looking to convert from mormon to catholic

[Telstar]

Yeah, but with a moustache color combination of blended red, blonde, and gray, it’s not very sinister!

Glenn, is that you?

 

[RebeccaJ]

Your impressive disdain aside, as long as your membership record remains with the LDS church, you’ll show up on their membership lists (duh!) and as a result will more likely be contacted by all those well-meaning, smarmy people with whom you want nothing to do.

Project much? I don’t have disdain. I don’t care!

Regarding Mormons dropping by to proselytize, being on or off your roles doesn’t matter, they still come around.

 

[SteveVH]

I recently learned that a cousin of mine has converted to LDS (former Baptist minister). We really aren’t ‘close’, but I’m a little concerned that he might decide to Baptize my whole family by proxy. I really don’t want to confront him on the issue since I don’t want to cause any kind of problems in the rest of the family, but I really don’t want any of our side of the family on their membership rolls, even if it is just ‘by proxy’. I feel like I’m kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place.

If one believes that Mormon baptism is a sham to begin with, I just don’t understand why anyone really cares who they think they are baptizing. God certainly is not going to hold something against a person who had no control over another group.

 

[Telstar]

If one believes that Mormon baptism is a sham to begin with, I just don’t understand why anyone really cares who they think they are baptizing. God certainly is not going to hold something against a person who had no control over another group.

When you look at it that way, it does make me feel better about it. I just have to try to block out the mental image of seeing him getting ‘dunked’ using my parents or other family member’s names. His poor grandmother (my Aunt) must be spinning like a top in her grave. She was a very staunch Baptist and wasn’t very happy about my Dad converting to Catholicism so he could marry my Mom, back in the forties. It took her many years to accept it well enough to ‘get over it’ (although, we all knew better than to bring up the subject and ‘set her off’, again. lol). I can just imagine what she’d think about her ‘favorite’ grandson converting to LDS. :bigyikes:

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

I’ve gone through this issue with many LDS members which are family and friends. Most will say that they’ve been explicitly told not to turn in names of Jews who died in the Holocaust and are only to turn in names from their own personal deceased relatives or friends who have given them permission to do their family history.

For me, I try to give them the benefit of what they are saying but tend to be a pessimist on the issue at how well the LDS leadership follow through with the intention.

How do you propose that they follow-through?

If someone shows up at some temple with names of folks that they want to do temple work for, how are the church leaders in Salt Lake City supposed to determine whether those names are Jewish holocaust victims? What about the fact that some folks who were sent to the concentration camps as “Jews” were actually Mormons or other Christians who had Jewish ancestors? What can the church do other than send out a bulletin to church members?

In fact, how can even church members know that the names that they found from their family Geneaology were Jewish holocaust victims? Birth and marriage records don’t show that a person died later in the Holocaust.

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

If one believes that Mormon baptism is a sham to begin with, I just don’t understand why anyone really cares who they think they are baptizing. God certainly is not going to hold something against a person who had no control over another group.

Amen! If a group of Jews want to retaliate against LDS proxy baptism by going off and doing proxy-circumcisions on mormons, it’s no skin off my, um, nose.

 

[blueadept]

How do you propose that they follow-through?

If someone shows up at some temple with names of folks that they want to do temple work for, how are the church leaders in Salt Lake City supposed to determine whether those names are Jewish holocaust victims? What about the fact that some folks who were sent to the concentration camps as “Jews” were actually Mormons or other Christians who had Jewish ancestors? What can the church do other than send out a bulletin to church members?

In fact, how can even church members know that the names that they found from their family Geneaology were Jewish holocaust victims? Birth and marriage records don’t show that a person died later in the Holocaust.

I’m in total agreement that this is a PR move by LDS leadership who has promised Jewish leaders that they would not baptize Jewish holocaust victims. They have promised and there is no way for them to follow through with that promise.

jewishgen.org/infofiles/ldsagree.html

The Mormon/Jewish Controversy: This web page chronicles the controversy between members of the Jewish faith and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons have been criticized in recent years for the practice of posthumously baptizing thousands of deceased Jews (among them Holocaust victims) and those of other faiths. The wrongful posthumous baptism of Jewish dead continues, despite repeated denials by the disingenuous Mormon leadership. In their missionary zeal, Mormons continue their wrongful baptism of Jews, attempting to convince people (dead or alive) from other religions to convert. Jewish leaders have called the practice arrogant and said it is disrespectful to the dead, especially Holocaust victims.
*Mormons are hijacking history. In a hundred years who will know the true facts *about you and your heritage? Who will know anything about your family? No one. Very possibly no one! Because in a hundred years the record will apparently show that they were allegedly converts without making clear that it was by no act of their own"

 

[RebeccaJ]

My father would probably disagree. He converted to Catholicism in 1967 and he politely explained this to the LDS missionaries for 25 years who seem to consistently track him down no matter where he moved to. The visitations from the LDS missionaries finally stopped after he submitted the resignation letter. He didn’t realize that was an option so that the missionaries would leave him alone.

