Just finished meeting with another two Mormon missionaries but only for an hour which isn't a very long period of time...it's difficult to meet with different people because the same conversations end up happening over and over again but we made what little headway we could.
There are some recurring problems that continually resurface the more that I talk with Mormons, especially the missionaries. Their goal seems to be to invite an individual to read the book of Mormon and pray about whether or not it is true, often referring to Moroni 10:3-5, yet there is no merit to this model of investigating the truth. To me it seems like a catch-22: if you accept that the Book of Mormon might be true, and read the Book of Mormon, and pray about the truth of it with sincerity and in faith, then God will reveal that it is true. What I hear is that if you accept that the Book of Mormon is true then the Book of Mormon is true...
Moreover, compare this method of investigating the truth with the example found in Acts 17:10-12. When the apostle Paul went to these individuals, the Bereans, to teach them the message of the gospel, they received with eagerness what Paul spoke, but they examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true and were described as those of noble character. There is not even a mention of prayer, but a careful examination of the revelation God has already given, to see if what Paul taught was in line with Scripture. Since God has already revealed Himself to us in His Word, should we not also examine every other teaching alongside of it - including the Book of Mormon? Are we not to examine what God has already revealed to us to determine whether or not Joseph Smith really is a prophet from God?
The whole concept of simply praying to determine whether or not something is true is entirely subjective - for if I say to a Mormon that I have prayed about whether or not the Book of Mormon is true, yet God has revealed to me it is not - where does that leave everyone? There must be something more substantial to plant our feet on.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Starting at the Beginning...
Several months ago I was getting out of my car on my street when I noticed two men walking towards me. As they were dressed in a certain manner the recognition that they were Mormon missionaries was immediate and I stalled long enough to make sure there would be opportunity to talk with them. It had been a while since I had encountered any and I always make an effort to engage individuals from different religious backgrounds whenever the opportunity presents itself.
We exchanged pleasantries for a few moments and wasn't long before we had set up a time to meet together. They knew I was on the pastoral staff of an evangelical church in the city where I live and agreed to come by my office so we could talk further.
We met a couple of times, each for over 2 hours, and discussed a myriad of different topics ranging from the credibility of Joseph Smith as a prophet, the different Scriptures that Mormons have in addition to the Bible, the office of High Priest that Jesus eternally holds, etc. etc.
Not long after we met together, these two missionaries were scheduled to return to their respective homes and so any chance for further contact was lost. As a result, my desire was to try and find Mormons close to where I live for the purpose of extended conversation - but also to get to know some on a more personal level.
After some brief internet searching I stumbled across one man's blog chronicling his life in the Mormon Church that was closest to my home. I followed along for a few months and eventually decided to contact him via email, which he was very gracious to respond to. Since then we've had some correspondence back and forth, and after many attempts, this Sunday I was able to attend his church where I met him in person (it's hard to find free Sundays to go to other churches when you work in one yourself!).
During my time there though, I was able to sit in on one of their Sunday school classes where the basic doctrines of their church were being taught. This raised many, many questions for me as much, if not all, did not seem to line up with the teaching from the Bible. I took away with me a copy of their Gospel Principles and I will continue to read through their basic doctrines and lay these teachings alongside the Bible to see how they measure up, while no doubt incorporating other topics along the way.
My hope is that as many as are interested would follow along - both Mormon and Christian alike - and each would feel free to comment, disagree, ask questions, or raise points that I had previously not considered. My goal is not to offend, only to get at the truth as honestly and respectfully as possible, while at the same time contending for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we all claim to so dearly love...
Soli Deo Gloria.
We exchanged pleasantries for a few moments and wasn't long before we had set up a time to meet together. They knew I was on the pastoral staff of an evangelical church in the city where I live and agreed to come by my office so we could talk further.
We met a couple of times, each for over 2 hours, and discussed a myriad of different topics ranging from the credibility of Joseph Smith as a prophet, the different Scriptures that Mormons have in addition to the Bible, the office of High Priest that Jesus eternally holds, etc. etc.
Not long after we met together, these two missionaries were scheduled to return to their respective homes and so any chance for further contact was lost. As a result, my desire was to try and find Mormons close to where I live for the purpose of extended conversation - but also to get to know some on a more personal level.
After some brief internet searching I stumbled across one man's blog chronicling his life in the Mormon Church that was closest to my home. I followed along for a few months and eventually decided to contact him via email, which he was very gracious to respond to. Since then we've had some correspondence back and forth, and after many attempts, this Sunday I was able to attend his church where I met him in person (it's hard to find free Sundays to go to other churches when you work in one yourself!).
During my time there though, I was able to sit in on one of their Sunday school classes where the basic doctrines of their church were being taught. This raised many, many questions for me as much, if not all, did not seem to line up with the teaching from the Bible. I took away with me a copy of their Gospel Principles and I will continue to read through their basic doctrines and lay these teachings alongside the Bible to see how they measure up, while no doubt incorporating other topics along the way.
My hope is that as many as are interested would follow along - both Mormon and Christian alike - and each would feel free to comment, disagree, ask questions, or raise points that I had previously not considered. My goal is not to offend, only to get at the truth as honestly and respectfully as possible, while at the same time contending for the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we all claim to so dearly love...
Soli Deo Gloria.
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