Dialoging with the Mormons

A few minutes ago we were visited by 2 very pleasant young men who happened to be Mormon missionaries. They very nicely introduced themselves and asked if they could speak with me and I eagerly agreed. We sat on the front porch for a visit.

Even before we sat down I shared with them that I was a pastor and would be happy to talk, but that there were some fundamental disagreements between us. They still wanted to talk so I agreed.

We talked about all kinds of things: the Trinity, salvation through Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, their trust in the book of Mormon, the Holy Spirit and His work in the lives of people today and throughout history.

I was reminded again at how easy it is for someone who doesn't understand Mormonism to think that they are on the same page with the rest of Christianity. They use many of the same kinds of words that I would use. They have a wonderful, kind attitude. They appear to represent truth.

However, as we dialogued, they simply couldn't answer some of the fundamental questions I posed to them about who Jesus was as God's Son, what He did for us on the cross and what He continues to do as He is alive in us by the Holy Spirit. They couldn't explain how the Holy Spirit reveals who God is to all people and how He lives, guides and leads them into all truth. And there was so much more where they fell short of what the Bible says about God, about us and about how we are to relate to Him.

It reminds me of something Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus when he warned them "no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming" (Ephesians 4:14).

Later he wrote Timothy:

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." - 1 Timothy 4:16

Referring to the character qualities of church leaders, Paul told Titus:

"He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." - Titus 1:8

As Christians we need to know who God is, what He says about Himself and what He says about us from Scripture. There simply is no substitute for that.