This is where prayer has led me…

[Godissogood19]

We spoke with a few members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints today. They were missionaries serving in their 2 year mission. I asked them their personal testimony, specifically- what sparked the transition from their faith being their parents’ to their own. They both grew up in the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. And they both explained that they pulled away from their faith for a while, then after hitting rough patches in their lives, they returned to the faith after much prayer. They agreed that God gave them revelations and led them to the conclusion that the Bible and the Book of Mormon work cohesively. I consider myself a new Christian. Grew up in a baptist church, but my faith did not become my own until I hit rock bottom three years ago. Then I, too, experienced God, and he led me to where I am today: at a non-denominational Christian church.

My conversation with them got me thinking, though. So many people have similar experiences: grow up in church, step away, and after fervent prayer and hearing from God, return to their original faith. I feel uneasy. How can I be sure that my beliefs are true and not simply a result of my returning to my foundational teachings? So many others, like members of the LDS, are just as convinced as I am. Because their prayers brought them the same “security” I have. I’d love some perspective and for someone to help me sort through this.

 

[fhansen]

We spoke with a few members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints today. They were missionaries serving in their 2 year mission. I asked them their personal testimony, specifically- what sparked the transition from their faith being their parents’ to their own. They both grew up in the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. And they both explained that they pulled away from their faith for a while, then after hitting rough patches in their lives, they returned to the faith after much prayer. They agreed that God gave them revelations and led them to the conclusion that the Bible and the Book of Mormon work cohesively. I consider myself a new Christian. Grew up in a baptist church, but my faith did not become my own until I hit rock bottom three years ago. Then I, too, experienced God, and he led me to where I am today: at a non-denominational Christian church.

My conversation with them got me thinking, though. So many people have similar experiences: grow up in church, step away, and after fervent prayer and hearing from God, return to their original faith. I feel uneasy. How can I be sure that my beliefs are true and not simply a result of my returning to my foundational teachings? So many others, like members of the LDS, are just as convinced as I am. Because their prayers brought them the same “security” I have. I’d love some perspective and for someone to help me sort through this.

I believe its important to challenge ourselves-to objectively study the history behind the various movements, and the early history of the church including the councils and especially the ECFs. See where it lands. All seeking of truth is good in God's eyes-and we've never completely "arrived".

 

[PloverWing]

My answer is similar to fhansen's. Something that made a difference for me was studying the development of Christian doctrine through the centuries -- starting with the church Fathers, moving through the medieval, Reformation, and modern periods. It's not that any of these theologians are infallible; they're not. But I'm able to see a continuous chain of development of thought from the early centuries until now; I'm able to read the arguments that brought Christian theologians to where we are now, and see how they were writing and thinking sensible things.

In particular, it's not just me alone in a room with my Bible trying to figure out who Jesus is and how atonement works and how God wants us to live our lives. I do think about those things, but I'm doing it in the company of centuries of smart people who've thought of things I wouldn't have noticed on my own.

And, in particular, there's no sense in which the church somehow vanished from the earth in between the time when John of Patmos put down his pen and the time when I picked up my Bible. The church has been there all along, a flawed but continual witness to the Christian life.

None of this is proof. Religious beliefs are hard to prove, by their nature. But it gives me something more solid to work with than just my personal feelings.

 

[com7fy8]

My conversation with them got me thinking, though. So many people have similar experiences: grow up in church, step away, and after fervent prayer and hearing from God, return to their original faith.

And this could mean they did not really change.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

But yes ones will say leaving and coming back has given them new perspective on their "faith". But if they have not really changed by growing in Jesus . . . if they have faith in some organization imperfect which stays the same imperfect way . . .

That possibly is not "faith working through love" (in Galatians 5:6).

The Bible gives us what God is able to do with us. It is not just for beliefs and practices which even a psychopath can imitate well enough to become a pastor!!

Trust in Jesus to make you a new person. And depend on God to do with you what He means by His word. Read it and feed on it, knowing God is the One to do with you all that His word says He wants >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

 

[Sir Joseph]

We spoke with a few members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints today. They were missionaries serving in their 2 year mission. I asked them their personal testimony, specifically- what sparked the transition from their faith being their parents’ to their own. They both grew up in the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. And they both explained that they pulled away from their faith for a while, then after hitting rough patches in their lives, they returned to the faith after much prayer. They agreed that God gave them revelations and led them to the conclusion that the Bible and the Book of Mormon work cohesively. I consider myself a new Christian. Grew up in a baptist church, but my faith did not become my own until I hit rock bottom three years ago. Then I, too, experienced God, and he led me to where I am today: at a non-denominational Christian church.

My conversation with them got me thinking, though. So many people have similar experiences: grow up in church, step away, and after fervent prayer and hearing from God, return to their original faith. I feel uneasy. How can I be sure that my beliefs are true and not simply a result of my returning to my foundational teachings? So many others, like members of the LDS, are just as convinced as I am. Because their prayers brought them the same “security” I have. I’d love some perspective and for someone to help me sort through this.

The use of prayer to affirm one's faith is a response used specifically by LDS leaders to address skeptics' questions that don't have Biblical foundations. I'm not suggesting that all prayer for truth is wrong, but it's apparent from billions of people praying via false religions that it's not necessarily the best way to find it. People are too easily misled by their own feelings, perceptions, or preferences, thus affirming what they want to believe in. That affirmation is then attributed to answered prayers, which may not be the real case at all.

