Former Mormon Converts?

[truthseeker32]

Hi, another LDS-to-Catholic convert here
I was raised LDS, was pretty darn “good” at being LDS, was the beehive/mia maid/laurel president, was on the Stake Youth Council, took family names to the temple regularly, etc etc etc.
I ended up marrying a Catholic (there wasn’t a great selection of worthy LDS guys in my single’s ward, and my future husband’s spirituality hooked me), and spent the first 4 years of our marriage debating religion with him. Eventually, he took the missionary discussions and I went to RCIA in an attempt to understand each other’s religions better, and I truly fell in love with the Catholic Church. Even after I had made my decision, I had to kind of think of it as joining the Catholic Church, not leaving the LDS church. Leaving the safety net of the religion I had grown up with was extremely difficult, but SO rewarding. I believe being raised in the LDS church, where I had countless spiritual experiences, actually “primed” me for Catholicism in the sense that I knew the Holy Spirit was leading me to the Church, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it’s promptings.

You may have heard this around the forums before, but I’ll reiterate it… Although, like I said, I’d had a lot of spiritual experiences growing up in the LDS church, they were absolutely nothing compared to the experiences I’ve had in the Catholic Church; it’s like comparing a cube of tofu to a perfectly done filet mignon. I never discount the spiritual experiences that people of other faiths have, but from personal experience I can promise you that the Catholic Church will knock your socks off.

I was baptized a little over a year ago now, and I still revel EVERY DAY in the beauty (and genius, as Matthew Kelly would say) of the Catholic Church. Being LDS wasn’t horrible, but being Catholic fulfills me like Mormonism never could. I truly feel like I was a spiritual cripple made whole by becoming a part of Christ’s Church. I could go on and on, but I’ll spare you

Thank you for your post. I had to chuckle though, being one of those rare people who prefers tofu to filet mignon

 

[CleverUserName]

I was baptized Catholic as an infant, but never catechized. (long story) Growing up, bouncing from faith tradition to faith tradition searching for what seemed “right”, I always held onto my Catholic baptism. At the time, I didn’t know why, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

Eventually, I got myself into an RCIA program. I thought to myself, I’ve tried everything else, why not the Catholic Church. Lo and behold, it was truly a “coming home” experience. Even though it was a new home for me.

I have been in full communion with the Catholic Church for almost 20 yrs now, and have been involved with our RCIA program the entire time. They have been foolish enough to let me run the program for the last 10.

I am confused… you list yourself as “Catholic and Protestant”, but you are Catholic and teaching RCIA?

 

[CleverUserName]

I was a cradle Mormon; I left when I was 15 or 16. I was an agnostic/pantheist/unaffiliated-sort-of-pagan for many years. I converted to Anglicanism a few years ago, and leaned towards Catholicism but was frustrated by the liturgical chaos and liberal/modernist heresy I encountered. Several months ago I discovered that the church I belonged to was confused about contraception, claiming that even abortifacient contraception was morally ok; and I couldn’t in good conscience receive Communion there anymore. I knew I had to either become Roman Catholic or Orthodox, and I was in RCIA very shortly after that. I believe that the Catholic Church has an immune system against the crazy and evil trends of the world, in a way that other churches, as far as I can see, don’t.

I probably still have Mormon baggage, but not as much as I did when I was younger. The claims about the Church supposedly apostasizing, either right after the death of the last Apostle, or in the time of Constantine (Mormons seem to flip-flop as to when it actually occurred) don’t hold up to history or scripture. Jesus said “I will be with you til the end of the age,” not "I will be with you for about 70 to 300 years and then remove the Sacraments from the Earth for almost two millenia, because I can’t figure out a way of transmitting grace that can transcend the sinfulness of individual Church leaders, but I have a backup plan that involves starting a new Church from scratch in the last days…"

One good thing about Mormonism is that I grew up reading the King James Bible; so when I learned many years later about Trinitarian, Apostolic Christianity, passages I remember reading when I was young became much clearer. So, in spite of itself, Mormonism helped me to become a Trinitarian Christian!

Loved your post!!!

 

[catholic-rcia]

Rich, I think we have met before at the RCIA meetings at STA.

I am sure I would remember you. I have moved back home to Northern California.

