How do I witness to a Mormon

[malron5]

I need some advice, the other day I was contacted by an old school friend via one of these school reunion websites, he told me he was a mormon and that he was very happy and he basically told me I should look into this and to investigate becoming a mormon. He doesn't know that I'm now a born again christian and I have no problem telling him that, but what I want to know is how do i witness to a mormon, do I tell him that Joseph Smith was probally approached by satan and that he will probally go to hell if he continues in this religion or is there something else I can try?

[Xenosjeff]

Look up Living Hope Ministries. Get their DVD's on Mormonism. Their latest is GREAT! It is called The Bible vs. Joseph Smith.

I watched it the other night at church and was very impressed.

After previewing the DVD's you could tell your friend that you checked out Mormon doctrine and you were surprised to hear that there were still any Mormons to witness to since their foundations had been blown away.

Knocking mormon doctrine is easy. Getting them out of the cult is hard.

Jeff

[MrMannn]

Love, Prayer and basic Gospel 101.
No one was ever argued out of a cult. These are people who have never ever heard the simple salvation message. With any cult, use basic Christianity and the simple salvation message.

To a mormon, salvation is a result of works-his own efforts. The standards are impossibly high.

Salvation by faith (i.e, a free gift) is not something they have heard before. Jesus can free mormons from legalistic slavery.

Bottom line there is no need to be fancy. You just give the message. The real work of opening a heart is through the Holy Spirit.

[HumbleBerean]

Lotsa Mormons on my wife's side of the family. She came out of the Mormon church(praise God!).

The best approach I have used is disarming them with a compliment. Most are expecting you to tear into their doctrine and attack them. I start with something along the lines of "You clearly have a heart for God" or "You are such a good person".

They are lost like any other. Explain the simplicity of the gospel.

Mormons believe you must work to earn salvation.

Mormonism Research Ministry
http://www.mrm.org/
This is a good site as well. He has a lot of family that is Mormon so he concentrates a little heavier on it. Good resource
http://www.pleaseconvinceme.com/inde...n_of_Mormonism

[malron5]

thanks for all the input, it should be very helpful

[Carol]

Thank you for posting this question...and for all the responses as well! I have a child who has become good friends with a mormon and I have been praying for the right words/wisdom to explain the differences so that my child will also understand. This is definitely helpful to someone who doesn't understand mormonism, like me as well.

[watching4Him]

Check out this web site that was started by a family that left the mormon church after years of being involved with their "church". I, read a book several years ago by the same people don't remember the name but here is the website [Uhttp://concernedchristians.com/][/U] their misson now is to reach out to former mormons or those just searching with the truth of our Lord & Saviour. They have ways of reaching the lost & hurting in the mormon community, they know how to best reach them because they were part of the "church" at one time.

[kim0515]

You can watch these videos, they are very interesting about how Mormans got started by Joseph Smith and ect.

http://www.goodnewsforlds.com/video.html

[ngraham]

Lotsa Mormons on my wife's side of the family. She came out of the Mormon church(praise God!).

The best approach I have used is disarming them with a compliment. Most are expecting you to tear into their doctrine and attack them. I start with something along the lines of "You clearly have a heart for God" or "You are such a good person".

They are lost like any other. Explain the simplicity of the gospel.

Mormons believe you must work to earn salvation.

Mormonism Research Ministry
http://www.mrm.org/
This is a good site as well. He has a lot of family that is Mormon so he concentrates a little heavier on it. Good resource
http://www.pleaseconvinceme.com/inde...n_of_Mormonism

