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During my missionary experience I was blessed to be out on the streets because unlike most Mormons I was able to meet an occasional Christian who took time from their busy life to witness to me. In the streets of Anaheim I met people from many worldviews and beliefs. But one of the reasons I finally came out of Mormonism and into a relathionship with Jesus Christ was because of the few loving Christians who invited me in and shared from their hearts about the Living Jesus Christ.
What Christians believe and value is objective and real. When contrasted to the treasure of Christ in us, worldly sects, religions, and cults, are arbitrary, invented and sadly just empty religious views. Paul wrote, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves" [2 Cor 4:7].
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
Many Christians admit they are reluctant to share the gospel with their Mormon friends and those missionaries who call at their doors. When one understands the basic theology behind the Mormon gospel they are less likely to be so reluctant and will be willing to take the time to share Jesus with these sincere people.
First you must understand your Mormon neighbors are different from you in two major ways. All of us struggle over making important decisions. But members of controlling religious groups like Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses etc. have chosen to give up control over the most vital of decisions in their life to the leadership in their church. As Mormons, Instead of struggling through studying opposing views and deciding and choosing themselves truth from error, they choose to trust bishops, stake presidents and general authorities of the Mormon Church to do their thinking for them.
It is often said people in controlling religions live out of two boxes. Box one is one we all share including daily making decisions like caring for family, going to work, or mowing the lawn. But box number two, where all the important spiritual choices are made, they have been given to the church leaders. The Mormon Church is really two Churches, the majority are the regular members, and then those who have taken their oaths in the Temple. (about 25%) Only Temple Mormons can hold responsible positions within the church, all of these have to have current "temple recommends" to hold offices. For those who have achieved this position they still must be interviewed twice a year to see if they are worthy to keep their Temple Recommends. Once each year their local Bishop interviews them, then one other interview is with a member of the Stake Presidency. The questions they bring up during these "interviews" are designed around the churches need to control what books are being read and friendships being continued by the person being interviewed. Mormons who are not Temple Mormons experience less of this "control" in their lives.
I begin by asking them when and how they came to be involved in the Mormon Church. I ask about their family's involvement. Mormons are very interested in families. If you ask about theirs you will establish some common ground and perhaps similar interests. Most Mormons are part of a multi-generational family who can trace their beginnings with Mormonism back to the early history of the Church. Here are a few of the different types of Mormons you will encounter.
Conservative Mormons. Members of this group have a high view of the "inspiration" of Mormon prophets, scriptures, heritage, history, and the basic message of Mormonism. Many remain conservative Mormons simply because no one from the outside has ever had the opportunity to penetrate their reality system. Many Mormon watchers believe this group is the fastest shrinking group in the American church. In some ways they can be easier to work with because their strong loyalties and pride prevent them from moving into denial.
Moderate Mormons. This group is more open but they are not "liberal." They may even trust some people outside of their own church. However most remain Mormons because their parents have approached their own church loyalty this way. Some members of this group live two lives presenting a conservative outlook at church, but when alone they may secretly listen to Christian radio stations.
Liberal Mormons. These members allow the majority of their beliefs to be influenced by those outside the church. In some ways they are the most open. But often they are hard to reach because the cynicism that keeps them from an overbearing loyalty to the Mormon Church can also be a barrier to coming to genuine faith in Christ. If you mention the fall of the Book of Mormon to someone in this group they might smile and reply doesn't the Bible have problems too? (The "fall" of the Book of Mormon is three fold. It is do to archeological finds in the 1960-70's, Linguistic and DNA evidence more recently which all demonstrate the foundations of the book itself is faulty.)
"Jack" Mormons. This group includes past members of the church. Members of this group have found one or more reasons to distance themselves from Salt Lake City. However, never count on this disloyalty being an open door for your witness. Often it is peppered with guilt that leads to a pseudo loyalty to the Church that can be tough to break down.
Multi-generational Mormons. These have been involved with Mormonism for two or more generations. This is probably the largest group of active loyal Mormons. When you witness to this group be aware that their loyalties are tied more to historic heritage than to theology or doctrines. These folks are usually fully invested in the Church rain or shine.
