You posted this in the other thread a few days back. I replied:
A regular Sunday service is 3 hours long: 1 hour of Sacrament meeting (the main one), 1 of Sunday School, and one of classes broken up into male/female groups. RJKUgly got it essentially correct, though Sacrament meeting (where you take communion) is more frequently at the beginning of the 3-hour block. It depends on whatever the congregation decides to do.
If you’re really curious, go ahead and attend this Sunday. 9 am and 1 pm are good bets for times to show up. Most church buildings host more than one ward, so there are 2 - 3 meetings per Sunday. Even better, use this handy-dandy form to find the closest building and meeting time–that whole website is set up just for people like you who are curious.
To respond to the post above, you could indeed attend any part of the meeting with no trouble, but you would be invited to attend Gospel Essentials during Sunday School, which is geared toward people who either aren’t LDS or who have recently converted, while most long-time members would be at Gospel Doctrine (or teaching a kids’ class, like me).
I’m sorry, but that is the oddest definition of cult that I have ever encountered.
At some level, every religious group except the UU and the Baha’i meet your definition of cult.
Beyond that, it appears to rather lack a point in that each branch of the military, most sports teams, and all gated communities would be examples of cults except that they happen to omit the religious element. Why would one be worse or scarier than another?
I’ve personally been to a Mormon Church on a Sunday and took part in their service, just a few months ago in fact. I had a few LDS friends with me (who had met me two days before!), they were the only ones who knew I wasn’t a member…and I wouldn’t have needed them to attend, but I wanted to go with them so I had some clue as to what to do. No one minded that I wasn’t a member. Those who found out greeted me nicely.
I was in the normal service (Sacrament Meeting), then Sunday school, then the joint Priesthood/Relief Society meeting afterward (it was the fifth Sunday where they are combined)
Anyone who has reason to go can do so. It was the first time I have been to church in my whole life, and it wasn’t bad at all.
Going to temple is a different story, you have to be a good member of the church to attend. I sorta understand why, but I will admit that is one of those things that bothers me.
I’ve been interested in the LDS church for a long time now (this coming from a lifelong atheist turned slightly agnostic). It’s full of good people. I can’t wrap my head around certain things that the church does, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be a cult, in my opinion.