Frustrated with Mormons

[steveo]

For the last couple months I've been going back and forth doing my best to witness to mormons on various sites. Feel like I have gotten NO WHERE! Is it just me? I wonder if Jesus felt this way when dealing with the Pharisees. They have this certain arrogance where they have all the answers and would rather follow blindly then to listen to any common sence. Today I finally cracked ran my mouth rather harshly and probably loss all credibility I had with them, if any? I feel like I know more about mormonism than most mormons at this point LOL. The more I learn the more frustrated I get. Am I wasting my time? Just venting but any suggestions welcome.

[Sandee]

You could very well be banging your head up against a wall. Remember these people and the JW"s are trained to handle this. Give them the gospel in love, then you have done your part. God will give the increase, His word never comes back to Him void. If you get any interest, then great, but if not, trust God to take what you have done and cause growth in them. It is up to God to do the saving, you are sent, by Jesus, to tell them. Remember, Paul said I cast the seed, Apollos watered but God caused the increase, or words to that affect. Relax, don't take any perceived failure personally. You will not have failed if you gave them the gospel whether they want to listen or not, that is your only job at this point. You can always pray for those you have shared the gospel with.

Don't argue with them, when you do, they win, they are trained to handle stuff like that; just tell them the truth in love and let God take it from there.

[carol1948]

You could very well be banging your head up against a wall. Remember these people and the JW"s are trained to handle this. Give them the gospel in love, then you have done your part. God will give the increase, His word never comes back to Him void. If you get any interest, then great, but if not, trust God to take what you have done and cause growth in them. It is up to God to do the saving, you are sent, by Jesus, to tell them. Remember, Paul said I cast the seed, Apollos watered but God caused the increase, or words to that affect. Relax, don't take any perceived failure personally. You will not have failed if you gave them the gospel whether they want to listen or not, that is your only job at this point. You can always pray for those you have shared the gospel with.

Don't argue with them, when you do, they win, they are trained to handle stuff like that; just tell them the truth in love and let God take it from there.

Agree wholeheartedly. My experience was with JWs, but it's the same. Pray for them then move on to share with others. Remember too that even if a cult member is listening you won't know it because until he/she is ready to give their heart to Jesus in truth he/she will be silent. The personal cost to them of rejecting the cult belief for Christianity is very great. Feel free to go back and resow that ground occasionally, but don't trample the seed you've just sown.

[Acts5:41]

I'm not called to reach them; so I stick to prayer for those involved in cults.

I have a family member in a cult, she's getting out, but it's taken years of therapy for her to get there.

I'll be praying for you, though.

[Raphael]

The analogy is throwing seed on rocky soil. IMO, it's more like throwing seed on a boulder.

One without beliefs, even if not seeking anything to believe in, may listen to the truth. Those with beliefs which include the following two concepts:

1) Ours is the only truth
2) Be ready to hear ignorance from those lesser than us, the privileged ones

-are trained to see you as the enemy, and perceive your words as lies.

I'm not saying that no Christian can successfully witness to a Mormon - I know it has happened. I'm saying that for me, at age 64, I have to select my battles carefully. I would never fail to witness to anyone who came to me - but if they come to me to teach falsehood of which they are already convinced - I choose to rest for a more winnable battle.

[steveo]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've been an Officer in a prison for 20 years and my vocabulary and patience are let's say, a little rough around the edges. I deal with felons all day long, but this witnessing buisness is much tougher. {mod snip}

[IMSAVED]

Talking to them is useless.It is best to Pray for their salvation.

[Seladen]

When Mormons come to my house i sit with them and let them give their spiel and they tell me their beliefs dont go against my bible. so then I ask them 1 simple question.

Is Jesus God?

Then i give them the gospel and when they still dont believe me I kindly ask them to leave.

It does us no good to argue just to argue. give them the good news and let the Holy Ghost do its work in them.

[savedbygracethrufaith]

I recommmend a video entitled The Bible vs Joseph Smith. In it a Christian and a Morman agree to test the prophets from both of their Bibles using the Deuteronomic test. (One wrong prophesy = not a prophet). The Christian is very compassionate and easy going but one by one they prove that each of Mormanism's prophets including Joseph Smith are not prophets of God.

Maybe you can find something in the video to use. BTW...the site I purchased the video from it cost $10 but offered it free to any Morman that wants it.

[james46888]

For the last couple months I've been going back and forth doing my best to witness to mormons on various sites. Feel like I have gotten NO WHERE! Is it just me? I wonder if Jesus felt this way when dealing with the Pharisees. They have this certain arrogance where they have all the answers and would rather follow blindly then to listen to any common sence. Today I finally cracked ran my mouth rather harshly and probably loss all credibility I had with them, if any? I feel like I know more about mormonism than most mormons at this point LOL. The more I learn the more frustrated I get. Am I wasting my time? Just venting but any suggestions welcome.

Other posters have mentioned the JWs, and I had two long-term encounters with them: I had weekly meetings with a group of them at my home for 18-months and, a year or so after that finished, another JW knocked at my door and I continued to meet with him on a weekly basis for about the same length of time. JWs have a cult mind-set and are very hard to convert, even though through all the research I did I seemed to know more about their religion than they did, and thus knew all of its weaknesses. Though I have not meet many Mormons at my door they seem from what you say to be similar to the JWs in regards to being difficult to convert.

