AM I DECEITFUL TO TALK TO MORMONS?

UPDATE!!!!!  THEY CAME CAME BACK~~Hubby wasn't home, soooooo.....

We sat on the front porch and talked for over an hour.  I explained that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  They shared, "If it wasn't for the Book of Mormon their faith would all come crumbling down."  I said, "Exactly."  They let me pray for them at the end and who knows?  They may come to revival Wednesday night.  I invited them and they took a book-marker.  Every time Elder Nelson shared that the Book of Mormon was the authority and Joseph Smith was given authority to build Christ's church in America, the Oklahoma wind almost blew us off the porch!!!  Seriously!   Elder Nelson said, "What in the world?"

I said, "The Lord is trying to tell us something."  Then I'd share about the mighty rushing wind of the Holy Spirit. You wouldn't believe how little those guys know about the Word of God.  Unbelievable!  It was so exciting.  I need to write it all down.  One thing neither of them knew was the meaning of John 3:5 when Jesus answered Nicodemus, "...I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born again of water and [even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God."  They thought that meant being baptized.  I said, "Oh, no, son.  That means when a person is in their mother's womb they are in a protective water and when they are born, they are born of the water.  Then when we believe in, adhere to, cling to Jesus and His saving grace through the attonement of our sins through His shed blood, we are born of the Spirit and He lives within us."