Let me give you this writing. If you were with me, then you will remember her…
She has helped so many regarding Christ. Along with Richard.
http://utahmission.com/Here-I-am.html
This is also one of my favorite writings below

utahmission.com/Why-Suffering.html

 

[truthseeker32]

I am sure I would remember you. I have moved back home to Northern California.

Let me give you this writing. If you were with me, then you will remember her…
She has helped so many regarding Christ. Along with Richard.
http://utahmission.com/Here-I-am.html
This is also one of my favorite writings below

utahmission.com/Why-Suffering.html

Thank you for those readings, Rich. I am sorry to hear you have left. I enjoyed what you had to say in RCIA meetings. I was a tall, dark haired college student who came irregularly. I don;t know how many of those you encountered.

 

[SpeSalvi]

I like what you have said here. I had a similar experience. I was spiritual before I knew anything about the Catholic Church. What I had was bits of spiritual truths scattered all about my life. The Catholic Church helped me connect all of the pieces, all of the dots into an image of Christ’s life. It helped light up Christmas and Easter and everything in between in ways I would have never known or understood the way I do now. This faith has made me whole, although still a sinner in transition…I have been forgiven. Two words that stand out for me is authentic and miraculous…very much real!
Here is a bit of my own journey
utahmission.com/Forgive.html

Amen! I think you hit the nail on the head- “This faith has made me whole”. I couldn’t agree more

 

[catholic-rcia]

Thank you for those readings, Rich. I am sorry to hear you have left. I enjoyed what you had to say in RCIA meetings. I was a tall, dark haired college student who came irregularly. I don;t know how many of those you encountered.

All of them!
Get back.

I was baptized up at the old Church by the Campus in 99. My wife told me “if we are going to move to Utah I want you to learn about my faith” She new about my Mormon back ground and was a bit worried. I just wanted to get there so I could start a new job that was going to pay a lot. Looking back I I made a deal with my selfish side. I just wanted a change so I said “yes…of course” nothing to do with God, yet everything to do with Him. He knows… we usually don’t have a clue!

Everything changed when I walked through those doors for the first time. It was an epiphany and then another and another. Evil in the Catholic Church like I was told? Yes…Judas turned him in for a few coins…epiphany. Look in the mirror…epiphany. Not a Church of Saints, rather a hospital for sinners…epiphany. The Holy family alive and doing very well…epiphany. Easter…the real thing…epiphany. Most of all that I am loved so much and forgiven. Have not missed a Sunday Mass since. Actually love going…go figure. Now if the 49’ers football games could not be pre recorded that would be another story.

I remember you. One of the hardest parts about being part of the RCIA is when one comes and then does not return. You feel sad, you start to fall into the sin of thinking you are that important. You remind yourself that its Gods painting…not yours. You surrender those things to Him, pray that one like you keeps up the search in good faith. Like most others you feel like if they would have only kept coming back they would have seen the bigger picture. But don’t all of those of faith, different sects feel the same? Of course they do. But in the Catholic faith it does go even deeper, and deeper and deeper. Why? It’s that real, back to authentic.

I hope you well and would love to keep tract of your journey. I am not ready to get involved with the RCIA here in California. It was such a huge part of my own journey up there in Logan. Kinda going through a mourning process of not being there. Especially to see Richard Baptized. Again just a matter of getting over myself. That’s what are faith offers.

P,S
The job we went to Logan for never panned out.
Nothing to do with God, yet everything to do with Him. He knows… we usually don’t have a clue!

Anytime
utahmission@aol.com

 

[truthseeker32]

For those of you who are formerly LDS or other: Why did you choose Roman Catholicism over Eastern Orthodoxy?

 

[RebeccaJ]

For those of you who are formerly LDS or other: Why did you choose Roman Catholicism over Eastern Orthodoxy?

For myself, it’s cultural. EO seems to be more culturally centered. I’m not Greek or Lebanese (the two non-Latin churches I know of in my area).

I recently met a man who was catechized by an EO priest. Interesting enough, he expressed the same reasons for being baptized in the RCC, rather than in the EO church in which he was catechized.

There is at times heavy debate in these forums between Latin and Eastern Catholics. Frankly, coming from a Mormon background, the differences that people get heated up over seem a minor absurdity to me. If you compare Mormonism to either one, either one is Christ’s Church.

 

[twopekinguys]

I am confused… you list yourself as “Catholic and Protestant”, but you are Catholic and teaching RCIA?