While this is not a requirement to become a Catholic, I HIGHLY suggest that former LDS members take the time to send in the resignation letter. You made a choice and this is the only way the LDS seems to respect your choice.

My adult daughter is non-Mormon, never baptized, Mormon missionaries come around asking for her by name, and have been since she was 9 years old.

 

[blueadept]

My adult daughter is non-Mormon, never baptized, Mormon missionaries come around asking for her by name, and have been since she was 9 years old.

The only Mormons that come and visit him is family. The missionaries FINALLY suggested he submit his letter after two decades of attempting to visit him. They haven’t returned.

I don’t mind the missionaries in talking to them or feeding them. They seem to lose interest when they figure out that I’m not converting though. I especially like talking to missionaries who once upon a time were catholics. Honestly, I’ve never been impressed with their understanding of their Catholic roots and the misconceptions they seem to hold.

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

At the onset, I’d like to point out that some Jewish holocaust victims had joined the LDS church prior to the holocaust.

I’m in total agreement that this is a PR move by LDS leadership who has promised Jewish leaders that they would not baptize Jewish holocaust victims. They have promised and there is no way for them to follow through with that promise.

jewishgen.org/infofiles/ldsagree.html

They have followed through, by sending a letter and asking people to stop. They never guaranteed that under no circumstances would anything slip through the cracks. And the church leadership has not baptized Jewish Holocaust Victims. And they were completely up front with the Jewish groups about how the system worked. Finally, Weisel and other Jewish leaders have been informed how things are going and have said that they recognize that the church has fulfilled the agreement as best as possible.

Here’s the funny thing – if everything had been left alone, then no more baptism of holocaust victims would have occurred. But taking the names off the books, as demanded by the different groups, simply left things open for Geneaologists to put them back in the system. So the work’s been done for these people, and keeps being re-done every time that they pull their records back out again.

Mormons are hijacking history. In a hundred years who will know the true facts about you and your heritage? Who will know anything about your family? No one. Very possibly no one! Because in a hundred years the record will apparently show that they were allegedly converts without making clear that it was by no act of their own"

That’s an hysterical nimrod that’s just playing the Fox News trick of sewing fear to get attention. Sure, private LDS church records of who has done work for whom is going to go and erase the whole history of the Holocaust. Someone evidently needs a Xanax.

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

Amen! If a group of Jews want to retaliate against LDS proxy baptism by going off and doing proxy-circumcisions on mormons, it’s no skin off my, um, nose.

 

[zaffiroborant]

I’m in total agreement that this is a PR move by LDS leadership who has promised Jewish leaders that they would not baptize Jewish holocaust victims. They have promised and there is no way for them to follow through with that promise.

jewishgen.org/infofiles/ldsagree.html

A PR move that has all the sincerity of a politician running for office. I don’t agree there is nothing they can do about it. They can use their member database to prevent unauthorized purchase of their “garments”, they could put that same database to work allied with “church discipline” for those who ignore the rules regarding baptizing the dead.

They are more concerned with their garments falling into the “wrong” hands than they are with keeping the promises they make.

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

A PR move that has all the sincerity of a politician running for office. I don’t agree there is nothing they can do about it. They can use their member database to prevent unauthorized purchase of their “garments”, they could put that same database to work allied with “church discipline” for those who ignore the rules regarding baptizing the dead.

LoL! How exactly do you imagine that a member database is going to show who “ignores the rules” vs. who simply has found a name, and is doing work on that name, without realizing that person is a Holocaust victim?

You ignore the fact that the Jewish Leaders required that the LDS church remove the names of the Holocaust victims from our system. That is what makes prevention impossible. WIthout those names in the system, there’s no way for the geneaologists to realize that a particular name is a holocaust victim.

You are searching to smear us without reasonable excuse. Don’t you have anything better to do?

