Having been a Mormon all my life, I feel I am venturing out into uncharted territory and would like to hear from anyone who has already gone through the process.

Let's face it; new is scary.....even at my age.LOL.

I'm sick of Mormon meanness, I'm tired of rehashing a lifetime of personal pain attributed to a religion that cares nothing for me except for the fact that I am a number on their roster. I'm sick of the lack of privacy and the very mean and disturbing things that have been done to me in retribution for leaving and divorcing, especially from TBM members of my extended family.
tired of looking over my shoulder for people ready to point their finger at anything I might be doing, wearing, drinking, saying,reading, watching, going. The list is endless.

Ready to move on.

move on!
I love the Catholic Church but no longer attend (6 years)for a lot of the same reasons people leave LDS, just saying.
Invest some time into going to all kinds of churches, dig a little.
I'm sure you will find a spiritual home!
God bless, and good luck.

First, I would encourage you to visit a variety of mainstream churches to find a comfortable fit. There is no rush! Take your time to decide on a denomination if you have not already done so.

If you have settled on Catholicism, you will be going through a process called RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.) This is a slow process of education and indoctrination into the church that can last up to a year. At any point you are more than welcome to say "this is not for me" and drop out with no one judging you or pestering you for doing that.

This website will give you some idea of the stages involved. Or google "RCIA" for other resources.

http://www.wakingupcatholic.com/waking-up-your-faith/rcia-rite-of-christian-initiation-of-adults/rcia-process.html

One thing to keep in mind is that you will be taught the correct doctrines of Catholicism, but it is wise to remember that many Catholics take a "cafeteria" approach. There are some essentials that you will want to believe in (i.e. the divinity of Jesus, the trinity,) but there are many details that you can take with a grain of salt.

I was born and raised Catholic, but dropped out for my own reasons. However I understand why people are attracted to, and find comfort in that faith. Catholics are usually very warm-hearted, accepting people. There is a feeling of, "We all have our faults, and we are all in this together." It is a faith that is rich with stories, ritual, and meaning. Catholicism is a "big tent" denomination that has a wide variety of people and views. When you become a Catholic, you become a member of a very large family.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2015 11:38AM by summer.

Contact your local Catholic parish church and tell them you want to start RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). This is a months long process where you learn about Catholicism and discern whether you want to become Catholic or not. I did this several years ago.

CHECK OUT THE CHURCH OF RANDY CORDNER FIRST!!!

"the lack of privacy and ... things that have been done to me in retribution for ... divorcing"

i don't doubt that you went through this with Mormons but... have fun with your annulment

I've been divorced for several years. Can you elaborate. I know what you mean, but would like to hear the particulars. Thanks

Im 68 with absolutely no plans to remarry. I don't see a problem

You should be fine. You will be able to receive communion. It may only become an issue (not totally sure about that,) should you decide to remarry.

ETA: According to this article, in Catholicism a marriage is only considered sacramental if both parties are baptized Christian. AFAIK the Catholic church does not recognize Mormon baptism since the Mormon faith is not Trinitarian. So I think you would be completely in the clear. But a Catholic priest can clarify that for you.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/life-and-family/marriage/catholic-marriage-and-annulments/

At any event, AFAIK your divorce would have no effect on you moving forward with possibly joining the Catholic church.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/2015 01:02PM by summer.

"the Catholic church does not recognize Mormon baptism..."

not the case with me and i know i'm not the only one on rfm that has been faced with or gone through the annulment process

You didn't have to get rebaptized into the Catholic church?

http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/why-doesnt-the-catholic-church-accept-mormon-baptism

It might be that baptism is interpreted more loosely for the purposes of evaluating whether or not a marriage is valid.

i guess so... as with all religions they seem to be just making it up as they go

i never intended to join so a new baptism wasn't in the mix

i balked at having to have my TBM family and my TBM ex and her family be interviewed about the details of my (former) beliefs and my marriage - it seemed like it would be a major slap in the face to my TBM parents

not to mention the sex questions

oh, and writing a check for the privilege - that was pretty much a deal breaker

i do hope that OP doesn't have to go through all that and that she finds happiness in her new faith

When I went through RCIA, the priest was planning to baptize me, and I was pretty upset about it. I was also surprised, because my cousin, who had also grown up RLDS, had gone through RCIA a few years before I did, and she told me that her RLDS baptism had never been an issue. I talked with the priest and the thing that convinced him that my baptism was valid was that the words, "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (or Spirit)" were used.