I think most people in the world do in fact adopt the religion of their upbringing, holding onto a blind faith without any real evidential foundation. For those few caring enough to seek truth in this most important issue, time and research are required, along with an open mind, to assess the evidence.

If you study Christian apologetics, you'll find abundant scientific, archaeological, historical, prophetic, manuscript authority, and textual criticism evidence supporting the Bible and the Christian faith. It won't necessarily affirm your Baptist doctrine, but it'll rule out the world's many false religions and Christian cults. I'd encourage you to pursue this as I've done for the past 28 years. It'll not only strengthen your faith and lead you closer to God, but will also improve your witnessing potential to others.

 

[Strong in Him]

We spoke with a few members of the Church of Latter-Day Saints today. They were missionaries serving in their 2 year mission. I asked them their personal testimony, specifically- what sparked the transition from their faith being their parents’ to their own. They both grew up in the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. And they both explained that they pulled away from their faith for a while, then after hitting rough patches in their lives, they returned to the faith after much prayer. They agreed that God gave them revelations and led them to the conclusion that the Bible and the Book of Mormon work cohesively.

That's the first thing. Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God and needs no other book, explanation or commentary.
It's not the Bible + ..... as it is for many cults; just as the Gospel is not Jesus + ....

I consider myself a new Christian. Grew up in a baptist church, but my faith did not become my own until I hit rock bottom three years ago. Then I, too, experienced God, and he led me to where I am today: at a non-denominational Christian church.

Welcome to the family.

My conversation with them got me thinking, though. So many people have similar experiences: grow up in church, step away, and after fervent prayer and hearing from God, return to their original faith. I feel uneasy. How can I be sure that my beliefs are true and not simply a result of my returning to my foundational teachings?

I would say that the question that Jesus asked his 12 disciples is still an important one - "who do you say that I am?"
If you believe Jesus was a good teacher and a good man, what do you, and the Mormons, make of his claims; "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by me", John 14:6. Or "I am the resurrection and the life", John 11:25, or "I and the Father are one", John 10:30? If Jesus is a good man, then he is honest - so he was telling the truth when he said those things. Unless he was deluded. If you/they believe that he was, can he be trusted when he taught us that we can talk to God, that he wants a relationship with us, that we matter more to him than many sparrows, and so on?
Millions of people in the last 2000 years have put their faith in Jesus and found that he could be trusted?
And the clincher? You yourself have experienced God.

So many others, like members of the LDS, are just as convinced as I am.

Yes, that is probably true of many groups, cults or faiths.
The Jews are convinced about their beliefs; atheists, humanists, Muslims, JWs are all convinced about theirs.
The question is; who, or what, is your/their faith in? Is this person, or object, worthy of your faith and trust and something to stake your spiritual life on?

 

[St_Worm2]

....they both explained that they pulled away from their faith for a while, then after hitting rough patches in their lives, they returned to the faith after much prayer ... I consider myself a new Christian. Grew up in a baptist church, but my faith did not become my own until I hit rock bottom three years ago. Then I, too, experienced God, and he led me to where I am today: at a non-denominational Christian church.

Hello Godissogood19 (great username, BTW ), is this how 'you' came to saving faith and became a Christian, as well (IOW, that through much time, consideration and many prayers to God, you finally came to the conclusion that Christianity was it for you, that it was the faith for you and where you ought to be/what makes the most sense to believe)?

I ask because your username and your testimony above suggests that there is something more than a strictly intellectual side to your faith, that you have actually experienced God, personally, and what it is like to be lifted up from "rock bottom" and saved by Him (yes?).

They agreed that God gave them revelations and led them to the conclusion that the Bible and the Book of Mormon work cohesively.

That's interesting. I wonder if they had both considered the Christian faith because they had both come to understand that the two (the Bible and Book of Mormon, that is) cannot be harmonized (and that's why they both began to question the Mormon faith)? I also found it interesting that both of them returned to Mormonism for the very same reasons in their young lives, don't you? (Mormon missionaries are between the ages of 18-25, just FYI)

I'm sure that it wasn't based upon a study of historical facts, because (as others have already pointed out in this thread) that's where one of the biggest differences in Mormonism and Christianity exists, and one of the biggest weaknesses of Mormonism (verifiable history, that is). As one of my CF Mormon friends once said to me here (as we were discussing our two faiths), "I don't like history very much"

There is a recently made and very well-done movie/documentary that may be of particular interest to you (as it is all about the Bible and, in great part, at least a taste and foundation of why we believe that the Bible is true). Here are links to both the official trailer and the movie itself. Enjoy

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.....their prayers brought them the same “security” I have. I’d love some perspective and for someone to help me sort through this.

Is this true then, that like their return to Mormonism, you returned to the Christian faith because you came to understand that, all things considered, it seemed like the right path or faith for you to follow?

Or did you come to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ out of a very real and felt need (rather than simply intellectually), because you had become painfully aware of your sinfulness, and because the guilt that you experienced (because of your sins) became a burden that was too much for you to bear?

Finally, you said that their "prayers" brought them the same "security" that you have. Just to be clear, security about what, exactly?

Thanks!

Praying for you!

God bless you!!

--David
p.s. - my two recommendations for you are these, 1. be very patient and exercise caution as you look into this matter, especially because you are still pretty young in the faith, and 2. if you have not talked to your pastor about all of this yet, do so ASAP (as He will not only be able to help and guide you a bit, he'll also know how to be praying for you too)