 

[twopekinguys]

LoL! How exactly do you imagine that a member database is going to show who “ignores the rules” vs. who simply has found a name, and is doing work on that name, without realizing that person is a Holocaust victim?

You ignore the fact that the Jewish Leaders required that the LDS church remove the names of the Holocaust victims from our system. That is what makes prevention impossible. WIthout those names in the system, there’s no way for the geneaologists to realize that a particular name is a holocaust victim.

You are searching to smear us without reasonable excuse. Don’t you have anything better to do?

I see you point, but…

If I remember correctly, the LDS agreed to removing the names, but, there were also assurances made that filters (for lack of a better word) would be put in place to filter out names that would generally be connected with Jews. i.e. Bauer. Also, I believe an additional filter for dates was to be included. i.e. date of death 1939-1945. So, if you couple the name Bauer with a date of death of 1941, there is a likelihood that they were a jewish haulocaust victim.

If I remember correctly, those “filters” were never put in place.

In other words, had those filters been put in place, it would have stopped those types of baptisms from being done regardless of whether or not the names had been previously removed.

As far as identifying the members who “break the rules”. If my understanding is correct, most, if not all of these name submissions are done via the “TempleReady” program that the LDS church uses. This requires a login, which I am sure can be traced back to the individual user.

If user X123 submits 500 names, all from Germany, all with dates of death within the time frame of WWII, don’t you think that would be an abuse? I do, for a couple of reasons. 1. Members are only supposed to submit names or direct decendants. (How prolific can people be) 2. They are obviously gleening public records, and not actually doing “research”.

 

[zaffiroborant]

Tag submissions to member numbers, when a member submits the name of a person who turns up to have been “wrongly” processed, discipline the member, make them go through the repentance process, pull their recommend, what ever it takes to convince members the church really means to stand by it’s word. Or the church can keep lying about it’s intentions pretending to be concerned and compassionate. Either do something about or man up and quit posing.

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

Tag submissions to member numbers, when a member submits the name of a person who turns up to have been “wrongly” processed, discipline the member, make them go through the repentance process, pull their recommend, what ever it takes to convince members the church really means to stand by it’s word. Or the church can keep lying about it’s intentions pretending to be concerned and compassionate. Either do something about or man up and quit posing.

That’s disgusting, Zaff. You want us to label members who accidentally submit names of persons who happened to die in the holocaust, as if they were adulterers, wife beaters, or deadbeats who abandon their children? Shame on you for proposing such a thing.

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

I
If user X123 submits 500 names, all from Germany, all with dates of death within the time frame of WWII, don’t you think that would be an abuse? I do, for a couple of reasons. 1. Members are only supposed to submit names or direct decendants. (How prolific can people be)

It’s not “direct descendants” but ancestors and their general relatives, including cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.

1. They are obviously gleening public records, and not actually doing “research”.

Since when is gleaning public records not research?

The eventual goal of the work for the dead, as set more than 100 years before the holocaust, is to do the work of ever man, woman, and child back to Adam. We’re supposed to focus on our own ancestors, but someone that does more, isn’t considered to have committed “abuse.” Why should we impose nonmembers’ hangups on our theology?

I wish that the church ever entered into this agreement. It’s a repugnant affront to religious freedom. It’s also stupid, since the time that the hatemongers started to howl, all of the work for that group in Germany had already been done.

Also, no one has addressed the fact that many persons with Jewish ancestry and names, that died in the Holocaust, were in fact Christian. In fact, some of them were LDS. Why should we not be allowed to do the temple work for our own? It’s a repugnant argument.

 

[zipperc98]

im a non active mormon and want to convert to catholcisism. how do i do this? steps and tips please

Hello!

I think your question has been mostly answered, but thought I would throw in my two cents.

I was baptised LDS when I was 20, and lived that rather faithfully for 10 solid years…2 years after that was my process into Catholocism…

So, I was received into the Catholic Church this past Easter, and while my journey ESPECIALLY during my 7 or so months in RCIA was rocky at times, I don’t regret any of it for a second!

I have felt closer to God than I have ever in my whole life in this past year.

SO, all that being said I think the most important first step is contact a local parish! Most have websites, and you can find information there as to who runs the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. This program is designed with non baptised people who are interested in becoming Catholic in mind. Of course all are welcome to participate. Find a parish, contact the people in charge. If you are unsure, simply call the office of that particular parish, they can send you towards the right person.

