Help Evangelizing Mormons

  • Thread starter Thread starter landon13
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Chris-WA said:
Grant Palmer in his talk said it takes 7 or 8 hits to get converts in, and that is also takes 7 or 8 hits to get them out. They do need to be exposed to this kind of information. It often seems like you’re getting nowhere, but the seeds get planted and will eventually lead somewhere.

It bears more fruit than you think. Mormons aren’t used to having discussions with people who know much about their faith, especially Catholics. So when they do meet someone who actually knows a thing or two, it makes a difference and plants a seed.
Click to expand...
It didnt bear much fruit with me when I was LDS.

Perhaps things have changed. 🤷
 
Chris-WA said:
Grant Palmer in his talk said it takes 7 or 8 hits to get converts in, and that is also takes 7 or 8 hits to get them out. They do need to be exposed to this kind of information. It often seems like you’re getting nowhere, but the seeds get planted and will eventually lead somewhere.

It bears more fruit than you think. Mormons aren’t used to having discussions with people who know much about their faith, especially Catholics. So when they do meet someone who actually knows a thing or two, it makes a difference and plants a seed.
Click to expand...
You do make a good point. The OP’s discussions with his Mormon friends may not bear fruit any time soon. Even if he does reach his friends, they may have a very difficult time leaving the LDS church because of a believing spouse.

OP, use the LDS church’s own materials to ask questions that get your friends thinking. Anything else could be deemed “anti-Mormon” and they will not pay any attention to it. Make sure you do your homework. The Mormonthink website is also a good source for a critical look at the LDS church and beliefs.

Over the last few months (maybe it’s been a year already), the LDS church has been quietly posting essays on difficult topics on their website. The LDS church is trying to address the issues in an effort to keep the members in. Many Mormons have never heard of or thought about the issues addressed in these essays. While they may work to keep some in, they are also helping others to get out. Links to the essays are below:

Mountain Meadows Massacre: lds.org/topics/mountain-meadows-massacre

Book of Mormon and DNA Studies: lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-and-dna-studies

Spalding Manuscript: lds.org/topics/spaulding-manuscript

First Vision Accounts: lds.org/topics/first-vision-accounts

Are Mormons Christian?: lds.org/topics/christians

Book of Mormon Translation: lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-translation

Race and the Priesthood: lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood

Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah: lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah

Becoming Like God: lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng

Book of Abraham: lds.org/topics/translation-and-historicity-of-the-book-of-abraham?lang=eng
 
Ask them 1) Would Jesus lie to us and leave his Apostles alone to die for His failure? 2) If there was an Apostacy after the last Apostle died then how does it occur when they believe that John still walks the earth with 3 Nephities? 3) Is God really that weak that He always changes His mind? It’s really hard when talking to a Mormon because as others have stated before, they will say they have their testimony and that trumps everything. Be polite and try but the best we as humans can do is pray for all those lost and deceived.
 
SteveVH said:
As others have said, it is the “burning in the bosom” that seems to be everything. I will give you an example. As a prior student of mine (I was a youth minister at the time) was converting to the LDS church. I met with her, trying to dissuade her from making this decision. I asked if she would arrange a meeting between someone, other than pimply faced missionaries, from her Ward and the two of us. My intention was for her to hear the answers of knowledgeable Mormons when asked certain questions. I received a call from a missionary and we arranged a meeting.

When the day came, there were two missionaries and the local “bishop” who came to my door, however without my former student. I immediately told the bishop that the entire purpose of the meeting was to have her present so that she could hear both sides. He thought it better that she not be present and asked me what questions I had.

I told him that I had planned on asking him for evidence of the “Great Apostasy”, even one iota of historical evidence that would compel one to even consider this theory as plausible. His answer?“I don’t need history. I have the testimony of the Holy Spirit and of Joseph Smith”. My jaw dropped and I suddenly understood why he didn’t want my former student present.