RLDS are different, because they are Trinitarian. Some people are confused about the differences.

Mingled with Father Ted.

You should be ready to go then.

Part of the growth process is finding your new spiritual home, or even if you need one. Just start attending services, read about its history and doctrines, and see if it is a good fit for you.

I can guarantee that the Catholic Church will not hound and harass you like Mormons do. If you decide it's not your new home, they won't hound you and love bomb you to make you regret you ever met them im the first place.

You also need never formally join if you don't want to. Many of my Catholic friends attend services weekly, contribute to the coffers, etc and only one of them is an official member.

If you are drawn to the Catholic church, you may also want to look at the one of the Orthodox Churches. Greek Orthodox etc.

Catholic.com is a good resource of learning about the process of being Catholic if it's truly want you want.

Just to thank all of you for your contributions. Even Raptor Jesus. BTW I have seen the exorcist....Not nearly as shocking as going thru the temple in the 60's LOL.

I am really appreciative of the websites you shared as well as the knowledge you each added. I say knowledge is power.

I met my ex husband at BYU. He was a convert from an Orthodox religion and when we married, the Mormon wedding was a disaster on so many levels. No one's fault but the very nature of the whole experience for both of us was terrible.

He is no longer active in the church nor are my children. I phoned him recently and told him that if I had it to do over I would have married him in the church of his original religion.
I told him of my plans and he was very supportive. He said that the differences between the orthodox religion and Catholic are
negligible as long as it is in English. I told him I was going to visit his church. He wanted to hear all about it.

I'm going to really use your words of wisdom and knowledge.

For the first time in a very long time I feel the possibility of healing.

I do have one question being new at this and having never attended another church. What kind of clothes are allowed.

In other words are they as strict as the Mormon church in regards to dresses only?

IMout Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> In other words are they as strict as the Mormon
> church in regards to dresses only?

No. Just don't wear short shorts or a shirt that bares the shoulders. Not that you would.

No problems there. I'm 68 and I don't show anything more than I absolutely have to LOL

In the US you will find people wearing shorts,tanks and just about anything else. I would dress up a bit the first time and see what others are wearing. From my experience you can pretty much wear what you like and most people do not dress up as Mormons do.In fact, visiting Mormons stand out because they are just about the only ones in suits,ties and dresses.

The doctrinal differences between our Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholics are very well-defined: universal papal authority, the addition of the Filioque clause to the creed of Nicea, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, and a few others. Ancient Faith Radio has some excellent podcasts on the topic, plus on lots of others. Also, there's an active Facebook group of converts to the Orthodox faith from Mormonism. I'd encourage you to look it up.

I was baptized in the Orthodox Church on Holy Saturday of this year. Orthodoxy is ancient, and we honestly consider selves ourselves to be the 'original Church' that never fell into Apostasy or changed doctrine. We teach that the primary purpose of the Death and Resurrection is 'theosis' to become like God through participating in Divine Life.

I'd encourage you to consider Orthodoxy. In America, at least, there are several representations of how this is lived - jurisdictions. I belong to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, under the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

Just consider Orthodoxy at least. We don't get hung up on lists of sins, insist on frequent confession, stuff like that. It's a really organic, healthy, natural expression of the Christian message with an emphasis on personal responsibility, compassion, deep spirituality. I just find it amazing

Thank you so very much for your comments. My ex husband was Armenian Orthodox and to be perfectly honest I love his culture, I spent two semesters at UCLA studying the Armenian language,I learned to cook the food, I learned a great deal about the history and the tragedies.

He was at BYU and joined the church simply because it was cheaper to attend if he was a member. Given what he knew about religion in general I'm sure he was totally unprepared for the long arm of Mormonism. I know. That our wedding day was as shocking to him as it was to me.