HumbleBerean is right. The best way to start sharing the gospel with them is to show them love. My best friend and her hubby are mormon. It was her heart's desire that I become Mormon also, but of course that wasn't going to happen. But for a long time she's told me that it was very hard for her to make any friends because as soon as anyone heard the word "mormon" they would back away from her. Her first pastor (Baptist) jumped all over her when he found out she was looking into mormonism. Told her she was going to hell (after she was saved in his church) and told her to bring him her son when he turned 8 so the "church" couldn't start they indoctrination of him to become an elder or whatever they are at that age. She said she was afraid I'd turn against her when I found out she was mormon. I didn't. But I do pray for them and I take advantage of the opportunity to witness to her and point out their wrong interpretations of the Bible and of course the book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. All of the mormon people I have met are wonderful people. I have been to church with my friend a few times and I don't have any qualms about going with her again. And she's been to church with me... when I was water baptized. But you have to realize that these people are truly being deceived and deeply indoctrinated into the mormon faith. They aren't just going to drop their beliefs because we tell them they are wrong. Of course we feel that Joseph Smith was led by a demon or the devil or just plain out full of himself. But they are not going to believe that. They believe that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers. Be honest with your friend, let him know that you're born again, show him all the love you can, when he dumps their belief system on you, gently explain to him how we believe and that we believe the Bible is the word of God... no mistakes, no errors in it (they believe there are errors in it). And pray, pray, pray for him.

[Shadow Girl]

http://www.chick.com/information/religions/mormonism/

Here are some materials that could help.

[WarriorSaint]

I think a really good way to reach out to someone that has been decieved would be to understand their cult and be able show them were they have been decieved. There is a website www.alwaysbeready.com that list many cults and why they are false. It is really great. Everything from Calvinism to Opray Winfree... check it out

[Stan]

As a former Mormon, It is difficult to witness to them as they are a cult.
They are brainwashed to think they are in the only true church and all others are wrong.
There are some good books by (Walter Martin) on witnessing to them out there, I pray for the many that I baptized into the church and wish that I was able to speak to the great many that are in the church.

[HumbleBerean]

Even though they are a cult I would not tell them that to their face. It sets up defensive barriers in the person who you are trying to witness to. When people hear cult they think David Koresh or Jim Jones or Charles Manson. You wont get far by telling them they are in a cult.

They are being deceived, have a false gospel, wrong doctrine, lost, misled. Compare their gospel to ours. Their route to salvation to true Christian doctrine.

One other important thing to remember and study is the Mormon church has changed the definition of important words.

For example:

If you ask them if they are going to heaven they will say yes - according to their doctrine everyone goes to the first of three heavens except for apostate Mormons.

If you ask them if they are saved they will say yes. Again salvation to the Mormon is getting their foot in the door. Everyone gets to the lowest heaven except apostate Mormons. God the Father, according to their doctrine, resides in the highest or third heaven. Mormons believe you have to continue to work, once you get to the first heaven, your way up to the third heaven and then you receive godhood yourself.

Your average Mormon next door is unaware of much of Mormonism. Their church does not reveal much of their doctrine until the bishops believe they "are ready the hear it".

A good question to ask instead of are you going to heaven or are you sure you are saved is to ask them if they believe they are going to receive the best their religion has to offer if they were to die today. The best their religion has to offer is eternity with God Himself just like Christianity. The paths to that destiniation is the difference. Mormonism requires perfection, being sinless to acheive this.

No Mormon can say this. If they do they are lying and get to start all over again because once they committ one sin, every sin they have ever committed is placed back on their shoulders

[HumbleBerean]

As a former Mormon, It is difficult to witness to them as they are a cult.
They are brainwashed to think they are in the only true church and all others are wrong.
There are some good books by (Walter Martin) on witnessing to them out there, I pray for the many that I baptized into the church and wish that I was able to speak to the great many that are in the church.

Praise the Lord Stan that He pulled you out of that cult!

[Daniel1210]

The American Tract society has a tract, I Bear You My Testimony, which is a very good brief expose on Mormonism.

Found it- from the ATS website:

I Bear You My Testimony
By WALKER, JAMES K.

Language: English
Version: NIV
ISBN: 1-55837-174-5

Tract Text

A Brief History of Mormonism

Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of Mormonism, was born on December 23, 1805, in the town of Sharon, Vermont. According to the official account, when Smith was 14, two persons radiating with light appeared to him, identifying themselves as God the Father and Jesus Christ. From them Smith said he received instructions to join no existing religious groups, for they all were evil in God’s sight.

