Meeting With A Missionary For The First Time


Guest Douglas
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Good Luck Douglas. I hope you find in Mormonism what I have found in Catholicism.

Thank you....I think......As a former catholic (and seminarian) I don't even want to image what you've "found".

You were a seminarian? Does that mean you were training to be a priest, or simply that you went to a school that included a lot of theological education?

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I thought he was training to be a Dominican?

He had to go to Cuba? :dontknow:

I assume this is tongue in cheek, but for those who don't "get it", a Dominican Monk is what I meant.

Oh. For a moment there I thought he had to spend time in Guantanimo Bay. :lookaround:

Yes, it was a joke, and I'm sorry you didn't get it.

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doug this is great i know exactly how you feel and just pray and keep reading thats all you can do. the weeks before you baptism may be hard but all will work out the 2 weeks before my baptism were incredibly hard and at times i almost backed out but i never really told anyone that but i almost didnt do it but then one night i just prayed about it and was pretty much told that the rest of the week was going to be really hard but that it would all work out in the end. so im really excited for you and know its the best decision i have ever made.

andy

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Guest Douglas

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Good Luck Douglas. I hope you find in Mormonism what I have found in Catholicism.

Thank you....I think......As a former catholic (and seminarian) I don't even want to image what you've "found".

You were a seminarian? Does that mean you were training to be a priest, or simply that you went to a school that included a lot of theological education?

Yes, I was training to be a Roman Catholic priest. I was in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Funny how things change. :)

And yet, I will have the priesthood one day!

Thank You God, Thank You Joseph Smith!

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Yes, I was training to be a Roman Catholic priest. I was in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Funny how things change. :)

And yet, I will have the priesthood one day!

Thank You God, Thank You Joseph Smith!

Intriguing. The Jesuits are the brainiacs of the faith, from my understanding. What led to your disaffection with Catholicism (or was it simply that the LDS gospel overwhelmed it)?

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Douglas, thank you so much for sharing your missionary experience with the rest of us. I am really excited for you. You articulate your feelings so well, you really should consider starting a blog about your meetings with the missionaries, your feelings, and how it has affected your life.

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Yes, I was training to be a Roman Catholic priest. I was in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Funny how things change. :)

And yet, I will have the priesthood one day!

Thank You God, Thank You Joseph Smith!

Intriguing. The Jesuits are the brainiacs of the faith, from my understanding. What led to your disaffection with Catholicism (or was it simply that the LDS gospel overwhelmed it)?

Maybe he wasn't cut out for the Jesuits. Mormonism seems like a worthy second choice. ;)

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I searched that 1-800-need-him and came up with religious site with quote from the matrix... :dontknow:

Interesting

I was just kidding with Jason, but that number should lead to Christian lay-counselors, and is connected with an advertising campaign encouraging people to connect with God.

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Hey Chap, while we're way off subject, have you read Schillebeeckx "Ministry". I'm currently going through it and wondered what you thought.

I just read a summary article. I had not read it, and am not surprised, having seen the summary. The issue is a controversy in hierarchical churches. In many evangelical and nondenominational churches, the "priesthood of all believers," levels the chasm between ordained and laity. Our clergy are seen almost as spiritual coaches, equipping the members for ministry. It is the people, not the preacher, who will bring in investigators (seekers). Even our "altar service," --where converts are invited to confess their sins (say the sinners' prayer) and give their lives to Jesus--usually the experience is a formalization of what a member has already gone through with the convert.

Our authority comes "in the name of Jesus," or "by the blood of Jesus." We see the Great Commission (Matthew 19:27-28) as applying to all Christians. Likewise, the promise of Acts 1:8 (You will receive power...to witness).

So, my bottom-line view is that yes, if church leadership charges laymembers with carrying certain tasks--such as Holy Communion--then yes, there is little scriptural basis for not allowing that to happen.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Douglas

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Yes, I was training to be a Roman Catholic priest. I was in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Funny how things change. :)

And yet, I will have the priesthood one day!

Thank You God, Thank You Joseph Smith!

