My family and I are moving 1/2 a block away from a mormon church what can we expect?

[RebeccaJ]

as my husband and I pack up the van and such to get on the road tomorrow we talked about this thread and feel we are going to be headed into a life experiance. Weither good or bad who knows

Good attitude. Like anywhere, you will have both good and bad experiences.

 

[LittleDeb]

Cradle Catholic here. Raised nearly all of my life in ‘Utah north,’ otherwise known as Idaho. We need a bumper sticker: “Idaho, the lighter side of Mormons.”

I agree with nearly every single thing RebeccaJ said with one difference. I attended Sacrament Meeting with my LDS friends and they came to Mass with me. My dad’s rule was if I went with them, they had to come with me…and on the same Sunday. That deterred any but the truest friends. (They all came to my wedding eventually, too. And I have waited in many an LDS temple waiting room.)

Like any other part of our children’s lives, we as parents need to know the parents. If a mom of one of your children’s friends has any ‘Stepford wife’ qualities…run far and fast. Nowhere in LDS theology does it say, “Women will be mindless drudges.” Get used to the title of “Brother Smith, Sister Smith.” It is weird at first. They will look at your children strangely in the beginning with the “Mr., Mrs.” address, but they get over it eventually.

If you are the type to welcome debate when they knock on the door, do so. If they don’t want to listen too, say something. Call their bishop if you have to. Yes, yes, yes, keep the sacramentals up at home, but don’t force the kids to wear them if they don’t want to. They WILL get hassled over them. Be aware that ward boundaries are drawn along school district boundaries. That was a big shocker to my parents.

Open discussion is so important. Learn about LDS beliefs, talk to your kids about them side by side with Catholic beliefs. A book I recommend is “A Tale of Two Cities: Catholics and Mormons” by Fr. William Taylor. He does just that in his book, presents the basic theologies side by side. But mostly, let your kids be kids and make friends. My friends from Utah say that some of their fondest memories are meeting their first Catholic and finding out the whole world wasn’t LDS. It made them want to learn more.

Looking back on my upbringing I find it is the truly devout, practicing LDS who have remained my life-long friends. It was the half-active, overly zealous Mormons who tried to tear me from the Catholic Faith. It almost seemed that if they could convince me that the Mormon beliefs were right, that they could convince themselves. They are either no longer LDS or no longer my friends…or both.

 

[LittleDeb]

Oh and P.S. Get used to the phrases, “I know the church is true…” and “I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

and of course the most common phrase…“Oh my heck!”

 

[elts1956]

My strong Catholic family and I are moving to a town with a mormon church down the block and many in town. We are a little worried about it because we have little children

we have 4 girls and the oldest is 7 and we want to raise them strong in the Catholic faith.

May be it sounds odd to feel weird but we are moving Monday and just feel that perhaps this may be a little bit of an ajustment for us. I don’t know much about Mormons. All I knows is that they knock on doors and such.

Any advice? f this is a silly topic I am so sorry.

I don’t know that they knock on doors. Maybe you are mixing them up with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

 

[AMDGtoo]

Get used to the title of “Brother Smith, Sister Smith.” It is weird at first.

LOL Yeah I know. While I’m not in Utah or in Idaho, I live in the “Mormon Belt” (like there is a “Bible Belt” in the southern states). I remember being introduced to a friend, “Sister x”. I still have to think twice that the sister part is not her real name!

Learn about LDS beliefs, talk to your kids about them side by side with Catholic beliefs. A book I recommend is “A Tale of Two Cities: Catholics and Mormons” by Fr. William Taylor.

Yes, the little book is good. (I believe that the author has Mormon relatives so I think his words have weight.) Haven’t checked, but maybe Amazon carries a copy.

 

[LittleDeb]

Yes, the little book is good. (I believe that the author has Mormon relatives so I think his words have weight.) Haven’t checked, but maybe Amazon carries a copy.

Here it is. amazon.com/Tale-Two-Cities-Mormons-Catholics/dp/0933046022 It is ‘Mormons and Catholics,’ not ‘Catholics and Mormons’ that I had before. Oops.

He does have Mormon relatives. He is in my diocese and I have heard him speak. He is very respectful of the LDS beliefs. I disagree with Fr. Taylor and his more liberal ways in other areas, but his understanding of Mormonism and its effect on families is top notch!

 

[RebeccaJ]

Be aware that ward boundaries are drawn along school district boundaries. That was a big shocker to my parents.

And school boundaries are drawn along ward boundaries…happened recently at Eagle Mountain. The school board had the boundaries drawn, and local Mormon leadership got them changed to match the ward boundaries, in order to keep all the youth together, at church, and at school.

At the time, I asked a Mormon what about the kids of other faiths, whose friends may end up at a different school. He replied it’s a democracy, majority rules.

Thus, is the mindset of Mormons in Utah. The world is for them and all else be damned. “If you don’t like it, then leave”, is something you will hear more than once.

 

[LittleDeb]

The school board had the boundaries drawn, and local Mormon leadership got them changed to match the ward boundaries, in order to keep all the youth together, at church, and at school.

:bigyikes: