couldn't agree more.
The point of posting LDS authored stories is part of the proeseltyzing.
Certainly, when LDS knocks on the door of an "Apostate" they expect objections. Otherwise, why have the Student Manual for Missionaries, in which, they have points and counter points to their non-believers or what could be more accurately called Non-members of the LDS.
In fact, LDS missionaries search out opportunities for conversion in the less educated parts of the world where illiteracy is extremely high. By that, I mean, if one looks at the efforts of LDS in countries south of the American border, you will find illiteracy rates that are in excess of 70%.
There is no point in disputing the numbers. I have been involved in literacy programs for 5 years and the fact is, you can more easily sway someone, with emotion and power of persuasion, who does not read or more importantly cannot read. They have no real ability to study or collect thoughts of reason based on information contained within them or discovered by study. Nothing to study if you can't read, you just take others words for truth.
Where is the proof that LDS efforts and growth at directed at countries with lower illiteracy rates?
Ireland Dublin Mission, one of the missions in Chicago, and a mission or two in Australia will be discontinued.
New missions include Peru Cuzco, Guatemala, Philipines, Democratic Republic of Congo Lubumbashi and more. All new missions being formed outside the U.S. are in areas that have indisputably high illiteracy rates.
A new mission in St George, Utah will stretch all the way to Farmington, New Mexico and is likely being built to support LDS immigrants to the areas of traditional LDS communities.
However, it is interesting to note the total number of missions worldwide will fall by four from 344 to 340.
President Gordon B. Hinckley explained the importance of the Book of Mormon in relation to the Church and the Bible:
“If the Book of Mormon is true, the Church is true, for the same authority under which this sacred record came to light is present and manifest
among us today. It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior in Palestine. It is a restoration of the Church set up by the Savior when he visited
this continent as set forth in this sacred record.
Okay, so the reasoning is the same as defense of the Bible, which unlike Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, etc, has historical proof of certain events and the geography, where the events took place, is undisputed and the Bible is very stark proof of it's own provenance.
Gordon Hinckley continues:
"If the Book of Mormon is true, the Bible is true...."
And yet LDS claims the Bible to be rife with mistakes, lost books or purposely misleading. This while they claim right to the very same scriptures, but maintain interprations of convenience, by way of contrivance.
President Benson also offered inspired counsel regarding how to use the Book of Mormon to respond to objections investigators(read possible converts) may have to the restored truths of the gospel:
“We are to use the Book of Mormon in handling objections to the Church. . . .
“. . . All objections, whether they be on abortion, plural marriage, seventh-day worship, etc., basically hinge on whether Joseph Smith and his successors were and are prophets of God receiving divine revelation.
- Here, then, is a procedure to handle most objections through the use of the Book of Mormon.
“First, understand the objection.
“Second, give the answer from revelation.
“Third, show how the correctness of the answer really depends on whether or not we have modern revelation through modern prophets.
“Fourth, explain that whether or not we have modern prophets and revelation really depends on whether the Book of Mormon is true.
So LDS recognizes there are real objections to their faith and to be fair so does Traditional Christianity. Both have plans for conversions with the key difference between the two being as follows:
Church of Christ Latter Day Saints: Their premise is that most converts come from the foundation of Traditional Christianity, which forms the basis of belief for their doctrine, which is of a slightly different story. They hold that converts are worshipping Apostate Religions and they are the One True Church and therefore the only arbiters of ones future when it comes to eternal salvation.
No reason to look further than where ever you find Christians you will find LDS missionaries teaching a new way of thinking, a new road to salvation and of a superior system that plays to man's innate vanity and hope to be something more, such as deifying oneself through work.
But first they start their premise with unworthiness and shame the Christian into believing they have been had. With no real defense of literacy and learnedness the most important decision in one's life is now called into question.
What will you do? If the Book of Mormon is true and your heart is open to learning it's truth, you can be saved. Bit of a canard and a highly charged emotional question that is a leading question of conscious, heart and spirit.
