Is it okay to pray with my Mormon wife?

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I pray with my Mormon wife and family. It does not help them get closer to Catholicism if I reject them. Cardinal George spoke at BYU. They always have a prayer before their devotionals. I’m sure he participated.
 
I pray with my Mormon wife and family. It does not help them get closer to Catholicism if I reject them. Cardinal George spoke at BYU. They always have a prayer before their devotionals. I’mean sure he participated.
He led the entire audience in praying Our Father.
 
So I’ve been back in the Church from Mormonism (left the Church for Mormonism 28 years ago) for a little over a month. I did significant studying/catechesis/etc before I came back.

Prior to leaving the Church (28 years ago) I actually had a pretty significant level of theological understanding of Catholic theology, but a woefully insignificant personal maturity, coupled with a Bipolar Illness of over 30 years in duration (I am, of course, Bipolar to this day and take significant doses of mood stabilizers).

All this being said, since coming Home I have really struggled with the fact that my wife is a Mormon. I have definitely concluded that Mormons are NOT Christians, and in fact lie more along the lines of Polytheists/Henothists.

Long and short of this.

I really feel uncomfortable praying with her as we really don’t worship the same God or the same Christ.

I admit that I haven’t shown her respect, such as observing silence when she prays,

I just don’t know what approach to take.

Oh yes - our children are pretty much grown, but - get this - my son is on a Mormon mission even as I write.

Crikes.
My husband is atheist, so there is no us praying together, ever. Is that better than praying with someone who isn’t Catholic? Not a rhetorical question, and not a question I have an answer to. Just throwing it in.
 
(He hasnt been around for a while it seems, and by previous posts he has made and elaborated on himself, there are some health issues that do come into play and doubt add to the dynamics of their marriage. I wish and pray for nothing but the best for them…)
 
Pray for your wife but not with her. Only pray with those who worship the same God. This means only other Christians, since only Christians pray to the Trinity. The gods of other religions - Islam, Mormon - are idols.
But there’s only one God so when anyone prays, they’re addressing Him, even if they don’t know it. I don’t see why God becomes a mere idol just because someone has a different opinion about His specific traits.
 
My husband is atheist, so there is no us praying together, ever. Is that better than praying with someone who isn’t Catholic? Not a rhetorical question, and not a question I have an answer to. Just throwing it in.
Every situation is different. As Paul has pointed out, respect is the key. If he thinks prayer is a waste of time, don’t try to force him to pray. Instead, pray for him.
 
My husband is atheist, so there is no us praying together, ever. Is that better than praying with someone who isn’t Catholic? Not a rhetorical question, and not a question I have an answer to. Just throwing it in.
RebeccaJ,

I know many have read and listened to your CAF posts. You are one 👍 Catholic.

God is listening to your prayers as well for your husband.

It’s only a matter of time…

Does your husband attend church with you?
 
RebeccaJ,

I know many have read and listened to your CAF posts. You are one 👍 Catholic.

God is listening to your prayers as well for your husband.

It’s only a matter of time…

Does your husband attend church with you?
Thanks. I know God hears my prayers, but I concluded some time ago , based on events and conversations that I’m not going to share 🙂 that my husband will always be an atheist. While it is a nice thought to think otherwise, it isn’t a thought that is grounded in reality. There is a difference between prayer and wishful thinking.

He goes to Mass with me once a year, on Christmas Eve.
 
While it is a nice thought to think otherwise, it isn’t a thought that is grounded in reality. There is a difference between prayer and wishful thinking.
Anyone whose crosses your path in their RCIA journey is truly blessed, Rebecca.

Not only are you a woman of faith, you are also grounded in reality. That is so needed for so many as they walk their personal journeys of faith…
 
