Announcement

Collapse

Deeper Waters Forum Guidelines

Notice – The ministries featured in this section of TheologyWeb are guests of this site and in some cases not bargaining for the rough and tumble world of debate forums, though sometimes they are. Additionally, this area is frequented and highlighted for guests who also very often are not acclimated to debate fora. As such, the rules of conduct here will be more strict than in the general forum. This will be something within the discretion of the Moderators and the Ministry Representative, but we simply ask that you conduct yourselves in a manner considerate of the fact that these ministries are our invited guests. You can always feel free to start a related thread in general forum without such extra restrictions. Thank you.

Deeper Waters is founded on the belief that the Christian community has long been in the shallow end of Christianity while there are treasures of the deep waiting to be discovered. Too many in the shallow end are not prepared when they go out beyond those waters and are quickly devoured by sharks. We wish to aid Christians to equip them to navigate the deeper waters of the ocean of truth and come up with treasure in the end.

We also wish to give special aid to those often neglected, that is, the disabled community. This is especially so since our founders are both on the autism spectrum and have a special desire to reach those on that spectrum. While they are a special emphasis, we seek to help others with any disability realize that God can use them and that they are as the Psalmist says, fearfully and wonderfully made.

General TheologyWeb forum rules: here.
See more
See less

Book Plunge: Sharing The Good News With Mormons

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Book Plunge: Sharing The Good News With Mormons

    How do you talk with Mormons?

    The link can be found here.

    ----

    What do I think of Eric Johnson and Sean McDowell's book published by Harvest House? Let's plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.

    There are many books about Mormonism that explain the problems with the historicity and the theology. There are not many books that explain something simple. How to share the information that you do have. What is the right approach? Do you have Mormons in and beat them down with facts about the Book of Mormon? Do you just sit around and lead a good life and hope that the Mormon will ask you the questions? Both of these approaches have problems. The first can create atheists and agnostics more often. The second puts you in a position of hoping the Mormons will see you as different and then hoping they'll ask and then hoping they'll listen.

    Johnson and McDowell want to give other approaches. They have a large number of them and these aren't even all the approaches that they are. This is just meant to be a good start in helping you find innovative ways of communicating the good news of Jesus with Mormons.

    The book also starts with sections on the existence of God and Biblical reliability. Why have that in a book about Mormons? Don't they agree to both of those? Many would, but many are using arguments from the new atheists and many Mormons have been told that if the church is not true, then nothing is, and they leave Mormonism and go to atheism or agnosticism. This gives them a fallback position.

    From there, we look at a number of ways of communicating. Some will work for you. Some won't. You could start a chapter and say, "This isn't for me." That's okay. Just go to the next one and see if you think you could do that. For example, open-air evangelism is one technique. This is essentially street preaching done right. This would not work for me because I am terrible at initiating conversations like that and there aren't enough Mormons in my area to find a place to do this. If you are an outgoing person who lives in an area like Nauvoo or Salt Lake City, you could be in a different situation. However, I am skilled at internet evangelism and I can totally do that route.

    There are also other interesting ways to approach Mormons. One suggestion is to print out something like a brochure or newspaper and hand them out for free. These can be kept at someone's home and they can investigate claims on their own then. Amusingly, when this was done outside of a temple, temple authorities would try to seize the papers which made people only want them more. That practice didn't last long.

    Johnson contributes to a chapter where he hands out free copies of The Miracle of Forgiveness to Mormons in Utah. This is a book by later president of the Mormon Church Spencer Kimball. The message of the book really could be that if it is true, it would be a miracle if anyone was ever forgiven. It helps illustrate the impossible gospel of Mormonism.

    Another technique involves holding up a sign with a website on it for Mormons. Note that if you do this, make sure you have such a website and that it has content to it that is helpful. One example of such a website was called Josephlied.com. This has a provocative name also that will stick in someone's mind.

    In my interview with Johnson, he talked also about other techniques that didn't make it but were effective for such people, such as a guy who set up a ping-pong table and talked to Mormons who came by to play during the game. Another involved someone who drew pictures of the temple and used those to communicate. The main message is do what you are good at and what can spread the gospel without being immoral.