I will check out that Facebook page.

IMout Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In other words are they as strict as the Mormon church in regards to dresses only?

No. I attended a Catholic funeral a year or so ago. I wore decent black pants and a presentable blouse. I fit in perfectly.

In my Catholic church, although modesty is encouraged, almost any clothing is accepted; there is a casual approach. In the case of men, very few, if any, neckties would be seen. In fact, think about what Jesus's listeners would have been wearing when he spoke in the open.

Well...

First you get down on your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect

Do what every steps you want if
You have cleared them with the pontiff
Everybody say his own kyrie eleison
Doin' the Vatican Rag

Get in line in that processional
Step into that small confessional
There the guy who's got religion'll
Tell you if your sin's original

If it is, try playin' it safer
Drink the wine and chew the wafer
Two, four, six, eight
Time to transubstantiate

So get down upon your knees
Fiddle with your rosaries
Bow your head with great respect
And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect

Make a cross on your abdomen
When in Rome do like a Roman
Ave Maria, gee it's good to see ya
Gettin' ecstatic and sorta dramatic and
Doin' the Vatican Rag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do

Come out, Virginia
Show me a sign
Send me a signal
I'll throw you a line
That stained glass window
You're hiding behind
Never lets in the sun

Stray Mutt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well...
>
> First you get down on your knees
> Fiddle with your rosaries
> Bow your head with great respect
> And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect
>
> Do what every steps you want if
> You have cleared them with the pontiff
> Everybody say his own kyrie eleison
> Doin' the Vatican Rag
>
> Get in line in that processional
> Step into that small confessional
> There the guy who's got religion'll
> Tell you if your sin's original
>
> If it is, try playin' it safer
> Drink the wine and chew the wafer
> Two, four, six, eight
> Time to transubstantiate
>
> So get down upon your knees
> Fiddle with your rosaries
> Bow your head with great respect
> And genuflect, genuflect, genuflect
>
> Make a cross on your abdomen
> When in Rome do like a Roman
> Ave Maria, gee it's good to see ya
> Gettin' ecstatic and sorta dramatic and
> Doin' the Vatican Rag
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do

I was always a big fan of Tom Lehrer. Poisoning Pigeons in the Park was also a big favorite of mine.

I have been a catholic for 15 years. I took my time joining. I read lot before hand. I am divorced and have no intention of remarrying so everything is fine. I did attend several different churches before becoming catholic. I never felt pressured to join and was told to take my time. I was also told that if I didn't feel at home at one parish I could attend others to see if it was a better fit. Sometimes the demographics of the parish aren't quite right---too many seniors for a young family, that kind of thing. I was also told that if I went to confession and the priest seemed too judgmental, it was perfectly fine to seek out a different confessor. My experiences have been positive.

I'd second joan99--from one Catholic parish to another, there can be differences in population and tone, and even the structure and length of RCIA may vary. I rarely attend the one walking distance from my house as it's very theologically conservative, but a few miles away there's one that is a strong community with a broader range of views. Some parishes have priests from specific "religious orders" that bring their own flavor--if you're in/near a big city I'd consider a parish run by the Jesuits, as they're the most intellectual and committed to meditation as well as service, but Franciscans, Benedictines, Maronites (from Lebanon), etc. all have their own quirks too. Some parts of the country will push you hard to register within boundaries (like the wards), others won't care. But it's OK to explore the rich varieties.

--Nevermo lurker who wavers in Catholicism and finds it hard to keep any faith after a visit to SLC

I myself am an orthodox Anglican. I know that many might consider that term an oxymoron, but my particular faith is of the more conservative bent of the religious belief. We try to believe in the preRoman era of Christianity in Britain. I myself am waiting to see what transpires from the realignment of the worldwide Anglican Communion and may move to Orthodoxy if things do not go as I hope. Orthodoxy is ancient and has not changed as much as have the Western churches. Roman Catholicism has some fairly recent theological changes such as the ascension of Mary and the Pope's infallibility. Study before you jump.