now that i am mormon...

[reveontiveros]

I was just baptized 3 years ago an now I live in Utah only member in my family. I been feeling a little dizzed by the way people here be living an thinking about "what is to be a member". back in my day I was a norteno my whole family is an I get FBI sometimes coming to my house to check up on me as well as detectives. An some how i aint being a member of the church.... for real gossiping more dangerous then a gun. where i from in northern California you talk to much about something that aint right you get checked. Now I aint going back to my old ways but its hard for me when I bring my family over to go to church an they get weird looks an people talking crap. I trying to change the future of my family from gang violence to living in gospel in the one an only true church. much love to all that get me what i am saying. an to those that gossip you are making hard for us that really need all the support in church.

[drjme]

Hey reveontiveros,

Sorry to hear that about your experiences with other members gossiping and not supporting you and your family. Unfortunately Members are still human and prone to doing things contrary to the way they should be acting -as witnesses of Christ- towards those around them. I have had similar experiences with what I call 'closed wards'(tight knit communities that don't fellowship as well as they should). Regardless of how I felt or the way that the 'people' of the church acted towards me, I always knew where I stood with regards to the truthfulness of the gospel. Don't let these gossipers take anything away from you because of their prideful, arrogant actions. Let yourself and your life changes be an example to them and maybe, hopefully, they may learn something from you.

Nevertheless, the reality of telestial life is that nearly every day someone will do one or more of the following: belittle us, be insensitive to our needs, show indifference to us, make us feel insecure, humiliate us, frighten us, abuse us, inconvenience us, make demands of us, criticize us, disappoint us, lie to us, hurt us, betray us, try to seduce us, misunderstand us, resent us, threaten us, or attack us verbally or physically. But how are we ever going to learn Christlike love unless we have a chance to practice in the face of opposites! Every disrupted relationship, whether in our own homes or out in the marketplace, is a chance to forge the divine nature in us and prepare us for that endless day of happiness.

Zion and the Spirit of At-one-ment - Maxwell Institute Papers

Good article, recommend the read.

[reveontiveros]

Yeah thanks bro lol your only one outta 19 people that showed support to me thanks! an it doesn't bother me much just the example towards my family who's already against the church. An thanks for the article

[WillowTheWhisp]

I understand what you mean when you want your family to get a good impression of the Church and hopefully to change their views and it's hard to understand why Church members who should know better because they have the Gospel in their lives behave in such an unChristlike way. The only thing I can say in response to that is that sometimes the Church is true despite the example set by some of the membership.

Perhaps it would do them good to see that New Era poster with the hands passing tar on one to another and see how much harm gossiping does to the one doing the gossiping.

[SmilingRedhead]

I totally understand how you feel. I am in a ward who likes to gossip and plenty of people have taken offence and stopped coming to church because of this. My family has been the subject of much talking/gossiping due to a lot of things going on in my family.

It's all like chinese whispers...It's starts with a little comment and gets exaggerated everytime it's passed on and sometimes I'll hear something that someone has told someone else who heard it from someone else etc... about things that have happened in my family and it is completely untrue!!

It can be hurtful but I tend to just laugh at what I hear! I feel as long as I behave in a way that is appropriate and I set a good example to others then others can do and say what they like...

I don't go to church for the people there - I go to church because the Gospel is true and I know it's what my Heavenly Father wants me to do.

I commend you for your desire to stay strong and wanting your family with you in the Gospel despite the judgemental members in your ward. I'm sure Heavenly Father will see what's in your heart and will bless you accordingly. :)

[WillowTheWhisp]

Years ago my late husband and I were the subject of a rumour that I can only look back on and find hilarious now. How anyone could have taken it seriously I do not know. Word had got to the Bishop that we were leaving the church and starting up one of our own! This was a case of Chinese whispers.

The actual facts were that we'd been talking to someone about the church and this person was considering coming with us to church one Sunday but had asked us also to go along with him whilst he checked out something else. The something else was a gospel tent which was being set up in a field up the lane from us and he wanted to see what it was all about but feared getting caught up in something that he had no control over and seeing us as having a stable anchor in our own religion he figured we wouldn't get led astray if it was something dodgy and brainwashing. That developed from us going along with this guy to a gospel tent, to us setting up a gospel tent to us setting up a new religion!

[pushka]

LOL Willow, yours is a perfect example of the Chinese Whispers kind of talk that goes on in any close knit community, LDS or Non-LDS.

Rev. I hope that you will find your future time at the church less fraught, and that the members of your ward will realise the good in you instead of listening to gossip.

Perhaps a quiet word with someone could help suggest a relevant talk in the chapel, so that people are reminded of the dangers of gossipping?

[Abraham]

I attended Church in London years ago and had a wonderful wonderful experience. But that does not affect your present situation, for which I feel badly.

I love the saying, "I don't repeat rumors or gossip so listen good the first time." HEE HEE

or - " I don't like to spread gossip but did you hear that so and so." Who can resist a juicy piece of gossip. I think in President Benson's talk on Pride the Universal Sin, he addresses that. I just can't remember where I read a great ppem on the deliterious effects of gossip.

Once when President Benson was in a business setting, among 3 or 4 businessmen, one looked high and low, and said, "Are there any ladies around? at which time President Benson replied, "No, but there is a gentleman present," at which point he left their company.

We need to, and I am sure you do, walk away when conversations turn any direction but uplifting, truthful, and hearty. We promise not to criticize the Lord's annointed, that should apply to everyone of Heavenly Father's children.