    This is a great book to have for conversations with Mormons. We could go with a Greg Koukl reference and call it Tactics for Reaching Mormons. If you have the knowledge, you have one piece of the puzzle. Now you can get the delivery system.

    In Christ,
    Nick Peters

  • #2
    My most successful approach has just been genuine curiosity. People love to talk about themselves. So, when I encounter Mormons in real life, I just treat them like a friend, and express interest in who they are, and why they think like they do.

    For reasons I don't understand, this has become one of my ministries - and my wife and I have been used by the Lord to assist 4 couples and one lady out of Mormonism. Not so much recently - and not sure why. But there "was a time".
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

    Comment


    • #3
      The last time I talked with the Mormons I was out delivering mail and they came up to me and started talking to me about Joseph Smith. (I thought it was rude to do this while I was obviously working.) I would have loved to talk longer but I just had to go.
      "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

      Comment


      • #4
        As an ex-Mormon, I'll speak to this later tonight.
        I am Punkinhead.

        "I have missed you, Oh Grand High Priestess of the Order of the Stirring Pot"

        ~ Cow Poke aka CP aka Creacher aka ke7ejx's apprentice....

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by ke7ejx View Post
          As an ex-Mormon, I'll speak to this later tonight.
          Looking forward to it, PH.
          The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

          Comment


          • #6
            As am I. I had no idea you were an ex-Mormon.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Apologiaphoenix View Post
              As am I. I had no idea you were an ex-Mormon.
              You were a mormon.
              sigpic

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by TheWall View Post
                You were a mormon.
                I don't understand this post.
                "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                Comment


                • #9
                  He saw me saying "As am I" and thought i was saying I was a Mormon.

                  I was instead responding to CP saying that I look forward to seeing what ke7 says.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Apologiaphoenix View Post
                    As am I. I had no idea you were an ex-Mormon.
                    Yep. Don't exactly advertise it.
                    I am Punkinhead.

                    "I have missed you, Oh Grand High Priestess of the Order of the Stirring Pot"

                    ~ Cow Poke aka CP aka Creacher aka ke7ejx's apprentice....

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      If it was said elsewhere, I don't check other sections much if any.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Apologiaphoenix View Post
                        If it was said elsewhere, I don't check other sections much if any.
                        I joined Tweb as a Mormon in 2011. I was excommunicated in 2013.
                        I am Punkinhead.

                        "I have missed you, Oh Grand High Priestess of the Order of the Stirring Pot"

                        ~ Cow Poke aka CP aka Creacher aka ke7ejx's apprentice....

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by ke7ejx View Post
                          I joined Tweb as a Mormon in 2011. I was excommunicated in 2013.
                          I remember.
                          Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

                          Veritas vos Liberabit<>< Learn Greek <>< Look here for an Orthodox Church in America<><Ancient Faith Radio
                          sigpic
                          I recommend you do not try too hard and ...research as little as possible. Such weighty things give me a headache. - Shunyadragon, Baha'i apologist

                          Comment

                          Related Threads

                          Collapse

                          Topics Statistics Last Post
                          Started by Apologiaphoenix, 03-15-2024, 10:19 PM
                          14 responses
                          75 views
                          1 like
                          Last Post rogue06
                          by rogue06
                           
                          Started by Apologiaphoenix, 03-13-2024, 10:13 PM
                          6 responses
                          61 views
                          0 likes
                          Last Post Apologiaphoenix  
                          Started by Apologiaphoenix, 03-12-2024, 09:36 PM
                          1 response
                          23 views
                          0 likes
                          Last Post rogue06
                          by rogue06
                           
                          Started by Apologiaphoenix, 03-11-2024, 10:19 PM
                          0 responses
                          22 views
                          2 likes
                          Last Post Apologiaphoenix  
                          Started by Apologiaphoenix, 03-08-2024, 11:59 AM
                          5 responses
                          52 views
                          0 likes
                          Last Post Apologiaphoenix  
                          Working...
                          X