Catholic married to a Mormon

rmw82 asked this question on 8/10/2000:

I'm Catholic and I was wondering the following; My wife is Mormon and has a strong Testimony and feels that she is communicated to by the Holy Spirit. I've spoken to Mormon Missionaries who claim the same. I wonder if the Holy Spirit is communicating to me sometimes also. The difference is, my 'Testimonies' are pro-Catholic. Sometimes I really feel overwhelming in love with God's Church as I know it (Catholic). There is only one God, we can all agree with that. Therefore, it stands to reason that only one God hears our prayers and only one Holy Spirit Testifies to us. Why is it that we receive conflicting testimonies? There is only one truth. How should I expect to feel when the Holy Spirit is communicating to me? I am going to post this same question on the Mormon Board. Thank you all and God Bless you.

mscperu gave this response on 8/10/2000:

Dear brother in Christ.

The peace of the risen Lord be in your heart.

It must be very hard for you not to be able to share with your wife the most precious gift you have, your Catholic faith. As you know Catholic Faith is no possible without believing as a member of this same Church that She teaches the whole truth.

Now there is only one truth. Because there is only one faith as there is only one Jesus Christ, God incarnated for our salvation. The Holy Spirit, Third Person of the Holy Trinity, one God in three Persons, acts in all men of right intention. There can be only one Church of Christ.

Forgive me if I repeat truths that are part of your life. But in order to answer you question the solution cannot consist in watering down the truth revealed by the Son of God.

The problem resides in mankind. God has created the human person into freedom. He respects that freedom.

What happened? Separation in faith is consequence of this freedom sometimes not without moral responsibility on both sides. The Catholic Church respects this freedom. Jesus Christ knew that separation would happen. That�s why He prayed that all be one.

The Vatican II in the degree on Ecumenism teaches expressly that Christ's Spirit doesn't resist the prayer of those communities of other faith. But the fullness of the means instituted by Christ in order to safe mankind is only fully present in the Catholic Church.

Now I want you to distinguish between intention and objective truth. A person can have very pure and feverous intentions teaching a doctrine that is believed firmly but isn't the objective truth. God who looks at the heart gives fervor, enthusiasm and courage to that person. The Spirit approves the attitude not the doctrine. He endorses the purity of love and intention. But He cannot teach two contrary certainties.

You could ask why God�s Spirit doesn�t oblige everybody to teach only the truth. He doesn't because in that case he would force the person and would not respect the freedom of that person. It's like forcing somebody not to sin. God cannot do that. The answer to that is the death on the cross of our God incarnated.

One more element. Why are the Catholics so sure that the Catholic doctrine is God�s truth? Because the Catholic Church has an uninterrupted doctrine of 2000 years beginning from Christ and His Apostles up to the present.

Let us pray that all may be one some day.

vale

mscperu