Ask a Missionary!

I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ask me anything!

[ask-a-missionary]

Welcome to ask-a-missionary!

Hey! I’m a service missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ask me anything!!

Sister Void, she/her, queer 🏳️‍🌈

-Anonymous and non-religious questions welcome!

-No AI

-All religions, opinions, beliefs, identities, etc. welcome. Homophobia, transphobia, abilism, racism, and any other kind of hate is not welcome here.

-Note: run by a member of the church, not an official account of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Some responses may be more opinion-based or based on personal experience and interpretation. For the most accurate information about the church, visit mormon.org or churchofjesuschrist.org

[erix18]

Hot take:

Religious trauma is real, and stories about it absolutely have a place. But I’d love to see more stories where a character realizes the harmful version of Christianity they were taught isn’t the same as Christ.

Give me characters who deconstruct abuse instead of faith.

Give me characters who discover a deeper, kinder, more compassionate Christianity.

Give me doctors, teachers, farmers, artists, scientists, and ordinary people who see their work as their vocation.

Give me faith rooted in love instead of fear.

Not every Christian character’s happy ending has to be walking away from God. Sometimes it’s finally meeting the God they were searching for all along.

[anonymous-lds-confessions]

theoretically if I continually do something that is an outright LDS no-no yet never feel the spirit telling me no as I usually do AND feel peace that what I'm doing is okay after praying about it am I fully in the wrong about it

.

[ask-a-missionary]

Not a lot of info to go off here, but let’s see what I can do. (Personal opinions coming up, may not reflect official church doctrine)

I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to be personal. There are certain things that may be adapted to the individual’s needs and relationship with God.

That being said, our rules and policies do exist for a reason, and not receiving an outright “no” from the spirit doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. There’s many different exceptions and explanations and personal situations that may lead to someone going against a specific policy, but it’s important to examine how serious the policy is, why it exists, why you’re uncomfortable with it, and how God would want you as His beloved child to view it.

I’m reminded of a popular saying from our apostles (I don’t remember which one), “good, better, best”. Ask yourself, am I doing something good? Could I do something better? And what’s the best thing I could do in this scenario?

Getting “better” takes time. Reaching “best” means working with God to fulfill your potential. But if you sincerely desire to be who God needs you to be, then I believe He will guide you through whatever questions and struggles you have.

Two final thoughts:

Policy ≠ Doctrine. Guidelines ≠ Gospel. They help point us to Christ, but there are certain things we do in the church that aren’t strictly necessary

Questioning doctrine doesn’t have to mean that you no longer believe in it. Examining policies and principles can help you grow your personal relationship with the Lord and strengthen your testimony.

Ultimately, keep praying, remember God’s plan and purpose, and never forget that this is a church of love, a church of change, a church of faith, and a church of personal revelation.

[mormonforgetmenot]

if any of you lack whimsy let him ask of god

[loves-em]

The Problem™ with playing D&D on Sunday evenings with my friends is, as a DM, that often after welcoming everyone to the session, the Sunday school teacher in me wants to ask one of them to say the opening prayer. These are the most atheist people in my life.

"Alright guys, I'm glad you could all make it, and I'm so hyped to see what you come up with today. Is everyone ready? Who wants to say the op- I mean, let's get right into it!" is uncomfortably common.

[ask-a-missionary]

“Please bless our dice, that they may not fail us… and bless these snacks that they may nourish and strengthen us as much as they are able to… and thank you for giving us a DM who is kind enough to not TPK us all today… amen”

[negative-null-semiofficial]

Liahona issue this month is legit pretty good. Aboriginal art, mental health mention, some actually good pornography helps and articles about how to support others, and a lot of good looking for peace.

[ask-a-missionary]

New video! Reading the BOM aloud!