Regards,

A

[Misshalfway]

Hey Rev,

You sound really nice. I am sorry about the gossiping thing. It just happens. I SOOO wish that it didn't. I think though that there are just as many saints who don't gossip, who do want to welcome you and your family. I hope you find those kinds of friends. I have had the kinds of friends I could trust and the kinds of friends I can't.

So excited that you joined the church. Would you feel comfortable telling your conversion story? I would love to hear your journey from streets to the saints!

[reveontiveros]

I was 16 years old when I started searching for the right church for me... I remember when my homie got out of prison an I said "how you doing man hows it feel to be out" an he told me " it was the best thing ever happing to me because I found Jesus..." I stood there for a bit an was like "hahhaahhahahah" an that following Sunday he took me to a church called praise chapel. Which started the whole religious crusade for me I went from everything to checking out Hindu with my friend geon that I used to smoke weed with to mus slim to Christianity, until i was about 17 an I gave up.... i prayed to god to show me where to go an I ended up on Oahu to live with my family after my family kicking me out of California after getting shot at for the 9th time, stabbed an clubbed in the head, to a town called Laie. An thats where I took missionaries lessons for 8 months.... 8 months it took me to get an answer. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet sent by God to restore the one true church on earth, an today we are given guidance by the prophets of the modern day. An I know prophet Gordon B. Hinckley is Prophet sent to us by are heavenly father.

[Misshalfway]

Rev,

Holy Moses! You have an exciting history. You have a lot of courage. God must know the warrior in you. I am sure he will use you for his good purpose. Thanks for sharing that. I love it. You have a giant spirit in you. I can feel it!!! Do you have a calling?

Did you family get baptized too? Or did you take the lessons all on your own?

[reveontiveros]

naw my family is taking missionarie lessons right now took me awhile to get them too but they are now!!! an yeah I be servering in Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Side Mission! I leave Feb.13th an my brother is gettin baptized soon too as soon as he gets a letter from first presdentcy giving the OK

[Misshalfway]

Oh wow! You are going on a mission?? My great friend served in the Dominican Republic and another old friend was a mission pres there. Wow. What a challenge for you and congrats on your brother. Good luck with all your experience there. I hope you love the MTC. I taught there for a few years after my mission. Changed my life. I loved it. With all those missionaries and staff praying like 15 times a day, the Spirit is electric! When I was there for my mission call, some of the Hawaiian missionaries would sing together in the quad at night on our way to the dorms. It was so beautiful. I will never forget it. I wish you the very best.

[Heckya]

Rev-

That is truly an inspirational story. Good luck on your mission!

[WillowTheWhisp]

Oh WOW Reve! You are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your story and absolutely brilliant that you are going on a mission.:)

Can I ask a dumb numpty English woman question? What's a homie?

[SmilingRedhead]

lol Willow you numpty :)

Here's the definition of a homie from wikipedia...

Homie (less frequently, homey), is a contraction of the American slang word "homeboy" which became prevalent among some of the youth in the African American and Mexican American communities starting in the late 1960's and continuing up to the present, particularly in the hip hop subculture.

...In other words it means friend :)

(someone correct me if I'm being a numpty too...:) )

[drjme]

Yeah thanks bro lol your only one outta 19 people that showed support to me thanks! an it doesn't bother me much just the example towards my family who's already against the church. An thanks for the article

No probs. Congrats on mission preparation. Your story reminds me of a LDS themed movie I watched recently called 'states of grace'. Apologies if it's nothing like your situation, I just remember watching it and thinking, No matter who you are or What you've done, Christ is just waiting for you to choose Him, ready to change your life, If you let him.

Your conversion story may, no doubt, be an inspiration to those stuck in similar situations, looking for a way out. Keep it up and stay strong in Christ.

[Rebky]

The something else was a gospel tent which was being set up in a field up the lane from us and he wanted to see what it was all about but feared getting caught up in something that he had no control over and seeing us as having a stable anchor in our own religion he figured we wouldn't get led astray if it was something dodgy and brainwashing. That developed from us going along with this guy to a gospel tent, to us setting up a gospel tent to us setting up a new religion!

Would this by any chance be called the 'Oudoors Church'? We have a young couple that moved into our community, and started attending our ward. Full of questions... we thought they were investigating so we invited them to the dinners, the missionaries started hanging out with them.... then they kinda disappeared. We later learned they were teaching their congregation why they should stay away from the Mormons. Such energy. I don't understand people who run churches that talk more about what OTHER churches believe than what THEY believe. If they'd get it right I wouldn't mind so much LOL

[reveontiveros]

Oh WOW Reve! You are such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your story and absolutely brilliant that you are going on a mission.:)

Can I ask a dumb numpty English woman question? What's a homie?

homie means alot things depends on how you say it....

when i call somone a homie on the internet.... means Friend from same hood-exprence-friend type of thing.

when i call someone a homie/homboi in real life from my area means (same click-friend-brother)

... i guess it all comes down to when an how you say it... are lingo is really different back in northern california...

[BenRaines]

Reve,

My son served in Santo Domingo East Mission. He has been home for three years. He loved it there and the people are amazing. The church is still very much in its infancy. He has some great stories to tell. I know your time is short and you will leave soon but if you send me a PM with your email address I will try to get him in touch with you before you leave.

Ben Raines

[avatar4321]

One of my best friends at Church, and my current home teaching companion, was a former gang member. And I am amazed at how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can change people.

People aren't always perfect. The fact is many of the people that are giving you a hard time need the Gospel and Atonement in their lives just as much as you and your family may need it. Don't let them discourage you. Put your faith in Christ and do what you can to serve them. Maybe they just need you to be an example to them.