I was wondering Kendra if your heart was moving you toward Catholicism. I left the Mormon Church almost 30 years ago. I was born and raised Mormon. When I was a child the Mormon Church was pretty much my life between Sunday meetings and all of the other activities. I guess I was probably naive, but I did believe that Mormonism was the one true church. When I was in my thirties I started to hear troubling things about the church. Ironically the things I learned came from some TBM’s. We didn’t have the internet then so I checked out dozens of library books and determined that most of the things I had heard were probably true. My wife also came to the same conclusion. I was through with religion for the next 25 years. Then on a Saturday evening six years ago I walked into the only Catholic Church in my town. I didn’t realize it then, but the Holy Spirit was pushing me towards baptism. I fell in love with the Lord and the Church and entered the Church 21/2 years ago. At the time I became interested in Catholicism, my wife became interested in Mormonism again and now is completely active in the Mormon church. Now we are divided because I know the truth about Joseph Smith and Mormonism and she has a real bias toward Catholics. Way back when I grew up Mormon I remember hearing all of the time about “the evil Catholics.” Even though I’m pretty sure she still knows all about the troubling history of early Mormonism and the supposed prophet Smith, she doesn’t care to hear about anything Catholic. Anyway it has caused a real schism in our marriage. I read the reply by Paul and even though I have tried to do a lot of what he says I still have some bitterness because she is a practicing Mormon again. Mormonism is so far from traditional Christian and Catholic beliefs. In my mind I equate it to be married to someone that believed in Voo-doo or the occult. Actually Joseph Smith did have somewhat a believe in the occult or some aspects of it. I’ve lost a lot of respect for her and our marriage is hurting. I’m still a very happy Catholic, Kendra and I hope you will give the Catholic Church a look see. The Catholic Church has the authority, an unbroken line of authority all the way back to our Lord Jesus. :signofcross:
Gary, I was naïve too and believed the LDS church was the one true church. It is difficult to find footing after your whole sense of reality is shaken. So I attend Mass like a beggar with my pride shot and the acknowledgement of my ignorance of historical Christianity. I’m a sinner, not a god in embryo.

I used to be biased against other Christian religions, especially Catholics. I can see where your wife is coming from. Would it help to remind her why she left in the first place? Would studying this together help her? Perhaps the sense of family keeps her there. It is hard to be on the outside of things. Once she opens her mind to truth, she may begin to feel more kindly towards the Catholic Church (God willing).

Yes, and there is js and the occult. That bothered me a lot too. After all, I shared my testimony numerous times of him being a prophet. What comforts me is that God was always there despite all of this. What about all of those people who where shielded from the truth? He finds His way in. He has pity on them. It is easy for me to be angry and bitter except I remember that God was merciful enough to show me truth, even when I did not deserve it.
 
But there’s only one God so when anyone prays, they’re addressing Him, even if they don’t know it. I don’t see why God becomes a mere idol just because someone has a different opinion about His specific traits.
No one can come to the Father except through Jesus. Any other route and you are praying to someone else.
 
Thanks. I know God hears my prayers, but I concluded some time ago , based on events and conversations that I’m not going to share 🙂 that my husband will always be an atheist. While it is a nice thought to think otherwise, it isn’t a thought that is grounded in reality. There is a difference between prayer and wishful thinking.

He goes to Mass with me once a year, on Christmas Eve.
Perhaps, you could ask him to join you on Easter as well. It would be a small thing perhaps…

But something to pray for. I’ll start tonight … 🙂
 
Correct. The Jews stopped worshipping God when they rejected him in the flesh. The Muslims worship a god who says he has no Son. The Islamic religious texts explicitly deny the Trinity. The only people who worship the one true God are his adopted children, that is, the Christians.
 
No one can come to the Father except through Jesus. Any other route and you are praying to someone else.
Let’s not go the fundamentalist route here. We Catholics don’t look down on other churches and religions.
 
Let’s not go the fundamentalist route here. We Catholics don’t look down on other churches and religions.
“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:23)

The Bible says that if you deny the Son (that is, if you reject Jesus as Lord and Christ) then you do not have the Father. In other words, the Holy Trinity is not a buffet. You either come to God the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, in which case you pray to and worship the one true God, or you deny Jesus and therefore have no part with the Father.
 
“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:23)

The Bible says that if you deny the Son (that is, if you reject Jesus as Lord and Christ) then you do not have the Father. In other words, the Holy Trinity is not a buffet. You either come to God the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, in which case you pray to and worship the one true God, or you deny Jesus and therefore have no part with the Father.
Mormons say that Jesus is their Lord and Christ. They pray to the Father in the name of Jesus and believe they are praying by the Holy Spirit. Lots of Mormons and traditional Christians try to make differences where they don’t exist just to have an argument. I’m not saying there aren’t differences, but they are less stark than both sides want to make them. I have no doubt my wife is praying to the same God as I am even if her understanding is flawed. I would guess we all have an understanding of God that is flawed because we all see through a glass darkly.
 
“No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.” (1 John 2:23)

The Bible says that if you deny the Son (that is, if you reject Jesus as Lord and Christ) then you do not have the Father. In other words, the Holy Trinity is not a buffet. You either come to God the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, in which case you pray to and worship the one true God, or you deny Jesus and therefore have no part with the Father.
The Bible says lots of things and when you start cherry-picking your favorite verses and stifle all the other passages, then you end up with +30,000 denominations. The main message of Jesus is one of love, and that’s what we Catholics emphasize.

The original poster asked for help and he got some excellent recommendations. Don’t contradict this sound advice with your fundamentalist thinking.
 
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