Why Do The Mormons Do It Better?

[Aramis]

You’re entitled to your opinion.

When the opinion matches the Catechism, it’s more than just an opinion.

All the sacraments ARE holy; they bring God’s grace.

The sacramentals may not be, but a Catholic Marriage is more than just a better option than burning… it’s a way to receive God’s grace.

It’s not the central sacrament in the Catholic mindset; that’s the Eucharist, no question. But it is a major portion of sacramental grace.

 

[Tony888]

I’m going to do what you usually do and ignore your reference to ‘par 460’, since we’ve already hashed that one out, ad infinitum. It’s pretty useless to beat that dead horse, anymore. Besides, you butchered the quote badly enough that it’s almost unrecognizable. It’s clear to me that you only see what you choose to see, no matter how many times we refute it, anyway. A certain person taking things out of context is what started all this in the first place.

I don’t think I have to fantasize very much at all. I don’t think I’ve belittled anyone by what I said, either. (I apologize if anyone took it that way.) Or, do you deny that the family life of LDS is based on the belief that all true, ‘temple worthy’ Mormons are to focus their entire existence on fulfilling everything that Joseph Smith taught them about family? Focusing on family is a very good and noble idea, and LDS do it very well. I think it’s very admirable. I do believe that their love for each other is very real, even though slightly misguided.

I just think it’s sad that so many wonderful people have been mislead by Joseph Smith’s poor interpretations of scripture, and are blinded to the true nature of God’s love for us. I have many friends that are Mormon, and some of those friends are suffering severe personal shame and depression due to the belief that being 30ish, and unmarried, makes them less of a person in the eyes of God, and those of their own families, when that’s 180 degrees from the real truth. In fact, I admire them even more than the ones with families, because they have to suffer all that humiliation due to a misunderstanding of what true holiness is.

I’m afraid that if anyone has belittled good and faithful Mormons, it’s Joseph Smith, in teaching that the epitome of eternal life is dependent upon their having a huge family. Without one, they can only hope to be the eternal slaves of those who are considered to be more ‘worthy’.

That was quite a deflection

• We are both new here so clearly we haven’t “hashed this out before” in terms of CCC 460
• I was almost perfect in my quote. It should have been “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”
  I urge you to actually engage in the debate, or just don’t respond. This thread is about the fruits of the LDS church, yet you ignore that and focus on slandering someone who is long gone.

 

[Stephen168]

That was quite a deflection

• We are both new here so clearly we haven’t “hashed this out before” in terms of CCC 460
• I was almost perfect in my quote. It should have been “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God.”
  I urge you to actually engage in the debate, or just don’t respond. This thread is about the fruits of the LDS church, yet you ignore that and focus on slandering someone who is long gone.

In short, for Christians, God is God in nature and being. We are human in nature and being. Created by God, as His beloved children. We become by Grace what we are not by nature. Our nature doesn’t change from one of being human to one of being god.

For Mormons, “God” is a title, with certain godly powers befitting the title. Mormons believe their nature is that of a god. This godly nature existing currently in a non-perfected state. By how one lives a series of ordinances and correct 'principles", the Mormon god the father will reward them by perfecting the godly nature they already possess, and the giving of associated powers and the authority to use these powers (unless of course, one is female, then the associated power and authority is through that of your godly husband).

As to your comment on the idea that the Trinity is a polytheistic belief, no, it is not. God has revealed Himself as One, in three Persons. We accept by faith what God has revealed.

For my own personal observation, I see in Mormonism a difficulty to accept what they can’t wrap their own minds around…the acceptance of mystery being somehow an affront to intellect.

 

[RebeccaJ]

You know, this sentence bugged me from the moment I read it, but I couldn’t explain why. I finally got it today.

Well valient lucy, I knew nothing of any saint until about 4 years ago. About 3 years ago I went to a one-woman play about St. Therese, and had to leave. It gave me an anxiety attack, of the sort I get in Mormon churches. I had not smoked for a few years, but I walked down to a 7-11 and bought a pack of cigarettes and was smoking them like they were the last pack on earth. It took me several days to calm down! lol.

Like you I was trying to figure out why. I mean, it was an alright play, nothing shocking, but it was the familial aspect. So incredibly freaking perfect, which is not my experience of family, and my family is very Mormon. I love them, but they are like all families…dysfunctional!

Since then, I have had more time to get to know the saints, and also how their lives are portrayed. St. Therese’s family is put up as an ideal, which I think, no one has ever known, and no one ever will. But, it is a good model for family. I think that is alright.

