I'm not a Mormon

[Phoenix310]

I'm not a Mormon. At best, I'm a struggling non-denominational Christian. I'm also a person who has done something many non-Mormons won't do.

I have always heard so many negative things about Mormons and the LDS. Horrible things that made want to stay clear of Mormons. All my life, childhood, adulthood, in and out church, from everyone including fellow Christian's. Horrible things said about Mormons.

One day, servings at my now old church, I had a fellow Christian make a negative remark about Mormons. One remark too many for me to accept. So I asked him, what proof do you have to back up your remark? He struggled, but failed to give any proof. His remarks was based on ignorance and social impressed impression/social acceptence. That was not okay. Facts from learning he failed to have.

So this got me thinking that day about what the truth was about Mormons and the howdo I find out. Well, it was days after that some missionaries came to my door. I saw opportunity and it just knocked on my front door. It was this moment where I knew a journey for me was starting.

I talked to the missionaries and invested time to learn about Mormons and the LDS. Without any judgement, I gave my desires to learn the truth. Want to know what I learned? ...

First, there are endless lies constantly being told about Mormons and the LDS Church. Out of ignorance and other motivated reasons, people tell lies about Mormons. Oh my goodness, the lies I always heard. Misinformed andmisundertood because it is easier to tell a lie than to take out the time to learn the truth.

Mormons are good hearted people has a strong sense of family. A sense of family that is stronger than any I've seen from any other faith. A sense of family that can not be compared or equal to any other faith. I was super amaze.

I've learned alot about Mormons and the LDS Church. I have more learning to do and I'm not a Mormon, but find myself defending the Mormon faith with an open mind against the lies and insults I hear constantly.

No, I'm not a Mormon but I will defend thier faith when I hear lies and insults others say. Why? Cause I have learned the truth about Mormons and the LDS Church and I will not accept anything but the truth.

Mormons are good people and always welcome in my life and home.

I have more to learn, but I am getting with missionaries. We'll see where my journey goes from hear.

Don't need to be a Mormon to like them.

 

[NeedleinA]

Thank you for your post @Phoenix310

[Sunday21]

Welcome! Great to have you here! Look forward to your posts.

[zil]

Welcome, and thank you for your post @Phoenix310!  I admire you for choosing to learn for yourself rather than go the easier routes of accepting or ignoring.    I believe that approach ("Without any judgement, I gave my desires to learn the truth.") will be valuable for you (and anyone) in every aspect of life.

[Jane_Doe]

Welcome and thank you!

[prisonchaplain]

Okay...okay...I admit it. I spread negativity about LDS all the time. 

"Hey, PC, what do you think about those LDS folks."

"Well, they can be really nice. However, don't ever ask them for a cup of coffee. They look at your funny, and when you tell them that yes, you really want some, they bring you this stuff called Postum.

So, maybe that's not unforgiveable.  But...yuck, yikes, and ugh!   

[zil]

8 minutes ago, prisonchaplain said:

Okay...okay...I admit it. I spread negativity about LDS all the time. 

"Hey, PC, what do you think about those LDS folks."

"Well, they can be really nice. However, don't ever ask them for a cup of coffee. They look at your funny, and when you tell them that yes, you really want some, they bring you this stuff called Postum.

So, maybe that's not unforgiveable.  But...yuck, yikes, and ugh!   

Hey!  Don't dis the Postum, man!  It's yuuuummmmmyyy!

[SilentOne]

18 hours ago, zil said:

Hey!  Don't dis the Postum, man!  It's yuuuummmmmyyy!

My dad loves Postum and would often try to convince us kids to drink it with him. We finally found a way to make it palatable: add equal or greater amounts of hot chocolate mix along with the Postum powder.

[zil]

53 minutes ago, SilentOne said:

My dad loves Postum and would often try to convince us kids to drink it with him. We finally found a way to make it palatable: add equal or greater amounts of hot chocolate mix along with the Postum powder.

Gaaa. Ick.  Sugar fine (that's what I do).  Milk or cream, fine (do this sometimes, a little).  But chocolate + Postum? Yick!

[Mike]

Although my dad drank coffee and my maternal grandmother drank Postum, I never liked the taste nor the aroma of either. On Winter evenings I often enjoy a little hot chocolate with my marshmallow creme, but I can't seem to conjure any desire for a hot drink on a typical morning. I'll take a cold glass of juice  nearly every time. 

