Baptismal Interview Question for a Friend

[ryanh]

How much of prior misdeeds need to be discussed, and with whom, regarding past sins, esp in regards to the law of chastity?

Are these issues handled by the district leader alone? Zone leader? Or is there someone else involved such as the mission president?

I would expect that pre-marital sex is not uncommon among adult converts. Any insight as to what my friend might expect would be appreciated.

[Guest]

The baptismal interview focuses on what is happening NOW and nothing at all on what happened before. So, unless your friend is still engaged in pre-marital sex, then it wouldn't even come up.

[beefche]

If abortion was in the past, that will need to be discussed. In my mission, that was discussed with the mission president.

[Honor]

I'm not so sure. I've heard of instances where there were things that needed to be known about the past. Otherwise, would someone who had committed murder be able to answer the questions pertaining to the present, and be ready to take on the covenants associated with baptism? I know it's an extreme example when compared to pre-marital sex, but better to know for certain that things were handled in the proper way. If your friend has a question, I'd say they should pose this question to the missionaries they are working with. If they still don't know by the time they get to the interview, have them ask whoever is conducting the interview. They don't even need to go into details with their situation immediately to ask how they should be answering the questions - pertaining to the past and/or present.

[ryanh]

The baptismal interview focuses on what is happening NOW and nothing at all on what happened before. So, unless your friend is still engaged in pre-marital sex, then it wouldn't even come up.

I don't think that's quite right. Sure, it's been more than 20 years since I was asked the questions, I but I do recall being asked about sexual activity, illegal drug use, and murder. All past and/or present. Not just what was an active practice.

There should be some RM's on here with experience with this. I never did interviews, so I was unable to answer the question.

[lexicon66]

I once cheated on my wife I told the bishop in order to gain full membership of the church again. He said that I just needed to have confesed which I did both to my wife and the bishop then I did not take the sacurment for 2 months. For Baptism they won't be so strict on it. They might not even dely the baptism at all. Mainly because the person in question did not know prior and it's for the remission of sins so I don't think it should be a big deal as long as the person understands the law of chasity.

[Guest]

I don't think that's quite right. Sure, it's been more than 20 years since I was asked the questions, I but I do recall being asked about sexual activity, illegal drug use, and murder. All past and/or present. Not just what was an active practice.

There should be some RM's on here with experience with this. I never did interviews, so I was unable to answer the question.

I got baptized 8 years ago. Nothing in the past was asked. Just the present. And I was never asked about sexual activity (I was already married then), illegal drug use, or murder. The bishop gave me the interview.

Maybe it is different for everybody.

Edited February 16, 2010 by anatess

[pam]

I believe this is from Preach My Gospel:

1.

Do you believe that God is our Eternal Father? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of

God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world?

2.

Do you believe the Church and gospel of Jesus Christ have been restored through the

Prophet Joseph Smith? Do you believe that [current Church President] is a prophet of God?

What does this mean to you?

3.

What does it mean to you to repent? Do you feel that you have repented of your past

transgressions?

4.

Have you ever committed a serious crime? If so, are you now on probation or parole? Have

you ever participated in an abortion? a homosexual relationship?

5.

You have been taught that membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

includes living gospel standards. What do you understand of the following standards? Are

you willing to obey them?

a.

The law of chastity, which prohibits any sexual relationship outside the bonds of a legal

marriage between a man and a woman.

b.

The law of tithing.

c.

The Word of Wisdom.

d.

The Sabbath day, including partaking of the sacrament weekly and rendering service to

fellow members.

6.

When you are baptized, you covenant with God that you are willing to take upon yourself the

name of Christ and keep His commandments throughout your life. Are you ready to make

this covenant and strive to be faithful to it?

[Dravin]

Dang. Pam beat me to it.

As you can see the past is asked about in the questions about crime, homosexuality, abortion and about if you've repented of your past transgressions (though admittedly that last one isn't specific and the question about crime ties into this last one).

Edited February 16, 2010 by Dravin

[Guest]

That's exactly the interview I got Pam!

There were no specifics as I have no felonies, abortion or homosexual relations. Just that I've repented of past transgessions, I said yes, and that was that.

Edited February 16, 2010 by anatess

[MarginOfError]

Authorization from the mission president is required

• when a person has submitted to, performed, arranged for, paid for, or encouraged an abortion
• Has been convicted of a serious crime (some crimes require clearance from the First Presidency)
• Has committed a homosexual act

The baptismal interview questions follow the same pattern as the temple recommend questions

• Do you have faith in Jesus Christ?
• Do you believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ was restored through Joseph Smith?
• Do you believe that the current Church president is a prophet?
• What does it mean to repent?
• Do you feel you have repented of your past transgressions?
• Have you committed a serious crime?
• What is your understanding of the law of chastity, law of tithing, word of wisdom, and keeping the Sabbath day holy?
• Are you ready to make the covenant to take upon yourself the name of Christ and follow his commandments?

