True Christianity preaches the cross of Christ.
I didn't think I'd need to post this.... but I had to.
Posted on 02/07/2013 4:42:47 PM PST by Colofornian
I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as Mormonism. Since my parents were active members of the LDS Church, I went to church every Sunday. And like many of those raised in the church, I had a testimony, was baptized when I turned 8, received the Aaronic priesthood at 12, and had a temple recommend. But as I grew older, I became less interested in my Mormon faith. So at age 18, instead of serving my two-year mission as I had been raised to do, I decided to go to college.
While I was pursuing my bachelor's degree, I came to trust in Jesus Christ alone for my salvation. Through my own study and hearing the Word taught at a campus ministry, I knew that I deserved God's punishment for my sins. I also knew that Mormonism did not have the answer, because I could never be good enough to gain eternal life. I came to faith in Christ, resting solely in what he had done for me—he fully paid for my sins on the cross, and in him I received his perfection and righteousness. Because of Christ, I have been reconciled to God and adopted as his son. Praise God for his free gift of salvation!
Continuing to Love Mormons
Now that I have been saved, I continue to have a deep love for Mormons and a strong desire for them to know hope and rest in Christ. Over the years, I have found that if they were not raised in the LDS Church then they generally became interested because of the care and love they received from Mormons. I also know that some became attracted to Mormonism because of their high moral standards and devotion to family. But however one becomes a Latter-day Saint, I am convinced that the teaching of the LDS Church does not provide true hope or security for eternal life. With millions of Mormons worldwide and their aggressive plan for expansion, I pray that all genuine believers will recognize that God has called us to reach out to Mormons with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Will you join with me? Then let me provide you with some counsel.
Love Your Mormon Neighbors
Yes, I am stating the obvious, but is it really so easy? We slam the door in the faces of Mormon missionaries. We tend to avoid our Mormon coworkers because of their weird beliefs and practices (don't they wear holy underwear?). We may even mock Mormons on our blogs, Facebook, Twitter, or other public forums. Maybe we should stop and ask ourselves why we act this way, repenting if necessary. We should love our Mormon neighbors, getting to know them and developing relationships with them as friends. Here's an idea: The next time we see Mormon missionaries, let us invite them over for dinner, enjoying their company.
Recognize Their Need for Christ
Scripture shows us why there are other religions in the world. According to the apostle Paul, unbelievers suppress the truth by their unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). So other religions are essentially counterfeit worldviews created by men who desire to keep living in sin and rebellion against God. We see this in religions that corrupt God's general revelation in creation (Romans 1:19ff), and we also see this in religions that corrupt God's special revelation in Scripture. The apostle Paul warns us against those who come and proclaim another Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel (Galatians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 11:4). So not everyone who claims to believe in Jesus Christ is a genuine believer. When you compare what Mormons teach with God's revelation in the Bible, you will quickly see that their teaching is not the faith "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). They need to believe in the true gospel of the true Christ with the true Spirit. Will you love them enough to share this gospel of hope with them?
Study Their Religion
If you were going to be a missionary in the Middle East, you would obviously have to understand the beliefs of Islam in order to effectively communicate the gospel to Muslims. It is no different when seeking to evangelize Mormons. You must recognize the differences between Mormonism and Christianity. Thankfully, there are many resources easily available today to help you. I would suggest Mormonism 101 by Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson as a worthwhile comparison between Mormonism and evangelical Christianity. I also highly recommend Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons by Mark J. Cares. This book may be harder to find, but its "Dictionary of Mormonese" alone is worth the price. Since Mormons often "use the same language as Christians but with a different dictionary," you must understand how they use words to effectively share the gospel with them.
Learn Their Culture
Because of the LDS Church's history and unique identity, Mormonism is not merely a set of religious beliefs—it is also a culture. You should learn how Mormons live, what they value, and other important aspects of their culture. While I sometimes disagree with David Rowe and think he is too critical of traditional countercult apologetic efforts, I still recommend his book I Love Mormons because he insightfully explains and interacts with Mormon culture.
