Many people don’t care much for strangers knocking on their door for any reason.  It often seems an interruption at best.  And a stranger knocking on your door for the purpose of giving you more religion may be less welcome than a salesman offering the latest vacuum cleaner.  Religion can both be very personal and very touchy – the very existence of Mormon missionaries at your doorstep might seem a criticism of your church or your lifestyle.  Mormon missionaries are not meant, however, to attack your beliefs.  They are sent to share theirs and try to make you feel comfortable in the process.  This means that you should feel free to express your feelings about religion and your beliefs with the missionaries.

The Mormon missionary is not supposed to “bash,” however – in other words, argue religion and try to aggressively prove the other wrong.  Although they do believe that their church is the one true church, they do not carry literature debunking other churches and aren’t interested in doing so.  Although you might not be wholly comfortable with talking to Mormon missionaries, they’re acting out of earnest good will and faith – a desire to spread the gospel as they know it.  You may not be interested in their message, but you may want to treat them with kindness, even in dismissal. 

If you do want to meet with the missionaries, they will usually spend some time getting to know you and your beliefs.  You may find you have common ground with them – in beliefs or in interests or life experience.  If you live with your family, the missionaries will want to meet with them eventually, if possible.  Mormons place great importance on the family and on family unity and will want to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone they can. 

Every meeting the Mormon missionaries have with you will begin with a prayer – to invite the Spirit of God into the meeting.  After the prayer, they will share the beliefs of the Mormon Church and encourage you to respond.  What do you think about these teachings?  How do you feel about Mormon doctrine?

But the missionaries will do more than summarize.  They will invite you to study on your own and come to your own conclusions by reading the Book of Mormon.  They will give you your own copy.  Mormons believe that we must come to our own testimonies of truth and we cannot know if something is true if we do not experience it for ourselves.  The missionaries may share the following passage from the Book of Mormon with you:

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.  And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.  And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:3-5, pg 529)

To know if a doctrine or a church is true, we must ask God in sincerity and earnestness of heart if it is true.  The Holy Ghost, or the Holy Spirit, will visit us with confirmation and certainty if it is true.  He will not if it is false.  Only God knows the truth of all things.  After we have tried a new doctrine by studying it, it is God who must give us the end answer of the worth of what we have studied. 

But can we be sure that the confirmation we feel is from the Spirit and not ourselves?  The scriptures teach us that the Holy Ghost will always testify of Jesus Christ.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:13-14

In an age where that which we can touch and that which we can reason out is given more importance and credence than things of the spirit, to be guided by a Holy Spirit may seem strange or dismissible.  Especially when the guidance of the Holy Spirit seems to come by feelings and attitudes.  What can these young people on a Mormon mission really share with us?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23

Warm feelings, loving feelings, gentle, peaceful feelings – when do you feel these things in a world of turmoil and doubt and anxiety?  This is the influence of the Spirit.  This is what Mormons believe missionaries are to teach by.  And this is how we receive confirmation.  If we are at a warm peace with a doctrine, it is true, if we are not – we have the opposite confirmation.

If you receive this confirmation, you may want to attend church services with the Mormon missionaries.