Elders should not be probing for details about past transgressions unless it is necessary to determine if the candidate has committed any of the acts that would require mission president approval, or to determine if the candidate's situation is such that he does not demonstrate true repentance.

[pam]

Thanks MOE for reinforcing what I already posted. :)

[Dravin]

That's exactly the interview I got Pam!

There were no specifics as I have no felonies, abortion or homosexual relations. Just that I've repented of past transgessions, I said yes, and that was that.

Then this:

Nothing in the past was asked. Just the present. And I was never asked about sexual activity

Is technically incorrect. A question asking, "Have you ever..." is asking about the past. I believe you that baring the circumstances MOE's post mentions they wouldn't be in depth questions, but they are asked.

[Guest]

Then this:

Is technically incorrect. A question asking, "Have you ever..." is asking about the past. I believe you that baring the circumstances MOE's post mentions they wouldn't be in depth questions, but they are asked.

Dravin.. that's what I'm trying to say... I was not asked that question in my interview.

[Dravin]

Dravin.. that's what I'm trying to say... I was not asked that question in my interview.

It's a standard question, I don't think the interview questions changed with PMG (at least not within the last 8 years). Maybe the Bishop already knew the answer from previous interaction and thus felt it unnecessary. *shrug*

Though if the above is the case then:

That's exactly the interview I got Pam!

Is technically incorrect.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Dravin

[Guest]

It's a standard question, I don't think the interview questions changed with PMG (at least not within the last 8 years). Maybe the Bishop already knew the answer from previous interaction and thus felt it unnecessary. *shrug*

Though if the above is the case then:

Is technically incorrect.

LOL... Okay, not EXACTLY then.

The Law of Chastity question was not asked that way either, I don't think. It was more general - which in my understanding equated to include pornography and such (I remembered it because I used to read those trashy romance novels) - but then maybe the Bishop tailors the questions to the person being interviewed - as I was already married a long time and such.

[pam]

According to the Preach My Gospel questions it just asks what your understanding is concerning the law of chastity. It doesn't ask "have you ever." It does ask "have you ever" concerning abortion or homosexual relationship.

That may be why anatess was never questioned about any past relationships etc.

[Blackmarch]

How much of prior misdeeds need to be discussed, and with whom, regarding past sins, esp in regards to the law of chastity?

Are these issues handled by the district leader alone? Zone leader? Or is there someone else involved such as the mission president?

I would expect that pre-marital sex is not uncommon among adult converts. Any insight as to what my friend might expect would be appreciated.

Law of chastity ones probably oought to be handled by at least a bishop.

[WmLee]

Pam ~ I hate when you do that so fast!! I guess that's why you wear the funny hat on Wednesday, (the red one right?).

[pam]

You mean the white pointed one?

[Dravin]

According to the Preach My Gospel questions it just asks what your understanding is concerning the law of chastity. It doesn't ask "have you ever." It does ask "have you ever" concerning abortion or homosexual relationship.

That may be why anatess was never questioned about any past relationships etc.

Yes, it doesn't ask if you've ever violated the Law of Chasity except in the specific cases of a homosexual relationship or abortion (Abortion is under the Law of Chastity lesson in PMG). I wasn't trying to insist she was asked about all her past Law of Chastity violations. I was just being pedantic and saying if she was asked the standard questions she was asked about past misdeeds, and one of the questions is about past sexual activity, it's just of limited scope and only concerned with past homosexual sexual activity*.

* At least I've always read the relationship in the question to be asking about a sexual relationship.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Dravin

[ryanh]

20 years ago, I believe it was different. So, thanks for the 'modern' understanding.

[MarginOfError]

Law of chastity ones probably oought to be handled by at least a bishop.

The bishop does not conduct baptismal interviews for converts (any person age 9 or older). If the person is a candidate for baptism and a convert, it is the district/zone leader who is responsible for determining if the person is prepared to take on the baptismal covenants. I think the guidelines in the handbooks are pretty clear that violations of the law of chastity do not need to be discussed with any authority higher than the district/zone leader unless they are of a homosexual nature.

[islelassie]

I wonder how it works when an investigator has had a different lifestyle years before, and when of a different religion, and repented of that then. Surely there should be a time scale involved. I would not feel it relevant as a Great grandmother for example to mention that I lived as a lesbian more than 20 years ago !

[Daniel2020]

It depends on the mission and the transgression.

Back when I was on my mission, a missionary interviewing a person who had an abortion; committed a felony; had a (prior) homosexual relationship; or committed some other serious violation of the law of chastity such as bestiality, sadism, etc. would have needed an interview by the mission president to be baptized.

The same would apply to some other situations. Such as a person who had been a member of an apostate church.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Daniel2020