M
Melvin
Guest
I was just received into the Church at Easter Vigil. I am middle age, and had lived an immoral life even though I had been involved in different Christian churches off and on since my late teens. I knew that the only possibility for me to reach Heaven was if I could avail myself fully of the Sacraments…and I thank the Holy Spirit for drawing me to His Church in His mercy…
My sister has also been in various Chrsitian churches (beginning with charismatic and lastly WELS Lutheran) over the years. She has for many years lived a “good” life, and to tell the truth at one time I believed that she was one of the most Christian and saintly people I have ever known.
But about the time the Lord began leading me to the Church, she began to head toward Mormonism. I thought it was a recent thing but apparently the seeds had been planted by a former boyfriend many years ago, and the mistreatment that she had received at the hands of Christians over the years had not helped.
Since she was baptized into the Mormon faith she has been a fervent proselytizer. We live together (primarily because she is helping me through very difficult financial times of my own making) and we have had several heated arguments concerning the issue, some of them because I was not very considerate in my behavior.
We certainly love one another, but the problem is that since she became Mormon she has also led her 16 year old daughter, my niece into the Mormon faith; proselytizes another niece who is twelve, and a fifteen year old young man whom my sister and her husband took in to try to help him out of some very difficult circumstances.
I have tried to explain to my sister that her faith is false, in so many words. She will not listen. She says that she has read all the arguments against the Mormon faith and studied them and that those arguments are not true. She discounts anything I try to tell her as propaganda. At one point she flatly told me that as long as I live in her house I am not to speak to anyone else in the house about the Mormon faith. Things have smoothed over since then, however.
I no longer argue with her but just wait for her to open the subject in conversation. She has been very communicative regarding the death of the Holy Father, and talks about what a great man he is. My brother in law is not Mormon, but does not really seem to hold to the Christian faith, either. He largely watches an (unnamed) televangelist who believes that Elijah saw God in a UFO!
However, now the young man who lives with us is preparing for Mormon baptism. The missionaries are here as I write. I feel both powerless to intervene and yet responsible to try do something, not only for his sake but my sister’s and nieces’ sakes as well.
I have dowloaded and printed the article in L’Observatore Romano (sorry if that is misspelled) concerning the finding by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Holy Father that Mormon baptism is not Christian, and wonder if I should present the finding along with the article to her without editorial comment. Since the article lists references in the Mormon scriptures and the Encyclopedia of Mormonism she can check them for herself. However, I really don’t know if that is the right thing to do. I want to make sure that if I do, I can present it in love such that she will neither feel condemned nor that I am placing myself above her.
Finally, I have a hard time being civil when the “missionaries” come over to the house, and have been downright rude at times. I am trying to change that but it is difficult when I feel that they bring not life, but death to those I love. Yet I know that they are also deceived. I have even gone to confession to ask forgiveness for my anger.
Sorry for the long post, but any help and suggestions would be appreciated.
The Lord be With You, and Thank You.
My sister has also been in various Chrsitian churches (beginning with charismatic and lastly WELS Lutheran) over the years. She has for many years lived a “good” life, and to tell the truth at one time I believed that she was one of the most Christian and saintly people I have ever known.
But about the time the Lord began leading me to the Church, she began to head toward Mormonism. I thought it was a recent thing but apparently the seeds had been planted by a former boyfriend many years ago, and the mistreatment that she had received at the hands of Christians over the years had not helped.
Since she was baptized into the Mormon faith she has been a fervent proselytizer. We live together (primarily because she is helping me through very difficult financial times of my own making) and we have had several heated arguments concerning the issue, some of them because I was not very considerate in my behavior.
We certainly love one another, but the problem is that since she became Mormon she has also led her 16 year old daughter, my niece into the Mormon faith; proselytizes another niece who is twelve, and a fifteen year old young man whom my sister and her husband took in to try to help him out of some very difficult circumstances.
I have tried to explain to my sister that her faith is false, in so many words. She will not listen. She says that she has read all the arguments against the Mormon faith and studied them and that those arguments are not true. She discounts anything I try to tell her as propaganda. At one point she flatly told me that as long as I live in her house I am not to speak to anyone else in the house about the Mormon faith. Things have smoothed over since then, however.
I no longer argue with her but just wait for her to open the subject in conversation. She has been very communicative regarding the death of the Holy Father, and talks about what a great man he is. My brother in law is not Mormon, but does not really seem to hold to the Christian faith, either. He largely watches an (unnamed) televangelist who believes that Elijah saw God in a UFO!
However, now the young man who lives with us is preparing for Mormon baptism. The missionaries are here as I write. I feel both powerless to intervene and yet responsible to try do something, not only for his sake but my sister’s and nieces’ sakes as well.
I have dowloaded and printed the article in L’Observatore Romano (sorry if that is misspelled) concerning the finding by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Holy Father that Mormon baptism is not Christian, and wonder if I should present the finding along with the article to her without editorial comment. Since the article lists references in the Mormon scriptures and the Encyclopedia of Mormonism she can check them for herself. However, I really don’t know if that is the right thing to do. I want to make sure that if I do, I can present it in love such that she will neither feel condemned nor that I am placing myself above her.
Finally, I have a hard time being civil when the “missionaries” come over to the house, and have been downright rude at times. I am trying to change that but it is difficult when I feel that they bring not life, but death to those I love. Yet I know that they are also deceived. I have even gone to confession to ask forgiveness for my anger.
Sorry for the long post, but any help and suggestions would be appreciated.
The Lord be With You, and Thank You.