Why adults convert


prisonchaplain
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Growing up I heard a statistic I believe still largely rings true--85% of Christians determined their religious identify by age 14. So, what of those 15%? Just what is it that causes an adult to convert--to any religion or church group? Discovery of truth? Personal spiritual ephiphany? Well, sure--most religions would claim those experiences. However, what sparks people to thinking (other than the Holy Ghost, of course!)?

Amongst Protestants, we seem to be hearing more and more than denominational loyalty and doctrinal distinctives are largely unimportant. I might have been raised Baptist, but when I moved I ended up at a non-denominational church (or Methodist, or charismatic, etc.)

So, if it isn't teaching or denomination, what gets most adults into their faith communities? The key ingredient is people. If I'm open to change, or looking for spiritual community, and I meet people I like, am comfortable with, and respect, there's a good chance they can invite me into their house of worship and lead me into joining.

Different ideas, comments, or observations?

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I can only really tell my own story, I was six when I saw the picture of Jesus being baptised by immersion, from then I desired that one thing and went in search of it. Over the years I became seriously disillusioned with Christianity, part of me wanted to be a nun or a minister but I could find no denomination I was happy with. I still struggle with mainstream christianity as a religious group and philosophy it is the one I identify the least with, I haven't used the phrase 'I am Christian' since I was 12.

I loved aspects of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, paganism creeped in but nothing was quite right nor could they give me my baptism. I found that at 15 when the missionaries knocked on the door, I knew they were right. For the first time I had my questions answered and understood why Christianity did not make sense to me and that there was no one baptism available.

Me getting baptised or leaving churches had nothing to do with the people. Personally if I could choose somewhere based on the people my branch of the church wouldn't be it. I am a Latter Day Saint because it was what God required of me no more and no less.

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I believe that God takes you from where you are and gets you where he wants you to be. It may take baby steps and even going from one denomination to another with gradual spiritual growth.

Some people live their whole life in one church but I believe that most don't. We have different needs at different points in our life.

I believe that my spiritual journey has been a windy road and as long as the essentials of salvation remain the basis of my faith, I am okay.

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IMHO

Everyone has to sooner or later take sides in the question of religion. Like Elgama I can only talk of my own experience. I was a very active protestant (Lutheran) with both grandparents as priests, from a very good lutheran home, it seemed weird to anyone that I would change my religion... and SO drastically! I was on the very topp as a lutheran youth. I would probably have been a priest at least a member of the counsil of the Church. I was voted in the youth counsil of our congrigation.

As I have told I knew my scriptures, yet I did not act any special religious, I was a shy, good girl and just not interested in drinking or smoking or haging around. I rather was at home and listened to Black Sabbath and the Animals and paul Revere and the Riders and the.... Osmonds...:P

I was interested to study different religions and I was sure already then that ALL religions come from one and the same religion, they just have been altered in time. I was not just reading the Bible I was and stil am a thinker. No matter how much I read there were questiosn I could not answer with Lutheran explanation, or I felt they gave me wrong answers, or none. I noticed how people were prising Lord with their mouths but their hearts were far from Him. I also noticed how little by little the laws of the Lord were forgotten or not taken seriosly any more. I did some choises I myself thought were wrong... but everyone else did it too... and NO ONE said it was wrong!?

Anyway one day I found the missionares behind my door. I listended to them. I was critical. I have met one of my missionaries later and in one of their first visits I threw at them something about women not beeing able to be priests and some other stuff I heard about mormons... he said that they were wondering what will become of this investigator! I asked quite a few negative things I had heard about mormons... plural marriage ... ofcourse... The second time they were visiting me they showed "the search of happyness"... somethig unexpected happened, already then I KNEW taht the Church of jesus Crist of Latter-day Saints was the true Church of our Lord and Saviour.

I had to fight back and kept asking all kinds of questions. I could not just fall in the waters ... could I!

I red the BoM with a prayer: Please God if there is ANYTHING against the Bible show it to me. Many parts of the scriptures touched me just like the Bible did. Alma 11-12, 32,39-42 And so much of the same was in the Bible.

The people in Church were nice. One lady picked me and my daughter up every Sunday. Every Sunday was like a feast. But I never cared so much for the people, as the gospel.

