Rozalie_Marie

This is something that I am struggling with myself. I want to believe it is as old as the Church says it is...but the OT passages and quotes from the NT really bother me. I guess I am at the point that I believe it brings me closer to Christ, and that I should care more about the influence it has on me...and not the origin. Rozalie

I also apologize for my defensiveness. You hit a nerve, as you can tell. I know my unworthiness, yet I believe with God's help I can change. I need to work on the beam in my own eye before acting holier than thou around my husband. Thank you for your kind words. Rozalie

Hello, I am a non-LDS woman who has recently dedicated her life to Christ, after marriage. I married a man from a "Christian" family, and I am from a "Christian" family. However, in both of our upbringings, Christianity is more of a culture than a medium to bring one closer to God. I have been as guilty of this in the past as anyone I know. Practically speaking, this means it's ok to say you follow and believe in God, and do all the churchy things to be socially acceptable, but you're weird if you actually take it seriously or seek a real relationship with God that would transform you into anything but "normal". This is where my hubby is at. The first time I felt an incredible connection to God was on my wedding day. My vows were my first heartfelt prayer, yet I do not believe I came to a saving knowledge of Christ till later. I've also been keenly aware lately of all the ways that I am not "manifesting" my love for God in my actions. Sometimes I don’t blame my husband for his disinterest, if I am to be an example for what loving God looks like. That is the one prayer that God answers more quickly than all others...show me where I need to improve! I am such an introvert, and it has been difficult to apply what I learn in real life, or to make the gospel change me...a secret Christian life is a useless one. I think I'm just coming to the realization that you can't "make" the gospel change you...especially if you are either unintentionally or intentionally disobedient. I have investigated the Church off and on since I was a teen, along with many other faiths. It has taken me a good twelve years to actually come to a place where I can accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I use my head over my heart. If I had just put the books down and actually prayed, I bet I would have recognized that I am a child of God a lot sooner. Do I wish I had come to Him sooner? Yes! But I believe that Heavenly Father has His own timing too...and I learned what I had to learn from the process...and will continue to do so. I continually feel drawn to the LDS faith. I don't know why, exactly. I wrote papers on it in college, have used pioneer journals in my historical research, and feel spiritually uplifted every time I hear a testimony, listen to a hymn, or read anything associated with the church. I've read all the anti stuff, everything on exmormon.org, utlm.org, and many other sites. So what. You can talk yourself into or out of anything you wish, but you must go where your heart lies. We’ll all be accountable to God in the end. Do I have serious concerns about the historicity of the BOM and BOA? Yes. I can't prove Jonah and the whale either. Even if the BOM is fiction, the life lessons in the stories help me with my walk with God. I really don’t care if it is fiction, God speaks through human imagination too. I know some will disagree with me, but that is just where I'm at right now. Even before I became familiar with the Church, I instinctively believed in a premortal existence, and the fact that we are all literal sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and Mother. Although, I do not understand why the LDS church does not allow people to pray to both Parents. I also believe strongly that marriage is eternal, and did before coming to a knowledge of LDS beliefs, despite the fact that there are verses in the NT that seem to contradict that belief. So here I stand. The Church shares my belief in a premortal existence, but may to some degree believe that I was less valiant in the preexistence because I was not BIC. I believe in my Heavenly Parents, but if I join the LDS Church, I can’t talk to my Mother anymore if I wish to be obedient to the leaders. I believe that marriage and family is for eternity for those that come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (I believe there is enough reference to humans keeping their identities after death to infer this) but if I join the Church, I have to accept the additional belief that only LDS members sealed in the temple stay together forever. I suppose I could stick with my personal beliefs and not care what the LDS church thinks. Yet I can’t help but find it unusual that this is the only church I’ve found that shares some of my unique beliefs. At least I’ve found them unique, in comparison to other Christians. Rozalie

