CreosMary:
Dera Friends,
I run a house for men who wish to give up drugs and the latest resident is a Mormon, even though he was on drugs for all his adult life.
He still persists in pushing his little barrow even though he is well aware that this house is Catholic. Granted he does join me at Lauds and vespers (condition of stay here) and does quite well.
He says he feels uncomfortable doing the sign of the Cross and I find him shying away from looking at the MANY statues and frames in the house.
Are there any ex-Mormons here who can help me with him.
He has a good heart and I think he is clinging to mormonism as a form of self-identity, not having one whilst on drugs and maybe a fear of offending his LDS Mum.
I would be grateful if anyone can throw some wisdom or directions my way
May Almighty God Bless and Mary, Our Lady of the Passion protect you always
Hi:
Unless you are willing not only to spend hours ‘debunking’ his religious faith but also to help this person acquire an entirely new network of religious support systems, you might want to focus manly upon this person’s drug problems. Unless this person already has at least some members of his personal circle outside of the rehab program who are Roman Catholic, twisting this man’s arm to set aside his LDS faith might do more harm than good at this point. Try to ‘make’ him become Roman Catholic, and you may estrange him from family and friends whose help he will desperately require to return to full health and independence from addiction. Or, he will feel he must choose between becomng ‘clean’ and his family, a choice you ought not to expect him to make.
I only say this because, from your description of the man, he truly is not interested in converting out of the Mormon Church even though this is likely in his best spiritual interest. For now, you need to simply love this person and witness to him by your good Catholic example, not making your concern for him conditional upon his acceptance or rejection of the Roman Catholic faith. Definitely do not compel him to engage in any devotions he clearly is uncomfortable with–i.e. the Sign of the Cross, veneration of Saints, etcetera. So long as he sits quietly and is respectful when others do these things, you can and should expect no more from him. After this man becomes more ‘whole’ he may remember the good example of his Catholic friends at your program and begin to yearn for what he has seen there.
Since Lauds and Vespers are part of the conditions of staying at your rehab home, and since this person presumably accepted these facts as a part of voluntarily participating in the program, there is not problem with this. (The program is ‘voluntary’ even if he had to choose your program as condition of parole or whatever. His decision might have been self-serving to some degree–he might have chosen your program because it seemed ‘easier’ or–more likely–because your program had space to include him, as opposed to being on a waiting list for a secular program. He still
chose to accept the conditions of your program, regardless of his motives). In your position I think that I would encourage this person to contact a local LDS ward and attend Sacrament services (as Mormons describe their worship services).
It is possible, as this person reaches the point where he can cycle out of your program, that LDS Family/Social Services will be able to help him further. Unless he has been excommunicated for heresy or willful apostasy, he should be eligible for help. (If he is ‘disfellowshipped’ for misconduct, as in for criminal activity related to drugs, he should still be able to gain assistance, so long as he is willing to attend LDS worship and live in consonance with LDS principles).
