What if one Mormon converts to Catholicism and the other doesn't?

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Red_Meg

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Hi,

This is a purely hypothetical question at this point. I have a practicing Mormon friend who, from time to time, asks me fairly detailed questions about Catholicism. Right now I’m not engaging in any direct “apologetics” per se, just trying to answer her questions as honestly and clearly as I can. Everything I’ve told her seems to make sense.

If (big if) the day ever came that she wanted to convert, any idea on what would be the typical (if there is such a thing) range of reactions on the part of her husband? Would such an “apostasy” be automatic grounds for a divorce for a Mormon? Can anyone imagine a scenario (where husband remains a staunch Mormon) in which this wouldn’t get really ugly?

Just wondering…
 
Consider the opposite: One Catholic spouse converting to LDS, how would the other react? It really depends on the relationship the couple has, how strongly each feels about their faith. The conversion of one spouse to another religion could cause the breakup of the marrige, or it could bring both to the same “new” religion. If the “unconverted” spouse is not strong in his/her faith, then it is possible that he/she would not have a problem with the other spouses conversion.

I married an LDS gentleman. He never went to his church after we married, but did go to the Catholic church with me. HIS choice entirely. I was happy and a bit surprised when he said he wanted to be Catholic. On the other hand-----

My first husband was Catholic. When he told me that he no longer believed in Jesus and did not believe the bible was the word of God, I went into shock.

So, if your friend decides to convert, the consequences could play out in many ways…Only God knows the answer.

Love and Peace

Mom of 5
 
I made a profession of faith, was confirmed, and received First Holy Communion in the Catholic Church a little over a month ago. I am 56 years and had been fully active in the LDS Church for almost 40 years.

My dear Mormon wife has gone through a series of emotions from anger and depression to acceptance.

The most difficult thing for her to deal with was what did this mean concerning our “eternal marriage” in the LDS Temple. After much prayer, study, and discussion with a very patient and understanding priest she and I both have come to terms with that issue.

Conversion to another faith is not considered grounds for divorce in the LDS Church. However, as far as the LDS Church is concerned I have broken my covenants and invalidated our “eternal
marriage”. Nevertheless, our marriage for “time” is still considered legal and binding.

Fortunately, I am truly blessed with a loving and devoted wife who attends Mass with me and also attends the LDS Church with two of our adult children and our grandchildren. Our other two adult children are no longer active members.

I’m not sure what lies ahead, but I am truly grateful for the miraculous way the Holy Spirit has worked in my life.
 
This may be an issue I will have to face at some point. I haven’t come to the conclusion that the Catholic church is where I belong yet, but I find myself drawn to it. I grew up in the mormon church and that is all I have ever known. My mother is a temple worker and relief society president still. I think she would have a very hard time with it if I left. My wife knows that I’m searching and this has caused a bit of stress for us. As BKerns pointed out, this would not be automatic grounds for divorce. I really don’t think my wife would even consider it to be honest, but as I’m sitting here at my inlaws house visiting over the holdays I think it will make holidays very uncomfortable to say the least. It seems like 50% of all conversation has something to do with the mormon religion.
 
Tweedle Dee, I can understand how difficult this would be with your family. There was no real difficulty with my family. My parents and one sister are deceased and my other siblings and their children are inactive. None of my wife’s family are Mormons, but they were still taken aback with my conversion.

The reaction of friends was a more difficult hurdle for us, but so far most have been loving and kind with a few ripples here and there.

I don’t think the LDS community has quite grasped what and why it has happened and are still mostly in shock.

My family was among the earliest converts in our area so many are still trying figuring out how to react and certainly don’t want to offend my wife and children.

I will pray that God will grant you His grace as He leads you to where He wants you and touch the hearts of those who love you.
 
