I'm surounded by Mormons!

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scapularkid8

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In my city there are MANY Mormons, especially at my school. Does anyone have any suggestions or online apologetics I could read on how to keep my faith alive in such a Mormon setting? (It’s a little funny how there’s a Mormon church right across the street from my church!)
 
It’s not that I’m trying too convert them, but they’re trying to convert me, and it seems as if they’ve all memorized the Bible backwards and fowards!! I feel so spiritually exhausted right now. My soul is weary and they’re beating me down just by their daily way of life. They seem so much more “Christian” than I and it makes me question my faith. HELP!!!
 
Wow. Do you have a strong group of friends who are devout Catholics?

I definitely would make a bad hermit. I need my Catholic friends to help me be a better Catholic. In fact, I try to have friends who are better Catholics than I am. I think I have them fooled. 😃
 
There are only a few other Catholics at my school and they’re not really that “Catholic”. At least they don’t act it! It seems like I’m on a little piece of wood in a sea of salt water that’s sitnging all of my spiritual wounds. I’m drowning. Sometimes I just want to cry. I try to pray the Rosary as much as possible, but sometimes when I do I just think “Am I wrong? Is there some other religion that’s getting something from God that I’m not?” Oh Jeez…
 
Have you checked out the archieves at the Cathoilc Answers radio show? I think they’ve had a few good programs on about Mormonism. They might help you see that you know more than you think you do and give you more confidence in your own faith
 
Bless your heart… my thoughts and prayers are with you!

Have you talked with your parents, priest, or other trusted Catholic adults about your situation? I’m sure they would understand and could maybe give you some good advice and support.

I’ve only ever had a couple encounters with Mormons… the do seem to act like very genuine Christians, but I would hardly consider them so, based on the little I’ve gleaned about their beliefs (admittedly not much). I’m sure this Web site has lots of valuable information.

Hang in there and stay true to yourself and your beliefs!
 
If you are the type of person who has an intellectual approach to faith, my suggestion would be to learn as much as you can about the LDS faith and deepen your knowledge about the Catholic faith. Emotion and feelings are part of religious experience, but they should not be what carry you or convince you that you are right.

When the Catholic faith and the LDS faith are compared side-by-side there is no question that the Catholic faith has greater internal and historical consistency. The LDS Church has changed many doctrines over the years, not disciplinary rules but actual doctrines dealing with the nature of God, sin, man, and other very fundamental teachings.

When I was in high school, I was, for a time, very attracted to the LDS faith. I plunged myself into the study of it. The more I learned about it, the more certain I became that it could not be true. Mormons gain converts by focusing on those who have some religious background (mainly lukewarm or lapsed Baptists and Catholics) but little knowledge of their own faith or the Mormon faith. Many of these people are drawn into the LDS Church by an attraction to their strong sense of community, family, and admiration for those who are recruiting them. People who say they converted through study or an intellectual, reasoned approach are few and far between.

After my intense study of the LDS faith, I actually taught some classes on it in some Baptist churches (I was Baptist at the time), and I would be happy to assist you in your study. Just email me with any questions you have, and I’ll help you get the answers to them.
 
There are three books I can think of on Mormonism; and for the life of me the names escape me at the moment.

One is written by two evangelical Crhistians (and although they take a few pot shots at the Catholics along the way) is fairly straight forward.

The second is by Isaiah Bennet; a former Catholic priest who subsequently became Mormon, then came back to the Catholic Church.

The third one is a fairly short book by a Catholic priest who was raised Mormon, converted, became a priest, and subsequently wrote a book with a side by side comparison of major points between the two in support of the Catholic Church.

Isaiah Bennnet took a shot at the third author, something about being a “post Vatican 2 Catholic”. I guess my thought was that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

A couple of other thoughts; get a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and then read it. You might also get a copy of the book “Shorter Christian Prayer” which is an easy to use version of the Liturgy of the Hours; it is wonderful to pray the Psalms.

Also, don’t get yourself sucked into apologetics or conversion games wtih the LDS’ers. You sound as if you are not comfortable defending your faith. Therefore, the wiser part is to stay out of the conversations; a simple polite comment that you are Catholic, and you respect their beliefs but don’t want to get into a conversation about it should suffice; if it doesn’t, repeat the comment until they get the point.
 
This is such a great thread because you can substitute many nouns in this statement. I’m surrounded by people who think faith should be kept in the church where it belongs! I am surrounded by people who approve of abortion! The list is endless it seems. I was infront of Jesus in the Eucharist when it occurred to me that Jesus was surrounded by an entire population who were not Christians. Our Lord was crucified between two criminals. So, if we are united to our Lord, Who is perfect goodness, then we can be assured that no matter who is on our right or left that we can maintain our goodness through Him. I know that I am a misserable sinner, but it is possible through the Lord for me to be a Holy person; in any situation and in any crowd of non-Christian people.
 
QUOTE]I feel so spiritually exhausted right now. My soul is weary and they’re beating me down just by their daily way of life. They seem so much more “Christian” than I and it makes me question my faith. HELP!!!

I will pray for you. Is there anything in particular that you have difficulty with (defending) or aren’t sure about? Is there something hard for you to believe about Catholicism? Please let us know. In all things tell Jesus that you trust in Him but that you ask always for your trust and faith to grow. Trust that God’s grace is sufficient.

😉 – John
p.s. there are many Mormons at my school too!
 
I think the key phrase in Scapularkid’s post is that his Catholic schoolmates are “not all that Catholic.” It’s a cultural reality that Catholic youth do not find strong faith-and-discipline-based fellowship in any the degree the Mormons have it. Ultimately I hope Scapularkid can maintain his intellectual resistance. The essence of Mormonism is the circumstances of its 19th century founding and the Book of Mormon. Though I can admire the Mormons for what they have accomplished and don’t think them evil, their religion is based on an extended fraud perpetrated by Joseph Smith and abetted by the other early Mormon elders. Their basic teachings should make no sense to anyone who has grown up in another tradition, and while I would not tell them that to their face, I would say, “I’'m sorry, I just can’t accept the intellectual basis for what you believe.” It is a pity they are so persistent in their proselytizing. From their point of view, they are saving souls. From a point of view of polite society, they are being rude when they persist.
 
If you’re being ganged up on you could just tell them to ‘get lost’ instead of constantly defending yourself or trying to change their minds. You can’t be on the defense all day long all the time. :cool:
 
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