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A couple of guys came to my door the other evening. I had seen them walking up my street for several days. It occurred to me that they were making pretty good progress and appeared to have a "fish on the hook". Sure enough, it was true, as they later admitted. It was at an inopportune time (isn't it, always?) that they wandered up to my front door and rang the door bell. Oh, well. "Would you like to come in?", I heard myself asking. They looked a little surprised but eagerly accepted my offer. Two hours later, we shook hands and parted company, each, no doubt, a little frustrated by the lack of progress with the other. (Actually, they probably walked away rejoicing that they had suffered persecution for their God.) I learned some things, of course. They have become better at countering common challenges to their belief. This article is meant to share, with you, tidbits of our conversation in order to alert you to some of their positions.
Of course, I'm speaking of Mormons. Followers of Joseph Smith and their succession of prophets, along with their own Book of Mormon. Here are some sound-bites of some challenges I presented to their beliefs and their responses to those challenges.
"There is no archeological proof that Jesus ever visited the Americas and many cities and places read about in their book appear to have never existed." In time, they said, evidence for these cities, places, and people will be uncovered. Then, all will be proven.
"In Galations 1:8-9, Paul instructs that if any man or an angel from heaven present any other gospel to them than has been preached, let him be accursed. Moroni, an angel, appears to Joseph Smith to present another gospel. Isn't this a direct violation of scripture?" No, they insisted, those instructions were meant for the Galations, only. It does not apply to us, today. Besides, Moroni did not present another gospel. The Mormon gospel is essentially the same as the gospel of Paul. Mormonism is not another gospel anymore than the many Christian denominations preach different gospels. (I asked them, then, what was written on the cover of their Book. "Another Testament of Jesus Christ", they proudly responded, not really seeing my point.)
"How can you claim to hold the same gospel of Christians when your Jesus is different than the Christian Jesus?" Oh, but they aren't different, they insisted. "But you said earlier that your Jesus was created (which they did). Our Jesus wasn't created. He always was." Oh, our Jesus always was, too. Just like we always were. We were all little spirits in eternity past. God then sent us to live in an earthly body. This is what happened to Jesus, too. "Then why is your Jesus any different than you?", I asked. Oh, we could never be as great as Jesus.
"Mormon doctrine teaches that…." (I was trying to get the wording right when they interrupted and said it for me.) "As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become." Yes, I agreed that that is what I heard they believed. "Then, how can you call yourselves Christians when your God is different than the Christian God?", I asked, "The Christian God was never a man." Its because we interpret the Bible incorrectly, they responded. The Bible teaches us to be perfect as God is perfect (Matt. 5:48). This is not possible unless we, too, can become like God. Even Jesus said in John 10:34, "Ye are gods."
"God said in Isaiah that there was no God before Him nor shall there be any God after Him. He alone is God. That being said, how could we become Gods?" That doesn't mean what it appears to mean, they said. What God means to say is that there was never another God over the Earth and there never would be another God over the Earth. But, this applies to the Earth, only.
"There is no corroboration that Joseph interpreted the plates correctly since it wasn't written in human language and no one could translate it but him." They ignored my question and answered a question I hadn't asked. There were witnesses that the plates existed other than Joseph. "Weren't these witnesses simply family members?" Some were family members but there were a total of, I think, fifteen people that saw the plates. "So", I asked, "you are willing to trust your eternity with a man that had an encounter with an angel who lead him to plates that only a very few people witnessed the existence of and upon which was written words in a language that no man could translate? You wholeheartedly trust this with your life?" Of course, they gladly did.
They told me that, honestly, I could not know the truth unless I was willing to read the entire Book of Mormon, earnestly seek truth, and pray to know the truth. Then, they said, the truth would be revealed to me. How? When I sincerely and with a pure heart asked God if the Book of Mormon was true, I would experience a burning sensation in my bosom. This would be His witness to me that I had found the truth. "And how will I know that it's not just heartburn?", I asked. They just looked at me incredulously.
These are very, very short blurbs of our conversation that evening. Much has been left out for the sake of space. I write this only to share with you some of their positions and the arguments for their faith. The conversation was very cordial, friendly, and respectful. They (and I) agreed to further seek truth. May we both succeed in our quest.
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