Smith later wrote that on the evening of September 21, 1823, an angel named Moroni appeared to him three times. Each time Moroni told Smith that he was sent from God to reveal ancient gold plates inscribed with the history of the inhabitants of the Americas. With the plates were also two "seer" stones used to translate the characters on the plates. The next day Smith allegedly found the plates buried in a hillside near Palmyra, New York, but he was told that they would be given to him only when he became worthy.

According to Smith’s writings, he retrieved the golden plates on September 22, 1827. Smith later began translating the plates using the "seer" stones. From these translations the first edition of the Book of Mormon was published in March of 1830.

Smith claimed that in late 1829 or early 1830, the Apostles Peter, James, and John appeared to him and restored the "Melchizedek priesthood." Ordained with this new authority, Joseph organized his church on April 6, 1830. Several years later a number of Smith’s followers led by Brigham Young migrated to Utah and built Salt Lake City. From that desert arose the empire now known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believed that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and that the LDS Church was the only true church on earth. You see, I was born into an LDS home. My father’s side of the family had been members of the Church for four generations. At the age of eight I was baptized into the LDS church and received the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

From that early age to adulthood, I was involved in many aspects of Mormon life. I tithed and attended Priesthood, fast and testimony, and Sacrament meetings. I also performed my duty in our Family Home Evening and Home Teaching. I even obtained my temple recommend and entered the Salt Lake City temple to perform baptism for the dead.

As my commitment increased, a good friend of mine, who was not a member of the Church, became concerned about me. He had been researching the LDS church and shared some facts I didn’t know. I began to wonder about my personal salvation. Although I was in good standing with the Church, I was not sure I was keeping all the laws. I also read in the book of Mormon, “...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”1

As a Mormon, I thought I had been trusting Christ as my personal Savior, but I was really trusting my testimony and my good works for salvation. I finally knelt down and admitted to my Heavenly Father that even on my best days I was not perfect. I, like everyone else, was a sinner.2 It was hard, but I told God I was no longer going to trust in my own good works or any church for eternal life. From that time on, I was going to trust His Son Jesus Christ alone to save me from my sins.3,4

A True Comparison

Mormonism’s doctrines are very different from those in the Bible.

The True God:

The god I worshiped as a Latter-day Saint was very different from the God of the Bible. I had worshiped “God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.”5 The names were right—but the god was wrong.

The god that I worshiped as a Latter-day Saint had a body of flesh and bone6, was a glorified, exalted man7, and was one of many gods.8

I even learned that the Mormon god has Eternal Wives through whom spirit children are born9 and these children have the potential to become other gods.10

However, the God of the Bible does not have a body of flesh and bone. “God is a Spirit...; A spirit hath not flesh and bones.” He is not a man who was exalted to godhood. “God is not a man....”11 The God of the Bible has no wife and stands alone as God.12

True Sin:

Mormonism teaches that Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden was a “fall upward” that was not sinful, but rather was necessary to propagate the human race.13 It also says that man has the potential of becoming God, just as Christ did; man is king of kings and lord of lords in embryo.14

However, the Bible says that Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden caused spiritual and physical death for all persons.15 Mankind’s ultimate goal is not godhood, but rather people have been punished precisely because they thought they could make themselves like God.16

The True Christ:

The Christ of the Bible and the Christ of Mormonism are two completely different persons.

