Jared writes:
"If you are so enthused about your faith, why don't you preach it rather than tear down anothers? You are clearly targeting the faith of a specific church when you should be promoting your own. The Mormon church is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons clearly believe in Jesus Christ just like you do. I would suggest you focus on your similarities rather than your differences. You clearly don't believe what they do but they clearly don't believe what you think they believe. Would Christ have disputed with a group of people claiming to be his followers or would he have simply introduced himself to them? Your method of targeting the Mormons is sad and un christ like. There are many people that need the message of Christ in your own communities. I would suggest you start there and stop targeting any particular individual faith. Combining with other faiths that are not your own to tear down one that you all think is the weakest. That's what a group of bullies would do. Mormon's are good people that value families and serving their neighbor's and communities. Surely you can find someone better to preach your message to."
I tried to contact Jared via email, thanking him for commenting, and asking some questions (Are you LDS? What does it take to make it to Heaven?) but I got no reply. So here are my responses to Jared below, broken down into 4 points (hover your cursor over the scripture references and the verses will pop-up so you can read them):
First, let me quote a well known Mormon Apostle and Prophet, Orson Pratt:
"Convince us of our errors of doctrine, if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the Word of God, and we will be ever grateful for the information, and you will ever have the pleasing reflection that you have been instruments in the hands of God of redeeming your fellow beings from the darkness which you may see enveloping their minds."
First, let me quote a well known Mormon Apostle and Prophet, Orson Pratt:
"Convince us of our errors of doctrine, if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the Word of God, and we will be ever grateful for the information, and you will ever have the pleasing reflection that you have been instruments in the hands of God of redeeming your fellow beings from the darkness which you may see enveloping their minds."
Orson Pratt, Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, pp. 15‑16
Very good: exactly what Frank and his companions went to Manti to do, Jared. Orson Pratt does not seem to have a problem with it, so I'm not sure why you do. But here goes....
1.If you are so enthused about your faith, why don't you preach it rather than tear down anothers? You are clearly targeting the faith of a specific church when you should be promoting your own.
Response: I do preach Biblical Christianity and the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Contrary to your statement, the Bible exhorts us to "earnestly contend for the faith which was ONCE delivered unto the saint. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and denying the ONLY Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 3-4). Truth by its very nature is narrow, so by declaring the one true God of the Bible, the true Jesus Christ, and the true gospel of salvation by faith in Christ alone apart from works, I exclude the false man-become-God "Heavenly Father" of the LDS faith, the false Jesus Christ who did not create all things (Colossians 1:16), and a salvation based on faith + your works. Not because I hate Mormons. On the contrary, it is an act of love to reach out to these who will perish in their sins if they stick with their LDS religion (John 17:3)
2. The Mormon church is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons clearly believe in Jesus Christ just like you do. I would suggest you focus on your similarities rather than your differences.
Response: Jared, nothing could be further from the truth! The Jesus Christ of the LDS is NOT the Biblical Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:16-20 tell us that Jesus created all things. The Mormon Jesus did not: according to the LDS, he did not create Lucifer, he did not create the Mormon spirit babies, he did not create the planet Heaven Father was born on, etc. The Biblical Jesus claimed to be the I AM (John 8:58-59), and the reaction of the Jews proves the point: he was claiming to be the LORD.
Your advice to focus on the similarities goes contrary to what God says in the Bible according to Ephesians 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." And further, the Apostle Paul proclaims divine damnation on anyone - ANYONE - who would bring in "another gospel" than that which he first preached to the church in Galatia: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:7-9) "Accursed" here means to be damned by God to Hell. That is heavy, but look at the consequences...millions or billions of people could be deceived by a false gospel and a false Christ, die still in their sins, and end up in Hell as well.
3. "Your method of targeting the Mormons is sad and un christ like. There are many people that need the message of Christ in your own communities. I would suggest you start there and stop targeting any particular individual faith."
Response: Wrong again! Jesus Christ himself commands his followers to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15) . Last time I checked, Manti, Utah is part of "all the world." The people to go there, go with the message of the gospel, and challenge the LDS by exposing the differences between LDS and Biblical Christianity. Because the love them, and want them to be saved from their sins and the wrath of God.
