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125 pages

English

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Description

Provides the basic tools Christians need to understand the non-Christian teachings of Mormonism and the information they need for witnessing to them.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 avril 1997
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441243218
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0374€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

©1997 by John R. Farkas and David A. Reed
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4321-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Some of the materials in chapter 2 and all of appendixes 1–6 were used in Mormonism: Changes, Contradictions, and Errors (1995). They are repeated for the convenience of the reader.
The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Witnessing to Mormons
2. Introduction to Mormonism
3. For Potential Converts and New Mormons
4. For Non-Mormons and Mormons
5. For Mormons
6. Responses Mormons’ and Yours
7. Authors’ Testimonies
Appendixes
1 The Mormon Church’s Claims to Be the One True Church
2 Brief History of Mormonism
3 Mormon Terminology and Doctrine
4 Mormon Standards for Following the Words of the Top Mormon Leaders
5 Mormon Standards for Judging Mormon Scriptures
6 Recommended Reading and Support Groups
Notes
Subject Index
Scripture Index
Mormon Scripture Index
Back Cover
Preface
T he Mormon Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is one of the fastest growing churches in the United States and the world. Nearly 49,000 (at the end of 1995) full-time missionaries help produce this growth. From 1981 through the end of 1991 the Church grew 64 percent worldwide, while in the United States it grew 42 percent. [1] Its worldwide membership was reported at nearly 9.3 million by the end of 1995 [2] with about 4.6 million of these in the United States. Through its extensive public relations programs, the Church has gained a general public acceptance unparalleled in its history.
This public acceptance has probably been aided by increasing spiritual ignorance among Christians in our country. Churches across the United States are reporting lower attendance at Sunday schools and Sunday evening services. At the same time, public schools have been teaching reliance on feelings when evaluating events in our lives. Concurrently there has been a trend among mainline Christian pastors toward accepting “liberal Christian” thinking lifestyles and teachings that would have been rejected twenty-five years ago. This reliance on feelings, along with ignorance or rejection of Christian teachings, works to the advantage of Mormon missionaries. Their teaching approach puts an emphasis on the use of feelings in evaluating their message. [3]
A sound examination and study of Mormonism should put aside feelings and public opinion and instead be factual, historical, and biblical. This book, as did our previous books, will take this approach. Years ago, the top leadership of the Mormon Church did not hesitate to challenge people to examine the teachings of their Church. Debates between top Mormon leaders and non-Mormons were not unusual. Today they are. Below are three examples of challenges by top Mormon leaders. Note that they invite outsiders to “convince us of our errors,” “compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints,” and “if Joseph Smith was a deceiver . . . then he should be exposed.” Particularly note “there would appear many errors and contradictions.” This book accepts this challenge by exposing such errors and contradictions. Past Mormon leaders said the following:

. . . convince us of our errors of doctrine, [*] if we have any, by reason, by logical arguments, or by the word of God. . . . (Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer [Jan. 1853], 15)
I say to the whole world, receive the truth, no matter who presents it to you. Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test. (President Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses [May 1873] 16:46)
If Joseph Smith was a deceiver, . . . then he should be exposed; his claims should be refuted, and his doctrines shown to be false, . . . If his claims and declarations were built upon fraud and deceit, there would appear many errors and contradictions, which would be easy to detect. The doctrines of false teachers will not stand the test when tried by the accepted standards of measurement, the scriptures. (Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation [1954], 1:188)
This book has been prepared to help you respond to this challenge. Chapter 1, “Witnessing to Mormons,” provides the Bible verses that support witnessing and discusses guidelines and several approaches. Other essential parts of the necessary full foundation that must be developed for an effective witness are found in chapter 2, “Introduction to Mormonism.” This section outlines the doctrine, history, and authority structure of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and includes a brief review of its authoritative publications. This is followed by claims and statements by top Mormon Church leaders about the importance of following them.
Chapter 3 discusses the best subjects for witnessing to new Mormons and potential converts. The foundation is completed in chapters 4 through 6 with subjects that can be effective in reaching seasoned Mormons, help in answering their questions, and questions to ask Mormons.
____________
[*] Bold type and underlined text in quotes are added for emphasis. Items in brackets [ ] are given for additional information.
Acknowledgments
W e thank Phyllis Farkas for her continued dedication, comments, and corrections to the manuscript. We have a great appreciation for and gratitude to the writers and researchers who have walked this same path before us for making their information available.
Above all, we are ever grateful for the help we have received from the Holy Spirit and for our opportunity to witness for the truth of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1
Witnessing to Mormons
C ertain biblical and practical considerations provide basic guidelines for witnessing. The general principles laid out below should be considered and applied, as appropriate, when witnessing to a Mormon or someone interested in Mormonism. Later chapters will present suitable subject matter for such discussions, but the guidelines presented here need to be followed so that your discussions proceed smoothly and accomplish their goal.
A prerequisite to any witnessing, not just witnessing to Mormons, is to know and understand what God’s Word, the Bible, says on the subject. Without this foundation, you may be persuaded that you should only say good things about others and that you should only make positive statements about other churches. The Bible is very emphatic on this subject and includes the following admonitions.
What the Bible Says about Witnessing
Warn the wicked

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. (Ezek. 3:18–19)
Teach all nations

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matt. 28:19)
Be ready to give an answer in meekness

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. (1 Peter 3:15)
Preach, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with longsuffering and doctrine

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Tim. 4:2)
Discern good and evil

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Heb. 5:14)
Contend for the faith

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. (Jude 3)
Reason and dispute daily in the market and synagogue

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, . . . Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. (Acts 17:1–2, 17)
And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. (Acts 18:4)
And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. (Acts 19:8–9)
Be gentle, patient, meek while instructing

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of