I remember I sat on a high kitchen movable stairs and cried... mother it is my life I feel this is right... My ex and my mother asked me to meet with a big anti, they said he would like to meet me (and the misionaries if I wanted to). He knew the truth about LDS, as he was an exmember. But that meeting came never true. Instead they gave me his book and told me to read that book before I decide anything. I red the book ... I felt I wanted to puke on each site, I felt sick... HOW someone can write a book like that! The accusitions were ridiculous, I had been there, and seen all myself. Either all mormons lied or that book lied, and I had a feeling I knew who!

Actually I think I can thank that book for joining and especially for getting now later in to the Church defence. :P Today soon 30 years later I still can say that I have not found anythign in that book to be true.

I suppose I just like to swim against the stream!:P

All I know for sure is that the Spirit testified to me then, it spoke peace in my mind and I felt the small seed begin to grow. I also had a few smal miracles happening to me then and later, that proved to me that the Church and its doctorine is true. I enjoy soo much the new knowledge I have recieved. It still feels unbelievable that I have been given the possibility to learn all this... and there is still more to come. This is so exciting and interesting to search in the deapths of the scrioptures and in the words of the Profet. We live in exciting and interesting times!

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I'm still not currently baptised so I'm not completely converted yet tho I hope to be soon.I plan to join the LDS church as soon as I can overcome what holds me back from being baptised.I very much enjoy the people I've met and really feel a conection with most of them.The way the church is run is more along the lines of how I feel a church should be operated...promptings of the spirit instead of one person doing all the talking.So I was impressed by that the first time I attended services.That isn't what convinced me tho.Some of it was the answers to questions no one else had for me that I found in the D&C.I still most likely would have wrote this church off as just another though if I hadn't shared an experience I had once with the missionaries and they being somewhat shocked in turn shocked me with the true story of someone elses experience without leaving out a few things this time.The things that aren't usually shared when someones story is told is exactly what convinced me cause I know exactly what someone felt like and by that I can tell his story was true.

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I am a 28 year old adult who converted almost 4 months ago, so I shall share my story. I was not raised in any church and I wasn't baptized as a child. My mother was a lazy Catholic and my father was a lazy Protestant and they figured I would figure G-d out on my own later on in life. But since I was never raised with any basic education in any faith, I decided that there was no G-d. As I got older I embraced this idea and did as much research into it as I could. I still have books by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. I dated an evolutionary anthropologist for some time as well and she took the stance that evolution proved there was no deity. A belief that she instilled in me. Despite knowing the 'truth' and feeling enlightened because I was above all those who were tricked into religion, I was miserable and longed for answers to life. I went through a long phase where I still didn't believe, but wished that I did. Then I developed a lengthy drinking problem that carried me through most of my twenties and took care of that need for knowledge. Temporarily. I went from longing for being one of the people I mocked and considered myself better than to being an angry non-theist drunk who not only didn't believe in a deity, but didn't believe in the possibility of one anymore. Fast forward several years to earlier this year, I'm drinking now just to stand the sight of myself. I was medically discharged from the military just over 4 years ago and back to not knowing what I want to be when I grow up. 4 years of military experience and 4 years of college and I'm working at Dunkin Donuts to make ends meet. I spent so much time being angry at a G-d I didn't believe existed and flushing my life down the toilet that I didn't take the time out to take care of myself. One day I had a feeling I had never felt in my life, and felt prompted to go to church. I went to a Catholic church very near to my house and felt the spirit. Finally I realized why people were going to church all this time instead of trying to drink as many years off their life as you could, like I had been doing. I knew I was on the right track but the Catholic church didn't have everything I was looking for. I am not bashing any church, I met some wonderful people there but I wasn't meant to be Catholic. I went online and requested a Book of Mormon. Shortly after that I got a phone call from this young gentlemen who said he wanted to drop off my free book and answer any questions I might have. These two young guys showed up, dressed all nice with nifty name badges, and a load of spiritual comfort for me. They explained the basics of the church and gave me my book and asked me to read, and pray, and ask G-d if it was true. I didn't have to pray. I knew right then that I had finally made my way home. I did tons of research into the LDS church, I learned their lessons before they even came to teach them to me. Within 3 weeks of them first showing up I was baptized. Within the first week of being in the church I received the Aaronic Priesthood and a temple recommend to do baptisms for the dead and I haven't looked back.

