We just got back from visiting a Mormon Ward or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Even though we already debriefed in our small groups when we got back, I need to vent a little more. My goal is not to convince people that the Mormon faith is wrong, but to share what I learned and tell why I am so frustrated.
We came to a singles ward (meaning there is another one for married couples). Normally for their friday night service there is one song and a short prayer before going to mingle and have 'fellowship'. Since we were visiters and not converts (haha, yet), they gave us a brief presentation of what they believe, using a diagram and one recent convert shared his testimony. Then we had "munch and mingle time" lol, I love the cheesy term! Anyways there were round tables set up and we got to talk to people one on one, asking them questions. At my table there were three of us from the project, 2 mormon missionaries and another guy. I loved talking with them, I loved sitting down and getting personal.
What saddened me is a lot of their answers to our questions seemed rehersed. They seem to base a lot of God's answer to prayer on feelings alone. Their testimonies speak hardly anything of God's brilliant GLORY and it saddens me to see worship empty if almost nonexistant. I didn't see any love for God or delight in the creator God who humbled himself, becoming a servant and who died and rose and conquered sin and death for them redeeming them through faith and his grace alone and not by works!!
I can see how this religion is so appealing because of the community focus and second chances after death to accept the gospel. In Mormonism there is no judgement! But they use the bible! But they take it so out of context and let their feelings and duty lead them. They believe God had sex with Mary and that the trinity consists only of three separate persons, they are not one. When Jesus prays for his followers to be one as he and the father are one in John 17, they think he means unity, united in purpose. They believe in preaching the gospel(its pretty similar to the one other churches preach) in preparation for Christ's second coming. They say Christ died to give us the opportunity for repentence and that because God loves the world he sent prophets periodically so that the truth would be among people and he can help them stay on the right track, but Jesus was more than a prophet, they believe he is literally God's son and we are literally God's sons and daughters also, born a spirit then born on earth then depending on if we were on the right track or not, will go to a certain kingdom in the afterlife. Even if you were a murderer or worse, you get to party with all your friends and family, but you have to suffer 1000 years in Hell first. (its all called eternal progression-basically you can progress to other kingdoms and minister to people in other ones--yeah, I don't really understand it completely...). If you marry in the temple you get to live in the best of the best kingdoms, but not only that, but the more kids you have on earth, the larger domain you get to establish for yourself in the afterlife.
Some more fun facts:
*Mormonism is based on Christianity and the teachings of Joseph Smith.
*Membership is over 10 million worldwide and 2 million in Asia alone.
*It is the world's fastest growing "Christian" cult.
*They teach that the garden of Eden was in Missouri and that Jesus was married, had kids, and after being crucified in the middle east, appeared in America too.
*A lot of times women are taught to be totally dependant on men.
What saddens me is these people really believe that this is truth. But there is no freedom, there is no joy in it! They have zeal for getting more converts, but there is no vitality, no PASSION! When they go on missions its to check off something on their list, they have to pay for it with their own money and they go where the missions president tells them they should go. What else saddens me is, in all of this, they don't know the Lord at all!!! They don't understand who he is, or that they can know Him! I don't see how they can know him for His JUSTICE and LOVE and believe all of this! Our worth, our glory, our blessings came only from God, and they are ultimately for God to be glorified! What's so incredibly beautiful is that God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him! I am so convicted of this, it breaks my heart that the friends I've just made don't know this! It makes me think of 2 Corinthians 4:4-6 "The god of this age [satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves, but but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as servants for Christ's sake[and glory]. For God, who said, "let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ".
What I've observed tonight makes me sad. And I know there is nothing I can ever do to persuade or make them see the truth. But there is hope! There is so much hope! Because God is the almighty God and he desires people from all the nations to worship him! He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine and he is in control of everything! Only he can reveal his glory to them in all its truth and we can only call on God to do this and just love on them!
If I am so passionate about this, it is only because God is humbling me more and more towards His greatness and because I want to see Him lifted up high! May He give you the same profound delight!
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2 comments:
Hey, just got the Thank you card. It brightened my day and yes our "roadside hangout" still cracks me up as well!
It is so cool to hear some of your stories! I'm praying for you!
Hey,
I totally agree with your comment on the Mormon faith. I think its important to look at what they believe and how it differs with what God says, in His word, about Himself.
An interesting thing, I was listening to this speaker and he was saying that as he was inspecting different religions, he found that Mormon's have no historical or archeological proof of what they claim..whole mountain ranges that don't exist anymore...or with their "apostles", who say what needs to be done..and can change doctrine..such as polygamy, which changed after the U.S. banned polygamy...
It just goes to show, as you were saying, that their eyes are blinded, and it is very very sad, because they are very intelligent, very committed people, but most of all, because they don't know God.
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