Recent Mormon Converts. This is one group you would think is large because Mormons report more than 50,000 new converts each year. But this group is small because it has been inflated with many member baptisms who were baptized past their eighth birthday. If your friend or neighbor is part of this group be encouraged because this group is still usually responsive to prayerful respectful witnessing. Work hard to maintain relationships if someone you know suddenly slips into the Mormon Church. Many have been converted from Christian denominations. This group is often the most enthusiastic and open because they were not raised as part of a closed society.
Current Mormon Missionaries. These are the two young men sitting in your living room trying to share the first discussion with the hopes of converting you. One of these missionaries is the lead elder, the other a "trainee". As long as they have been assigned as partners they are never allowed to be out of sight of each other. They can not even phone home to their families but on rare occasions. When you have the chance, focus your conversation on the weaker partner as you witness.
Temple Mormons. Only about 25% of Mormons are ever good enough to go to the temple. All temple Mormons must receive a "Temple Recommend." This must be updated twice a year. To keep current an "interview" with two priesthood leaders is required. The questions the interviewer asks each candidate for a recommend come from Salt Lake City.(Salt Lake prints a manual as well as furnishing a book for leaders to fill out which includes these questions on the back) These questions include issues like smoking, drinking, tithing, faithfulness to spouse, and loyalty to the church leadership both in Salt Lake and locally.
One question asked of the candidate is if they have ever known or now know any "enemies" of the church. This would include any ex members and especially people who critique the church.
Note: Mormons are not allowed to discuss anything that goes on in the temple except in the most general ways. If you want to end your witnessing opportunity just mention something about what goes on inside the temple.
PRAY FOR AN OPEN MIND
If they are visiting in your home leave the room for a moment and have a word of prayer. (Or pray before they arrive if you know they are coming for a visit) Pray that God would "open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." (Jesus) Acts 26:18
Always keep in mind when anyone makes a choice to allow someone else to make their spiritual decisions, we know who that someone else becomes ~ Satan. If God has laid a Mormon or anyone tied to a controlling religious group on your heart pray through Ephesians chapter six daily.
MORMONS HAVE BEEN BLINDED BY THE ENEMY
When we are sharing the Gospel with Mormons it is important to remember that from their perspective our message sounds dark and curious. Pray that the Gospel will no longer be "veiled" to them. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 Paul called Satan the "god of this world" metaphorically to demonstrate his current power and one of the manifestations of his work is in the way he blinds the minds of the unbelieving so they will not be able to "see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God."
Regarding authority I like to say two facts that both contradict each other can not both be right, but they can both be wrong. Michael Wilkins and J.P. Moreland, in their introduction to Jesus Under Fire in 1995 gave some solid advice for anyone witnessing to those who do not love Truth.
"Consider first the question of truth. In medicine, we all know what a placebo is. It is an innocuous substance that doesn't really do anything to help an illness. But the patients false belief that it works brings some mental relief. A placebo works because of the naïve, misinformed, and false beliefs of the patient. Sadly, the placebo effect is not limited to medicine. Many people have worldview placebos - false, naïve, misinformed beliefs that help them because they are living in a fantasy world of their own mental creation and not because the beliefs themselves are true."
MORMONS IN "DENIAL"
When I witness to Mormons I like to use the word "denial" when they respond to an obvious truth with impunity. Denial itself evidences deep problems in Mormonism.
Factual information about recent falls in Mormonism:
1. Beginning in the 1960's source material on the first vision has surfaced which demonstrates that there are at least 10 differing versions of the same event.
2. Original documents behind the Book of Abraham have surfaced which evidence there is no relationship between the original documents and the current translation.
3. DNA and other archeological evidence have shown the Book of Mormon can not be read literally.
Being informed about these falls does not benefit someone in denial. Some types of Mormons are just not moved by an impartial telling of factual information. Some respond in anger. All of this evidence can be seen online at http://members.truepath.com/werulds2/Jerrystokesoutofmormonism.html
Another is to go online to the LDS official website and request more information. If the missionaries arrive John 3:16 is part of their "First Discussion" material.
KEY QUESTIONS If you are not sharing with missionaries, would be to introduce the subject by asking a "key question." That question is, "in your personal opinion what do you believe it takes for a person to go to heaven and have eternal life?"