I spent almost 30 years looking in the world for happiness. Everything members who were born into the church were raised not to do, I've pretty much done. Except for murder. And the gay part. But every chance at what I thought was happiness that I could chase after, I did. I don't say these things in pride, or to reminisce about the good old days. I am flat out embarrassed for the way I lived the majority of my life. I was lost for long, and I think I hit bottom long before the missionaries found me. I figured that after I hit bottom I probably earned some time down there. I can tell you one thing for certain, there is no happiness in life without G-d, and the Savior was right about the world hating Him first.

I've thrown my whole life into upheaval. I've lost life long friends and have family that will have nothing to do with me because of my joining the church. I gave away hunderds of DVDs, sold my Xbox, deleted thousands of songs from my computer, shed tons of "friends" and now I spend as much time as I can doing church activities. I go out with our ward missionaries several times a week. I go tracting with them, visit less active members, do service for people, try to help them with teaching investigators, anything I can. I don't really match the poster for your standard LDS member, if there is one. I have partial sleeve tattoos, I'm almost 30 and not married, I don't have children, but I'm just living proof that the gospel is for everyone. I've been a lot of places and done a lot of living, and made more mistakes than most. I'm not bashful about my past, I'm more than willing to share every single speed bump I've hit in life if it helps someone else learn from my mistakes.

In my very short time in the church I've tried my best to reform my entire life. I'm moving in with a very good friend of mine in a few weeks, I'm going back to school to start a new career and hopefully I'll be able to attract a mate in a few years. I don't know how I'll do as a parent. I spend most of Sacrament Meeting giving the members kids starburst and watching as their moms try to figure out why their kids hands are red and sticky. I can't even get my cat to not jump up on the table when I eat, I am absolutely terrified about botching a child. But I know that there is no greater teaching available than the church, especially when it comes to matters of the family.

I am beyond thankful for that day those 2 young guys showed up at my door that day. Even though I don't really fit in with a lot of the people from my ward, I've been met with nothing but warm welcomes with no judging. I always have friendly faces greeting me on Sunday, calling me to invite me over for lunch, or asking if they can stop by just to see how I'm doing.

If I had to answer the question as to why adults convert, it's because there is no true happiness in life without the Savior.

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I too, like Maya, was a Lutheran before joining the LDS faith. The reasons I converted are somewhat simple. I was attending a Lutheran church where the Sunday sermon was no longer about God or about Christ, but about football, corvettes, and how our offering/tithing money (though my church didn't follow the 10%) was going to pay for the clergy and their vacations... I'd been at the same church my entire life, and as a youngster it was fine and dandy -- it was small, and closer to Christ, less focused on temporal things. But as I grew up, the church grew too and eventually became a "mega church" with thousands of members attending on any given weekend. It became impersonal, focused on temporal things and less spiritual things. It was a problem for me. Despite having grown up in a Christian faith, I was still learning to develop my relationship with Christ and that church didn't have what I was looking for.

To be totally honest, I lost a lot of respect for the Lutheran church. I decided to start looking for something MORE ... and I'd been very well acquainted with other denominations, but never the LDS faith. It was completely foreign to me, but the more research I did... the more I believed I'd found the truth, and to this day I still believe that I have. I think this faith is the best choice for me. I've got answers to questions I never thought I'd have, and the way we focus on Christ is just so amazing -- there isn't a single Sunday in my ward that we don't feel the love of Christ through others testimonies, talks, or simple gestures.

One thing I also think is GREAT about our faith is that we're the same universally. The LDS church is the same no matter where you go, where as a Lutheran (I was a Missouri Synod Lutheran), even the beliefs can vary because of the way that the pastors go about teaching the articles of faith that LCMS believes as a whole. Having been to many Lutheran churches growing up (attending with friends, singing in high school choir we'd go to different services and churches on Sundays), nothing was the same. I really enjoy the uniformity our church has all around. :)

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One thing I also think is GREAT about our faith is that we're the same universally. The LDS church is the same no matter where you go

Isn't that the truth? I've been to church in Hong Kong. I've been to Spanish branches and to Samoan and Tongan wards. And it's all the same. Maybe a different language but the same nonetheless.