Mormonism says that before Christ’s earthly ministry He was the first spirit child born to the Heavenly Father and Mother.17 In fact, Mormonism teaches that Satan [Lucifer] was originally the spirit brother of Christ.18 Mormonism also teaches that God the Father in His glorified physical body had sexual intercourse with the virgin Mary that resulted in the conception of Christ’s physical body.19

But the Bible teaches that Christ is the only Eternal God, not the product of conception.20 Satan was originally a created angel who led a rebellion against God in heaven.21

Mormonism says that Christ’s blood shed on the cross provides for the universal resurrection of all people. Its effectiveness for cleansing personal sin, however, depends on each person’s repentance and good works.22 In contrast, the Bible says that the blood of Christ shed on the cross was sufficient for the cleansing and forgiveness of all an individual’s personal sin.23

The True Gospel:

Before I trusted in Christ as my Savior, I followed what Mormonism taught me about getting to heaven. Its gospel—its message about how to get to heaven—included “all of the laws, principles, rites, ordinances, acts, powers, authorities, and keys necessary to save and exalt men in the highest heaven hereafter.”24 So Mormonism's full salvation comes through a combination of faith, baptism in the church, and works.25

The Bible’s Gospel message focuses on Christ. When He died for us on the cross, we were forgiven and offered eternal life. To avoid any confusion, the Bible clearly explains that the Gospel does not include laws, or ordinances, or works.26

Both gospels say they lead to eternal life, but each has its own definition of what that eternal life is. In Mormonism, eternal life is the power to attain godhood and have children in heaven. That can be achieved only through obedience to the Mormon church and having one’s marriage sealed in a Temple ceremony by the Mormon priesthood.27 In the Bible, eternal life is entering into an eternal knowledge of and fellowship with God and is achieved by personal faith in Christ as Savior.28

Mormonism and the Bible teach two different messages about getting to heaven. In fact, they are direct opposites. Both can’t be true; I had to choose one or the other. How about you?

Your Invitation

I urge you to come to the God of the Bible, the only true God.29 He loves you and sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins.30 You can find wonderful freedom when you admit to God that you are a sinner and trust Christ alone as your Savior.31

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).

James K. Walker

Information & Resources

James Walker now serves as president of Watchman Fellowship, an evangelical Christian discernment ministry based in Arlington, Texas. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact James Walker at: Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
P.O. Box 13340
Arlington, Texas 76094
Voice: 817-277-0023
Fax: 817-277-8098
www.watchman.org
jkwwfi@aol.com

* Walker, James: Witnessing to Mormons Resource Library (3 cassette tapes and witnessing manuals).
* Roberts, R. Phillip: Mormonism Unmasked, Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.
* Tanner, Jerald and Sandra: The Changing World of Mormonism, Chicago, Moody Press, 1980.
* Cares, Mark: Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons, Milwaukee: WELS Outreach Resources, 1998.

12 Nephi 25:23. 2 Romans 3:23. 3 Acts 4:12. 4 Ephesians 2:8-9. 5 First Article of Faith; McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (MD), 1966, p. 270. 6 Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) 130:22. 7 Gospel Through the Ages (GTA), 1945, p. 104. 8MD, pp. 576-77. 9Ibid., p. 516. 10Ibid., p. 745; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, 1976, p. 132. 11John 4:24; Luke 24:39; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 90:2. 12Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; 46:9. 13Journal of Discourses, (JD), V. 13, p. 145; V. 10, p. 312; Pearl of Great Price, Moses 5:10-12; Doctrines of Salvation, V. 1, pp. 114-15. 14JD, V. 10, p. 223; History of the Church, V. 6, p. 306; D&C 76:50-70; 132:20. 15Genesis 3:16-24; Romans 5:12-14. 16 Ezekiel 28:1-10. 17MD, pp. 278, 590. 18GTA, p. 15. 19MD, p. 547; JD, V.1, p. 51; V. 4, p. 218. 20John 1:1-2. 21Ezekiel 28:11-19; Colossians 1:16. 22 Third Article of Faith; MD, pp. 62, 669. 23 Colossians 2:13; Romans 8:36-39. 24MD, p. 331. 25Ibid., pp. 669-70; Ensign, Nov. 1982, p. 61; Moroni 10:32-33; 3 Nephi 27:19; Alma 12:16-18; 34:32-35. 261 Corinthians 15:1-8; Acts 10:43; John 3:16; Romans 3:19-24; Colossians 2:16-17; Titus 3:5-7. 27JD, V. 11, pp. 221, 269; MD, p. 411. 28 John 17:3; Romans 3:21-25, 6:23; 1 John 5:11-13. 29 Deuteronomy 4:35, 39. 30John 3:16. 31Isaiah 53:6; Acts 13:39; Romans 10:9-13.
http://www.atsdirect.org/epages/atsd...uct/View/40563

I left the references in because some are from the Book of Mormon and other Mormon sources.