 

[windchimes99]

Mormon young adults are encouraged to marry quickly and start families immediately. The young men after their marriage are strongly urged to find a worthy girl and marry her in the temple, rather be sealed. The pressure to produce one child after another is huge and peristent. It is not unusal for the young man to be in college with two, three or more children. His wife has dropped out of college already. I don’t think there is the same pressure or cultural expectation for young Catholic couples. Education is valued for both sexes. The classes stress being emotionally ready and financially able to take care of children. None of tha is true tin the Mormon chuch,in fact just the opposite.

 

[ParkerD]

Mormon young adults are encouraged to marry quickly and start families immediately. The young men after their marriage are strongly urged to find a worthy girl and marry her in the temple, rather be sealed. The pressure to produce one child after another is huge and peristent. It is not unusal for the young man to be in college with two, three or more children. His wife has dropped out of college already. I don’t think there is the same pressure or cultural expectation for young Catholic couples. Education is valued for both sexes. The classes stress being emotionally ready and financially able to take care of children. None of tha is true tin the Mormon chuch,in fact just the opposite.

WindChimes,

Your picture is not reality. Here is reality:

I have a son, age 26, served a mission, college graduate with a great job, served well in Iraq, still single, dating but with no “pressure” to marry, hasn’t found the one with whom he would feel falling in love with, owns a home making payments but otherwise out of debt–a good life, a fine start, and nothing like the picture you had in your mind about LDS young adults. He is emotionally ready (perhaps too high of expectations of the “right woman” but it will work out) and very much financially able to take care of children and a home.

 

[valient_Lucy]

Well valient lucy, I knew nothing of any saint until about 4 years ago. About 3 years ago I went to a one-woman play about St. Therese, and had to leave. It gave me an anxiety attack, of the sort I get in Mormon churches. I had not smoked for a few years, but I walked down to a 7-11 and bought a pack of cigarettes and was smoking them like they were the last pack on earth. It took me several days to calm down! lol.

Like you I was trying to figure out why. I mean, it was an alright play, nothing shocking, but it was the familial aspect. So incredibly freaking perfect, which is not my experience of family, and my family is very Mormon. I love them, but they are like all families…dysfunctional!

Since then, I have had more time to get to know the saints, and also how their lives are portrayed. St. Therese’s family is put up as an ideal, which I think, no one has ever known, and no one ever will. But, it is a good model for family. I think that is alright.

Well said. Reading about St. Therese’s family is a bit like watching Roger Federer serve or hit forehands in his peak. It was amazing to watch, and if you’re a tennis player, there’s nothing wrong with trying to serve or hit forehands like Roger Federer. But the vast majority of mere mortals will never play tennis the way Roger Federer did.

 

[KathleenGee]

The Martin family is a model family. But I have associated with very devout Catholics, many of whom homeschool their children and are most aware of the practices and vision these parents had of their own children.

It all centers around loving Christ, and implementing this love into every day real life. So–I think where the Martins excelled was in having a listening and reflective environment in their home without alot of extra noise and intense activities.

My children and I greatly miss the parish we knew in another diocese. I lived on the border of 4 parishes, a block outside the city line. I visited all 4, but the last one was closed, but walking around the premises it felt like home.

I ended up going there. The all day kindergarten was held in the former convent with the Adoration chapel next door. The sweet presence of Christ filled that whole building. The school children volunteered to go to daily Mass. But every day, the parking lot looked like Sunday Mass, and 175 children were there.

The pastor was the former chaplain for the city orphans when he first was ordained. He would visit the school children every day, and act like a 10 year old or other times a cranky grandpa. The principal was a sister and was so accommodating.

She introduced me to the school, remarking on how quiet it was. It had a history of well behaved children. The kids had a barrel basketballs, jump ropes. They had a playground with swings and monkey bars. They had no cafeteria, so they ate their desks. Most students came from working class families living in those 2 to 3 bedroom project houses.

The sister liked getting the kids involved in national contests. And they had a professor who put together some national reading texts.

It was a very simple, quiet school without alot of noise, intense activities and competitions. Many parents monitored what their kids watched and did. And all in all, the school was rated number one academically in the entire archdiocese.

And when you have a quiet, reflective home…it cultivates a parent’s vision to treasure every child as a precious gem.

So in the utmost simplicity…this vision of each child as a precious gem was the vision of the Martin family, cultured in a Christ centered home and not being so worldly, and caught up in intense activities that block out the awareness of Christ’s company.

This intense activity and competition separates a child from himself. We need quiet and reflection and the modern world works against that.