new to all this..need advice, thanks

[autismmum]

I am from UK and was baptised into C of E as a baby as is the norm here.
I have never really clicked with that church but have always felt like I needed to find the right way to be closer to God.
I have a child who is autistic and it takes a lot of faith to keep going at times.
Over the last few months I have been drawn to look at Mormon info and straight away felt really at home with it all. I didnt drink alcohol or smoke anyway and have stuck to the Word of Wisdom over the last few months by giving up coffee and tea.
I am reading the Book of Mormon and have the leaflets from LDS online which are the same ones the missionaries use and I am going through them.
The difficulty I have is that I dont really know how to take it further or even if I can?
I have Aspergers which is a milder form of the Autism my son has......as a result of this things like going to church, giving testimonies, even talking to the missionaries would be excruciating for me so I have been avoiding it.
I know I cant be baptised without all that so have been wondering about just living my life this way without actually taking that step if that makes sense.....is that enough? or do I have to go through the baptism to practise as a Mormon.
As I said i am living my life the Mormon way by reading and learning from the scriptures, keeping to the Word of Wisdom, praying, and I am even trying to introduce Family Home Evening.
My husband is catholic but he respects other religions and has no problem with me going down the mormon route.
I really feel like God is showing me how to be a Mormon and wanting me to do it but my difficulties are putting constraints on it.

[Yehshen]

Congratulations on finding the church.

I'm very shy (probably not as severely as your experiences), and so it took me a while to be willing to sit down with missionaries. Would talking on the phone be more comfortable to you? Or e-mail? The church does use internet missionaries (I only discovered this when I called and asked for BOM to be sent to my PO Box, and refused to give my home address).

Still, part of the fun for me of church membership is the experience of community that I get going to church.

I suggest that you explain up front to the internet missionary how you feel. Maybe they can work out some way for a local member to accompany you to church, to answer questions quietly at your pace. If you just walk in and attend (which you are certainly encouraged to do), you will probably be greeted very enthusiastically - but maybe you would be more comfortable with someone who you had met beforehand.

[Yehshen]

Or, on the other hand, you could just study and live the Mormon doctrines. Lots of internet resources, and dialog with people here. I guess the strict doctrinal belief requires baptism, but we all need to go at our own pace.

[anatess]

Interestingly, you can online-chat with a missionary now!

Yes, I agree with Yehshen. Go at your own pace, but do continually challenge yourself to learn more. Eventually, you'll have to get to that crossroads to baptism. The flesh may present challenges, but with faith, this too can be overcome.

If you go to mormon.org, you'll see lots of online resources that you might want to try out.

[rameumptom]

Give the missionaries a try. Let them know your situation and that you have to take it slowly. They'll understand and pace it to your needs. You may also want to visit with the local bishop and explain all this to him. It may be that he can find ways to help you enjoy the service (many of our chapels can transmit the audio of our main meeting into other rooms of the church, so you could sit quietly in another room and listen). They will understand that saying prayers, having responsibilities, etc., are a challenge, and will not ask you to do anything you are not ready to accomplish. It may be that there are others in the congregation/ward with Aspergers or Autism that will understand your situation, and may be able to assist.

[autismmum]

Thanks for the useful advice so far. Can I also ask what is the best way to study the Book of Mormon? Am I doing it the right way by using the booklets the missionaries usually give you? Such a lot to learn!

[Yehshen]

I think you'd get different answers from everyone here. Some would say read the Book of Mormon straight through. I didn't like doing that ... I wanted more of a summary approach. I would read
1) the Articles of Faith (quick summary of gospel that is considered doctrine)
2) the book (wirebound) the missionaries actually teach from called "Preach My Gospel". You can download from the LDS web site.
3) And believe it or not, Mormonism for Dummies by Jena Reis and Christopher Kimble (my apologies if mispelled names). This book is actually deeper than it sounds, but it is remarkably user friendly, and the writers are pretty well respected.

Although warning: I just joined the church 5 months ago, so what do I know?

[autismmum]

Thanks..have seen that book on LDS website will have another look at that...I printed off the leaflets but not that.
Have you only just been baptised then? How long did it take you to get to that stage?

[annewandering]

If you decide to be baptized it can be done with only the people involved. The confirmation can be done at the same time. I am thinking probably three people counting you? If you have missionaries teach you they can be the ones to do the baptism and confirmation. By that time you will probably feel more comfortable with them. You could have your husband be with you to talk to the missionaries. Not for him to learn but as someone to be there you feel comfortable with. Oh you could have lady missionaries talk to you if that would be easier for you. They could be with you to attend meetings as well if that would help.

[Yehshen]

Originally Posted by autismmum

Thanks..have seen that book on LDS website will have another look at that...I printed off the leaflets but not that.
Have you only just been baptised then? How long did it take you to get to that stage?

It took me about six months from when I started reading about the religion (last May) and when I was baptized (I believe November 23, 2011). My timing...not the church's. I think the first official meeting with missionaries was in September. Other people, I'm sure, will report dramatically different timetables.

They say to pray and you will be told whether the BOM was true. I knew by July. But still, it's a big commitment, and I wanted to be sure.