, rituals, or creeds (the aspects of their church that we do not accept) I respectfully stand with everyone else, but do not participate in them. The key is being respectful! At my Catholic cousin’s wedding when everyone rose to take the Eucharist (communion) I stood up, out of respect gave a smile and nod at to the priest, and then sat back down. When I was invited by a friend to his Lutheran Church I stood up with them, out of respect, when they read the creeds, but I did not recite the creeds with them. Following this rule, I have never had anyone become offended and I have been able to enjoy their services rather than just observe them.

When it comes to non-Christian services I respectfully observe, but I am very careful about not participating in ordinances, rituals, or joining in the worshiping of their gods. This is why I choose not to participate in Holi, or the Festival of Colors, as it is a ritual regarding their gods and sex. A few years ago my YSA ward held a ward temple trip the same day as the festival of colors and no other YSA’s came to the temple trip. I was super bummed out, but later that day I saw pictures on Facebook from a bunch of the YSA’s (including a lot of Ward Council members) who had gone to the Holi Festival at the Krishna Temple that day. Think of how sobering that was! They literally were invited to come to the temple but chose to participate in the religious ritual at the temple of Hindi gods instead.

“We are also respectful of the religious beliefs of all people, even of those increasing numbers who profess no belief in God. We know that through the God-given power of choice, many will hold beliefs contrary to ours, but we are hopeful that others will be equally respectful of our religious beliefs”
Dallin H. Oaks

 

Look For The Truth You Can Learn From.

 

Whereas we believe that the fullness of the Gospel is contained within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it does not mean others do not have truth and we can’t learn from them! Boyd K. Packer taught that “The gospel might be likened to the keyboard of a piano—a full keyboard with a selection of keys on which one who is trained can play a variety without limits” If you look for the wrong notes being played you will always find it. When visiting other churches go with an attitude of how do they play the keys they have? What aspect of how they follow Christ can I emulate? How can I better play the song of discipleship!

You Will Most Likely Feel The Spirit.

 

The number one thing that I see catching members (and missionaries) off guard when they visit another church is that they feel the Spirit. This should not be shocking at all though. Whereas we have the fullness of the gospel, the Holy Spirit will testify of any gospel truth that is taught. A lot of people do not understand this, and when they feel the Spirit they are alarmed, some even go so far as to claim it is not the Holy Spirit but some other spirit. They forget this simple truth: the more a church teaches truth the more the Spirit will be present. The more The Spirit is present the more it grows. Therefore the likelihood of feeling the Spirit at your friends’ denomination is actually very high. If the Spirit was never present then the church eventually shrivels up and dies.

“The Holy Ghost testifies of truth.”
Henry B. Eyring

 

They Will Most Likely Make You Feel Welcome and Wanted.

 

As a missionary, I was afraid that if I ever visited another church that I would be ran out of it by an angry mob with pitchforks, but that was unfounded. As I visited churches during my mission and since my mission, I have never once been treated wrongly. In a matter of fact, I am often treated better in other church than our church sometimes. Often other churches are so welcoming because they do not have a lot of visitors, so when they do, they will roll out the red carpet and make you feel welcome and wanted. I loved visiting other churches for this fact.

One story that illustrates this is when as a missionary I knocked on the rectory door for the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Bar Harbor, Maine; Father O’Hara looked confused but soon we were helping out with the weekly community meal and everyone in the town got to know us. Chris Brown “the Catholic not the rapper,” as he would put it, would introduce us to everyone who came for dinner as “These are Elder Hansen and Goff, but their Mamma’s did not call them that, if you want to learn more you can talk with them!” We fed thousands over the weeks we were there. And we taught dozens of people the restoration at the sinks! When I left after 6 months Father O’Hara told us that he saw us as an example to his youth and wanted our picture to put in their sanctuary upstairs! (For the full story click here). This is just one example of amazing interfaith relations!

“We love those of other churches. We work with them in good causes. We respect them.”
Gordon B. Hinckley

 

The Gospel Piano.

 

Referring back to the ‘gospel piano’ analogy by President Packer, I think that we can learn how to be better disciples of Christ as we reach out in understanding and love to our neighbors. Be they Christian, Jewish, Mulism, or any other religion. Whereas they do not have the full gospel piano, they each have aspects of it, and we can learn from the songs of discipleship that they sing! Think of the lessons we can learn from the Catholic charity and missionary work, or from the Jewish life is centered on the Temple and Messiah, or from Sikhs and their desire to serve and love those around them! Other churches are full of good and truth. They have learned lessons that we too must learn. And as we learn from the truth they have, even if they choose not to listen to the truth we have, we still will be better disciples of Christ from the experience. But if they are honest seekers of the truth, they will find the fullness of the gospel keyboard that their soul has been longing for.

“We say in a spirit of love, bring with you all that you have of good and truth which you have received from whatever source, and come and let us see if we may add to it. ”
Gordon B. Hinckley