The point is, it is very difficult to evangelize a people who refuse to consider any position contrary to their own regardless of the evidence presented. Objective truth is not a concept found in Mormon circles. All that matters is how you feel.
Click to expand...
Next time a mormon says that to me, my response will be: I have a burning in my bosom that your car is mine, your bank account is mine, your possessions are mine…:whistle:
 
Pepband_Mom said:
Next time a mormon says that to me, my response will be: I have a burning in my bosom that your car is mine, your bank account is mine, your possessions are mine…:whistle:
Click to expand...
Obviously, you are being facetious here, but that’s actually not a bad idea…

It goes to show that neither a “burning in the bosom” nor a “testimony” nor, generally speaking, any personal belief that one might hold necessarily equates to truth, simply because one is deeply sure of its truthfulness. A subjective experience like this can be used to ‘attempt’ to justify anything…Jim Jones, anyone? I’m sure each and every one of the hundreds of people in Jonestown would have said that they felt a “burning in the bosom” if someone asked them, “You feel a burning in your bosom when you consider the claims of Jim Jones, don’t you?” and each of them would have “borne their testimony” if asked. They even had enough “faith” in the truth of their prophet Jim Jones to commit mass suicide and homicide (killing their children first, and then themselves). From a Wikipedia entry on Jonestown, taken from the Jonestown Audiotape Primary Project of San Diego State University:

In response to reactions of seeing the poison take effect on others, Jones counseled, “Die with a degree of dignity. Lay down your life with dignity; don’t lay down with tears and agony.” He also said, “I tell you, I don’t care how many screams you hear, I don’t care how many anguished cries…death is a million times preferable to ten more days of this life. If you knew what was ahead of you – if you knew what was ahead of you, you’d be glad to be stepping over tonight.”

For what it’s worth, Pastor Jones believed and got his people to believe that they were all going to live together in perfect bliss on their own planet after their suicide. May they all rest in peace.

And he said, "Take heed that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name, saying, I am he!' and, The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. - Jesus Christ

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. - St. Paul

And this “gospel”, this “faith…was **once for all **delivered to the saints.”

Fides et ratio would be good reading for them but we all know what they would think about the idea of reading something written by a Pope.

God bless
 
vsedriver said:
Faith without reason is blind. Blind faith isn’t true faith. God is the author of reason and logic therefore any faith in God must also be reasonable and logical.
Click to expand...
When faced with the “testimony” and “burning in the bosom,” you have to break through that first. This is a good start.

I would also refer to St. Peter telling us to “always be ready to give a REASON for the hope that it is within you.” (1 Peter 3:15).

St. Peter tells us that REASON is important. You might also point out that the Greek word for Jesus as the Word of God is “Logos,” which is the root of Logic, and Christians from the earliest times have spoken of the link.

Don’t let them weasel out by discounting the Bible “insofar as it is translated correctly;” we have tons of documents in the original languages (Greek, Hebrew), so we can see the un-translated originals. Even if they want to debate translation, they need to back it up from those source documents, not just use that phrase as a vague dismissal of anything they don’t like.

You might also ask what human faculties set us apart from the animals. Reason is clearly one of them, and clearly one of the things that makes us in the “image and likeness” of God. If God gave us the gift of Reason, it must be for something–and He must be eminently reasonable (He is Reason itself).

As others have also pointed out, everyone can claim a testimony. I can tell them honestly that I have a “burning in the bosom,” a solemn testimony confirmed numerous times, that the Catholic faith is absolutely true. Anyone of any faith can claim the same. And the Scriptures (Jeremiah 17:9) also say, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and beyond cure.” So are we just to brandish our subjective testimonies and ignore any objective measure?

Ask them to give that “reason for their hope.” Ask them how they know they are right in interpreting their feelings. Ask them if they could possibly be wrong about that interpretation–and how can they say that their interpretation is right but others’ interpretations of their own feelings are wrong. Ask them how they know their feelings are from God.

If they won’t budge anywhere, I would tell them that it is impossible to have any sort of reasonable conversation with them, warn them that passions and twisted interpretations can lead one to hell, and send them on their way, inviting them only to return when they are willing to have a reasonable discussion.

Also, do NOT read any of their texts unless they will read something that you give them. Check up on them if you have future discussions; give them pop quizzes to “trust but verify.” Don’t let them get away with it. You won’t read their materials if they won’t read yours.
 
What do y’all mean by “evangelizing”?

I’m pretty tempted to agree with the other folks on this board who are suggesting the OP is getting evangelized by his mormon friends, but then I realized I might not be defining the word the same way as you folks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top