[countrycowgirl]

Hi I just had to add, if you do get into giving each other scriptures, have your Bible with you and check what he gives you with your Bible. I had some missionary girls come talk to me and didn't have my Bible with me. I will always talk to them. I explained that I am a Born Again Christian and so they tried to show me in their King James Bible where I need a prophet to pray to God for me. The scripture they showed me didn't sound right so when I got home later and looked it up in my King James Bible the wording was changed. It gave the verse a whole new meaning! The mormons have their own Bibles printed so you have to be careful what you read or are told from them. This was last year and I really wish I could remember the verse. It was from Phillipians is all I can remember. Next time I talk to them I won't do it without my Bible maybe if these girls saw theirs was changed they would wonder about what else is wrong about what they are told by their church.

[TheRedeemer]

What ever you do, just be respectful, but at the same time stay confident so that you don't get walked on.

[Jacinth]

Hi I just had to add, if you do get into giving each other scriptures, have your Bible with you and check what he gives you with your Bible. I had some missionary girls come talk to me and didn't have my Bible with me. I will always talk to them. I explained that I am a Born Again Christian and so they tried to show me in their King James Bible where I need a prophet to pray to God for me. The scripture they showed me didn't sound right so when I got home later and looked it up in my King James Bible the wording was changed. It gave the verse a whole new meaning! The mormons have their own Bibles printed so you have to be careful what you read or are told from them. This was last year and I really wish I could remember the verse. It was from Phillipians is all I can remember. Next time I talk to them I won't do it without my Bible maybe if these girls saw theirs was changed they would wonder about what else is wrong about what they are told by their church.

Sometimes they will preface their REHEARSED speech to you with the words that go something like: "Now, you understand that there are many different Bible translations, correct? And that not everyone interprets a particular verse the same way, right?"

Translation: "Now, we are about to twist some verses around and we may even take them out of context so as to support our view, so before you think about protesting - don't."

One thing you should not do is focus on one of their bogus beliefs - such as the belief in their many "prophets".
It will just go around in circles, believe me I learned the hard way.

Also, these are not simply helpless people caught in a cult - they are lost people who have been rejecting God's draw. Just like every other unsaved person.
Some of them can be very obnoxious, even the Mormons who have a reputation of being sugary sweet.
We are in a spiritual war.

[arek]

I know quite a few Mormons and even went to their church a few times. Talk about a long service. I think it went 3 and a half to four hours. (not sure if I went to their special service or what). I do know that for young men their job is to go and be a missionary for a few years. Women seems their job is well to get married young.

Now here's what I found interesting is they do the Eucharist every weeks with bread and water which reminded me of Catholicism. Then they have a few Church elders speak. Then there were some hymns. Then the main preacher spoke for about an hour. Then the next hour and half is when the men and women separate. Pretty much the topic they were discussing when I went was about different reformers and how Joseph Smith was to be the forerunner and tasked to with the final reformation yada yada.

I do think if my one friend ever comes back around though I'll buy her a copy of this book since she seemed a bit rebellious from her faith. http://www.chick.com/reading/books/126/126cont.asp

It is a pretty good book not sure if it will help you witness to your Mormon friends or not.

[ASchultz73]

On youtube are some good videos by the ex mormon foundation. Sadly many of these people go athiest or agnostic. Here is the first link of 1 of 10 videos. I encourage anyone who would speak with a mormon to study this. I warn you they are aware of this orginization.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_LBz...os=-AW41Not1-U

If the link doesnt work simply go to Youtube and search out Joseph Smith's language problem part 1 or ex mormon foundation. Alot of good info from people who have been on the inside. Some in very high places.