Conversations With A Catholic-turned-Mormon-now-confused...

[RebeccaJ]

1 John 4:

1 Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh be longs to God,

3 and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world.

4 You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

5 They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.

8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.

9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.

10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.

12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.

14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.

15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

17 In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 

[xixxvmcm85]

It needs to go through the bishop to ensure that an imposter did not send the name into salt lake requesting a resignation from the church. The local church authorities can verify the request that the person who made the request is the person involved.

Most bishops just forward the name into salt lake after a verification has been made. Some may try to get the resigning member to think about the decision but…most just let the matter drop. Everyone has free agency.

Exactly as I supposed based on personal experience and the experience of others. Like I said, a few former-LDS folk didn’t have the experience I had. Their Bishops just wanted to confirm that the request actually came from those individuals before revoking baptism, confirmation, temple recommends, etc.

I think I just had a hot-head for a Bishop.

 

[why_me]

I think I just had a hot-head for a Bishop.

No one is perfect. But forgiveness is importment or at least a pardon. People are people. You had an unfortunate experience. Pray for him!

 

[why_me]

Your opinion confirms my diagnosis. Try to leave the LDS. Just try. Many are held emotionally captive by the threat of shunning - especially by family members. I am very sorry to offend you but, except for JS being dead, LDS has to this day, many of the hallmarks of a cult.

You are also projecting LDS traits onto the Catholic Church. That is a psychological term. It’s apropos in an organization like LDS. Attendance at mass is a discipline. If you willingly miss mass, it is a sin against God. But, you are invited back through the Sacrament of reconciliation.

Try apostatizing from the LDS and then asking to return. You are grilled as in an inquisition, to coin a phrase. This is confirmed by the testimony of former LDS members here.

I know that you love and believe the LDS organization, but, out of concern for your eternal soul, I must confront you with the truth. Truth revealed by God, not man.

People leave the lds church all the time. As I said, if a person has had a witness of the book of mormon and the truth of the lds church, leaving can be difficult. But if not, then people have no problem. And even if one did have a witness, leaving is no problem. We see it all the time on this forum when such former lds equate the feeling to a ‘warm fuzzy’. They must mock the witness to justify their decision.

Guilt can be a part of the catholic church and it is one of the reasons why people leave the catholic church. They may have a wrong interpretation of the faith but still guilt does play a role. In the past, many former catholics were racked with sexual guilt which they took into their adult lives. Can I say the catholic church is a cult because of the ‘guilt’ problem? No. It all comes down to wrong interpretation.

The mormon church shuns no one. But people inside a family can do so. But they are wrong. But then again, catholics can shun their children too if they join the mormons. Such are the imperfections of human beings.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

A few hours later he sent me an e-mail in which he said:

I’m not certain what it is I said (or failed to say) that essentially undid 4 months of his journey back into the Catholic fold. I feel responsible for this, and quite frankly feel as if I did something that unintentionally hurt a friend spiritually.

I’m curious if any Catholics familiar with apologetics would be able to help me. Is there something in my e-mail I said that I shouldn’t have (or at least should have worded differently)?

Is there something I failed to mention?

What can I do to help this young man get back on track in the direction he was going? It seems he’s right back to the illogical decision of “I’ll be both Catholic and Mormon in order to have twice the chance of being correct” which initially got our electronic friendship going!!!

Help!! I’m STUCK!!!

~In Christ,
B

I I am not sure that I can help but it seem that he got scared by the wording outer darkness. I would start by reminding him that since LDS teaching are FALSE it matters not that they say he will be in outer darkness.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I I am not sure that I can help but it seem that he got scared by the wording outer darkness. I would start by reminding him that since LDS teaching are FALSE it matters not that they say he will be in outer darkness.

Yes, remind him of God’s love. He is still believing that he has to earn God’s love. He doesn’t.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

Yes, remind him of God’s love. He is still believing that he has to earn God’s love. He doesn’t.

That what I heard. If he was truly ready to renounce the false LDS teachings and come home to Holy Mother Church then It would be only lingering fears placed by Satan trying to keep him there.

