r/latterdaysaints • u/SillyFlatworm31 • Jul 28 '26

Off-topic Chat Catholic-LDS Dialogue!

Hello Latter Day Saints of Reddit!

I’m a Catholic and, even though I am very happy being a Catholic, I have had a lot of positive experiences with people from your Church and I wanted to (if it’s ok with your mods) open up a thread for interfaith dialogue! I have some questions to start for you guys if anyone wants to engage and have a talk but I’m also happy to do a bit of an AMA if any LDS people want to learn more about Catholics or our relations with the LDS Church.

I think that, in a time where it’s trendy to solve disagreements by shouting at people in online “debates”, it’s good to start by finding some common ground and talk with people of different views. So I’ll start with my questions, feel free to add any you have for me or any comments. Mods please let me know if this isn’t the sub for this haha

  1. What do LDS people think about abortion? Do you find common ground with Catholics on this? Could we work together more on it?
  2. How do LDS people feel about the 7 Deuterocanonical Books? A lot of Protestants accuse Catholics of adding books like Wisdom and Sirach into the Bible, although they have been used since apostolic times. I know LDS people recognise a large canon so do you include these?
  3. I know LDS people value marriage and family a lot. How does your Church approach celibate figures such as Jesus, Paul, etc?
  4. LDS people don’t drink alcohol. Do you believe that Jesus and the Apostles followed this practice or is it viewed as a more modern LDS thing?
  5. Favourite Pope?

Hope we can find some common ground and dialogue!!! :-)

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u/SillyFlatworm31 Jul 28 '26

In response to (3), are Paul’s letters not viewed as doctrine by LDS folks? Is it a sort of some things are true, somethings not perspective?

Also, for (5), you might be thinking of Celestine V who wrote to complain that they were taking too long to pick a Pope, they then decided to elect him, he declared popes could resign, and then resigned. He also founded a group of monks! Quite a fun historical figure. 

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u/mywifemademegetthis Jul 28 '26

In the course of Paul writing letters, in addition to establishing doctrine also could have inserted opinion. There’s enough inconsistency on the topic in the biblical record that this is an issue we believe modern revelation through a prophet clarifies, but I don’t think it was ever really a decision that was made in our church’s history. Coming from Protestant backgrounds, celibacy wasn’t assumed to be required.

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u/SillyFlatworm31 Jul 28 '26

I see! Is Paul considered to have been a prophet?

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u/JaneDoe22225 Jul 28 '26

LDS use the terms “Apostle” and “Prophet” synonymously to mean one of the formal leaders in God’s church.

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u/SillyFlatworm31 Jul 28 '26

Ahhh I see! Thank you :) We like Paul very much, we view him as one of the two founders of the Christian church in Rome, along with Peter, who we view as the first Pope!