Treat Them Individually
When evangelizing Mormons, we should not debate Mormonism as an abstract system. We should be lovingly engaging with a real, living Mormon person. Most Mormons are not theological scholars. They are usually more interested in living a good and moral life. As a result of the LDS Church's emphasis on morality and family and a general lack of doctrinal understanding among its members, many Mormons today are unfamiliar with historic and even contemporary LDS Church teaching. We cannot assume that just because the church has taught something, an individual Mormon believes it. You need to take the time to know what your Latter-day Saint friend believes and then respond to his or her faith in light of the truth of God's Word.
Pray for Their Salvation
Salvation is of God, not man. Your persuasiveness or intellectual ability will not convince Mormons of the truth—only the Holy Spirit can open their hearts. As evangelical campus minister Will Metzger reminds us: "Prayer for others is the supreme God-ordained method in evangelism. Unless God changes a person's heart, nothing lasting will be achieved. Prayer is a means of raising dead sinners to life!" While we may be tempted to trust in our own abilities when evangelizing a Mormon, we must trust in God to give faith to those who hear the gospel. This critical truth must never be overlooked.
Have Confidence in Christ
I have talked to many Christians who believe that Mormons are somehow harder to win to Christ than others. While I recognize that there are challenges, all unbelievers are dead in their trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The salvation of Mormons is no more difficult for God than that of any other unbeliever. We should faithfully proclaim the gospel to Mormons, trusting in Christ to draw them to himself. Let us rest in his strength to save Mormons for his glory!
John Divito is a former Mormon, a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv 2007), and currently serves as the administrator for the Midwest Center for Theological Studies in Owensboro, Kentucky. He also serves as a deacon at Heritage Baptist Church.
People in Spain and Germany and France have NEVER used the KJV - no matter WHAT 'version' has been created.
A few Americans (and perhaps other ENGLISH speaking people) have turned the KJV into an idol: something that CANNOT possibly be wrong or inaccurate in their mind; not realizing the Hebrew, Greek texts that underly the translation that is revered so much.
Thank's for showing the Reader's Digest version of MORMONism that it wants to present to the unsuspecting world.
They succeeded in killing Joseph, but he had finished his work.He was a servant of God, and gave us the Book of Mormon.He said the Bible was right in the main, but, through the translators and others, many precious portions were suppressed, and several other portions were wrongly translated; and now his testimony is in force, for he has sealed it with his blood.As I have frequently told them, no man in this dispensation will enter the courts of heaven, without the approbation of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jun.Who has made this so?Have I?Have this people?Have the world?No; but the Lord Jehovah has decreed it.If I ever pass into the heavenly courts, it will be by the consent of the Prophet Joseph.If you ever pass through the gates into the Holy City, you will do so upon his certificate that you are worthy to pass.Can you pass without his inspection?No; neither can any person in this dispensation, which is the dispensation of the fulness of times.In this generation, and in all the generations that are to come, everyone will have to undergo the scrutiny of this Prophet.They say that they killed Joseph, and they will yet come with their hats under their arms and bend to him; but what good will it do them, unless they repent?They can come in a certain way and find favor, but will they?
--JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, vol. 8, p. 224
This is demostratably not true!
WORKs are the very thing that ARE required for a 'true' MORMON to get and retain a valuable Temple Recommend - without which a 'mormon' will NOT attain the highest level of 'heaven' that MORMONism describes.
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Temple Recommend Questions
1 Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost? 2 Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Christ and of His role as Savior and Redeemer? 3 Do you have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel in these the latter days? 4 Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and as the only person on the earth who possesses and is authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? Do you sustain members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local authorities of the Church? 5 Do you live the law of chastity? 6 Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church? 7 Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 8 Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel? 9 Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen? 10 Are you a full-tithe payer? 11 Do you keep the Word of Wisdom? 12 Do you have financial or other obligations to a former spouse or children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations? 13 If you have previously received your temple endowment: Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple? Do you wear the garment both night and day as instructed in the endowment and in accordance with the covenant you made in the temple? 14 Have there been any sins or misdeeds in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but have not been? 15 Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord's house and participate in temple ordinances? |
Is THIS what MORMONism has taught you??
The BOOK says:
Acts 5:3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
What do you mean?
Folks like MORMONs???
