Hello, I have a dilemma. I find mormonism very fascinating and appealing in so many ways. If I ever should join a church it would definitely be this one! BUT – even though I belive in God I am not very “religious” and I am not sure if I could be so active and dedicated as it seems you are expected to be in this church – fast, pay tithe, bear testimonals, pray a lot, read scriptures a lot, be involved in church activities, maybe even have some function/responsibility within the congregation, etc.
My faith has always been somewhat lukewarm! So how should I solve this dilemma? The missionaries think I should be baptized, but I hesitate, I am not sure I have what it takes, and I don’t want to do something that I might regret later on that will maybe make me bitter towards the church.
conversion
Danne,
(This question was posted by someone who decided to join the Church, perhaps thanks in part to answers posted on AllAboutMormons.com. Click here to see other questions posted by Mormon converts.)
4 Responses to “Hello, I have a dilemma. I find mormonism very…”
Bruno Rubio
2014-03-09 20:28:31
Hi Danne. Thanks for your question and your interest in the Church. Let me start by saying how much I love being a "Mormon." I think human beings have a natural tendency to focus on the small details of our immediate lives. If we're not careful, it's easy to let our lives become superficial. I'm far from perfect, but being a member of this church has helped me maintain a more eternal perspective that's brought me spiritual peace in hard times. I hope you find the same blessings in the restored gospel of Christ.
From my perspective, your concerns can be divided into two parts. First, you worry that your faith isn't strong enough. Faith isn't something that appears instantaneously. It's something that's developed over a lifetime. To be baptized, you don't need to have a perfect faith. You just need to plant the initial seed of hope and to be willing to cultivate that seed over time. We're all on a spiritual journey, and none of us have arrived at the final destination yet.
Your second concern seems to be related to whether or not you'll be able to keep God's commandments after baptism. While God doesn't expect us to be perfect, it is important that we make a good-faith effort to follow Christ's commandments if we want to be good Christians.
Spirituality is like anything in life. If you want to get the most out of it, you have to be willing to put in a certain amount of work. You can't expect to win a marathon if you don't train hard. You can't expect to be a university professor if you don't study hard. And you can't expect to have a rich spiritual life if you don't dedicate yourself to keeping God's commandments and studying His gospel, even if imperfectly. I hope you decide to make that investment, because the spiritual returns are phenomenal.
Danne
2014-03-24 12:04:08
Hi again, I wanted to post a follow-up on my question(s).
Long story short - I was baptized a week ago! The very friendly missionaries helped me overcome my doubts (most of them anyway :) so I decided to take the final step. I have been so interested in the church for many years, so in a way I guess it was "inevitable", sooner or later :)
It was a great experience and I have felt a great inner peace ever since that day.
But I am still a bit worried about all new things and responsibilites that will follow with it, getting a priesthood (!!!) and maybe be a home teacher! I hope I can handle all these new things!
Thanks for your answer and thanks for a good site!
Bruno Rubio: Hi Danne! I was so thrilled to hear that you decided to become a member of the church! It was very kind of you, too, to let us know about your exciting decision. Thinking about all the spiritual blessings I've received as a member makes me all the more excited for you and your future. It's natural for new members to have lots of questions. Please feel free to post them here if you think it would be helpful. I'd love to keep in touch and help in any way I can! God bless you.
Danne
2014-04-05 05:30:12
Hello, I just wanted to say I decided to to take the step! I got baptized about two weeks ago!
I am glad I did it, I have felt great ever since! :)
Pamela Bonta
2014-04-11 14:38:46
How wonderful! God bless you as you continue to learn more about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
From my perspective, your concerns can be divided into two parts. First, you worry that your faith isn't strong enough. Faith isn't something that appears instantaneously. It's something that's developed over a lifetime. To be baptized, you don't need to have a perfect faith. You just need to plant the initial seed of hope and to be willing to cultivate that seed over time. We're all on a spiritual journey, and none of us have arrived at the final destination yet.
Your second concern seems to be related to whether or not you'll be able to keep God's commandments after baptism. While God doesn't expect us to be perfect, it is important that we make a good-faith effort to follow Christ's commandments if we want to be good Christians.
Spirituality is like anything in life. If you want to get the most out of it, you have to be willing to put in a certain amount of work. You can't expect to win a marathon if you don't train hard. You can't expect to be a university professor if you don't study hard. And you can't expect to have a rich spiritual life if you don't dedicate yourself to keeping God's commandments and studying His gospel, even if imperfectly. I hope you decide to make that investment, because the spiritual returns are phenomenal.
Long story short - I was baptized a week ago! The very friendly missionaries helped me overcome my doubts (most of them anyway :) so I decided to take the final step. I have been so interested in the church for many years, so in a way I guess it was "inevitable", sooner or later :)
It was a great experience and I have felt a great inner peace ever since that day.
But I am still a bit worried about all new things and responsibilites that will follow with it, getting a priesthood (!!!) and maybe be a home teacher! I hope I can handle all these new things!
Thanks for your answer and thanks for a good site!
Bruno Rubio: Hi Danne! I was so thrilled to hear that you decided to become a member of the church! It was very kind of you, too, to let us know about your exciting decision. Thinking about all the spiritual blessings I've received as a member makes me all the more excited for you and your future. It's natural for new members to have lots of questions. Please feel free to post them here if you think it would be helpful. I'd love to keep in touch and help in any way I can! God bless you.
I am glad I did it, I have felt great ever since! :)