I do minister the hope of the gospel in my community. Did you read nothing else on the Iowa Seed Sowers website? Did you look at the calendar of events, and see I am out at least twice a week, giving away free Bibles and gospel tracts, and offer to pray for the needs of my friends & neighbors here? Where you around last Wednesday night when I mowed the grass for the widow with 4 small children who lives across the street? Not that I need to defend myself from your accusations - God sees and God knows, and my aim is to please him....
And further, the LDS church sends MILLIONS of missionaries all over the world to proselytize their faith and repeat the lies of Joseph Smith. Why is that okay? I spoke with two LDS missionaries just this past Thursday: they like to use words that make you think we are all believing the same things, when really they are light-years apart! Know where the Mormons get most of their converts? From other religions! They pluck many Bible-illiterate professing "Christians" out of their churches and into the LDS religion. Why is that okay for the LDS but not for me?
4. "Combining with other faiths that are not your own to tear down one that you all think is the weakest. That's what a group of bullies would do. Mormon's are good people that value families and serving their neighbor's and communities. Surely you can find someone better to preach your message to."
Response: We do not combine with other religious faiths, period, so that's that.
The LDS church is one of the richest and organized religions around, so I don't agree with your idea about them being weak. Bullies? When we do reach out the lost around us, we don't call them names. Real, Biblical, caring Christians are far from being bullies: we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
But speaking of that, in areas of the country where LDS is predominant, if a person leaves Mormonism, they are the ones ostracized by their former church brethren & neighbors. Utah has one of the highest rates of divorce in the nation. Know why? Because if one of the spouses - husband or wife - decides to leave the Mormon church, it messes up the ability for the other spouse to be exalted (as they falsely believe) to become Gods, so they divorce that person & hitch their wagon to someone following the Mormon faith correctly, so they can become Gods, have spirit children on some other planet, and be worshiped by those children as their Heavenly Father or Heavenly Mother. Wow!
But speaking of that, in areas of the country where LDS is predominant, if a person leaves Mormonism, they are the ones ostracized by their former church brethren & neighbors. Utah has one of the highest rates of divorce in the nation. Know why? Because if one of the spouses - husband or wife - decides to leave the Mormon church, it messes up the ability for the other spouse to be exalted (as they falsely believe) to become Gods, so they divorce that person & hitch their wagon to someone following the Mormon faith correctly, so they can become Gods, have spirit children on some other planet, and be worshiped by those children as their Heavenly Father or Heavenly Mother. Wow!
Biblical Christians know that our Lord Jesus told us there would be a cost to following him. Christians in Muslim countries take their life in their hands to follow Jesus. Here in the States, it is usually limited to name-calling, maybe losing the esteem of men, maybe getting the cold shoulder from family. Times are changing, and the persecution will be coming. But right now, it is worse for Mormons, or Jehovah's Witnesses, maybe some Roman Catholics. When they leave these cults, they may be cut-off from family and friends. Ultimately we who know Christ know that if we suffer for Jesus' name in this life, our eternity with him will be just that much more glorious (Matthew 5:11-12).
You say Mormons are "good people", and this, I think, is the key issue behind the comments here. Jared, do you consider yourself to be a good person? Compare yourself to God's moral law, the Ten Commandments: if you have ever lied, you are a liar; if you've ever stolen something, however small, you are a thief; if you've looked at a woman with lust, Jesus says you are guilty of committing adultery with her already in your heart. Still think you (or anyone else) is "good" according to God's standard? (Check out this LINK for more)
So, no, Jared, I cannot think of someone better to share the Biblical God, Jesus, and gospel with than lost people. See, Mormons and everyone else fall far short of God's perfect standard. If we all got what we deserved, we'd ALL end up in Hell. That's why Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and laid down his life on Calvary's cross, was buried, and rose again. He took the wrath of God upon himself, so that we could take the grace and mercy of God in him. Forgiveness, mercy, love, acceptance, and eternal life are a gift from God, paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ, and is received by faith in what he did for us, personally. Plus nothing. And because God has given us this gift, we want to share it with as many people as possible.
And to finish, here's a link to an old Dr. Walter Martin giving a talk in Brigham City, Utah, and which will answer Jared's questions and provide responses that are far better than I could come up with. Please watch it:
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