Anyone become a member of LDS (Mormon) Church?

[Anonymous]

I would especially like the experience of converts. For some time, I have admired the values of the LDS church, particularly the importance of family and community, and have been drawn to the church. However, my politics are not conservative. (That, and I do enjoy a good cup of dark roast coffee.) Is there room for political and other diversity in the church? If you left another religion, what attracted you to become a Mormon? What has been most fulfilling? What has been the biggest challenge?

[Anonymous]

Please, do not, whatever you do, convert to this religion. There are better ways and places to find the community you are looking for. Converts are always 2nd class citizens - being born into the faith carries weight and status. Mormons are clannish and very closed to interacting with people outside of their circle - whether fellow Mormons or not. The church is expected to become your entire social circle - 3 hour services on Sundays, meetings during the week and "seminary" for high schoolers an hour before school starts every day of the week. Women are subordinate and do not hold positions of authority. Men of color were only allowed into the priesthood in the 70's when the writing was on the wall that overt discrimination like that was going to be a liability. Coffee? Forget it. Strict adherence to all tenets of the faith is required and people pay attention to who is doing what. Families are so central to the faith, that if you are a single or a single parent you are pushed to the fringe of the community. There are better options out there.

Signed a born and bred Mormon - stopped practicing in college and never regretted it

[Anonymous]

PP - and to answer your question, no, there is no room for diversity there. The Mormons are the Borg. And I don't mean that in a mean way - just, that's what they are.

[Anonymous]

I think being as Mormon is logistically difficult, especially in a large city. You are supposed to marry young and have lots of kids, but if you have lots of kids, you need a good income, so you need college and grad school, but it's hard to do that if you marry young and have lots of kids. If you are a woman, you are supposed to get a college degree that you never use, as you can't work with eight kids. In addition to all of these work and family responsibilities, you are supposed to go to church, be a home teacher, lead a scout troop, and take a turn leading your church. You do all of this while tithing and saving for your sons' missions (at 20 k apiece), in addition to saving for college and retirement.

They set standards that few can meet.

[Anonymous]

All of the lds families I know are wonderful and caring people. They seem to really enjoy their faith.

[Anonymous]

I loved every LDS person I've ever known. I loved their morals, and values, and on and on. I even joked I wanted to convert so I could be a SAHM. But, in real life, I would never consider it.

Wondering when someone converts to a religion, do you have to adopt every belief? So, to Judaism, you forget everything you may have learned about Jesus? To Christianity, you automatically have to believe Jesus is the Savior? To Mormonism, that Joseph Smith's chapters of the Bible are accurate and true?

[Anonymous]

I met some Mormon guys at my last job. One thing that was striking was that they were children of, or married to people that had converted and came to this country. One guy was converted in Brazil and was sponsored by Mormon family in Utah to study at BYU. Another one, his mom was Mormon from Brazil. He married a convert from Ireland.

None of their wives worked outside the home. They seem little chauvinistic and would flirt with women at the office. I think one was having an affair. It's like an exclusive club. If you put BYU on your job resume, you will have a good chance of getting an interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think being as Mormon is logistically difficult, especially in a large city. You are supposed to marry young and have lots of kids, but if you have lots of kids, you need a good income, so you need college and grad school, but it's hard to do that if you marry young and have lots of kids. If you are a woman, you are supposed to get a college degree that you never use, as you can't work with eight kids. In addition to all of these work and family responsibilities, you are supposed to go to church, be a home teacher, lead a scout troop, and take a turn leading your church. You do all of this while tithing and saving for your sons' missions (at 20 k apiece), in addition to saving for college and retirement.

They set standards that few can meet.

The two women I know who are lds are both partners in big law firms. They both have 2 kids. One married in her early 20s the other in her early 30s.

While I realize my knowledge is limited to these two families, they don't resemble some of the aspects you mention.

[Anonymous]

FYI, I have a very close family and we have a great, helpful community. My boyfriend and I are atheists. You don't need to be Mormon in order to have those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would especially like the experience of converts. For some time, I have admired the values of the LDS church, particularly the importance of family and community, and have been drawn to the church. However, my politics are not conservative. (That, and I do enjoy a good cup of dark roast coffee.) Is there room for political and other diversity in the church? If you left another religion, what attracted you to become a Mormon? What has been most fulfilling? What has been the biggest challenge?

do you believe in those gold tablets under the ground nobody can dig up that some american wrote in aramaic and that the disciples/apostles traveled to america (in jesus' time)? Do you believe that a man needs to bring you to your own planet in heaven? these are big leaps of faith. if my paraphrase is wrong, I'm open to being kindly corrected by anyone LDS on here.

dont get me wrong - i really admire LDS values. but I just cannot believe in the book of mormon and the tablets etc.

[Anonymous]

If you are not politically conservative, this will be very, very difficult for you and your family. I live in San Francisco - the gayest city in the word - and while their is a population of liberal Mormas here, they still struggle in the church. Many of them were strongly pressured to donate to Prop. 8 and did so due to social pressure and pressure from the church. I know a couple of families who left the church for the reason - it was untenable for them to raise their kids in such an environment even though they, too, really liked aspects of the church.

[Anonymous]

Read "under the banner of heaven"

http://www.amazon.com/Under-Banner-Heaven-Story-Violent/dp/1400032806

[Anonymous]

OP, I was raised Mormon. One thing that is different about this church is that you can't really pick and choose which parts to adhere to or be a casual member like you can with most faiths. They are very clear that this is THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH ON EARTH. Once you become a member, you are expected to give your time, money, and "everything with which God has blessed you or with which he may bless you" to building up the church. That is a direct quote from a covenant you make in the Mormon temple endowment ceremony, which you will be expected to participate in one year after baptism. There is so much else I could say. I left the church as an adult, and it was the best decision I ever made. Despite appearances, this is not just a regular Protestant church with strong family values and boys in white shirts knocking on doors. It bears many characteristics of a cult. I say this as someone who once represented the Mormon church as a missionary and whose family are all still very much part of it. Please do a lot of research before making this decision. If you are meeting with the missionaries, I know from experience that they are under a lot of pressure to baptize you as quickly as possible. But take the time to fully consider your choice. Best of luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I was raised Mormon. One thing that is different about this church is that you can't really pick and choose which parts to adhere to or be a casual member like you can with most faiths. They are very clear that this is THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH ON EARTH. Once you become a member, you are expected to give your time, money, and "everything with which God has blessed you or with which he may bless you" to building up the church. That is a direct quote from a covenant you make in the Mormon temple endowment ceremony, which you will be expected to participate in one year after baptism. There is so much else I could say. I left the church as an adult, and it was the best decision I ever made. Despite appearances, this is not just a regular Protestant church with strong family values and boys in white shirts knocking on doors. It bears many characteristics of a cult. I say this as someone who once represented the Mormon church as a missionary and whose family are all still very much part of it. Please do a lot of research before making this decision. If you are meeting with the missionaries, I know from experience that they are under a lot of pressure to baptize you as quickly as possible. But take the time to fully consider your choice. Best of luck to you.

The whole thing just seems odd....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q6brMrFw0E

[Anonymous]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06jF1EG8o-Q