LDS member trying to understand
This might be a weird place to post this, but I don’t want to post in the evangelical group because I hope to not be attacked in there. I didn’t grow up evangelical. I grew up/am LDS (Mormon). I know a lot of people have their own thoughts on my religion and that’s ok. Last night, my son asked me if our church is true (8 almost 9). I told him that I personally believe it is true (I really try to word things that this is what I believe, not what YOU believe if that makes sense.) Because even though yes he is baptized, I still want him to grow his own testimony (or not) and never want to force my beliefs on him. I asked him why he asked me this kind of randomly, and he said his friend, let’s call him “Mark”, same age, told him “Your church is fake, your scriptures are fake by a fake person, your church believes in the enemy of God” and said his parents told him that. My son said this came up last time he saw him which would’ve been roughly 3 weeks ago, so he has internalized this conversation and he said it hurt his feelings.
I explained to him that there are so many beliefs in the world. I explained to him that some people believe in our church, some people people in other Christian religions (and explained the trinity vs LDS beliefs don’t believe in the trinity), I told him there are religions out there that don’t believe that Jesus is the savior, and that there are people who flat out don’t believe in God at all. I told him that’s ok that everyone believes differently and that we can be kind about everyone’s beliefs and not put anyone down for what they believe. I also told him that different beliefs go beyond religion, that people have opinions on everything.
It made me think of a time I had picked “Mark” up and we passed a house in their neighborhood who has a Jewish family that lives there. He said “oh look there’s the Jews” as this family was outside hanging out together. That bothered me because it sounded so judgmental.
Another instance with this family, is I have another friend who can be a little strange about my religion, that we invited to my son’s baptism. She said her son, who is my son’s ultimate best friend, would be confused to go to the baptism. I vented to “Marks” mom and she said that she thinks it’s more so that she thinks they don’t want to support something that they don’t believe. And gave the example that she wouldn’t attend a gay wedding because she’d be clapping and congratulating something she didn’t agree on. I took that as she wasn’t coming, but the night before the baptism she told me that she forgot she had a sourdough class booked. Just a week before that “Marks” bday party was almost canceled due to weather and I offered to use our church gym and she was so grateful for that, so it feels she’s ok to use our church amenities when it helps her but can’t support a friend.
I guess I’m trying to understand why this particular family, they’re Baptist by the way, treats other beliefs like it’s a horrible thing. Is this a rooted belief because of things they are taught either by pastors or generationally passed down?
Thank you to those who took the time to read this.