Mormonism

[Salyan]

I have a friend, a member of our church, who is recently made friends with Mormon. She has been invited to one of their services, and she has gone to one and is wanting to go back to another – because she really wants to share the true gospel with them. The problem is, that this friend is fairly unschooled in doctrine. She knows the basic doctrines, but she doesn't really know the 'why's' or the Scriptures behind them. I told her that if she does go back to another service, I am going with her. Now, I know a fair bit about the doctrines of Mormonism, but I am not so familiar with how they twist our scriptural terms or in what areas they are likely to start discussions with A new prospect. Does anyone have any experience with this that they could share with me on what to expect regarding subjects they may be expected to bring up?  Or any other advice – besides 'don't go!', which I know, but I'm not sure that I can convince my friend not to do. 

[Rosie]

i read a book once by a person who left the mormon church and converted to Baptist and got saved.. that person was threatened.. and ended up leaving the area... please don't go and talk your friend out of going... they have a way of sucking people in and not letting them go.. another friend who is a Christian had 2 mormon men come to her door and she let them in, listenede to what they had to say then said i listened to you now please listen to me. she took them thru the plan of salvation and the one called himself an elder and vowed to the mormon church and sat they and cried like a baby because he couldn't break his vow to that church.. i've often wondered if he ever got saved and left that church

[John81]

Mormons are quick to say they believe in the Bible and Jesus but it only takes a couple questions and their answers to expose their beliefs don't agree with Scripture and the Jesus they believe in isn't the Jesus of Scripture.

Jesus is God; always has been, always will be. Mormons teach that Jesus was once a man who managed to live so well he ascended to godhood. Along with this false Jesus teaching is the accompanying Mormon teaching which says Mormons can follow in the way Jesus walked and become so good they too will become a god. To Mormons, Jesus is just "a god", one among many, and one who was once just a human.

There are many other aspects a person can delve into. One very important aspect is the fact history and archeology support what's written in our KJB but there is not even one tiny bit of evidence of anything from the Book of Mormon supported by historical or archeological fact.

Sadly, many today view Mormonism as just another Christian denomination. Even many Christians, out of ignorance, think Mormons are just Christians of another stripe.

Another area the Mormons have exploited is in the area of "family values". When Christians stopped speaking of Christian or biblical values and focused on the more "tolerant" sounding "family values", they lost the claim to an exclusive belief. Mormons, who are very much into "family values" have capitalized upon this and used this to help promote themselves as being family friendly as well as a part of those who support "family values" and thus akin to Christians and traditionalists.

The main thing with Mormons is to continually point to Scripture and who Jesus is. Mormons love to make a quick "we believe in Jesus" type statement and then move to more comfortable (for them) topics. We can't let them get away with that. If they are wrong about Jesus (and they are) there is nothing else worth discussing as Jesus is central to salvation and the entirety of Scripture. Don't allow them to move away from confronting what Scripture says about Jesus.

[No Nicolaitans]

One of the biggest areas; in which, you "might" could deal with a Mormon is in archaeology, history, and prophecy. I watched a few videos on YouTube about this a couple of years ago, and it was very interesting. The historical (archaeological) and prophetic data recorded in the book of Mormon is very flawed; whereas, the historical data and prophecy recorded in the Bible is true. Archaeology confirms the truth of God's word, and it confirms the false claims of the book of Mormon. Such as, the book of Mormon's claim that there were once elephants in North America...there has never been any elephant fossils found here. Remember, they view the Bible as flawed and the book of Mormon as perfect; therefore, anything written in the Bible is supplanted by what's written in the book of Mormon.

The book of Mormon's historical claims are so wrong that at one time they were performing digs around North America to try to verify what is recorded in the book of Mormon; however, when no "proof" ever materialized, they stopped all of the digging and have forbidden anyone (Mormon and non-Mormon) from performing any more archaeological digs on their "holy sites".

Granted, this would take some research on your part, and it's probably something to discuss after you have made some in-roads with an individual rather than hitting them with it at the start...

With that said, always use scripture. That's what the Holy Spirit uses to convict a lost person with...

[Ukulelemike]

I have a friend, a member of our church, who is recently made friends with Mormon. She has been invited to one of their services, and she has gone to one and is wanting to go back to another – because she really wants to share the true gospel with them. The problem is, that this friend is fairly unschooled in doctrine. She knows the basic doctrines, but she doesn't really know the 'why's' or the Scriptures behind them. I told her that if she does go back to another service, I am going with her. Now, I know a fair bit about the doctrines of Mormonism, but I am not so familiar with how they twist our scriptural terms or in what areas they are likely to start discussions with A new prospect. Does anyone have any experience with this that they could share with me on what to expect regarding subjects they may be expected to bring up?  Or any other advice – besides 'don't go!', which I know, but I'm not sure that I can convince my friend not to do. 

​Your friend is in grave danger if she goes to these Mormon meetings-Mormons and JW's thrive on sucking in new Christians who don't know much, by dazzling them with things before they have understanding and discernment of the truth. Right now I am dealing with a y9oung man in my church who has a JW friend, an older adult, and insists and fellowshipping with him against me better judgment. Mind you, this man I know him, and even as a person he is devoid of any good personal attribute. He drinks, TO excess, swears, and would rather climb a tree and lie, than to stand there and tell the truth. In fact, he will lie about what the JW organization believes, just to make it seem like he is right. And he openly mocks and speaks against me, this young man's pastor, my own son in the Lord, and he hears and accepts it. This is the sort of people that they specifically target. If your friend wants to evangelize them, good for her-but joining them, going to their meetings, well, you don't evangelize the lion while in the lion's den, among the pride. She will be devoured because she doesn't yet have the tools and maturity as a believer to withstand them, not to mention that Mormonism has powerful demons involved with them.  