The best you can do is to keep patient and not let them have an excuse to ignore your message by losing your temper, speaking harshly,. etc. Of course present the true gospel to them but also keep presenting arguments for why Christianity is true over and against Mormonism, since 1 Peter 3:15 calls us to do this when it says: "...but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear:"


Admittedly in all my meetings with JWs none ever told me that my arguments had made them doubt their faith (nor have any left the JWs since then as far as I know), so it did seem like I was wasting my time, but I always thought 'if I make at least one JW doubt the Watchtower organisation then it was worth the hard work'. And, of course, cult members like JWs and Mormons may secretly doubt without coming out and telling you so out loud, and it could also be that a seed you plant in their minds only does its job many years later unbeknownst to you.

[ronbo477]

When mormons come to the door I ask them if the Bible is the word of God. They usually admit this. Then I tell them of the curse in revelations of adding to or taking away from the word. Then I ask of the infallibility of their prophet. Show changes in what one of their leaders say where someone is fallible. I mention ther belief of the Indians being the lost tribe of Israel. I tell this is an untruth because the Jewish pepole have done DNA test all around the world. There truth is shifting because they report back to there leaders and they come up with a spin for their behavior. Usually one of the two is a rookie and I have seen their eyes have a confused look. So who knows what effect it will have. This really needs to be done in a caring way.

PS reminding them of the lost boys s a good secular point.

[NoProvision]

Agree wholeheartedly. My experience was with JWs, but it's the same. Pray for them then move on to share with others. Remember too that even if a cult member is listening you won't know it because until he/she is ready to give their heart to Jesus in truth he/she will be silent. The personal cost to them of rejecting the cult belief for Christianity is very great. Feel free to go back and resow that ground occasionally, but don't trample the seed you've just sown.

This is so true. A an ex-christian scientist I've lost a lot. My whole family and all of my life long friends all think I've become a simpleton who can't handle the "truth". But when I was loyal their paradigm I was constantly fearful, very angry and very lonely. Right now I still have many of the same problems I've always had but God has blessed me and my home with the "peace that surpasses all understanding"

Philippians 4:7
King James Version (KJV)
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

[Wally]

Remember,

People literally walked with Jesus..... and still did not believe.


Pray, share the Gospel, maybe talk with them about the person of Jesus.

The best challenge is to direct cultist to their own failed prophecies.
If they wish to remain blind, move on and trust the Holy Spirit to do the work [which you are not called to do anyway] of conviction and salvation.

[meowmix]

....I'm having a problem with this as well....is there a good website that is something like witnessing for dummies ...I want to approach this situation, but be prepared....because from what I was told they believe the same...but what I research.....they do not believe the same, so I want to respond in the best way possible

Perhaps I'm over thinking it too much and making it complicated for myself.

[Buzzardhut]

For the last couple months I've been going back and forth doing my best to witness to mormons on various sites. Feel like I have gotten NO WHERE! Is it just me? I wonder if Jesus felt this way when dealing with the Pharisees. They have this certain arrogance where they have all the answers and would rather follow blindly then to listen to any common sence. Today I finally cracked ran my mouth rather harshly and probably loss all credibility I had with them, if any? I feel like I know more about mormonism than most mormons at this point LOL. The more I learn the more frustrated I get. Am I wasting my time? Just venting but any suggestions welcome.

Mormons, Catholics, Muslims, all the same, trapped in cults refusing to acknowledge truth.

[organgrinder]

An acquaintance of mine, Jim Spencer and his wife, Margaretta, were heavily involved in the LDs church in southeast Idaho. He is now pastoring a CHristian church. His story was basically that he was presented biblical truth, saw it in action and was loved into the kingdom. He said that is the most effective way to reach Mormons-- love them with the truth in a loving way.

Jim wrote a book Beyond Mormonism (Chosen Books- 1984) but I don't know if it is still in print.

You are truly dealing with an insidious cult and it does cost them nearly everything to leave it. Jim nearly lost his wife and kids and family because of what Jesus did for him.

God bless.

-Speedy

[Acts5:41]

My husband was going through a very hard time, years ago, when the Mormons came. He had them over a few times but didn't get any answers.

He started asking a lot of "Why does God allow suffering? Why me? Why do we see this as reality when it's all made of atomic particles? Doesn't that mean nothing is real, we only perceive it that way?" He actually "broke" the missionary assigned to him and the guy was recalled. Ron had called the house and they told him not to call again - and they never came back.

I guess we are on a blacklist somewhere.

[UntilHeComes]

My dad's family were all Mormans. Dad went over to his mother's house every week and shared with her the Gospel for thirty years. She died a Mormon at 94 years old. It was hard growing up with Mormons as a child. We were the "Baptists," the outcasts, traitors to the family heritage. But they were insistent that we spent all holidays together and Dad made us go to be a witness. I remember, as a child, cringing as my uncle would begin his prayer before dinner with..."Our Heavenly Father..." I would wonder who his Father was? One time I went to the Mormon ward on a Sunday evening. The bishop was bragging that Baptists were the easiest to convert because they didn't know the Baptist doctrines. I thought that was interesting! After all those years of witnessing, not one of my Dad's family has ever accepted Christ. When Dad went to glory we stopped spending holidays etc.

[meowmix]

When Mormons come to my house i sit with them and let them give their spiel and they tell me their beliefs dont go against my bible. so then I ask them 1 simple question.

Is Jesus God?

Then i give them the gospel and when they still dont believe me I kindly ask them to leave.

It does us no good to argue just to argue. give them the good news and let the Holy Ghost do its work in them.

When I asked this they said "yes".

Sorry just trying to understand it all

[Wally]

Herding cats is far easier.