Getting baptized

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Hi there all!

I'm new here, but have a very important question that (I feel) needs addressing ASAP.

First, a little background on me. I come from a family who has never attended church, except on some Easters with my grandmother, and then it wasn't LDS churches. I discovered the church a while ago through my closest friend and have recently been reading the scriptures and praying quite a bit. I would really like to be baptized because I know that the church is true.

The problem here is that my parents believe that Mormonism is the occult. I'm afraid that if I do decide to get baptized, they'll kick me out and won't pay for school anymore (I'm 18 and in college), but I can't just ignore my faith. My mother doesn't seem like she'll ever accept the LDS church because she is black (my dad is white, and so am I) and she has very strong prejudices against anything that she feels has ever excluded her or disliked her based on the color of her skin. I can understand that, but I also feel like every church has made mistakes and has skeletons in it's closet. It doesn't mean that the religion is wrong, just that the church made a mistake. It happens. We're human, no matter how hard we try to be like Jesus Christ.

I would seriously appreciate some advice on what to do. I have no job and no money and rely on my parents completely when it comes to financial things. Thank you sooo much in advance for any help you can give me!

[selek]

Is she open to hearing more? Or is her mind made up?

I would suggest that peruse the articles at the following link in order to become well-enough versed to discuss the issues with her:

Mormonism and racial issues/Blacks and the priesthood - FAIRMormon

Are Mormons Christian? | BlacksInTheScriptures.com

The only other advice I can offer at the moment is to humbly and faithfully lay your burders before the Lord in prayer- and ask him to grant you the words to show that what you are doing is right in his sight, and to soften your parents hearts towards your decision.

Congratulations and good luck.

Edited February 24, 2013 by selek

[Mamas_Girl]

My mother doesn't seem like she'll ever accept the LDS church because she is black (my dad is white, and so am I) and she has very strong prejudices against anything that she feels has ever excluded her or disliked her based on the color of her skin. I can understand that, but I also feel like every church has made mistakes and has skeletons in it's closet. It doesn't mean that the religion is wrong, just that the church made a mistake. It happens. We're human, no matter how hard we try to be like Jesus Christ.

Is your mother a member of any particular church now? I mean, almost any church that went through the 19th century in the US has issues with either slavery or racism. The Methodist Church had a schism in 1844 dividing the church into the Methodist Episcopal North and Methodist Episcopal South, the Southern faction believing in slavery. The Methodists apologized about 2000. The Baptist Church splintered into the Northern and Southern Baptists in 1845, with the Southern Baptists believing that the Bible allowed for African slavery. The Southern Baptists apologized for that in 1995. The Presbyterians both old and new school split in 1857 and 1861, I can't find an apology from them though that doesn't mean it wasn't done. The Episcopalians who never split but supported slavery offered an apology in 2008.

The LDS Church gave the priesthood to all worthy male members of the Church, in 1978; and President Hinckley's apology to a minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church given about 2004. Racism is hurtful no matter what century, or country it's found in. To me, the important part is where the Church stands today, and where it's headed. I don't know if any of this was of interest to you, or if it will do you any good; but it is something that I think gives a person a more solid footing.

[skippy740]

This is my sticky thread on the topic. I may be a bit biased, but I think you'll find all the answers you need on this subject referenced in the thread, including scripture reference verses, youtube videos, etc.

http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/45876-scriptures-church-history-racism-blacks-scriptures.html

I hope you have an LDS edition of the scriptures available to study as you read, review and ponder the scriptures and their meaning.

Also note that we are using the 1981 edition of the scriptures. This is after the 1978 revelation on Official Declaration 2. There are new footnotes and chapter headings that have been incorporated into our printed and digital editions of the scriptures.

For the faster pace lesson, I would download my Elder's Quorum lesson that I gave and uploaded to the thread. It's only 40 minutes long and I think I do a decent enough job of outlining the problems, going through the scriptures and eliminating all of the doubts and errors of the past.

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Thank you all so much! I read all of the things that you posted and started the conversation with my mom and so far she's taking it well. Initially she was extremely angry, but now I've got her thinking that it will be good for me. Thank you all!