Inter-faith dating. LDS + Catholic = HELP!

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OctobersOwn

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Backstory (maybe too much)

I’ve been dating an amazing LDS (Mormon) girl for about 6 months. We’re both very faithful people, believe and try to follow Christ, love serving people, reading Scripture, praying, attending Mass together. We both plan to go to law school and to spend our careers advocating for the dignity of every human person. We’re both applying for Americorps next year and will hopefully be serving in the same city. We love each other and everything points to us possibly marrying someday and starting a family.

I just don’t see how that’s possible with her remaining LDS.

I was raised Catholic, but didn’t really live it out or truly believe in the Eucharist, the Mass, the Body of Christ until college. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with it. Mass is the high point, Adoration is something I try to do weekly, Confession is pure healing. I’m super thankful for the Saints, for writers like Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton, for the Pope’s teachings, ETC. I could go on forever. Basically → I’m happy to be Catholic.

She converted when was 19, mainly to escape her family’s Church that was similar to the Westboro Baptist Church, I.E. everyone is going to hell. She thought 'hey, my Mormon friends are pretty good people, why not join them and escape to BYU. She had a great experience there, and received a great education. She is VERY liberal for a Mormon. She disagrees with many of its teachings, and being a convert, doesn’t even know fully about their doctrines. She considers herself a Christian. However, like most LDS, she doesn’t know the true history of the Mormon Church.

I’ve tried my best to not be “preachy” or antagonistic or unkind. I’ve often failed, and grew upset when we talked about our different beliefs. Things like the ‘Great Apostasy’, the alternate history of the Americas being populated by Levites (I’m a history major…), the Adam being God doctrine, their continued Revelation…all of this has worn on my heart. However, she has been extremely patient. She really appreciates the Catholic Church, attends Mass with me, and just started going to a class at the church across her street to learn more about Catholicism. I don’t know if she is just curious.

But here’s my question. I recently found this Youtube series about a former LDS CES Director, who has this 2 hour series exposing the truths of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and systematically showing how the Mormon church is built on lies, deception, and indoctrination. youtube.com/watch?v=gKt7ozdKeBk&list=PLF3ED7CC148FBDD58

I want her to see this. I want her to know the truth, because I doubt she’s heard ANY of this from missionaries, or professors at BYU. It’s all been whitewashed, which is their speciality.

Do you think I should show her this?
 
OctobersOwn said:
Backstory (maybe too much)

I’ve been dating an amazing LDS (Mormon) girl for about 6 months. We’re both very faithful people, believe and try to follow Christ, love serving people, reading Scripture, praying, attending Mass together. We both plan to go to law school and to spend our careers advocating for the dignity of every human person. We’re both applying for Americorps next year and will hopefully be serving in the same city. We love each other and everything points to us possibly marrying someday and starting a family.

I just don’t see how that’s possible with her remaining LDS.

I was raised Catholic, but didn’t really live it out or truly believe in the Eucharist, the Mass, the Body of Christ until college. Since then, I’ve fallen in love with it. Mass is the high point, Adoration is something I try to do weekly, Confession is pure healing. I’m super thankful for the Saints, for writers like Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton, for the Pope’s teachings, ETC. I could go on forever. Basically → I’m happy to be Catholic.

She converted when was 19, mainly to escape her family’s Church that was similar to the Westboro Baptist Church, I.E. everyone is going to hell. She thought 'hey, my Mormon friends are pretty good people, why not join them and escape to BYU. She had a great experience there, and received a great education. She is VERY liberal for a Mormon. She disagrees with many of its teachings, and being a convert, doesn’t even know fully about their doctrines. She considers herself a Christian. However, like most LDS, she doesn’t know the true history of the Mormon Church.

I’ve tried my best to not be “preachy” or antagonistic or unkind. I’ve often failed, and grew upset when we talked about our different beliefs. Things like the ‘Great Apostasy’, the alternate history of the Americas being populated by Levites (I’m a history major…), the Adam being God doctrine, their continued Revelation…all of this has worn on my heart. However, she has been extremely patient. She really appreciates the Catholic Church, attends Mass with me, and just started going to a class at the church across her street to learn more about Catholicism. I don’t know if she is just curious.

But here’s my question. I recently found this Youtube series about a former LDS CES Director, who has this 2 hour series exposing the truths of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and systematically showing how the Mormon church is built on lies, deception, and indoctrination. youtube.com/watch?v=gKt7ozdKeBk&list=PLF3ED7CC148FBDD58

I want her to see this. I want her to know the truth, because I doubt she’s heard ANY of this from missionaries, or professors at BYU. It’s all been whitewashed, which is their speciality.

