Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Hello, friends. I'm Elder Reel, and welcome to Discussion #4.
So far, we've talked about God's plan for humanity, the Restoration through Joseph Smith, and what membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actually involves. But before anyone considers baptism, I believe there's another important question we should address:
What should I know about the Church's history before I join?
Our history is inspiring to many Latter-day Saints, but it is also complicated. In this discussion, we'll openly introduce several historical issues that investigators may eventually encounter, including Joseph Smith's plural marriages, the former priesthood and temple restrictions for Black members, questions surrounding the Book of Abraham, the different accounts of the First Vision, changes to temple ceremonies, and the reality that prophets and Church leaders are human beings who can make mistakes.
We don't need to resolve every historical controversy before someone can choose baptism. But we do believe you deserve to know that significant questions exist, understand what those questions are, and have the opportunity to investigate both faithful and critical perspectives before making your decision.
That's what informed consent means.
We're not asking you to begin with distrust of the Church, nor are we asking you to dismiss difficult information simply because it challenges our beliefs. We're inviting you to study broadly, examine the historical evidence, listen fairly to competing explanations, pray and seek spiritual guidance, and decide for yourself what you believe best accounts for what you find.
If you ultimately choose to join the Church, our hope is that you can honestly say:
"I knew our history was complicated. I was given the opportunity to investigate it, and I chose this faith with open eyes."
If you haven't watched Discussions #1–3, I encourage you to begin there, because each discussion builds upon the previous ones.
Thank you for joining me. Let's begin.
DISCLAIMER: The LDS Missionary Discussions: If the Church Was Honest is an independent educational project and is not affiliated with, produced by, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Elder Reel" is a fictional missionary character used to explore what LDS missionary discussions might look like if they emphasized informed consent, transparency, and a fuller presentation of LDS beliefs, history, expectations, and commitments before baptism.
Hello, friends. I'm Elder Reel, and welcome to Discussion #4.
So far, we've talked about God's plan for humanity, the Restoration through Joseph Smith, and what membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actually involves. But before anyone considers baptism, I believe there's another important question we should address:
What should I know about the Church's history before I join?
Our history is inspiring to many Latter-day Saints, but it is also complicated. In this discussion, we'll openly introduce several historical issues that investigators may eventually encounter, including Joseph Smith's plural marriages, the former priesthood and temple restrictions for Black members, questions surrounding the Book of Abraham, the different accounts of the First Vision, changes to temple ceremonies, and the reality that prophets and Church leaders are human beings who can make mistakes.
We don't need to resolve every historical controversy before someone can choose baptism. But we do believe you deserve to know that significant questions exist, understand what those questions are, and have the opportunity to investigate both faithful and critical perspectives before making your decision.
That's what informed consent means.
We're not asking you to begin with distrust of the Church, nor are we asking you to dismiss difficult information simply because it challenges our beliefs. We're inviting you to study broadly, examine the historical evidence, listen fairly to competing explanations, pray and seek spiritual guidance, and decide for yourself what you believe best accounts for what you find.
If you ultimately choose to join the Church, our hope is that you can honestly say:
"I knew our history was complicated. I was given the opportunity to investigate it, and I chose this faith with open eyes."
If you haven't watched Discussions #1–3, I encourage you to begin there, because each discussion builds upon the previous ones.
Thank you for joining me. Let's begin.
DISCLAIMER: The LDS Missionary Discussions: If the Church Was Honest is an independent educational project and is not affiliated with, produced by, sponsored by, or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "Elder Reel" is a fictional missionary character used to explore what LDS missionary discussions might look like if they emphasized informed consent, transparency, and a fuller presentation of LDS beliefs, history, expectations, and commitments before baptism.
