Mormon Missionaries

[flameburns623]

catholic-rcia:

If you have two missionaries sitting at the same table as you, what is it that you have to offer them as a Catholic? What is it that you could offer that they would want? What words would you use? What would you say about Jesus that could pierce their hearts? They have a series of lessons. What lessons do we have as Catholics? . . . . I spoke to two missionaries that were riding by on their bikes. I asked them if they have ever attended a Catholic Mass. They both said no. I asked them if they were going to restore something, a Church say, would they want to know about the Church that they are restoring directly from the source. They said yes. (a lesson could be offered here) I asked them again if they had ever been to a Catholic Mass. They said no.

I asked them if they could ask a Catholic a question what would it be? They said they had none. I asked again, …none they said, and then I asked again. One of the young men asked me if we worship the Pope and is he a prophet in our Church. I told them that he is a sinner like I am a sinner, saved by the Grace of God. That it is only God that we worship. I told them that he is a very Holy man chosen by the Church to lead the Church. But that he stands in the line of confession like everyone else. They asked if he receives revelations from God. I told them that he has received the same revelations that I have received. They asked what revelations. I told them the revelation of who God is, who Christ is, who we are. That at Pentecost the Apostles received the Holy Spirit to guide them to truth, the same spirit I myself received at my Baptism. They asked, then why is the Pope their if he does not receive new revelation? I told them that all was fulfilled in Christ, what else do we need to know? It is the revelation of Him that is all important. I told them that the Pope is there to protect this revelation from those that would like to change the revelation of who God is, who Christ is to a Christian.
Hope that helps a bit . . . .

I have to say I like this approach: ask them what they know already about traditional Christian faith and where they learned it. What kinds of questions would they have for someone who holds to orthodox Christian doctrine.No way you can be ‘setting them up’ for a trap, trying to press your own agenda while they try to pursue theirs, etcetera. Instead a real ‘teaching opportunity’ gets created. Just expect that they also will want to know what sorts of questions you have for them–and/or whether or not you have ever been to an LDS worship service.

And if the only questions you want to raise come straight out of the ‘anti-Mormon playbook’–they’ll spot you a mile away as just another would-be persecutor. They are not out looking for persecution under every bushel, but it is fairly simple to tell the difference between someone with honest questions, someone whose questions might be sincere but which were sparked by something they read, and someone who is simply out to ‘convert’ Mormons. ( A catholic can distinguish between these three approaches just as readily). They will hapily help the first sort of person, they will do what they can for the second type of person so long as that person doesn’t grow increasingly antagonistic–but they will spend little or no time at all with the third kind of person. Just a head’s up.