When they talked about LDS being the only church to baptize with authority, I said, oh but baptism is a command of Jesus and the authority wasn't given to just the LDS and Joseph Smith.  Indeed, we had a great time discussing everything.  And would you believe when I asked them if they knew why Jesus died on the cross, that they didn't have an answer?  And when I asked them why He came to earth they didn't know that either?  They were a bit surprised that I knew my scriptures so well.  I told them I had to know them because there would be many false prophets in the last days that would come and try to lead me astray.  Goodness, friends, what a mighty God we serve.  Couldn't have asked for a greater presence of God with the wind.  It went from a 60-degree calm day to 40-degree gale-blusters of about 40 miles per hour right up onto my front porch in one hour's time. selahV 2/25/08

~~~~~~~ 

2/23/08  When two Mormons showed up at my door yesterday [WHICH WAS 2/22/08~~], I was elated.  I greeted them with a joyful smile.  The one "in training" was flabbergasted.  The one standing behind but waiting to pounce on my every word (because he is the real deal in all things Mormon), was a hair skeptical of my kindness.  He asked, "Have you seen people like us before?"  I almost busted out laughing, but God checked my emotional weakness.

"Of course, I've seen people like you before.  You are Mormons."  They were both holding some pamphlets, videos and The Book of Mormon.  "Are you going to give me some of those things you have?"

They almost gasped.  They were controlled but definitely not expecting a nice response from me.  Obviously people had been shutting the door in their faces all day.  I live in a fairly large subdivision with quarter-acre lots connecting one another for several acres.

I felt sorry for them.  After all, I know the Truth, and they are peddling untruth and believing it is the ONLY truth.  So, being the kind of person I am, no fear here, I decided I'd ask for their periodicals.  I've been wanting the Book of Mormon but didn't want to buy one.  I've been conversing on line with a Mormon off and on for over a year now.  He's been trying to get me to read the book, and so this was a great opportunity for me.

Also, I thought, how can these poor young men ever know the love of Jesus without knowing Jesus?  And if I'm hateful to them, then how can my actions be justified?

They wanted to know if they could come in and talk.  I told them no because my husband wasn't home.  They asked if they could come back and I said, "Sure, but wait a couple of weeks because I want to read this Book of Mormon before you return."

They wrote down their number and I gave them mine and the more seasoned Elder beamed with excitement as he handed me their book.  He assured me that this book was not about Jonas Smith, but about Jesus Christ.  I said I understood.  I suspect he thinks I will accept this as fact because he said so.  So, am I being deceitful for allowing them to come back knowing full well that I will not believe a word they have to say?  The front cover of their book reads:

"Another Testament of Jesus Christ".  Well we all know that the other "testament" is an addition to the "New Testament" which we hold to be evidence of Jesus Christ and His only testament of Himself through His apostles and His Spirit.  And the other "testament" is all false doctrine sent from the pits of hell to confuse and thwart the message of Jesus and the Father in heaven.

So here I go.  I'm rather excited to be able to witness of my Lord to some folks who may or may not ever be able to hear me.  But one thing I know: if the Word of God is spoken, it will not come back void.  And so therefore the Elder-in-training is worth my time and efforts, don't ya think?  selahV 

Comments

[selahV]

Trish: They were so sad. Neither of them could answer questions. They were shocked that I used the word "attonement and propitiation for sins". When they shared about Joseph Smith's meeting in the woods with God and Jesus, they said it happened because he read James 1:5 and prayed for God to give him wisdom and He did. I asked them if they really believed that verse's promise had the power to do that for Joseph Smith; they both quickly said yes. I had them read the verse again. Then I asked if they believed the Bible to be true since Joseph Smith took it to be true? And they said yes. I said, well, if that verse had the authority for Joseph Smith and, as I believe, it has the authority to speak Truth today, then why wouldn't God give them and me the same wisdom they said God gave Joseph Smith? They hemmed and hawwed and had no answers.

The best part of the day was asking them questions about the very scriptures they quoted and seeing they had no answers. It was rather frustrating for the boys. About 20 or 21 I'd say. I've always been told that the only way to win a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness is to plant enough doubt into their own thinking that they begin to question their own beliefs. So I'm trying to do that as the Lord leads. I'm definitely no evangelist, and I'd not be very happy if they showed up with their high-priests, but whatever happens, happens.

I'll let them come back as long as I sense the Lord's hand in it. But I've already told them that I could never accept their book as the inerrant word of God and do not understand how they could.

No sense gnawing on a stripped bone or casting pearls before swine for too long. I am concerned about those devil-laced items of theirs being in my home though. A wicked-acting kitten showed up on my back door the same day those guys showed up at my front door. The cat hasn't left. And I haven't fed it. Hubby's threatening to take it to Lake Latonka and letting it go for a swim. (I know, I know. some cats are good cats...not too sure about this one. It runs from hubby and when I went out and pet it today, it bit me, then purred to beat the band.) selahV

[Keith Schooley]

Praise God! Good for you, SelahV! I wonder how many opportunities we miss because we're afraid we won't have the answers. It's easier to make an excuse and duck back inside our houses.

I think you're wise to keep in mind whether the Lord's hand seems still to be in it or not. Your words (filled, I'm sure, with The Word) will go with them, even if they don't come to the Lord right now. Who knows what effects our conversations have on people for years on down the road.

[selahV]

Hi Keith...yes, that is the way I feel that I have no idea what God will do with my words,but it is certain His will not return void. There was not one second of argumentive attitudes in our conversation. NONE. It really was like a couple of guys showed up from the neighborhood and we just sat there talking about the differences between us. I asked them if they'd had a hard day. They said it had been tiring. I talked to them about how Jesus is our comfort in times when we're weary and worn. I asked if they'd had any folks slam the door in their faces. And they said, "yes,they had and that most people didn't want to talk about God." I told them that was the way of the world today. I told them I think most people are afraid to talk about God. Elder Nelson told me that people like me assume that they are going to be argumentative. And I said, "that's funny, because I think you thought I was going to be argumentative; did you?" He said, "Yes, I did." We had several common-ground moments. And I do hope that my kindness will do more to reach them as they go on in their lives and contemplate others who might take the time to be kind too. There are several such people from my "before Christ days" that I remember who left footprints in my life that once I was saved I recognized and remembered how their words and actions had played a role in my coming to faith in Christ. Keep me in your prayers. selahV