Briannah Winkels

Professor Kardell

English 101

19 October 2018

Faith

Faith is someone or something you can trust, or it is a strong belief in God or in the

doctrines of a religion. Religion is important to those who study and practice their faith, but they

can practice it differently from others. A Catholic religion is like the Mormon religion since they

both believe in Jesus Christ. They practice praising Him just in a different way and we do not

realize that at times. At times, it is said that people like to label others and say they are not a true

believer. Basically, if you do not have the same religion as someone else, they point fingers and

say they are not a true believer based off how we practice our faith. It does not mean one

believes or practices more than the other because at the end of the day Catholics and Mormons

only have one Father and it is, He whom we look upon to. So, why do people feel the need to

have these labels and approach one another as to who is practicing their faith more or better?

Being Mormon or Catholic is not a competition it is simply something we like to believe in when

we practice our faith to our Father. The only thing is that it comes with its similarities and

differences. There is nothing that each group can do or does better because we praise and have

faith for the same Father.

After visiting the Mormon church, it was as if I was at my own Catholic church. As you

walk in through the door there is a picture of the Lord that they praise, Jesus Christ, and they

have musical hymns that they sing and read out of the hymn book. The music is soothing, and
you can see everyone opening the book to the same page as they all face the same way to pay all

their attention to their Bishop, also known as a Pastor. He is there to talk about faith, miracles,

life lessons, everything a Pastor usually tends to do he is just called something different.

However, instead of calling it “Catholic Mass” to them it is called Sacrament. Their church is

spilt into three different hours and they spend about an hour in Sacrament then get split up based

on age group and is called “Sunday School” and they have lessons and it is interesting to see all

these young adults interested in their religion and wanting to learn more. Lastly, the last hour is

separated by gender and that is where they talk about things to keep their faith and the

importance of Jesus Christ.

While doing some research, I was able to speak to someone who has a heart for the Lord

and how it was like believing in this faith and how it can shape people into the way they live and

how they are as a person. Believing in the Mormon religion shapes you to become someone who

also believes in not drinking caffeine, showing certain parts of the skin such as: your shoulders,

legs, etc. Doing drugs, being sinful and many more beliefs. In addition, after speaking with

Mrs.Whiteley, a member of the Mormon church, and gathering further information about this

faith, I asked her what types of misconceptions people tend to have when they hear about

Mormons and what they practice. Her response was truthful and direct as she states, “That we do

not believe in Jesus Christ even though our name has His name in it. Also, that we are not

Christians and do not believe in the bible, and that we are a cult. This is also not true. We are

Christian, and we do believe the bible to be the word of God so far as it is translated correctly.

We also have agency to choose for ourselves.” This describes the things Mrs.Whiteley has gone

through and dealt with because she has a different religion and faith than what others would

expect to be since we have this mindset that if we do not have the same label than we do not
believe in the same God. Mrs.Whiteley may go to a church for four hours and read the same

bible and have a similar knowledge of the Holy Lord but be discriminated for not being what

someone else thinks they should be or that she is not a true believer in Christ because she

practices it the way she was taught. Becoming Mormon is what made Mrs.Whiteley,

Mrs.Whiteley. She believes that the “church gives me a purpose and direction for me.” It helps

with the way she lives and the way she is as a mother and having this faith helps guide her into

living the life she should live through the Lord.

A Catholic church is quite the same as a Mormon church. As you walk through the doors

there is Holy water where u bow your head and motion the cross across your chest and head to

indicate your blessings. It is silent, and everyone is facing the same way while they wait for the

Pastor. Everyone is dressed up nicely and professional since it is more of a formal church versus

other Catholic churches where sometimes it does not matter what you wear, some churches allow

casual outfits than others, expect a nice dress or a button up shirt. As time went by the Pastor

walks down the aisle with the Sunday students who are dressed in all white and they carry

candles behind the Pastor and Pastor says a prayer and then we give our thanks and blessings to

the people around us. Throughout the Mass, we talk about life lessons, Jesus Christs and how

wonderful he is. Towards the end of the Mass we pray on a stool where you must go on your

knees and bow your head.

To contrast, being a Catholic or studying that faith is different from the Mormon faith

because we see things differently and I know from a personal experience that some things

Catholics must do is ask for forgiveness. Some fear that some are not going to be able to enter

the Golden Gates of Heaven but if we just ask and pray for forgiveness and believe in our Lord,

we would have that acceptance to the Golden Gates. Also, the church is a representation for all
baptized persons who have the same beliefs and a way to connect with the Lord. Going to church

many people are dressed formal and we say prayers with the pastor that indicates our faith for

our Father. We take communion and we eat a piece of bread that represents the Body of Christ

and we drink wine, or a dark juice, that represents the Christs’ blood and it shows the sacrifice

that he made so that we can live our life. Furthermore, Catholics believe in an afterlife when you

die, we believe that there is a heaven and if die committing a sin, for an example, suicide would

be considered as a sin since we died without the Lord and we believe for that, there is no

Heaven. With, Catholicism helped shape my life because without this belief I would see the

world with more anger and question the way life works. However, the Lord showed me the way

life works and even if we really want, we cannot question the things he does or do because it all

happens for a reason. He is who helped changed me to the woman who I am today. Some things

people tend to think about our religion is that Catholics and Christians are not the same when

they are. They both have the same idea of our faith and what we believe in we just do things

differently.

Although these are two different beliefs, they all have some things in common with each

other such as the bible, our Father itself, and the way we see life. Mormons believe in a teaching

that is called the Articles of Faith and it is simply 13 statements they follow by, starting with the

first one which is: We believe in God the eternal Father and in His son Jesus Christ and in the

Holy Ghost. Catholics believe in prayers and sayings that we memorize and follow. These

religions have their own values and the way they either view or do things and at times we don’t

see that. Many people believe that since they have a different name, they have a different belief.

These are two different beliefs that help people's lives every day and it is what helps our own

communities come together. However, there are some people in the same community that do not
believe in other religions believing in the same one Lord only because they do not practice the

way we do. These are communities that shape people’s lives and it guides the into the Lords

hand.

There are many reasons why people follow their own faith and it can be because of

family, self-interest, being born into that community, etc. There are no competitions or anything

comparing who can better at worshipping when the Lord is for everyone and these communities

have similar ideas and practice similarly to one another. Mormon and Catholics are two different

things. They have their own ways of practicing their faith, but they do it to the same person we

worship, our Lord. Something we do to ask for forgiveness can be different on how the way

Mormons ask for forgives but at the end of the two, they did it and it was to the same person, just

a different task. So, why do people believe that being a different religion from someone means

they have their own God or faith? It is not necessarily that they believe in their own Lord, but

that they practice it differently because it is what makes them, them. It is just like going to

school, it is a place where people from different back grounds and ethnicities but they all go for

the same reason, education. If there were to be a room that was filled with people with different

faiths but learn the same thing, there wouldn't be that big of a difference. The Mormon life and

Catholic life have similarities and differences that help shape people every day and it is

necessary for people to believe in the Lord but practice differently it does not make someone

more or less religious based on their different views.