Do you think I should show her this?
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My approach would be to expose her to the truth of the Catholic Church. It seems that she is not adverse to going to Mass. What a great place to start. Tell her that you would like to delve deeper into your own faith and invite her to come along on a search for truth. How about a Catholic Bible study lead by a competent Catholic, hopefully a priest or deacon. There are amazing resources out there as well. The series entitled “Catholicism” by Fr. Barron is excellent because he keeps you glued to the screen and shows the beauty and history of the Catholic Church. He has a series on “Conversion” as well. There is a treasury of Catholic writing. Have her take a look at the writings of the early Church fathers, some who were contemporaries of the Apostles.

I will just tell you that my son married a Mormon woman and I was very disturbed at what the outcome might be. I thought the worst thing I could do would be to offend her and turn her away by pointing out the flaws in her religion. She finally approached me and asked if she could ask some questions about our faith. Of course, I was more than happy to engage in that discussion. It made sense to her. She agreed to be married in the Catholic Church and was absolutely knocked out by the Mass, as were most of her LDS relatives. Without my son even knowing, she joined RCIA and came into the Catholic Church last Easter vigil. So never lose hope.
 
I would also suggest focusing on the Catholic church, instead of telling her she is wrong.
 
I would not show it to her, now. It sounds like you are on the right track by just living your faith and having her attend Mass with you is a huge deal. She sounds like a smart girl and sooner or later she will figure out what the Morman Church is really all about and that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church. I would stay away from discussing your differences, she feels obliged to defend Mormanism (whether she believes it or not, it’s the pre-lawyer in her coming out) and it doesn’t sound like you have done a good job changing her mind anyway. Encourge her to continue with the Catholic classes and see where the Holy Spirit leads you!
 
tarboy said:
I would also suggest focusing on the Catholic church, instead of telling her she is wrong.
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I would ask a lot of questions about early history.

I don’t think I would get married unless she had an actual conversion to Jesus Christ and got baptized its hard enough for me I’m married to a baptist
 
Remember no matter how much an lds tells you they are christain they are not monotheist they are about as far away from the gospel as Islam
 
I think if you are nearing the point of marriage then you have to be very clear in your own mind what you would want for your family. I also think that your girlfriend should be aware that your furure and that of your future family would be in your faith. Compromise isn’t a good thing to foster if you are serius about your faith. Like the other posters it is great that she goes to Mass with you, but mormonism is hard to unthink. When the time is right www.Mormonthink.org is an excellent mormon run site that deals with just about all of its fals doctrines.
 
My husband was Catholic and I was LDS when we were married.

IF (and only if) you are strong in your faith and ready to do some apologetics, I would suggest a swap- you take the missionary discussions while she attends RCIA so you can learn about each other’s faith. Take her to Mass. And PRAY for her.

I’m not saying that you should totally write her off because she’s LDS- I am SO thankful my husband stuck in there with me- but being different faiths caused a lot of issues for us, especially when kids came along. It caused a very big rift for our first 3 years of marriage.

I’ll be praying for you and especially for her.
 
SteveVH said:
My approach would be to expose her to the truth of the Catholic Church. It seems that she is not adverse to going to Mass. What a great place to start. Tell her that you would like to delve deeper into your own faith and invite her to come along on a search for truth. How about a Catholic Bible study lead by a competent Catholic, hopefully a priest or deacon. There are amazing resources out there as well. The series entitled “Catholicism” by Fr. Barron is excellent because he keeps you glued to the screen and shows the beauty and history of the Catholic Church. He has a series on “Conversion” as well. There is a treasury of Catholic writing. Have her take a look at the writings of the early Church fathers, some who were contemporaries of the Apostles.

I will just tell you that my son married a Mormon woman and I was very disturbed at what the outcome might be. I thought the worst thing I could do would be to offend her and turn her away by pointing out the flaws in her religion. She finally approached me and asked if she could ask some questions about our faith. Of course, I was more than happy to engage in that discussion. It made sense to her. She agreed to be married in the Catholic Church and was absolutely knocked out by the Mass, as were most of her LDS relatives. Without my son even knowing, she joined RCIA and came into the Catholic Church last Easter vigil. So never lose hope.
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve VH for the Catholicism reference , have found Father Barron’s website and down loaded his book onto my kindle
 
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