My family and I have just returned from two weeks in Utah and Idaho—the areas in the USA (and possibly in the world) with the highest concentration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). While their theology is completely graceless and works-based, it was interesting to observe the way they do things. Perhaps there are things we can learn from them.
We visited Temple Square, the visitors’ centre and the 21,000-seat auditorium in Salt Lake City, and then booked an appointment to see a one-hour biographical film about Joseph Smith at the visitors’ centre, which is attached to the Idaho Falls temple.
Here’s a few random observations and comments:
- The missionaries who greeted us in Salt Lake City were warm, interested and bilingual. Their invitation to join the tour was sincere and expectant. They thought their ‘product’ was worth investigating. Do we have that same attitude when giving out invitations or welcoming people to church?
- During the tour, ‘official information’ and personal testimony were interwoven naturally. After 30 minutes, I felt well-informed about the history of the church and what they believe, but also about how the individual lives of our guides had been changed. Do we need to keep on working on the right mix of gospel presentation and personal testimony? (Take, for example, Six Steps to Talking about Jesus.)
- They have stacks of money! I found out that this is largely given legalistically and as a ‘work’. (You have to prove, using your tax return, that you give 10 per cent to be ‘temple worthy’.) We need to encourage people to be generous in their giving because of the grace they have been shown, rather than them doing it as part of their works.
- They are very proud of the persecution they receive and difficulty they now face—almost as if it’s a badge of authenticity. However, there is also a very strong sense of ‘God is blessing us as we succeed and prosper here in the USA’. It’s hard to nail it down, but I think there is a strange sort of prosperity gospel in there somewhere.
- They are very keen to try and ‘correct’ the perceived political incorrectness of Joseph Smith. For example, in the movie (which was very professional and schmick), Joseph Smith was the devoted husband of one wife—Emma (even though all the histories tell us he had about 35 wives, many of whom were already married), and he was good friends with African-American people (even though, until 1978, African-American people were considered cursed and an inferior race!) It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and the accuracy and historicity of what we believe, and the fact that we need to make sure we are not changing the gospel.
- While they say they are disciples of Jesus and recipients of his grace, clearly they are not. I read somewhere that Mormonism is like an American form of Islam. There is something in that; it is a religion of works, self-improvement and legalism (Col 2:20-23), as opposed to authentic Christianity (Eph 2:8-10). They believe that orthodox Christianity, as we know it, is deficient.
- While they have the initial appearance of being interested in people and wanting to develop relationships (see points 1 and 2 above), their structure and control does not allow this to happen. When a missionary comes to visit you, they have an allocated time, and will generally only meet with you two or three times before someone else is sent. We need to be genuine in our relationships, and prepared for the long haul (1 Thess 2:1-12).
- The LDS are insistent about the need for ongoing revelation. A revelation that is tied back in history is perceived to be deficient. That’s why Joseph Smith and the prophets that have followed him are so important, and why their regular conferences at which the prophet speaks are broadcast around the world. However, their desire for ‘modern’ revelation clearly devalues the authority of God’s word and the way he has spoken to us by his Son in these last days (Heb 1:1-2).
- The key thing I learned from my friends who live in this area was to love your LDS neighbours and missionaries who may knock on your door genuinely. Invite them to read the Bible with you, share the hope that you have and show them what grace really is (1 Pet 3:15).
Their invitation to join the tour was sincere and expectant. They thought their ‘product’ was worth investigating. Do we have that same attitude when giving out invitations or welcoming people to church?
Often the answer is “no”. How can we change how people feel about church?
Peter,
Thanks for your post! As a Christian who grew up as a Mormon it is great to hear your observations. It’s a breath of fresh air to read the thoughts of someone who has taken a moment to try and understand the LDS.
I am always a bit cautious about trying to learn things from LDS practice because it is so often rooted in appalling theology, as you have noted when it comes to their giving. It does make me ask the question, how do you learn from those that you seriously disagree with?
Thanks again,
Andrew
P.S. If anyone is interest in evangelism to Mormons check out Mormon Outreach Ministries (http://www.momsydney.org.au).
Craig,
I think sincere love for one another is a key ingredient (Jn 13:34-35). I was talking to someone in Salt Lake City who was not a mormon, but I asked him what he thought of them. He said he held the LDS in high regard because of the way they looked after their own – in terms of caring for them, helping move house, providing work etc.
In my experience, Christians are really good at this, although because we are not as controlling and legalistic as the LDS, it often happens in the background and in a quiet way. Perhaps we need to be more intentional about loving those around us in an active way – not for ‘good publicity’ but because it is the right thing to do.
Andrew,
That question of learning from those who you fundamentally disagree with came up a lot while we were in Utah and Idaho – and I’m afraid I didn’t make too much progress on an answer. I think it is important to think about the motivation for the actions you are observing. Unfortunately in the LDS case, it often stems from legalism and control, rather than grace and love.
Thanks for a good essay.
I think we can also learn from them some of what NOT to do as we reach out.
—Don’t do outreach merely because it’s required.
—Don’t stress how perfect your group’s founders (other than Jesus) were.
—Don’t depend just on the power of the internal witness you’ve received. Depend on the Holy Spirit working through the truth.
—Don’t think historical evidence is worthless.
Still, as you say, there’s much good that we can learn from them. For the most part, they are sincere, diligent, winsome, moral people.
“They believe that orthodox Christianity, as we know it, is deficient.” Actually, they are taught that orthodox Christianity is apostate. Which is going quite a bit further than “deficient”.
One of the things I have noticed of late (I have been researching Mormonism so as to point out their ideas in the Twilight books by Mormon author Stephenie Meyer) is that LDS promotions focus heavily on the things that they know make their religion different to other religions, in what (they believe) is a good way. Go to Mormon.org and you will see that they focus heavily on the LDS doctrine of eternal marriage, for example. Obviously they see this as a selling point, and so they spend lots of time talking it up. Other, not so positive aspects or the religion, such as the requirements for temple worthy certificates, or the whole thing with the underwear, don’t get a mention, of if they do it is very brief and made to seem as nice as possible.
I think there are perhaps two things we can learn from this:
(1) yes, we should be tailoring the first part of our evangelistic message to the perceived needs of our listeners.
(2) But the rest of the message must be unvarnished gospel, with no attempt to make the truth more palatable than it really is (to unsaved ears). We need to be like Paul, who wrote “I am not ashamed of the gospel” (Rom 1:16), even though we know the truth that “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1Co1:18) and “the smell of death” (2Co2:15-16). We cannot be ashamed of the message of hope that we have. We must tell it plainly.
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for your insights and I like your 2 ‘things to learn’ points.
In the biographical film about Joseph Smith that we watched, the message was certainly that the Christian message is deficient and therefore apostate. The basis for this was that different churches argued about different issues – such as baptism etc. The film said – if they were the real church then surely they would agree? And therefore, because we don’t argue about the ‘true’ revelation given to Joseph Smith, therefore it is the right one.
However the LDS now have a significant problem, in that there are splinter LDS groups, FLDS (Fundamentalist LDS) who are criticising the established LDS church for their lack of consistency on various practices. Again, I don’t think you’ll find that on any of their websites.