[SilentOne]

18 minutes ago, zil said:

Gaaa. Ick.  Sugar fine (that's what I do).  Milk or cream, fine (do this sometimes, a little).  But chocolate + Postum? Yick!

I think we ended up adding so much chocolate the Postum taste was not particularly noticeable.

[HelamansArmy]

Prior to being baptized I considered myself an agnostic, dyslexic insomniac.. I stayed up nights wondering if there really was a Dog. 

Im not Pioneer stock from Utah, Im northern european old world colonial stock from the sixteen hundreds.

I didn't go to BYU. I didn't serve a mission when I was young. I don't have a big family. I have never been to Temple Square during Christmas.

Im a convert that didn't really need to convert FROM anything to get here, am Im less a convert than saint, or less a saint than convert. Im imperfect.

I have a testimony of Christ Jesus as the savior and redeemer of man, faith in his atoning sacrifice, his resurrection and his return.

I go to Church. I serve others in a calling. I support my leaders.  I strive to keep all my covenants and His commandments at all times in all things... 

I believe Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, seer and revelator. 

Im not "Mormon" either.. Mormon was.. I am a lost sheep.. who found his flock.. or.. did the flock find me..

 

Edited March 30, 2017 by HelamansArmy
too many typos

[zil]

8 hours ago, HelamansArmy said:

I have never been to Temple Square during Christmas.

[Traveler]

@Phoenix310

In general I have found individuals of devote religious devotion to be “good” people.   However, there is, among many of religious stripe, ideological undercurrents that are contrary to the very foundation of what they think they believe.  Usually these ideological undercurrents foster unfounded hatred towards others they consider rivals to their beliefs. 

One very interesting person I met in my travels was a Satan worshiper.  I say interesting because this individual made no effort to “hide” any elements of what most of us would say is the dark side of his faith.  For example, this person did not try to deny or hide their pride – but openly embraced that emotion pronouncing such as desirable.   What was interesting about this person was that they never criticized or put anyone else down.  His attitude towards others was quite refreshing and consistent.

During the time of Jesus there was a people that were “generally” unacceptable to almost all the Jews.  They were called the Samaritans.  The very foundation of the Jews was based in the love of the “true” G-d of heaven and earth and yet the enmity towards the Samaritans was used to make excuse to destroy the very G-d they thought to worship.   This is proof again that it is impossible to hate any other person and still love the G-d that created them.

 

The Traveler

[SilentOne]

3 hours ago, Traveler said:

Usually these ideological undercurrents foster unfounded hatred towards others they consider rivals to their beliefs. 

This sentence reminded me of a girl I knew when I was in elementary school. She was RLDS (what is now Community of Christ) and I had somehow gotten it into my head that because they split off from us, we should hate all RLDS people. But this girl was always friendly to me. She shared her cool stuff, and made up a cool nickname for me, and I couldn't bring myself to be anything but nice back. I was actually pretty conflicted about the situation for a while

[wenglund]

On 3/16/2017 at 9:03 PM, Phoenix310 said:

No, I'm not a Mormon but I will defend thier faith when I hear lies and insults others say. Why? Cause I have learned the truth about Mormons and the LDS Church and I will not accept anything but the truth.

Mormons are good people and always welcome in my life and home.

I am LDS, and I try to do the same for other religions, including Muslims. This, to me, is the way of Christ.

As a fellow defender of faith for decades, and a strong supporter of the free and open marketplace of ideas, i have found that the "anti's" who  bash whatever belief systems, tend to lash out because they are insecure and lack faith and confidence in their own beliefs. They seem to have a need to bring others down to their level.  I feel for them, and wish they could find peace.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[Traveler]

2 hours ago, wenglund said:

I am LDS, and I try to do the same for other religions, including Muslims. This, to me, is the way of Christ.

As a fellow defender of faith for decades, and a strong supporter of the free and open marketplace of ideas, i have found that the "anti's" who  bash whatever belief systems, tend to lash out because they are insecure and lack faith and confidence in their own beliefs. They seem to have a need to bring others down to their level.  I feel for them, and wish they could find peace.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

 

As a side note – one pet peeve I have is someone criticizing others for their beliefs when they do not seem to even have a clue what they believe.   And yet, especially on the internet, I find myself in stiches of laughter when someone finds it necessary to argue with me by telling me what I believe and then refuse to consider that I might per chance be a better expert at what I believe than them.

 

The Traveler