Tweedle_Dee said:
This may be an issue I will have to face at some point. I haven’t come to the conclusion that the Catholic church is where I belong yet, but I find myself drawn to it. I grew up in the mormon church and that is all I have ever known. My mother is a temple worker and relief society president still. I think she would have a very hard time with it if I left. My wife knows that I’m searching and this has caused a bit of stress for us. As BKerns pointed out, this would not be automatic grounds for divorce. I really don’t think my wife would even consider it to be honest, but as I’m sitting here at my inlaws house visiting over the holdays I think it will make holidays very uncomfortable to say the least. It seems like 50% of all conversation has something to do with the mormon religion.
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Tweedle Dee, I was raised a mormon, dad was a bishop, mom was rs pres, they served 3 missions together, they get up at 3am twice a week to work at a temple, etc, etc. They are very devout.

I am in the process of converting. I know when I tell them that they will be hurt.

My entire extended family are all mormon. Holidays are, like you say, all about mormonism. It is like they don’t have anything else to talk about. At least, that is what it seems like sometimes.

But, this is the right thing for me to do, even though it may be hurtful and at times awkward.

And, I figure that sure, their life is mormonism, but that is not my life. So, if they feel awkward, I’ll just work at making sure they know that I still love them. That is the thing, I think, mormons have their religion so wound up into themselves that I think they view a rejection of their religion, as a rejection of them, personally. And that is not the case at all.

Keep your family close, that’s all I can say. 🙂
 
Tsuzuki said:
Not sure if this applies, but I’m Mormon in the process of becoming Catholic, and I would love it if my Catholic fiancee decided to embrace Mormonism.
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Why would you “love it” for your fiancee to be Mormon? Are you only becoming Catholic to please your fiancee?
 
Absolutely right, Rebecca, just make sure your family knows that you still love them.

I think my appreciates the fact that I’m much happier.

My wife and I build on common ground. We read the Bible and pray together each day.

We are also blessed to work together each day -yes, in a Catholic Bookstore. My wife has received some chastisement from a very few for doing this, but there she is anyway and happy to serve.

Most of you seem to have a much harder struggle than I have had.
My prayers are with you.
 
Tsuzuki said:
Because there is a lot of truth and goodness in Mormonism.

No, I’m becoming Catholic to please Brigham Young.

"It is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same salvation and Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with professed infidels, or with the Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church (Jesus, their Elder Brother, being at their head) to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, . . . to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion."

- Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young
lds.org/gospellibrary/pdfindex/0,7777,579-1,00.html​
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There’s a lot of good and truth in Islam. Are you planning to become a Muslim?
 
Tsuzuki said:
I already have an interest in Sufism, which is the mystical variant of Islam. As with all things, I will go as far as I can while maintaining personal integrity.
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Dang mormons, always starting their own religions.
 
Tsuzuki said:
Or in my case, appropriating other people’s.
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Hate to break it to you Tsuzuki, but appropriating a bit of this and bit of that from whatever suits your fancy, is in fact a form of self-worship.

Good luck with that.
 
Tsuzuki said:
Because there is a lot of truth and goodness in Mormonism.

No, I’m becoming Catholic to please Brigham Young.

"It is our duty and calling, as ministers of the same salvation and Gospel, to gather every item of truth and reject every error. Whether a truth be found with professed infidels, or with the Universalists, or the Church of Rome, or the Methodists, the Church of England, the Presbyterians, the Baptists, the Quakers, the Shakers, or any other of the various and numerous different sects and parties, all of whom have more or less truth, it is the business of the Elders of this Church (Jesus, their Elder Brother, being at their head) to gather up all the truths in the world pertaining to life and salvation, to the Gospel we preach, . . . to the sciences, and to philosophy, wherever it may be found in every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and bring it to Zion."

- Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young
lds.org/gospellibrary/pdfindex/0,7777,579-1,00.html​
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you know what?..I usually encourage people to become Catholics but in your case…DON’T…cuz being Baptize with doubt in your heart doesn’t really make you a Catholic…we want people to become Catholics because they believe that this is the Chruch Jesus built and also believe that the communion is really Jesus…not because someone wants to please somebody…we don’t care about quantity…we care about quality…I don’t care if there are only 10 Catholics in the world, just as long as their faith can do for a 100 people

I sure hope your husband is a strong enough Catholic to stay faithful to the Chruch and the REAL Jesus of the Bible
 
Tsuzuki said:
If I appropriate the whole thing, and not just a bit, how is that different from simply converting? And if, through that full appropriation, I worship God fully as a Catholic, how is that a form of self-worship?
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But will you accept all of the teachings of Catholicism, including…
1 That there never was an apostasy
2 God the Father has no physical body
3 That public revelation ceased with the death of the last apostle
4 There is no eternal marriage
5 Occult practices are very grave sins
6 Contraception and abortion are very grave sins
7 The Church is the “pillar and foundation of Truth” and that given the choice between following your conscience and following the Church, you MUST follow the Church?

Catholics believe that God has revealed Truth, and that we must accept and profess that Truth, even when we don’t like it, or We pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” However, if we start looking at religions and ideologies and picking and choosing what we like and what we don’t like, what we are saying is, “I am the source of truth and I can decide what is truth and what is not,” then we are setting ourselves up as God. We are saying “MY kingdom come, MY will be done.” That’s self worship.
 
Tsuzuki said:
Sure.
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Then the question is not, can you be Catholic, but rather, how can you still consider yourself a Mormon? By accepting these teachings of the Catholic Church, you are denying some of the most basic teachings of the LDS church.
 
valient_Lucy said:
But will you accept all of the teachings of Catholicism, including…
1 That there never was an apostasy
2 God the Father has no physical body
3 That public revelation ceased with the death of the last apostle
4 There is no eternal marriage
5 Occult practices are very grave sins
6 Contraception and abortion are very grave sins
7 The Church is the “pillar and foundation of Truth” and that given the choice between following your conscience and following the Church, you MUST follow the Church?

Catholics believe that God has revealed Truth, and that we must accept and profess that Truth, even when we don’t like it, or We pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” However, if we start looking at religions and ideologies and picking and choosing what we like and what we don’t like, what we are saying is, “I am the source of truth and I can decide what is truth and what is not,” then we are setting ourselves up as God. We are saying “MY kingdom come, MY will be done.” That’s self worship.
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Even though I am not a christian and not a Catholic, I read the good post of the Valient. It was good in some ways. May I comment on each line.

1 That there never was an apostasy
Not understood. No comment.
2 God the Father has no physical body. Yes. Seems correct.
3 That public revelation ceased with the death of the last apostle. Not true. The simple, public revelation will never stop.
4 There is no eternal marriage. Not understood. No comments.
5 Occult practices are very grave sins. Yes. true.
6 Contraception and abortion are very grave sins. Yes. True.
7 The Church is the “pillar and foundation of Truth” and that given the choice between following your conscience and following the Church, you MUST follow the Church? Yes. Good advice.

The rest of the post is also good.
 
Tsuzuki said:
If I appropriate the whole thing, and not just a bit, how is that different from simply converting? And if, through that full appropriation, I worship God fully as a Catholic, how is that a form of self-worship?
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I hate to brake this to you but you can not be catholic and hold to the tenants of th LDS. Nor would you be able to join any other religion and still be a member of another as there happens to be principals of each that would force to to cut of your affiliation with the other.

example I can not be both Orthodox and Catholic. If I am Orthodox then I reject the authority of the Pope. If I am Catholic then I see the Orthodox as in schism with the Church and there wrong in not recognizing Papal authority.

I can not be Catholic and Mormon as the basic principals of faith differ on the nature of G d, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. If I’m not mistake the LDS see each as a completely different persons while the Catholic church teaches that They are 3 persona’s for the one same G D.

now as far as study of other religions that great but you can not join and still be a member of another it not like belonging to both the lions and rotary clubs.

Peace in the Lord

Scott
 
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