Hi, I was born and raised as a Catholic, however in my later teen years I guess I became atheist, but at the same time I feel religion is important and it’s not just about believing in God but more about being a good person and treating others with kindness. This might sound silly, but I’ve just finished watching the (in)famous Southpark episode ‘All about Mormons’ and despite being from the UK I’d like to know more about the religion. I don’t want to offend anyone but I don’t think I’ll ever believe in God but I feel this religion is much more modernised which also makes it ‘better’ than most other religions. I guess I don’t really have a question, I’d just like to know more about Mormonism and is anyone eligible? For example I’m 19 and single.
2 Responses to “Hi, I was born and raised as a Catholic, however in my…”
Vicente Silva
2013-10-27 16:30:08
Hi Seanpaul. Your question is interesting on so many levels! Thanks for posting it. While lots of Mormons think that South Park episode is pretty funny, I think we all just assume it contains too many inaccuracies to be an effective method of introducing others to our faith. But maybe there really isn't such a thing as bad publicity after all! :)
A young African American man describes how the church has benefited his life.
You are correct in recognizing that there are many secular benefits to being Mormon, independent of our theology. I've actually made a list of some of the more well-known benefits on this site, in case you're interested. The principle benefits of the Mormon lifestyle are spiritual, but the secular benefits are certainly noteworthy as well.
Every religion encourages a "leap of faith" that some critics will see as "old fashioned," but you are right that Mormonism is very modern in many aspects. For example, we've managed for the most part to overcome the whole science-vs.-religion conflict. In fact, I myself am a faithful Mormon scientist. We certainly do have some unique truth claims that we stand by, but we also try to avoid bashing other religions, generally seeing inter-denominational conflict as petty. Our health code is also "modern." In fact, Mormon lifespans are roughly 8 years longer than the (American) average.
Anyone is welcome to worship with us, including atheists. Obviously our chapels are places of faith, not places for contentious religious debates, but your question clearly demonstrates that you respect people of faith, so I think you'd fit right in.
I do encourage you to keep an open mind about developing religious faith. I obviously love scientific/secular thinking, but it's clear that not all useful knowledge can be obtained by analyzing phenomena that are observable, measureable, and reproducible. Faith itself, which relies on personal/spiritual rather than scientific evidence, has richly blessed my life.
I recommend the following for you:
The Church's missionary program is one of its most recognized characteristics.
1) Chat with some of our missionaries (either in person or online). Explain your situation to them. You're open to faith and belief in the future but don't yet feel ready to accept a belief in God. Tell them you want to participate in church activities just the same. They'll provide you with the needed support.
2) Start participating in our worship services every Sunday. You can find the meeting time and address of the Mormon chapel nearest you online. Try to integrate yourself into the Mormon community. I'm sure the members of your local congregation will make you feel welcome.
3) As you become more and more comfortable with the Mormon culture, lifestyle, and teachings, keep an open mind to our theology as well. Perhaps in time you'll become more receptive to the spiritual benefits that come from being Mormon, in addition to the secular benefits. Perhaps then you'll feel prepared to formally join our church through baptism, becoming a member in addition to being an actively participating "friend of the faith."
I hope this answer helps. I really do love being a Mormon. It's brought me many spiritual, social, and secular benefits. I hope you'll feel it's right for you too. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Best of luck to you.
Pamela Bonta
2013-10-26 06:33:38
Hello friend! It is wonderful that you want to find out more about what we believe as Latter-Day Saints. I would suggest that there a couple of ways you could do this. This site answers questions that people have, and the webmaster has also written some excellent articles that you may be interested in reading. LDS.org is our official website. There is a ton of excellent information there, and if you have questions about anything you read there is usually a "Do you have feedback about this page?" option at the bottom and someone will get back to you. LDS.org is set up to be a wealth of information for members of our faith, but it is open for anyone to read. For people who are interested in learning about what we believe, like yourself, I would suggest that you visit mormon.org. You can read about our basic beliefs, watch some videos about real member's stories, request a visit from the missionaries, and even live chat with missionaries!
Every religion encourages a "leap of faith" that some critics will see as "old fashioned," but you are right that Mormonism is very modern in many aspects. For example, we've managed for the most part to overcome the whole science-vs.-religion conflict. In fact, I myself am a faithful Mormon scientist. We certainly do have some unique truth claims that we stand by, but we also try to avoid bashing other religions, generally seeing inter-denominational conflict as petty. Our health code is also "modern." In fact, Mormon lifespans are roughly 8 years longer than the (American) average.
Anyone is welcome to worship with us, including atheists. Obviously our chapels are places of faith, not places for contentious religious debates, but your question clearly demonstrates that you respect people of faith, so I think you'd fit right in.
I do encourage you to keep an open mind about developing religious faith. I obviously love scientific/secular thinking, but it's clear that not all useful knowledge can be obtained by analyzing phenomena that are observable, measureable, and reproducible. Faith itself, which relies on personal/spiritual rather than scientific evidence, has richly blessed my life.
I recommend the following for you:
2) Start participating in our worship services every Sunday. You can find the meeting time and address of the Mormon chapel nearest you online. Try to integrate yourself into the Mormon community. I'm sure the members of your local congregation will make you feel welcome.
3) As you become more and more comfortable with the Mormon culture, lifestyle, and teachings, keep an open mind to our theology as well. Perhaps in time you'll become more receptive to the spiritual benefits that come from being Mormon, in addition to the secular benefits. Perhaps then you'll feel prepared to formally join our church through baptism, becoming a member in addition to being an actively participating "friend of the faith."
I hope this answer helps. I really do love being a Mormon. It's brought me many spiritual, social, and secular benefits. I hope you'll feel it's right for you too. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Best of luck to you.