[ask-a-missionary]

Ah, my old nemesis, the “is it a cold or allergies or hormones or am I just dehydrated” delimma

[kirby-the-game]

hey guys can someone please explain the mormon magic underwear to me. i know they exist but im not really sure what purpose they serve in a religious context. any advice appreciated. thank you

[ask-a-missionary]

Many religions have symbolic clothing, eg. hijabs, kippah, sari… the garment is just like those in terms of “magic”. They are a symbol and a reminder of our role in representing Jesus Christ, as well as the promises and blessings between ourselves and God. They’re also a “shield and protection” to us, but this is symbolic and spiritual, and depends upon personal faithfulness and commitment to God. So, it isn’t necessary “magical”, we just believe it reminds us to be spiritually strong.

[ask-a-missionary]

Church article on LGBTQ+ Members

Three ways we can help our LGBT brothers and sisters feel more welcome.

This article from the October 2021 Liahona is an amazing example of the love and diversity that is growing in our church! Here’s a few od my favorite quotes:

“Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles extended the invitation to “be at the forefront in terms of expressing love, compassion, and outreach. … Let’s not have families exclude or be disrespectful of those who choose a different lifestyle as a result of their feelings about their own gender.””

“Be careful that your language toward all of God’s children is harmonious with your covenants and calling, no matter whom you’re speaking with.”

“…regardless of our role in the ward, it’s a blessed responsibility and privilege to build a more unified community by seeking to better love, understand, and support each of our spiritual brothers and sisters.”

[ask-a-missionary]

Honestly my mission was pretty tough. For reasons i still don't fully understand, i just couldn't sleep. I'd lie there motionless in bed for hours and wake up exhausted the next day, so I had to call it quits after slightly over two months.

But I don't regret it.

And honestly, I genuinely believe that I was out there for a sufficient length of time, because my mission was just so dense. There are a few specific things that didn't happen, like I never had a gun pointed at me, or ran from the cops, or dogs, or got a baptism, but otherwise I had basically anything you read about in the Ensign happen to me, or similar.

Full Mission Experience any% Speedrun, I guess?

Also I'm trans now, and still believe, so it's complicated, but, the same things that make me think that I'm trans also make me think that the church actually does hold the truth in it, so...???

This is kindof a long ramble to say what I actually wanted to say, which is Happy Pride.

In keeping with Pride Month, I am so proud of you! It takes a lot of self-awareness and humility to see the good in missions even when they don’t work out the way we expect. Even two months of dedication is incredibly impressive, and I salute you for your faith!

Congrats on realizing you’re trans too, I’m sure that was somewhat tough for you too. And the fact that you still believe in the church is huge dude! I just know God is smiling down on you with so much pride in your strength and your identity.

Let me know if you have any questions about being trans and the church, and I’ll answer best I can! I may not be trans myself but I love researching the church’s relationship with LGBTQ+ identities, because there’s actually so much beauty in it that people usually miss out on.

Happy Pride!! 🏳️‍⚧️

[ask-a-missionary]

Happy pride month!!

+Little self portrait I did :)

[exploring-the-spiritual]

One of the things that initially attracted me to the LDS Church was the idea that every person, even after death, will get the chance to hear the gospel and that most people will end up in some degree of glory. That always seemed like the work of a loving God to me.

[ask-a-missionary]

when new video

Working on it right now! I’ve been busy taking care of chameleons but I’m planning to have one out within the next week or two

[ask-a-missionary]

Something difficult about being a missionary that people don’t talk about enough is the fact that you’re not really supposed to share your opinions on certain things. It makes it difficult because I’m very strongly minded in terms of things like politics, my sexuality, social interactions, etc etc., but I can’t really speak my mind because I’m meant to represent the Lord and His will transcends all those temporary issues. It can feel very stifling, especially when someone is saying or doing something that goes against my beliefs/opinions/morals, and I have to keep my mouth shut and endure it.

I understand why it’s a thing, because again, we’re representing the Lord and don’t want our opinions to get mixed up with the church’s doctrine, but it can still be really difficult.

[ask-a-missionary]

Deeply considering making YouTube videos of me reading the book of mormon (voice acting included) while minecraft gameplay runs in the background

[gay-mormon-wizard]

mormons everywhere reading about the sons of helaman