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So, if it isn't teaching or denomination, what gets most adults into their faith communities? The key ingredient is people. If I'm open to change, or looking for spiritual community, and I meet people I like, am comfortable with, and respect, there's a good chance they can invite me into their house of worship and lead me into joining.

Different ideas, comments, or observations?

Chaplain, my observation would have to be from purely my own experience. In adulthood I threw off my former religious indoctrination and found myself without any religious beliefs. It was through the epiphany of reading Dr. Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning that I decided to take another look at religious meaning and through years of inquiry and learning, I was able to arrive at my now very firm religious beliefs.

So I would submit that self inquiry is another genuine means of arriving at a religious identity.

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I think there are some adults who convert because they marry someone, or want to marry someone in a different church than they were raised in. Ideally, the one converting would do so because they want to, but often, it's more to please their spouse or significant other they're dating, whether it's pressure from the person or church community, or in many cases, a threat of divorce or breakup that works. I myself am happy with my church, so I have no desire to convert.

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I think a large factor can be dissatisfaction, either doctrinally speaking or fellowshipping wise. Some are unsatisfied or unhappy with the answers their religion provides and so they seek outside where they currently are (though sometimes not very far) for answers that satisfy them. Likewise dissatisfaction with the fellowshipping can either drive people to be dissatisfied with answers as a sort of transfer effect (these horrible people believe that, I can't believe that too!) or make them conclude their faith community is hypocritical in some way and they don't want anything to do with them, even if it means finding another faith community.

Of course the LDS perspective is going to be different. One can leave a Baptist Church and land in another Baptist Church which teaches things that aren't quite the same and not be considered a convert. Additionally even if the doctrine is the same one is fee to go to the Baptist Church across the street without reproach (at least that is my perception, Wards however kinda leave you with the same people, going to a different ward because it has better speakers or activities or the people are nicer is frowned upon.

Additionally I think there may exist more variety within the envelope of Baptist or Evangelical and what have you than there is LDS/Mormon which allows other Christians greater options for lateral moves.

P.S. It's possible I went off and a barely related tangent, my apologies if I went and detracted from the thread.

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For me, it was feeling like something was missing and wanting my children to have a better spiritual upbringing than I had had. I visited many churches of many different faiths but still always felt like something was missing from each. It wasn't until I began attending services at the LDS church and reading the Book of Mormon that I felt as if I had found what I was looking for and had "come home".

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I am also was someone who grew up Luthren, went exploring, and ended up reading the book of Mormon. Six months later I visited the local branch, and three months after that, I found myself getting dunked by a old college suitemate.

Of course, I have met a lot of Former Luthren coverts to the LDS church, so I wonder if Luthren's who have a hard time agreeing with the trinity or "Grace Alone" are "Freezed dried LDS, just add water" ;)

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Guest mormonmusic

I've seen a whole number of different reasons:

1. Disaffection with doctrine/relationships/experiences in their existing Church -- including changes in doctrine.

2. They are in love with someone and this attracts them to their lifestyle and religion.

3. They have trials in their life and find their existing religion provides no fulfillment.

4. They never had a real identity with their original church, even though they were a member of it. This was my experience. I was baptized in a protestant Church, but my experience there as a young adult never led me to identify with that particular Church. I believed in God and Christ, so when I hit adulthood, any other religion was fair game as long as they had those entities.

5. They meet someone with a charismatic personality (not a love interest, just a good friend) and that person's personality persuades them to convert.

6. The church is close to where they live!

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I have been converted so many times for so many reasons I am not sure how to respond. There have been events that I did not think were all that great only to realize – sometimes years later that an epiphany had occurred and changed my heart and outlook on things forever. Sometimes it has been small very simple things and other times it has been – as it were a choir of angles.

Perhaps the greatest conversion has been the years I have spent as a husband, father and grandfather realizing that family relationships are the basis of the highest levels of divine understanding of love, mercy, compassion, sacrifice and charity. Maybe I am just a slow learner that only gets part of the grand scheme of things here and there and everywhere over long periods of time.

And please – to those of you the find errors all over my posts and other personal life failings – please be forgiving – I’m not done yet and have a long way still to go.

The Traveler

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