It’s explained in our profile. There are two of us using the same screen name.

My protestant friend(who also posts using this name) is very in line with Catholic teachings and worship, but is unable to make the swim for a multitude of reasons.

 

[xixxvmcm85]

For those of you who are formerly LDS or other: Why did you choose Roman Catholicism over Eastern Orthodoxy?

Generally speaking, it was the lack of historical continuity which disabused me of my LDS testimony. The Book of Mormon peoples never existed, there was no temple endowment in the first century anywhere in Christendom, etc. It’s understandable then why I became enamored of Apostolic Christianity over Protestantism. It’s quite easy reading enough history to find that the earliest of Christians believed in the real presence, followed the episcopacy, venerated relics, believed in the communion of saints, among many other Catholicky beliefs and practices, but that doesn’t do much in discerning between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Until this point, I had taken a purely scholastic method in my conversion, mostly because I was adamant about not letting emotionalism affect my reason. I didn’t want a testimony of the Catholic Church, I wanted objective facts that she is what she claims to be. Instead of getting bogged down by all the little nuanced differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism (read: the Filioque, purgatory, etc.), I figured it all eventually boils back down to the Pope. The buck has to stop somewhere, so where does it stop? The Pope or a College of Bishops? Eventually I came to realize that the only way I could answer this question to the degree of academic certainty I had desired was to go to graduate school and get a PhD in history, which of course just isn’t practical.

I finally came to the point where I had to take a leap of faith, and I chose Rome simply because “First among equals” makes no practical sense unless that “Primacy of Honor” includes a meaningful Primacy of Jurisdiction. Patriarchs are still humans and theoretically capable of quarreling with one another, so if that were to happen how could the integrity of the Church be kept intact if ONE Patriarch was nothing more than a figurehead and had no meaningful power in adjudicating the issue?

 

[Marie5890]

For those of you who are formerly LDS or other: Why did you choose Roman Catholicism over Eastern Orthodoxy?

It’s my ancestral heritage (Polish & Italian) and I was baptized Roman Catholic as a baby.

But to be honest I find myself more drawn in many ways to Eastern Orthodoxy or Eastern Catholic spirituality than I do Latin.

Roman Catholicism seems to cluttered and bogged down sometimes in it’s little “t” traditions and also the need to define just about everything. And I dont say that critically but more descriptively.

The Eastern traditions are more comfortable and at home living the Mystery and not so much needing to define it and understand it.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Generally speaking, it was the lack of historical continuity which disabused me of my LDS testimony. The Book of Mormon peoples never existed, there was no temple endowment in the first century anywhere in Christendom, etc. It’s understandable then why I became enamored of Apostolic Christianity over Protestantism. It’s quite easy reading enough history to find that the earliest of Christians believed in the real presence, followed the episcopacy, venerated relics, believed in the communion of saints, among many other Catholicky beliefs and practices, but that doesn’t do much in discerning between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

Until this point, I had taken a purely scholastic method in my conversion, mostly because I was adamant about not letting emotionalism affect my reason. I didn’t want a testimony of the Catholic Church, I wanted objective facts that she is what she claims to be. Instead of getting bogged down by all the little nuanced differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism (read: the Filioque, purgatory, etc.), I figured it all eventually boils back down to the Pope. The buck has to stop somewhere, so where does it stop? The Pope or a College of Bishops? Eventually I came to realize that the only way I could answer this question to the degree of academic certainty I had desired was to go to graduate school and get a PhD in history, which of course just isn’t practical.

I finally came to the point where I had to take a leap of faith, and I chose Rome simply because “First among equals” makes no practical sense unless that “Primacy of Honor” includes a meaningful Primacy of Jurisdiction. Patriarchs are still humans and theoretically capable of quarreling with one another, so if that were to happen how could the integrity of the Church be kept intact if ONE Patriarch was nothing more than a figurehead and had no meaningful power in adjudicating the issue?

I think it also has little meaning to laity, in the sense of a practical application. East or West, the faithful are under the jurisdiction of their Bishop/Patriarch, and they are in union with each other (in their respective “college of Bishops”).

 

[xixxvmcm85]

There’s also a tract I read on Catholic Answers a long time ago which quite eloquently argued that the Orthodox position on the infallibility of the Church is inherently circular, and thus logically fallacious. I’m having trouble finding it, now though