Rings a bit hollow to me!
SLC 'mormons' have bigger things to worry about!
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned;
and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given,
and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.
Brigham Young - JoD 3:266 (July 14, 1855)
The STRUCTURE of them can, however, be compared.
After all, Catholics (RCC type) have the POPE that leads them.
MORMONs (the SLC type) have a Living Prophet® that lead them.
In conclusion let us summarize this grand key, these “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”, for our salvation depends on them.
1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.
I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency.
Ezra Taft Benson
(Address given Tuesday, February 26, 1980 at Brigham Young University) http://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/06/fourteen-fundamentals-in-following-the-prophet?lang=eng
The STRUCTURE of them can, however, be compared.
After all, Catholics (RCC type) have real fancy churchs all over the world.
MORMONs (the SLC type) have real fancy Temples all over the world.
After the Kum-by-ya singing and group hugging comes the discussion about theology.
THAT is what causes the fur to fly!
Ok; thanks!
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
1 John 3:21-24
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
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This is a cool list of questions. My wife must be able to answer all of them afirmatively because she has a Temple Recommend. What is it that is wrong with these questions? I really am impressed by them. Every church should have something similar. Remember that these are not questions to go to church or even participate in taking the sacrament but just to go to the temple.
In all truth, thanks for posting the questions, I am impressed by them. I thought they were someting mysterious, I see they are not. I just don’t see anything bad about them.
If someone were to come to earth now and shoot lightening bolts from his hands and move mountains and heal the sick, restore sight etc just by his words to us puny earthlings he would be a god. Even God recognized there were other “g”ods and made a commandment that we were to put none of them before Him.
When you understand the context of these quotes then there is nothing bad about them, it even makes some sense. There is nothing blasphemous about them. We may not agree with them but I can certainly understand what they mean and find no evil in it. God has had many prophets on the earth. They have all been revered or hated. Certainly the Mormons have a right to revere their own prophets too. ldquo;g
I’m not sure I agree with your or his (Clarks) reasoning.
I remember taking my little sister to see “Jesus Christ Superstar”. I was shocked at her lack of knowledge of the gospel. She cried at the end of the play, when I asked her what was wrong she said she hadden’t expected them to kill Him. I couldn’t believe my ears. I think that the Holy Spirit touched her and witnessed to her the truthfulness of the Gospel. I think it made a difference in her life. She didn’t go on to worship the guy that played the part in the play, she went on to worship what she thought Jesus was. I don’t know what she thought Jesus was, I don’t think it makes a difference. She worshiped the understanding of Christ given to her by a play and by the witness of the Holy Ghost.
I don’t know what every Mormon worships but I do know that my wife loves and worships the same Jesus Christ that I worship. She has devoted herself to Him much better than most of us. He is her Savior. I wish I was as good as her or even worked at it as hard as she does.
What I have found about Mormons is that many of them are just as sincere as my wife in their worship of The Lord Jesus Christ. I know you can but I just can’t fault their belief in Christ.
“I’m not sure I agree with ...” Yhen there is still hope for you to figure it out. [Hint: salvation does not come from how hard you work at ‘it’, but from His Grace toward you; ‘not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by ...’ and therein is found the Truth of The Gospel.]
True Christianity preaches the cross of Christ.
I didn't think I'd need to post this.... but I had to.
It is true that many of the Christian churches worship a different Jesus Christ than is worshipped by the Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Seventy Bernard P. Brockbank,Ensign, May 1977, page 26)
There are those outside the LDS Church who say Latter-day Saints] do not believe in the traditional Christ. No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. (President Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, 20 June 1998, page 7)
And virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit. (Lds "apostle" Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1966
So if you and your wife worship the same Christ, either you are both worshiping a false chirst or she isn't a mormon.
“Where have you found FLDS people in Wyoming?”
Pardon my correction. (-:
We have a modest number of their families around here. Nice people, really. Different, but I’d rather have them as neighbors than just about anything we had in California.
Your comments show me that you have absolutely no understanding of Mormons. I will try to address your comments.
The mormon jesus was conceived by Mary having physical sex with a god.
