2. READ THE SACRED TEXTS

Go ahead and admit it. You've seen the commercials for the Book of Mormon and always kinda wondered what they were talking about. Well, if you're serious about converting, now would be a good time to order a free copy. While Mormons use many aids in the teaching of their religion, there are four texts that you must read in order to understand the fundamentals of Mormonism. Combined, these books make up the sacred texts of Mormonism. They are:

King James Version of the Bible
Book of Mormon
Doctrine and Covenants
Pearl of Great Price

King James Version of the Bible

Yes, Mormons do believe in The Bible. This is a frequent question you'll be asked, so be prepared to answer it. (We'll get back to some other questions you'll be asked later.) For now, you should know that Mormons believe The Bible to be the Word of God. However, they also recognize that errors could have been made when The Bible was being translated.

Book of Mormon

People usually associate this to be the "Bible" of the Mormon church. In truth, it is another testament of Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon tells of the prophecies of Christ and explains how Christ revealed himself in the New World after his resurrection. The history of The Book of Mormon goes something like this: decades before Joseph Smith was born, a prophet named "Mormon" wrote the prophecies down on Golden plates. Many years later, Joseph Smith was given these plates to translate. Joseph Smith was never formally educated, so Mormons point to his ability to translate these plates into texts as a sign that the book was inspired by God.

Doctrine and Covenants

The Doctrine and Covenants book is a series of 138 revelations from God. As Mormons believe in modern prophets, this book can be updated depending upon new revelations from God. For example, in 1890, then-Prophet Wilford Woodruff received a revelation reversing the Church's stance on polygamy. Rather than taking a series of wives, a man was now instructed to have only one wife so as to be in accordance with the laws of the land. What does this mean? It means that Mormons no longer practice polygamy.

Pearl of Great Price

Pearl of Great Price contains revisions to the King James Version of The Bible (revisions based upon divine revelations from God). This book also contains a listing of other names Jesus Christ may be known by, such as Beloved Son, Lord, Lord God and Messiah.

Before joining the Church, you will be asked to read all of these works, especially The Book of Mormon. You will also be asked to pray for an answer as to whether The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church. Once you receive your answer (take a wild guess what it is), you take another step toward converting.