 

[po18guy]

People leave the lds church all the time. As I said, if a person has had a witness of the book of mormon and the truth of the lds church, leaving can be difficult. But if not, then people have no problem. And even if one did have a witness, leaving is no problem. We see it all the time on this forum when such former lds equate the feeling to a ‘warm fuzzy’. They must mock the witness to justify their decision.

They mock only the leading of a demon. Christ taught nothing in the BoM.

Guilt can be a part of the catholic church and it is one of the reasons why people leave the catholic church. They may have a wrong interpretation of the faith but still guilt does play a role. In the past, many former catholics were racked with sexual guilt which they took into their adult lives. Can I say the catholic church is a cult because of the ‘guilt’ problem? No. It all comes down to wrong interpretation.

Since there is no guilt in the LDS for lying and deception, yes, there’s a big difference. Look at Christ’s own words and you just might see that guilt and forgiveness are witnesses of the love that God has for us. This is no more than Truth vs. Lies. Christ spoke nothing of the content of the BoM. Everything He taught is in Catholic scripture and Tradition. Ignore it at your eternal peril.

The mormon church shuns no one. But people inside a family can do so. But they are wrong. But then again, catholics can shun their children too if they join the mormons. Such are the imperfections of human beings.

OK. Please explain the many former LDS who have borne “witness” to that exact fact.

You are trying very hard to believe the BoM. However, your posts are full of “maybe” “might” and “could”. You appear to have little confidence in LDS teachings, and take comfort instead, in minimizing and belittling Catholicism. When the LDS house of cards collapses, we will welcome you with waiting arms.

Christ’s peace.

 

[why_me]

I I am not sure that I can help but it seem that he got scared by the wording outer darkness. I would start by reminding him that since LDS teaching are FALSE it matters not that they say he will be in outer darkness.

In mormon theology, outer darkness or being a son of perdition is actually a place reserved for mormons who had absolute confirmation of the gospel. This would place most mormons out of the box but the General Authorities would be candidates if they denied the holy ghost and left the lds church. The mormon hell is quite empty of people.

However, to die with a mortal sin on the soul would place the individual in hell according to catholic doctrine. How does this equate with a loving god?

 

[why_me]

Yes, remind him of God’s love. He is still believing that he has to earn God’s love. He doesn’t.

And what about commiting a mortal sin and to die unrepentant with that sin on the soul? I do believe that the person will be in hell. Where is the loving god? And let us not forget purgatory. It is not exactly a wonderful place.

 

[why_me]

They mock only the leading of a demon. Christ taught nothing in the BoM.

Christ’s peace.

Actually he did. At least he appears in the book of mormon and gives the message to the Nephites.

 

[po18guy]

Actually he did. At least he appears in the book of mormon and gives the message to the Nephites.

Yet again, you must believe one, single man, with a very checkered history, constantly changing theology, and a predilection for young, and multiple sexual partners. And, yet again, there is no historical, literary, or physical evidence of any such BoM civilizations, or of anything else in the BoM. You are expected to basically place your eternal soul at risk for the contents of a novel. A very interesting novel, but a novel nevertheless.

There is overwhelming evidence of persons, places and writings in the holy land. That is the Lord’s very nature, since He created all matter. Notice that God uses multiple prophets, over many centuries, to announce His word. Christ is the final revelation of God’s Kingdom. Christ warned us, as did the Apostles, that many false prophets would follow. I don’t know how else to put it.

 

[oneGODoneCHURCH]

In mormon theology, outer darkness or being a son of perdition is actually a place reserved for mormons who had absolute confirmation of the gospel. This would place most mormons out of the box but the General Authorities would be candidates if they denied the holy ghost and left the lds church. The mormon hell is quite empty of people.

However, to die with a mortal sin on the soul would place the individual in hell according to catholic doctrine. How does this equate with a loving god?

It really does not matter what their concept is since its a false religion and false teachings. the person not need to worry about their false punishment.