Sharing Your Faith with Latter-Day Saints

By Sandra Tanner

One of the most important factors in sharing your faith with a Mormon (officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) is your sincere friendship. Usually former LDS tell me that they had a close friend that talked to them about the Lord. This friend acted as a bridge between Mormon assumptions and explaining what the Bible actually says.

Usually Mormons will already view themselves as Christians and will accept you as one as well. However, they would see you as only having one fourth of the gospel while they have the whole package. Your faith in Christ according to them, assures you of a place in heaven. However, in order to go to the highest part of heaven, the Celestial Kingdom (godhood, exaltation), you would need to have a Mormon baptism and a Mormon temple marriage. They believe that if you don't join the LDS Church during this life you will be given a chance to accept it during the millennium.

Remember that they view you as the one with the defective belief system. You have only the Bible (which accounts for your "limited" understanding) while they have additional light from their other scriptures, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Beyond this, they also have the teachings of their prophets.

Keep in mind that we are part of a process. Paul wrote: "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." (1 Cor. 3:6) It may take several encounters with various Christians before the Mormon will seriously start re-evaluating his/her beliefs. Pray that God will continue to bring Christians into the Mormon's life.

Terminology Differences

It is important to learn how Christian terms have been redefined Mormonism. If you went as a missionary to China you would learn their language and something about their customs. We should do the same with those embracing the LDS system. Don't assume the Mormon uses Christian terms the same as you do. Their definitions of God, salvation, eternal life, heaven, etc. are very different.

Persecution?

When opportunities arise for you to talk with Mormons about their beliefs, remember to show them the same respect and courtesy you would expect from them. Be sure to display confidence (not arrogance) in what you discuss. Mormons tend to interpret any timidity as evidence that you do not speak with the authority of God.

Since Mormons tend to feel any challenge to their Church is a form of persecution we must be careful how we approach them so that it will not reinforce this perception.

Joseph Smith claimed in his first vision which is printed at the back of their Pearl of Great Price, that God informed him all other churches were "wrong" and that "all their creeds were an abomination in his sight." Since Smith was the one who first attacked all other churches, we are simply responding to his charges. Merely comparing belief systems is not "persecution."

Importance of the Book of Mormon?

Mormons will often ask people if they have read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it. They assume that if someone believed it he would accept the rest of Mormonism. Here are a few questions to ask:

Since the Introduction to the Book of Mormon states that it contains "the fulness of the everlasting gospel" can you give me verses that teach the doctrines of pre-earth existence, plural gods with wives, temple marriage, chance to repent after you die, temple rituals for the dead, three levels of heaven, etc.?

Where do I find your concept of eternal marriage in the Book of Mormon? (It isn't in there - it's in the D&C, sec. 132.)

If you truly believe the Book of Mormon, doctrinally, how do you accept the Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price since these books teach different concepts?

Why do Mormons approach people with the Book of Mormon if it doesn't contain their most important doctrines? Why don't they give out copies of their other scriptures instead of the Book of Mormon?

This gives us a chance to talk about the value of the Book of Mormon, as opposed to the Bible. Ask them:

What specific doctrine of Mormonism is in the Book of Mormon that isn't in the Bible?

Which Bible?

The Book of Mormon declares that the Bible has been deliberately altered (see 1 Nephi 13:26-28). Mormons will often point to all the different translations of the Bible as proof that it has been changed. You can ask them something like -

Does translation always lessen scripture's value or change its teaching?

What about the Book of Mormon? How many translations have been made of it? Is it less reliable in French or German?

Does the church put a disclaimer on the Book of Mormon in other languages as they do with the Bible? If not, why not?

If professional LDS translators can reliably take the English Book of Mormon into French, why can't professional translators take the Greek New Testament into English?

If the Bible is in such bad shape, which verses are wrong, so I won't use them?

Mormons will often claim the Bible is incomplete, that various books have been left out of our current Bible.

Why doesn't your prophet restore the lost books or correct the translation?

If your prophet has not felt the need to restore these missing books of the Bible how important can they be?

Which books were left out? Which ones should be added?

Joseph Smith did a revised version of the Bible, why doesn't the LDS Church print it? They print extracts from it at the back of their Bible - why not use the whole thing? Smith did not add any lost books to his revision. In fact, he left out the book Song of Solomon.

Remind them that even though we don't have all the words of Jesus, John assured us that we have all the we need to know about gaining eternal life (see John 20:30-31). Also, Jesus promised "Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

If Mormonism is a restoration of original Christianity they would need to demonstrate that LDS doctrines were originally in the Bible but later deleted. However, there is no manuscript evidence of revisions of the New Testament that eliminated cardinal doctrines. Also, the scripture quotes in the writings of the early church fathers show that there were no doctrinal changes. A good book on the reliability of the Bible is The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable, by F.F. Bruce, Inter-Varsity Press.

Total Apostasy?

Mormonism asserts that in Smith's first vision he was told that there had been a total apostasy of the Christian church and that he was to be God's instrument in restoring it to the earth. While the Bible speaks of people falling away from the truth, it never indicates that there would be a total apostasy. Mormons often misuse 1 Timothy 4:1 which says that "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." Notice that the verse merely indicates "some" would depart from the faith, not that there would be a total apostasy. You might ask your friend something like this:

How could there have been a total apostasy of the church since Jesus promised that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"? (Matt. 16:18) Jesus also promised, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:20)

Another problem with the LDS claim of a total apostasy is their own teaching that John, one of Christ's twelve apostles, did not die (see D&C 7:1-3) but was to remain on the earth to "prophesy before nations." Besides John, three of the twelve disciples in the Book of Mormon were granted their desire to remain on earth, to "bring the souls of men unto me," until Christ's return (Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 28:6-9). With four apostles remaing on the earth, how could there have been a total apostasy?

Mormonism also teaches that the true church will have the same structure as Christ instituted. Thus they argue that the true church will have twelve apostles at is head. However, the Mormons do not conform to their own standard as they have three apostles in their First Presidency as well as their twelve, thus making fifteen apostles at the head of their church. Also, Deacons were to be men, not twelve-year-old boys (see 1 Timothy 3:8-12).

**Continued In a Later Edition**