One of their methods is that they use the same terminology we use, and that the Bible uses, but they change the meanings. the gospel is not Jesus' death, burial and resurrection-rather it is a series of good works a Mormon must do to attain one of the heavens after death. They believe Mary was the mother of Jesus through the power of God, BUT, they teach that it was a physical act between a physical father god and Mary, and NOT the power of the Holy Ghost. They SAY they believe in the Truine God, BUT their is god the father, who is a physical man who was once a man and became God, that Jesus is His son, BUT just one of millions of spirit children, including Lucifer, and that Jesus attained to status of Saviour because his idea of the redemption of man was Better than Lucifer's, and the Spirit is a force, not God, Himself.

Their religion is so full of weird error and lies its hard to do this without writing a book. David Cloud has a good book on it, which is available as a free download ebook at his site. It might be a help for you both.

[Salyan]

Their religion is so full of weird error and lies its hard to do this without writing a book. David Cloud has a good book on it, which is available as a free download ebook at his site. It might be a help for you both.

​Thank you for that book! I've read a lot of those things before, but it's hard trying to concisely summarize them. You should have seen our Bible study session last night; she was wanting the texts to counter the false things she'd heard (and she knew they were wrong). We covered the Bible (as being complete & not to be added to), prophets, the Trinity, the Lord's supper (with a rabbit trail on the importance of the blood in our salvation - apparently they celebrate communion with water) - the nature of Jesus Christ, the birth of Christ, the nature of the Father, and a bit on salvation - as well as me throwing in a bit about weird Mormon doctrine and false historical prophecies to give her an idea of how their prophets were false. It was practically a whole Bible Institute course in one sitting! The problem is that when she left, I could tell she thought she was all ready to answer them - she doesn't know how they'll twist things, and a lot of those subjects can't be answered with just one proof text - they require context, definitions, and cross references. Even what I threw at her was way too much to take in on one sitting.

[Ukulelemike]

​ as well as me throwing in a bit about weird Mormon doctrine and false historical prophecies to give her an idea of how their prophets were false. 

​And I don't know if you're familiar with them, but Joseph Smith gave various other prophecies during his lifetime that failed to come to pass, like declaring some of the places they tried to settle in as becoming great Mormon stronghold, when they were run out just a short time later, or the bank Smith started, I think in Nauvoo, that he prophesied would swallow up all other banks in America, and within a year or so, they had been closed due to extremely unsavory business practices and fraud, about which time Smith received another 'prophecy' that they were to leave. Ol' Smith was just chock-full o' prophecies, but not a one ever came to pass.

[DaveW]

I have a book called "Where does it say that? A research tool compiled by Bob White" with no publishers details or information other than "Gospel Truths PO 1015 Grand Rapids, MI 49501.

There is no date on it but it is by no means a recent book.

It consists of page after page after page of photocopies and transcripts of letters, newsletters, pages from the Mormon books, and correspondence, most of which is simply underlined with no further comment by the complier.

He has compiled these into subjects chapters such as "Adam-god doctrine", "changes in LDS "scriptures"",  "Mormon godhead doctrines", and many other headings.

I don't know who Bob White is and in reality it doesn't matter as he doesn't comment hardly at all - he lets them condemn themselves.

If you can find this book it would be worth it.

 

An example : he begins a chapter with a small explanation such as this.

"Blood Atonement.

In Mormon theology, there are two different meanings for the phrase, "blood atonement". The first type is the one effected by the death of Christ on the cross. That "atonement" brings about the universal resurrection of all mankind, plants, animals, and even the planet earth itself. Absolutely no action, thought or any amount of exercise of faith is required on the part of anyone so resurrected.

The second type of blood atonement is unique to Mormonism - it is a doctrine which states that there are certain sins which when committed, place the sinner beyond the forgiving power of the blood of Christ. In those instances, the sinner's own blood must be shed in order to effect any forgiveness....."

He continues for another paragraph and a half, then the next  4 pages are copied pages (4 to a page) of mormon documents showing what he has described.

The entire book follows this pattern.

The above quoted text is from page 5-1 of the edition I have.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

I could not find the book online but I found it referenced (complete with above noted publisher) but it showed the name as Bob Witte instead of Bob White.

[DaveW]

Sorry you're right - not paying attention here. 

[OLD fashioned preacher]

Sorry you're right - not paying attention here. 

​I just found it amusing since a bobwhite is a quail, but I don't put it past someone to name their child that -- my grandmother was Pearl Nichols (think nickles)and then after marriage was Pearl White. I knew a Dora Bell (doorbell?), Rusty Hammer and several others.

[Alimantado]

I've found that bringing up underwear can work quite well against Mormons.

[Salyan]

 

[Invicta]

​I just found it amusing since a bobwhite is a quail, but I don't put it past someone to name their child that -- my grandmother was Pearl Nichols (think nickles)and then after marriage was Pearl White. I knew a Dora Bell (doorbell?), Rusty Hammer and several others.

​I used tgo work with a Wendy Howes   (Wendy House?)

[RevBob]

I have a friend, a member of our church, who is recently made friends with Mormon.

​And that's your first problem, right there! 

2 Cor 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

 

She has been invited to one of their services, and she has gone to one and is wanting to go back to another – because she really wants to share the true gospel with them.

And there is your second problem--a woman is NOT someone who ought be preaching--that's a man's job!