Now is the time. My parish accepts people along most of the rcia process, which runs September or October to Easter. Once you are set up and can talk to someone, particuarly who runs the program, you can move foward from that point.

RCIA is only 1 day a week typically, so you can also attend Mass…weekly, and even weekdays! You cannot receive communion yet, but you can go to be in the presence of God.

Something else I did often? I went to Eucharistic Adoration. Many parishes have perpetual (24 hours a day)…again, ask the office or the rcia director. It is a beautiful way to pray in a quiet setting. The best way I could describe it is sort of like what many suggest the celestial room of an lds temple to be like. It’s quiet, people do not talk but sit in prayer, or study, or perhaps just sits in the presence of God. A consecrated host is placed in a Monstranse (may have spelled it wrong), which we believe to be Jesus physically, the body of jesus. It’s a powerful thing to sit in the presence of God, which is what Adoration is. I hope I am not making this sound confusing…but I find it a place to get away from all other distractions, to pray, to read the bible, or just listen to what God has to say to me.

Also I discovered that there is a local Catholic radio station…I discovered Catholic Answers Live quite by accident, and have been hooked SINCE. This program (which is a sister program by the same folks who created this site)…you can find podcasts and downloadable shows here through the radio part of this website. I also have found many other shows put out by EWTN, and you can also download those through their website. Much to be found, and I have learned an incredible amount in the last year!

I am very long winded here, my apologies. Many have discussed having records removed, etc. Well, my brief story here is that my husband is still practicing LDS…he kept the bishop informed there so of course, no joke, the DAY after Easter members of the bishopric showed up to deliver my “letter” which was inviting me to a council, as I have “Found to be in Apostacy (yup, that’s how it was worded)” I wasn’t about to attend that, nor was I going to be somehow slandered as though I was talking or speaking against the LDS church. So, I wrote my own eloquent but firm letter, and sent it certified to the Bishop, requesting that it also be sent to SLC. 3 weeks later SLC sent me my letter confirming my records had been removed. I never imagined that process would have been so fast. Quite honestly I would never have asked to have them removed, but I felt I was given no choice. I wanted to avoid more contention with husband and his family…

All that being said, because husband is still LDS missionaries STILL come to our door. They never did until I stopped going. A couple weeks ago they wanted to come over and get to know our family. I decided I would put a smile on my face, show them that I do believe very firmly in my faith, and that I would be respectful. Let’s just say they must have been warned by my husband, as they barely spoke to me, husband did most of the talking, and their message was from the New Testament. Hmm. However, depending on your circumstance, it is possible you may never hear from missionaries once your records are removed.

I can’t think of anything else to mention on this subject. Find a local parish, talk to the people there who are in charge of adult conversion…buy a Catholic bible, find books that you would enjoy reading…get involved and enjoy the process!

It’s an interesting thing being ex-LDS…there are many things that are a part of you because of your upbringing or the faith you may have once believed so strongly. In some ways they may be good things…I think the LDS church kept me living moraly while I was waiting to be ready for the Catholic faith in my life…there are also many things that continue to bother me, and may always be a struggle. I don’t know your background, so I am sure it is different for all.

I hope my long message was a help in some way. Know there are MANY ex-LDS folks here who can be a help if you need anything. God Bless your journey!

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

I see you point, but…

If I remember correctly, the LDS agreed to removing the names, but, there were also assurances made that filters (for lack of a better word) would be put in place to filter out names that would generally be connected with Jews. i.e. Bauer. Also, I believe an additional filter for dates was to be included. i.e. date of death 1939-1945. So, if you couple the name Bauer with a date of death of 1941, there is a likelihood that they were a jewish haulocaust victim.

If I remember correctly, those “filters” were never put in place.

In other words, had those filters been put in place, it would have stopped those types of baptisms from being done regardless of whether or not the names had been previously removed.

As far as identifying the members who “break the rules”. If my understanding is correct, most, if not all of these name submissions are done via the “TempleReady” program that the LDS church uses. This requires a login, which I am sure can be traced back to the individual user.

.

If the agreement was as extensive as you say it was, then there’s no person in the church who had the authority to make such an agreement. That would be a fundamental change to our doctrine, and would require submission to common consent of the LDS church.

I find it notable that the persons whom the church made the agreement with, aren’t the ones who are whining that the agreement’s been broken.

 

[Holly3278]

Glory and praise to God that you are leaving the falsehood of the Mormon church! :extrahappy: Welcome home!