Intriguing. The Jesuits are the brainiacs of the faith, from my understanding. What led to your disaffection with Catholicism (or was it simply that the LDS gospel overwhelmed it)?

Maybe he wasn't cut out for the Jesuits. Mormonism seems like a worthy second choice. ;)

I left the NY Province Society of Jesus because the house I was living in was filled with active homosexuals, alcoholics and drug abusers. Couple that with the lack of any real spiritual direction and you have nothing but a recipe for disaster. The Jesuits are nothing but an organized group of left-wing agnostics. The Roman Catholic Church is nothing but irrelevant.

Joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a worthy second choice as you put it, it is the ONLY choice.

Friends,

My visits with missionaries have been going at quite a pace. We have been meeting twice a week now plus a class in gospel principles on Sunday. I have also been invited to sit in on the priesthood meeting which follows the class. I was quite surprised when I was asked to do the closing prayer for the priesthood meeting. The warmth, openness, trust, and faith that I see in my ward warms my heart.

I briefly met the Bishop and my missionaries are trying to arrange a longer meeting for Sunday. I will have my baptismal interview on Thursday.

I know I am ready. I feel it in my heart. There were no bells and whistles, just a soft, confident feeling of assurance. For the first time in my life I am not just joining an 'church' but I am acutely aware of God the Father and Jesus Christ as real....as my true father and true brother. For the first time in my life I can honestly say, "I love my heavenly father and his son, my brother, Jesus Christ. I love them with all my heart and I wish to serve them all my days."

I believe this happened because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church. This happened because Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Book of Mormon is true.

Until next time....

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<div class='quotemain'>

Yes, I was training to be a Roman Catholic priest. I was in the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Funny how things change. :)

And yet, I will have the priesthood one day!

Thank You God, Thank You Joseph Smith!

Intriguing. The Jesuits are the brainiacs of the faith, from my understanding. What led to your disaffection with Catholicism (or was it simply that the LDS gospel overwhelmed it)?

Maybe he wasn't cut out for the Jesuits. Mormonism seems like a worthy second choice. ;)

I left the NY Province Society of Jesus because the house I was living in was filled with active homosexuals, alcoholics and drug abusers. Couple that with the lack of any real spiritual direction and you have nothing but a recipe for disaster. The Jesuits are nothing but an organized group of left-wing agnostics. The Roman Catholic Church is nothing but irrelevant.

Joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not a worthy second choice as you put it, it is the ONLY choice.

Friends,

My visits with missionaries have been going at quite a pace. We have been meeting twice a week now plus a class in gospel principles on Sunday. I have also been invited to sit in on the priesthood meeting which follows the class. I was quite surprised when I was asked to do the closing prayer for the priesthood meeting. The warmth, openness, trust, and faith that I see in my ward warms my heart.

I briefly met the Bishop and my missionaries are trying to arrange a longer meeting for Sunday. I will have my baptismal interview on Thursday.

I know I am ready. I feel it in my heart. There were no bells and whistles, just a soft, confident feeling of assurance. For the first time in my life I am not just joining an 'church' but I am acutely aware of God the Father and Jesus Christ as real....as my true father and true brother. For the first time in my life I can honestly say, "I love my heavenly father and his son, my brother, Jesus Christ. I love them with all my heart and I wish to serve them all my days."

I believe this happened because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church. This happened because Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Book of Mormon is true.

Until next time....

Awwwww Douglas. That is so wonderful. I can (even in your posts) see how your testimony has grown.

:bighug:

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If there is one thing that I take from Douglas' testimonies, it is the necessity of practicing the presence of God in our lives. Faith is not a profession, and surrounding ourselves with like minded believers doesn't guarantee our own relationship with God. We absolutely must commune with God, regularly, intentionally, and also sporadically, and naturally.

Thanks for letting us in on your experiences.

P.S. IT TURNS OUT, THE PHONE # FOR SPIRITUAL COUNSEL IS 1-888-NEED-HIM (NOT 800).

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  • 2 years later...

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