Hello

[FutureCoastGuardsmen]

Hi there, my name is Maverick. I am 16 years old, and I'm a freshman currently.

Let me tell you a little about my life, right now I'm a Sea Cadet who aspires to attend the Coast Guard Academy and become a helicopter pilot for the USCG.

My family heritage is rooted in military service, my grandpa was a -52 mech in the AF, my father was a Forward Air Controller in the AF, and brother is currently serving as an ET in the Coast Guard. I consider myself a patriot in the classical sense, I believe in the constitution, and that America is a free and unique nation. I want to save lives when I grow up, stop those who would harm us, and protect the American people.

My religious history is some what awkward for me to explain for some reason. You see, I am currently a non-denominational Christian. But I've been reading the Book of Mormon recently (at my own whim, no missionary came up to me). You see, my family is going through a lot of hard times right now, we've lost our beloved family pet, the economy is deepening into a dark place, and the world seems sure fire ready to blow itself up. My father and mother have constant health issues, and I'm starting to get stomach sickness due to nervousness from the whole ordeal.

I really feel I'm not in touch with god, and in my current spiritual state, it wasn't getting any better. Then I met a vice principal at my old school, he was a Mormon, and he was also the most well liked and well received in the opinion of the students there of any school official I had ever seen. Very charismatic man, very understanding, helped you through your problems, always willing to listen and always managed to make everyone laugh.

I thought at the time I met him, that he was an uncommon miracle in society, and he had actually made the school a little bit better each day he was there - something before thought to be impossible. Anyways, skipping ahead, when I started to feel bad about how everything was going in life, I sunk into a deep depression that I thought I could never come out of. I was striving for something to get me out, I then remembered my vice principal, and how his personality and mind set was... and then I remembered he was LDS. So I thought, "why not? Why not just read it and see what you think Mav?" So, I went and found myself a copy of the Book of Mormon. I've been reading for some months now, since July of 08 actually.

I have prayed on it.

I have pondered on it.

I have had the nervousness and sadness lifted from me while reading it.

I have started to feel God around me more.

I have prayed, and asked the Lord if what I read is true, if it is indeed his word that he wants me to believe in. And he did come to me, and he let me know that it is indeed his word and that every line of the book is true.

Bottom line, I believe this to be the word of our Lord, who sent Christ down from above to atone man and pay for his sins, and that the gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes in Zion. These new beliefs and the book have made my personal life better and have made me feel closer to the Lord and feel his warmth around me the more I incorporate them into my day-to-day life, relationships, and soul. I want to share this with my family, I want them to read the Book of Mormon and see what I have seen. But the thing is I am somewhat hesitant to share this with anyone in my family. My mother was raised catholic, but became non-denominational after the age of 18 (she didn’t like the Catholic Church very much). So I was raised non-denominational, and I feel she is reluctant to believe in anything else besides the Old and New Testaments. Which I respect and understand, but I wish could muster up the courage to ask her. The more I pray, and the more I come on to her about it, I feel I can openly tell her about my feelings on it. My father is another story entirely. I’ll explain his situation some other time.

But as of now I still feel reluctant to tell my parents or anyone in family for that matter.

So my question is to you guys, what should I do? I am at a loss with myself again on this. When should I convert? Should I just wait until I am 18 and out of the house to convert… or something else? I really don’t know what to do, I want to believe in the Book of Mormon, and abide by the word of God and love God. But because of my family, I feel held back from it.

[pam]

Wow are you sure you are only 16? That was most eloquent. Welcome to the site.

In answer to your question as to when to convert. There are certain things to consider.

1. If you are moved strongly that this is a decision that is right for you.

2. Since you are also only 16, I believe there has to be parental permission for you to join. Would your family give that permission or would it cause undue contention within your family at this time?

3. I would consider taking the missionary lessons if your parents would allow.

I commend that school official for being an example to you and to the other students. He sounds like a great person and one to look up to.

[Maxel]

FutureCoastGuardsmen (hereafter FCG):

Welcome to the site! First of all, I'm glad you found it. I've found LDS.net to be a good resource of information.

I would suggest picking a course of action and preparing to follow through while praying about it. For example, decide you will tell your mom on [enter future date here] and then prepare what you're going to say. If you're nervous, I suggest writing down possible ways to breach the subject, and even find someone to role-play the scenario with if you can (believe it or not, it works). The point of waiting a couple days and preparing is to allow you time to receive revelation about the matter with the Lord. We are more receptive to revelation when we are acting in accordance with what we think to be right. If you decide to tell your mom/dad/both, I suggest following the preceding plan. If you decide not to tell them, I suggest finding a way to keep yourself spiritually nourished through the Book or Mormon and other scripture while continuing to pray for guidance.

Don't let the prospect of rejection make you worry. My mother converted when she was 16, even though her parents were dead-set against the Church (they were non-denominational Christian as well). It was a miracle that they signed the papers allowing her to get baptized- but they did! Don't give up, and don't stop moving forward. If I can be of any assistance, feel free to PM me!

Good luck!

[Palerider]

welcome to the site...

[Hemidakota]

Excellent post...welcome my brother to the forum.

[Gwen]

hi and welcome. my brother is in the coast guard, not that that really matters. lol

[FutureCoastGuardsmen]

Would your family give that permission or would it cause undue contention within your family at this time?

The latter is what I fear most likely to happen. You see my mother was raised Catholic (as I stated before), and she told me that she converted because didn't like the Catholic ritual of confession. She told me it seemed like (and I'm not trying to knock on Catholics or anything) most Catholics she knew were very sinful, and that they really didn't care about it either. They would use confession as an excuse to sin essentially.

This could have been because of the town she was living in, or because of the time era. It could have been any reason really, but I'm not trying to attack Catholics or anything.

And the thing is now, I feel my mother is set in her ways. And I'm just her 16 year old son.... well I mean I love my mother of course. And she truly cares for me, and she has been through much for my sake and has fought many battles for me when I was littler. And I love her for that. But I don't want to ruin anything in our relationship or make her feel stressed by this (she has severe headache problems sometimes).

Wow are you sure you are only 16? That was most eloquent.

Ha, well thank you, and yes I am 16. I'm just.... well I guess I'm just very well read and I have luckily the Lord has given me the gift of writing. Novels are one of my hobbies you know. Psychological and techno military and military history ones, those are my favorite. My top three favorites of fiction are Heart of Darkness by Conrad, Flight Of The Intruder by Coontz, and Gunbird Driver by Ballentine.

Edited April 8, 2009 by FutureCoastGuardsmen