Your Mormon friend or missionary will usually begin by sharing their own personal testimony with you about how true their own gospel is. This could take a few minutes because from their youth Mormons have been taught to have a testimony which they are always willing to share. Their training has been in response to a Book of Mormon passage [Moroni 10:4-5] which claims anyone who reads and prays through that book will receive a strong burning sensation in their chest [D&C 9:8] to evidence the entire work of Joseph Smith and his "restoration."
If their testimony does not include John 3:16 then bring up that passage yourself and then ask a second key question, "do you believe it is important for someone to be "born again" as Jesus commanded?" Just leave your Bible open to this third chapter of John.
Usually, at this point your Mormon friend or missionary will expand their testimony to include John 3:16 and the language of John. Part of their life long training includes seeing from their youth the way respected people "bear their testimony." In addition, if you are sharing with missionaries they practiced sharing their testimony with emotion. Missionaries learn no Greek, Hebrew or Biblical hermeneutics in the Mission Training Center, but they did learn how to tearfully and sincerely share their testimony.
As I have listened to Mormons share over the years, one of the latest changes in strategy is to be able to convince others that Mormons are "born again."
1. I share about the period before I was born again under conviction.
2. I share about the weight of personal sin and guilt I bore.
3. I also share about the sense of spiritual emptiness within.
4. Another element I add is some sense about a date and time of my experience.
5. I also share how after my new birth I experienced a supernatural peace from God impossible to me previously. I use the our calendar as an example. We have BC and AD to signify the difference of Christ has made historically and now in my own life it is more abundant than before.
6. I conclude in my testimony by sharing how Jesus was once standing outside of my heart and life knocking on the door to my heart [Rev 3:20] but I denied him to go on serving sin and self. Now that Christ has moved into my life Jesus says, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him" [John 14:23]. Then I share again my experience of receiving a new abundant life [Jn. 10:10].
I then ask my Mormon friend to share with me the date and place of their own new birth? At first many Mormons will be vague and evasive. But eventually they will sheepishly admit that their "glowing experience" occurred at their eighth birthday as they were water baptized in obedience to Mormon Ordinance. Mormons claim water baptism by someone using their authority is the "new birth" commanded by Christ.
CONTRASTING THE NEW BIRTH AND WATER BAPTISM
With John chapter three still open I ask another key question, "have you ever read the entire Gospel of John?" A yes answer is a rare exception in my experience. Then I ask if they have ever read the entire third chapter of John. Again a yes answer is a rare exception.
Then, in an uplifting way, I give them on a quick tour of John with the goal in mind of contrasting their legalistic water baptism at eight years old to the supernatural new birth described by Jesus.
I begin by sharing how John's gospel differs from Matthew, Mark and Luke. Matthew and Luke began their accounts with genealogical issues surrounding Jesus' birth. Mark ignores genealogy altogether and moves right into the ministry of John the Baptist.
John stands alone by taking his readers all the way back to Genesis chapter one. I turn back to the first chapter of John and read some of those impressive verses in John's prologue, and then skip forward to verse fourteen to eighteen. Mormons love testimonies so I engage them by sharing how this whole book was really John's testimony about Jesus.
As I read of Nicodemus surprise at the new birth, I quote the first mention of the new birth back in the Mosaic Law, "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live" [Deut 30:6].
As I contrast the Mosaic law to Nicodemus' understanding of the new birth, I am also contrasting their own views to that of John three. I ask them if they knew what the entrance ordinance the Jews performed to join the Old Covenant. They usually mention circumcision. How can someone have their heart circumcised? Both Moses and Jesus used symbolic language to introduce the new birth. As I read a few passages from John three I begin contrasting ways the New Covenant is different from the Old.
2. The Old was an external community experience but the New was to be an "inward" covenant [Jer. 31:33] of the heart.
3. The Old required each to related to God through human priests [Jn 1:17], but the New was to be "relational"being available to all with every member "knowing the Lord" [Jer. 31:34].
4. In the New Covenant both sin and iniquity would be forgiven [Jer. 31:34] with God not remembering sin any longer [Jer. 31:34].
5. The Old Covenant required an outward temple made with hands where the priests could first find forgiveness and then mediate for the people. But the New boldly says human believers will now be the temple of the Holy Spirit [1 Cor. 3:16]. At the cross we see the veil guarding the holy of holies tearing [Luke 23:45] symbolically to demonstrate dramatically that fact.
