Helping others on their journey out of Mormonism is an incredible experience, but it is easy to become impatient with these people. Their path can be very up and down, which can be trying to your patience.
Check your motives
Sometimes we become impatient with our friend and want them to rush toward the goal. We know what the end result could be for them and want them to reach that experience quickly. Yet sometimes our expectations are different from God’s. We need to be reminded that this process is not about us.
It is important to check your motives, even daily sometimes. Figure out why you are pushing them. Is it because you want them to believe the same doctrine as you? Is it because you want them to attend the same church as you? Is it because you want the credit for their successful transition? You have to let these decisions be between them and God.
Be aware of the motivation of self-validation
You can be motivated by some good things, like a desire for your friend to reach the peaceful end result of their faith journey. However, wrong, egotistical motives can creep in. For example, you may want them to choose your church or movement. You might want your friend to validate where you attend church and what you believe in. You might end up seeing them as another convert you can add to your theological position or movement. These motives make it all about you. This is human nature and common in ministry, but that does not make it right.
God may have you examine your relationship with someone to see if it is about how legitimate and important you and your ministry are, or about your friend and his work in them. God can always bring us to remember that it is not about us, but about him. You should do what he asks you to do, but not to validate yourself. Just because your friend might not be where you want them to be right now does not mean they will not be in the future. Their slow pace does not make your work for Christ any less significant.
Let God shape your motives for his glory
As a mentor, if things do not go well and it feels like a blow to you personally, then that shows whom you have made this journey about. If you feel urgent and pushy for them to believe a certain doctrine or do certain things that you want them to do, examine where this impatience is coming from. As you work with people who are coming out of Mormonism, you have to be patient. Let God speak to you. He can sort out your right motives from your wrong motives to help the people you are mentoring pursue God for themselves.