I certainly understand where you are coming from, and know that there are consequences to all my actions. However, comparing my marriage and vows to God to a drunk-driving accident seems a bit beyond the pale. I know that you believe my marriage is for time only, and therefore not as “worthy” as one of your Temple marriages, but you don’t have the right to reduce it to something so disgusting. If I truly believed that marriage was only for affection or companionship, then this situation would not trouble me so much. I've also been keenly aware lately of all the ways that I am not "manifesting" my love for God in my actions. Sometimes I don’t blame my husband for his disinterest, if I am to be an example for what loving God looks like. That is the one prayer that God answers more quickly than all others...show me where I need to improve! I am such an introvert, and it has been difficult to apply what I learn in real life, or to make the gospel change me...a secret Christian life is a useless one. I think I'm just coming to the realization that you can't "make" the gospel change you...especially if you are either unintentionally or intentionally disobedient. I am a non-LDS woman who has recently dedicated her life to Christ, after marriage. I married a man from a "Christian" family, and I am from a "Christian" family. However, in both of our upringings, Christianity is more of a culture than a medium to bring one closer to God. I have been as guilty of this in the past as anyone I know. Practically speaking, this means it's ok to say you follow and believe in God, and do all the churchy things to be socially acceptable, but you're weird if you actually take it seriously or seek a real relationship with God that would transform you into anything but "normal". This is where my hubby is at. The first time I felt an incredible connection to God was on my wedding day. My vows were my first heartfelt prayer, yet I do not believe I came to a saving knowledge of Christ till later. I have investigated the Church off and on since I was a teen, along with many other faiths. It has taken me a good twelve years to actually come to a place where I can accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I use my head over my heart. If I had just put the books down and actually prayed, I bet I would have recognized that I am a child of God a lot sooner. Do I wish I had come to Him sooner? Yes! But I believe that Heavenly Father has His own timing too...and I learned what I had to learn from the process...and will continue to do so. I continually feel drawn to the LDS faith. I don't know why, exactly. I wrote papers on it in college, have used pioneer journals in my historical research, and feel spiritually uplifted every time I hear a testimony, listen to a hymn, or read anything associated with the church. I've read all the anti stuff, everything on exmormon.org, utlm.org, and many other sites. So what. It's their experiences, not mine. You can talk yourself into or out of anything you wish, but you must go where your heart lies. We’ll all be accountable to God in the end. Do I have serious concerns about the historicity of the BOM and BOA? Yes. I can't prove Jonah and the whale either. Even if the BOM is fiction, the life lessons in the stories help me with my walk with God. I really don’t care if it is fiction, God speaks through human imagination too. I know some will disagree with me, but that is just where I'm at right now. Even before I became familiar with the Church, I instinctively believed in a premortal existence, and the fact that we are all literal sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and Mother. Although, I do not understand why the LDS church does not allow people to pray to both Parents. I also believe strongly that marriage is eternal, and did before coming to a knowledge of LDS beliefs, despite the fact that there are verses in the NT that seem to contradict that belief. So here I stand. The Church shares my belief in a premortal existence, but may to some degree believe that I was less valiant in the preexistence because I was not BIC. I believe in my Heavenly Parents, but if I join the LDS Church, I can’t talk to my Mother anymore if I wish to be obedient to the leaders. I believe that marriage and family is for eternity for those that come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (I believe there is enough reference to humans keeping their identities after death to infer this) but if I join the Church, I have to accept the additional belief that only LDS members sealed in the temple stay together forever. I can't honestly believe that LDS marriages are the only ones that last, or that the LDS people are the only ones that are exalted. I suppose I could stick with my personal beliefs and not care what the LDS church thinks. Yet I can’t help but find it unusual that this is the only church I’ve found that shares some of my unique beliefs. At least I’ve found them unique, in comparison to other Christians. I think I'll copy some of this to the intro board. Rozalie

This topic is also a stumbling-block for me. I am drawn to the LDS faith, and I am married. I have difficulty believing that Heavenly Father would not allow me to be with Him, or I would somehow be in a "lower" heaven, simply because I chose to stay committed to a husband I love deeply. I know he'll never convert. I will honor him and my vows to him till death. Why should keeping my marriage covenant to him and to God in this life prevent me from reaching the Celestial Kingdom? It is my utter disbelief in the unfairness of this that keeps me from baptism.