One of the most common concepts associated with Mormon young adults is the idea that they are the ones who marry early. But, that’s not all. Mormons of marrying age are often tagged as people who love to go out on dates. Now, you may wonder, what is it like to have a date with a Mormon?

Mormons are encouraged to date. Through this way, men and women can easily meet people whom they can form an eternal companionship with. If this is your first time to have a date with a Mormon, here are some things that might happen:

1.) Expect laughter.
Ever wonder why Mormons are considered one of the happiest groups? Perhaps loving laughter plays a role on that. Mormons love to laugh. First dates can be awkward at first, but don’t worry, your Mormon friend might have a funny story in store. Honestly, they sometimes use laughter to ward off the jitters, just so you know. *winks*

2.) They ask questions about you. A lot.
Please don’t think they’re creepy; it’s just that Mormons love asking questions a lot especially with the person they’re talking to. Not only are they making you feel you’re interesting, they genuinely want to get to know you better. They sometimes label it as “Building Relationships of Trust.” You can ask your Mormon date when you go out what that means. That’s going to be an interesting topic for sure.

3.) They love to talk.
Aside from loving laughter and asking a lot of questions, Mormons love to talk. Scratch that, they love to share everything they love with you. You will hear about fun stories during their youth days, what they did to help them decide what course of study to take, and some of the things they consider life changing. Brace yourself, though, for you will get a “How about you?” question next, for sure.

4.) You could get “When I was on my mission…” stories
A lot. Whether they are trying to impress you, helping you understand what missionaries do, or just truly wanting to share one of the most special events in their life, expect that you will get sentences that start with this phrase. Some of the most awesome events of their lives happened while serving the Lord for 24 or 18 months and these experiences made them learn many things. If they’re sharing the most significant events of their lives to you, you must be pretty special.

5.) They could stare at food awkwardly before eating it.
It may knock you a bit sideways, but please don’t feel bad if you see your Mormon date staring at his food awkwardly for a few seconds. Yes, they’re hungry, but no, they’re not picky with food. They’re just contemplating on doing something. Sometimes you could get a “Could we pray first?” before eating.

6.) They love arcades.
A date with a Mormon is not complete without a trip to the arcade. They’re just probably trying to show you their skills in the most subtle way possible. Besides, arcades are always a fun idea, right?

7.) They want to know more about your family.
To some Latter-day Saints, their family is everything. They would eagerly share something about their folks and their siblings. Because of these close family ties, they would probably ask you about your family, too.
8.) They have a quotation for almost everything.
One thing that might impress you with your Mormon date is his ability to have quotes on everything. This could make you wonder “Where did he/she get all these quotes?” There’s one from a certain general authority and another one from a mission companion. The quotes they share may be random but you’ll come to appreciate them!

9.) Random handshakes with random people.
Going out on a date with a Mormon can bring a lot of surprises. One of them is your date giving random handshakes to complete strangers. They would refer to this person as “Bro. Cruz, my ka-ward,” or “Sister Diaz, my ka-stake.” You might find it weird, but believe me when I say that’s totally normal.

10.) You’ll get goodbye handshakes, too.
Saying goodbye at the end of your date with a Mormon is not much of a problem. You’ll probably get a friendly handshake, and a courteous “I enjoyed my time with you.” Well, if you’re lucky, you could receive a “Thank you, Sister,” or “Thank you, Brother.” Once again, that’s totally normal.

Going out on dates with a Mormon can be unpredictable. But knowing beforehand some of the things you can expect to happen doubles the fun. Enjoy!