I have to agree that this is hard one. We know that she (Mary) knew no man. We are told in the New Testament that The Holy Ghost came upon her but I have no idea what that means. I only know she was a virgin as far as having sex with a man, she didn’t.
The mormon jesus is a half brother of satan.
Half brother? I don’t know that you are right, I think they teach that they are brothers in the same sense that you and I are brothers. Not that I can agree with them but I think it doesn’t hurt, Mormons teach that Jesus Christ was a Son of God. Mormons also teach that Satan was a son of God.
The mormon jesus is not sufficient for salvation.
You err seriously on this. I don’t know what doctrine you have twisted but I have attended their meetings and am married to one. They believe that the only name in Heaven or in the universe for that matter that can save them is Jesus Christ. That having been said, they do not believe that simply confessing the name of Jesus will save anybody. They believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet just like we believe that Moses or Elijah was a prophet. Like Mormons we revere prophets, we or they don’t worship them.
The mormon jesus is second to Joseph Smith.
This is just totally false.
The mormon jesus is not pay the price on the cross but in the garden.
The Mormon Jesus paid the price on the Cross and in the garden, it was all considered one process. Hundreds of thousands of people died on crosses perhaps millions. Dying on a cross is not a big deal, bearing the sins of the world, that is a big deal.
momornism teach that Joseph Smith is grater than their jesus.
This is a malicious lie.
mormonism teaches that jesus is not sufficient for salvation.
Mormons teach that just mouthing the word “Jesus” is not sufficient for salvation, true. Mormons believe and teach that if you want salvation that Christ offers you must then follow Him and obey His commandments. They teach that Christ has sent prophets to the earth, just like in earlier times, to show us how to follow Christ.
mormonism teaches salvation must be worked for.
In a sense this is true, they do. So? Do you not beleve that? Do you believe that simply confessing the name Jesus will bring you salvation? Jesus taught in the New Testament that we must be doers of the word not hearers only.
mormonism teaches that god was once a man.
I got to agree with you on this one. I don’t see how they get this but what does it matter, they teach He is God now. Why does it make a difference how He came to be God. It is impossible for the human mind to comprehend such eternal concepts anyway. Everyone wonders where God came from, Mormons just have an answer. I don’t know that it is a good answer but it is as good as anyone elses I guess.
mormonism teaches multi-gods.
Mormons do teach that there are many gods but only one God.
As I have said earlier, Mormons believe that anyone who goes to heaven is a “g”od. Note the little “g”. Even God says in the 10 commandments that we are to put no other gods before him.
When mormons say jesus they are not talking about the Biblical Jesus.
Who are they talking about? I know who my wife is talking about, she worships the Jesus that was born in Bethlehem of Mary, who escaped Herod by fleeing to Egypt and was raised by Mary and Joseph in Nasarath. The same Jesus who was Baptized by John when John thought he needed to be baptized by Jesus. The same Jesus that when baptized by John a voice was heard from heaven saying “This is My beloved Son”, The same Jesus whom the people saw a dove decend from heaven when he was baptized. The same jesus that turned water into wine in Canna at a wedding. The same Jesus Christ that healed cripples, that restored sight to the blind the same Jesus Christ that raised the daughter of Jarius and then Lazurus from the dead, Lazurus after he had been dead for three days. The same Jesus that in the garden of Gethsemane was visited by Moses Elijah and Elias. The same Jesus that was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of filthy silver. The Same Jesus that was Crucified after being found innocent of any crime by Pilate but was sentenced to die on the cross anyway and was scourged first even though He was innocent. The same Jesus who gave His life on the cross. He was not killed but gave up his own spirit to God. The same Jesus that was on Sunday after the crusifixion seen by Mary and many of His deciples. The same Jesus who taught the apostles for 40 days and then ascended to heaven while being witnessed by upwards of 500 people to sit at the right Hand of God. The same Jesus who was seen of Stephen as he was being marytered by being stoned sitting at the right hand of God. The same Jesus who was seen by Paul of Tarsus as he traveled to Damascus. The same Jesus that I know personally and love and last but not least, the same Jesus that loves me and you.
That is the Jesus the Mormons worship, is it not who you worship?
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