I will finish my Mormonism series by talking about conversational tactics. These strategies will be useful when speaking with Mormons or anyone else that doesn’t agree with Christianity. The content I will share is simply good people skills, something too many Christians lack when discussing spiritual issues. I hope the next few posts will be helpful in this area.
On Sept. 9, 2009, as I was finishing my yard work, I turned around and was greeted by two young men with ties and badges; obviously, Mormon missionaries. They asked me if I was interested in an ongoing study. I asked them if they would like to come into my house to talk and they said yes. After offering water, I asked questions about where they were from and what they would do after their missionary commitment ended.
They asked me if I had any questions about their beliefs. I told them I have strong religious beliefs but if they could show me I was wrong, I’d be willing to change. I suggested they should be willing to do the same and they said they would. I asked them about their beliefs concerning the Book of Mormon and the Bible; do you believe they are both revelations of God? If there was a contradiction between them, which one would take precedent? They said both books were Testaments from God and that according to their study and beliefs there were no contradictions.
My friend Dylan joined me on the next two visits. The two of us made a strong case for the Bible contradicting the teachings of Mormonism. After listening to our strong case against their beliefs, they again went back to their hearts and reemphasized their stories. One of the elders got emotional telling how “god” works in his heart. After pleasantries they left without the true Jesus. Religious belief for them was of the heart and evidence was unnecessary.
I’d like to fast forward to June 12, 2010. It was a Saturday morning and school was winding down. One task I needed to work on was my four part series on Mormonism I would teach at church during the summer. Around 10:30 am the doorbell rang. Two young men with ties and white shirts were standing at my door. I hadn’t been visited by missionaries for 9 months and the incredible timing of this event seemed to be more than a coincidence. They asked me if I was Steve and I said yes. They said they were left a note from the previous missionaries that I had shown a positive interest in discussing spiritual issues. They wanted to know if I was still interested in talking. I said absolutely and invited them in. I asked them where they were from; one was from Utah near Salt Lake City and the other from Washington. We then set-up a date to meet the following week and they left to talk to others. As they walked away I praised God for providing such a timely visit.
By the 3rd meeting Dylan joined us. We met many times and I would like to share what I’ve learned from these experiences and others. My objectives are to 1) Give you 5 principles or strategies, based on study and experience, for sharing with a Mormon, and 2) Give you resources that will help you in your preparation.
