bytebear Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 I'm a lifelong member, from Utah, where, for the most part, everyone's already decided on a religion, and so we didn't have many new members, but we did have move-ins, both Mormon and not. And so I think the assimilation to a neighborhood exists. But from my mission (decades ago) here are my two convert stories: In one ward, a family had joined the church, and of course, immediately the mother was called to be in the primary presidency (the childrens' program). This is not uncommon when you need good people to fill positions, and she was more than capable. Well, the tradition is in Primary, when someone has a birthday, we sing happy birthday. But, due to copyright issues, the church has it's own birthday song, not the traditional birthday song. So in church you sing: Happy happy birthday children dear. Happy days will come to you all year. If I had one wish, then it would be a happy happy birthday to you from me.https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/happy-happy-birthday?lang=eng&_r=1 Well, being a convert, she started everyone singing happy birthday, and she sang the traditional song, while everyone else in the room sang the Mormon version. Another story comes from a convert I met who joined the church when he was in his 60s. When I first met him, he told a wonderful conversion story, but what struck me most, was that I had met him when he was in his 80s. He had been a convert longer than I had been alive! Blissful_Heart and Sunday21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blissful_Heart Posted March 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 hour ago, CV75 said: As I convert, I felt I was treated with respect and admiration. I did not deserve it! I don't know how many members in my little branch were converts also, but I certainly felt welcome. I always felt grateful for being a member, and the fellowship extended toward me. I learned the ropes from the best, I felt. I had heard a few second-hand stories of Utahans coming across as superior to converts but I've never experienced that myself, and I lived in Utah for 18 months after my mission. That's awesome, @CV75, that you were treated with respect and felt welcome. Thanks! And again, THANKS for all who responded! I TRULY appreciate all the great information and I'm learning quite a bit! I'm looking forward to learning more about and from you guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estradling75 Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Should you run into any Mormon that think "Converts" are inferior... Just remember all the early church members were converts including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young... so you are in very good company... Its us lifers that are the odd balls... Blissful_Heart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grunt Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 hour ago, CV75 said: As I convert, I felt I was treated with respect and admiration. I did not deserve it! I don't know how many members in my little branch were converts also, but I certainly felt welcome. I always felt grateful for being a member, and the fellowship extended toward me. 1 This has been my experience as well. Sunday21 and Blissful_Heart 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 7 minutes ago, Blissful_Heart said: That's awesome, @CV75, that you were treated with respect and felt welcome. Thanks! And again, THANKS for all who responded! I TRULY appreciate all the great information and I'm learning quite a bit! I'm looking forward to learning more about and from you guys! "At first, you'll wonder what you are doing here. Pretty soon, you'll wonder what everyone else is doing here."-My former bishop when I told him I didn't feel "good enough" to be part of the church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday21 Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 @Blissful_Heart. Hi! So pleased you started this topic! There is a gentle assumption here that converts are the real members. Kind of like the Daughters of the American Revolution feel that they are the true Americans. And Pure Laine Quebecers feel that they are the only Quebecers. We secretly feel that those born in the church are softies and will crack at any moment! However, almost everyone, bishop included, is a convert here. And even people baptized at age 9, really and truly!, claim to be converts. Because they should have been baptized at 8! In fact, it is not unusual for a speaker to ask the converts to raise their hands and for the very very few ‘born in the covenant’ people to look very annoyed. So how do you feel about moving north? ?? We need you! askandanswer and Blissful_Heart 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytebear Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Quote In fact, it is not unusual for a speaker to ask the converts to raise their hands and for the very very few ‘born in the covenant’ people to look very annoyed. It's really about geography. If you live in the Mormon Belt of the West, most of your ward is going to be multiple generation Mormons, particularly in small towns. There are literally churches on every block, sometimes two or three across the street from each other, each hosting 2 or 3 wards. My high school covered, I think, 5 stakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytebear Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Although Grunt may get a kick out of this, one family I know, lives in Athol, MA, and have lived there as lone Mormons for at least 4 generations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday21 Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 @bytebear. This map has measles! zil, bytebear and Blissful_Heart 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 3 minutes ago, Sunday21 said: @bytebear. This map has measles! My neighborhood is on this map. bytebear and Blissful_Heart 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blissful_Heart Posted March 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 hour ago, Sunday21 said: @Blissful_Heart. Hi! So pleased you started this topic! There is a gentle assumption here that converts are the real members. Kind of like the Daughters of the American Revolution feel that they are the true Americans. And Pure Laine Quebecers feel that they are the only Quebecers. We secretly feel that those born in the church are softies and will crack at any moment! However, almost everyone, bishop included, is a convert here. And even people baptized at age 9, really and truly!, claim to be converts. Because they should have been baptized at 8! In fact, it is not unusual for a speaker to ask the converts to raise their hands and for the very very few ‘born in the covenant’ people to look very annoyed. So how do you feel about moving north? ?? We need you! LOL! Awesome, @Sunday21 (I LOVE Snoopy)! Thanks for the fun and informative post! Aww... thanks for the invite! Well, actually I'm north of you.... but I LOVE Canada! Squamish is one of my favorite places! Sunday21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 19 hours ago, Blissful_Heart said: Methinks @zil and I are gonna be good friends! Two things about @zil before you become good friends. You're gonna need to live in her compound as her sister wife. You're going to need fountain pens. Blissful_Heart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 18 hours ago, Blissful_Heart said: Sarcasm... is that where you use irony as a joke. Nope, never heard of it. Oh my word... Forget @zil. You just became @Vort's best friend. wenglund and Blissful_Heart 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zil Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 2 minutes ago, anatess2 said: You're gonna need to live in her compound as her sister wife. Nah, we're allowed to have friends off-compound. 3 minutes ago, anatess2 said: You're going to need fountain pens. Well, at least one fountain pen! 2 minutes ago, anatess2 said: Oh my word... Forget @zil. You just became @Vort's best friend. Hmm. I'm not used to being out-snarked. Maybe Vort and I should have a snarky shootout and see who survives... PS: I have great respect for people who know where their towel is; and not a lot of patience for folks who can't keep track of their towel. Blissful_Heart, wenglund and anatess2 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anatess2 Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 11 minutes ago, zil said: Nah, we're allowed to have friends off-compound. So... there's a way across that moat? Hmmm.... Blissful_Heart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zil Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 1 minute ago, anatess2 said: So... there's a way across that moat? Hmmm.... Over the moat, through the moat, under the moat. We have our ways. As long as I'm back in time to keep the office running, it's all good. Blissful_Heart and anatess2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mordorbund Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 On 3/5/2018 at 12:13 PM, NeuroTypical said: Full disclosure - our membership is not perfect. We have sinners and jerks just like anyone. But if anyone treats you like this, come let us know and we'll go toilet-paper their house until they stop. Mordorbund's imaginary priesthood meeting announcements Teachers' quorum (14-15 year old boys) president: Our activity this Thursday will be a service activity. We'll clean the toilet paper from the leaders' lawns. ... We'll also have an activity Wednesday evening, but we'll discuss that in our quorum meeting. On 3/5/2018 at 10:20 AM, MormonGator said: I am a convert. You'll get weird comments sometimes Those comments you get aren't because you're a convert. Sunday21, NeuroTypical, Blissful_Heart and 1 other 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 23 minutes ago, mordorbund said: Those comments you get aren't because you're a convert. +50 for posting a meme from my favorite baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 Often when I travel I visit a ward. I am always asked where I am from. Usually I respond with, "The Pre-existence". When they discover I am more recently from Sandy Utah they will often respond with, "So you are from the factory". Another note for @Blissful_Heart I have attended LDS churches on 5 different continents. Often I do not understand the language but I recognize everything else. What is going on and being taught is without difference. Even the missionaries there look the same. The Traveler Blissful_Heart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 51 minutes ago, MormonGator said: +50 for posting a meme from my favorite baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays. Really???? Baseball is still considered a game? The Traveler Blissful_Heart 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 17 hours ago, pam said: My neighborhood is on this map. So is my neighborhood - but the two closest ward chaples are not. The Traveler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightSG Posted March 6, 2018 Report Share Posted March 6, 2018 On 3/5/2018 at 11:13 AM, NeuroTypical said: Full disclosure - our membership is not perfect. We have sinners and jerks just like anyone. But if anyone treats you like this, come let us know and we'll go toilet-paper their house until they stop. Sams and Costco put together couldn't handle the logistics of that for north Texas. The day after National Chili Day doesn't use a tenth of the toilet paper that would be needed. Blissful_Heart and wenglund 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askandanswer Posted March 9, 2018 Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 On 3/7/2018 at 1:41 AM, anatess2 said: Oh my word... Forget @zil. @Blissful_Heart I think this ^^ is the wisest and best advice that you've been given in this post. anatess2, Sunday21 and Blissful_Heart 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warnerfranklin Posted March 14, 2018 Report Share Posted March 14, 2018 On 3/4/2018 at 11:42 PM, Blissful_Heart said: For converts to the Mormon Religion, are converts looked as "tainted" or not "real" LDS. because we were not born into the religion? Blissful_Heart, Being a relatively new convert to the faith, as of November 2016, I can tell you that no, people do not look at me as being tainted because I came to the faith later in life. I was an evangelical for the better part of four decades and I attended my local LDS ward for five years before I made the decision to join the Mormon Church. In all that time, prior to my becoming LDS and afterwards, I was never treated like anything other than another brother in Christ. Maybe I got lucky because I have had the fortune of belonging to a good ward, but I think it is more likely because Latter Day Saints seem to want to help everyone become the best Christians they can be, regardless of whether or not they eventually join the church (but please do!). Since becoming a member of the LDS faith I was given a couple of church assignments when I asked for them and at the appropriate times I have progressed through the faith. Never once has anyone said, "Well Franklin, we'd like to let you do this or that, but you do have this background...." I am so thankful that I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The past 18 months have been among the most strongest growth periods of my Christian walk. God Bless! Blissful_Heart and Sunday21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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