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We began the training for our trip to Utah with forty students. Some dropped out for different reasons, but a common theme was they thought we were going to “beat up on Mormons.” I’ve never received criticism from Christians for our mission trips to Berkeley where we engage atheists and agnostics, but a decent number of Christians felt we shouldn’t be going on a mission trip to Utah. Why is this? I’d love to know what some of you think. The conclusion I’ve come to is that many Christians don’t fully understand the depravity of man. Mormons are nice, well-meaning people who believe in family values. So, who are we to try and convert them? Isn’t this intolerant? It seems to me that we confuse the difference between goodness and niceness. I’ve certainly done this many times in my own life. Most Mormons are certainly nice, but does that mean they are good? According to Isaiah 64:6, “All of our righteous deeds are like filthy garments.” Mormons are just as sinful and in desperate need of God’s grace as anyone else (myself included). Paul said, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave. With their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:10-18). I’ve always been intrigued by Mormonism, but this trip really broke my heart for the Mormon people. I can honestly say that I love Mormons and pray for their salvation. They need Jesus just as much as anyone else. And God passionately desires to be in relationship with them. I stood outside the BYU library and thought of Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:37. After harshly criticizing the Jewish leaders for their hypocrisy and blindness, Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling I was thrilled this week that so many youth were willing to step out of their comfort zones and converse with Mormons. Will you? |
Comments
Sean,
I think you are on the right track in the idea that people might not truly understand the nature of the depravity of man. We want to believe there are good people out there. In fact, it often seems as though life is better lived if we are able to trust one another, rather than distrust.
However, I will also go one step farther. I think many people shy away from these kinds of encounters, not because the other people are so nice, but instead these interactions help us realize how bad we are. If these "nice" people are not good enough, what does it say about us when we are truly studying the nature of our 3 times holy God, and still do not live up to this standard. Our view into the mirror might be too much.
Anyway, I am so glad your trip went well. Would love to talk with you about it some more,
Gabriel
I love the discussion you're bringing to the table. I myself, went on a mission trip to Utah with Biola back in 2004. We got a lot of criticism for going to Utah and people were confused. Society is used to the idea of missionaries going to 3rd world countries to share who Jesus is. What they fail to realize is that the LDS community need to know who the REAL Jesus is. It's so critical to understand how important definitions are to the terminology we use!
Anyways, I can go on and on about this. Thank you Sean for your apologetic ministry and the discussion you're bringing to the table about Mormons and to Mormons.
- Mark
My greatest concern with this trip is that it assumes the damnation of Mormons and the need for Christian intervention. 1 Samuel 16: 7 says, "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” If Mormons are dedicating their everyday lives to God and devoting their hearts to the heavens, and not conforming to this world, who are we to say that they do need "a stone in their shoe"?
Do you really want to know are were you making a statment about something?
Yes, I would like to know what logical reasoning explains why having discrepancies in secondary scriptural details renders Mormonism a damnable religion?
Besides 1800 years, whats the difference between Paul and Joseph Smith? Paul wrote letters that were canonized. They tell a story about Jesus. This story my be true or false. We believe them to be true because Paul claims he saw Jesus, and various councils thought they sounded pretty good. But why? Joseph Smith wrote letters. Joseph Smith claimed that he was visited by Jesus. Why do we believe Paul over Joseph Smith? I realize there are historical reasons why Christians canonized Paul's writings but why him and not someone else? If Paul was so important, why didn't Jesus visit him when he was on earth?
Can someone be saved if they think Paul is a hack and a fraud?