THE NEW BIRTH MORE THAN AN ORDINANCE
The fact that Nicodemus was confused about the "new birth" evidences that Jesus had far more in mind than a simple immersion in water. Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" [Jn. 3:4].
Instead Jesus was introducing Nicodemus into a spiritual birthing, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not be amazed that I said to you, "You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit" [Jn 3:5-8].
But this great legal scholar was still confused, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? "Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. "If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? [Jn 3:9-12].
THE LANGUAGE OF THE NEW BIRTH EVIDENCES A SUPERNATURAL WORK
Jesus characterized the new birth as being like a blowing wind, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" [John 3:6].
The second mysterious thing about the new birth was the way Jesus linked it back to an experience Israel had in the Old Testament when people just looked up at the snake on the pole to experience relief from physical death [Jn. 3:14 cf. Num. 21:7-9]. Jesus himself used this illustration to teach the world how to be born again. We are to merely look up in faith at the risen Christ on the cross believing He is our Savior.
CONCLUSION
Finally, I ask my Mormon friend to read a passage from their own Doctrine and Covenants Section 130:3. This passage was said to have been given to Joseph Smith in 1843 as a commentary on John 14:23 which promised how both the Father and Son would indwell human believers in the New Testament which is really the fabric of the New Covenant.
"the appearing of the Father and the Son, in that verse, is a personal appearance; and the idea that the Father and the Son dwell in a man's heart is an old sectarian notion, and is false" [D&c 130:3].
After they conclude reading this passage I take a moment to contrast this language to that used by the apostle John who quoted Jesus, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me" [Rev 3:20]. Jesus taught this indwelling relationship earlier, "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him" [John 14:21-23].
Paul taught the same thing, "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" [Col 1:27]. This became a theme in the New Testament. It is what makes the Good News of the Gospel good.
"As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life" [I Jn 2:24-25].
"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him" [I Jn 2:27].
"You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" [I Jn 4:4].
EXAMINE YOURSELF TO SEE IF CHRIST IS DWELLING IN YOU?
This teaching was so common that Paul used it as a test, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates" [2 Cor 13:5-6].
Despite such an important teaching in the New Testament, Joseph Smith began to drift away from this provision of the Gospel after 1842 when he began teaching God and Christ were both physical beings.
ARE MORMONS AN EXAMPLE OF CHRISTLESS CHRISTIANITY?
This is a problem. When we externalize Jesus Christ we become the Church of Jesus Christ without Jesus Christ and join ourselves historically with Christless Christianity. As I close I then point in the direction of their church and say, "you know you have the name of Christ on the side of your building, but your church does not believe He can dwell in your heart."
FINAL KEY QUESTION - Would it be alright if I share with you how the Bible says we can receive forgiveness by trusting in Chris as your personal Savior and Lord?
F is for forgiveness. We cannot have eternal life in heaven without God's forgiveness. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches f His grace" [Eph 1:7].
A is for available. The Father has made faith available, "for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everylasting life" [John 3:16]. But we also know that faith is neither automatic or universal because elsewhere Jesus said, "not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven" [Mt 7:21].
I is for impossible. Because of who God is it is impossible for Him to allow sin into heaven. Even though we have seen the Father's love in John 3:16, James said judgment will not rob mercy [James 2:13].
Everyone has sinned and in need of forgiveness as the Bible says, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" [Rom 3:23].
How can a sinful person enter heaven where God allows no sin?
T is for turning or repentance. Biblical faith includes repentance or turning from sin and self toward Jesus Christ alone. Forgiveness must be sought through Biblical repentance, "but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" [Lk 13:3].
Faith in God involves right belief about the way God raised Christ from the dead, "… that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" [1 Cor 15:3-4].
The Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved" [Rom 10:9]. H is for Heaven. The Bible says there is two ways to think about heaven. Jesus said, "I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" [Jn 10:10].
But Jesus also spoke of a heaven in terms of the hereafter. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also" [Jn 14:23].
KEY QUESTION: Understanding what we have shared, would you like to receive this forgiveness by trusting in Christ as your personal Savior and Lord?
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