Traditional Christianity: Here we find missionaries seeking out converts not from other religions but from souls of sola fide(by faith alone) and those very converts come from areas where God, in the light of Traditional Christianity, are not understood by lost souls nor has the salvation of Jesus Christ reached them yet. Here we can think of China, North Korea, Middle East or Russia where God is a challenge to their authority, especially in the form of Christianity and is therefore outlawed.
So difference in Christianity and Mormonism goes to Sola Fide.
In Sola Fide we find salvation by God's grace and Jesus paying the ultimate sacrafice and the only path to eternal salvation and it is brought to you by faith alone that your pardon is secure, forever, through the gift of God, who recognizes that man could never hope to work his way to heaven or pay for his salvation as he is an imperfect being.
And so "For God so loved the World, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life".
Mormons teach a version of God's greatest gift but if comes with qualifiers. Their belief, in direct contradiction to historical Christian Doctrine, is one must some how become worthy to enter into God's kingdom. How does one become worthy? There is no answer of specific definition, only that you must perform certain works showing your worthiness and that Joseph Smith will be the one who approves your "Passport" to heaven. Yes, they do use the term passport in their doctrine, though one wonders what information should be contained in that passport.
And yet God tells "For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" "There is none worthy, No, not one". Seems pretty clear that God didn't even bother so single anyone out just lumped us all into a definition of lesser beings, who has shown great mercy on despite our incredible shortcomings.
Jesus tells us"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God". (John 3:4-5)
Paul in his letter to the Ephesians:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” -Ephesians 2:8,9
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” –James 2:19. This presents a huge conflict with Mormon belief that one can become a god, just like God. It doesn't appear God agrees or approves.
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” –James 2:18. So we are being presented with what the effect of faith is and that is: a belief, truly of the heart and spirit, will result in works demonstrating your walk in and with Christ. It will be plainly apparent and motivated by spirit to excersise works of God in daily action or in specific witness of testimony.
Now in the Student Manual for Missionaries, of LDS, on page 77 we find the beginning discussion of Apostacy, in which the LDS begin to lay the foundation for proof of a foul religious belief and that theirs is the one and only true way:
Under the direction of Jesus Christ, thepriesthood and the Church were restored through His servants.
The Restoration dispelled the darkness of the Apostasy. Priesthood authority was restored.
Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord organized His Church again upon the earth so that the saving principles and ordinances of the gospel
could be correctly administered in order to help people come unto Christ.
President Gordon B. Hinckley also bore witness that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored:
“This is the restored Church of Jesus Christ. . . . We testify that the heavens have been opened, that the curtains have been parted, that God has spoken, and
that Jesus Christ has manifested Himself, followed by a bestowal of divine authority.
“Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of this work, and it is built upon a ‘foundation of . . . apostles and prophets’ (Ephesians 2:20)” (in Conference Report,
Oct. 2002, 87; or Ensign, Nov. 2002, 81).
Really? How can Mormons possilby quote scripture from a book that was organized in the fourth century and specifically call out scripture by chapter and verse, even though they have their provenance in other religions, which are antithetical to your belief and an apostacy in the view of LDS?
And now begins the teaching of conversion from other faiths and the superiority of Mormonism with their unique and new scripture:
Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained that faith is part of the fertile ground that nourishes conversion:
“The first seeds of conversion begin with an awareness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and a desire to know the truth concerning His restored Church.
‘Let this desire work in you’ (Alma 32:27). A desire to know the truth is like a seed which grows in the fertile ground of faith, patience, diligence and
long-suffering (see Alma 32:27–41). . . .
The Church of Christ Latter Day Saints makes no pretense as to who their target market is for conversion.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught that conversion requires a complete willingness to give up all practices contrary to the teachings of the restored
gospel:
“The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to change. ‘Repent’ is its most frequent message, and repenting means giving up all of our practices—
personal, family, ethnic, and national—that are contrary to the commandments of God. The purpose of the gospel is to transform common
creatures into celestial citizens, and that requires change” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2003, 39; or Ensign, Nov. 2003, 37).
So I could finish a whole dissortation on the subject of specific market converts and what LDS has to say about their doctrine but, suffice to say they are well aware of opposition to their faith and have a plan to counter objections.
Also, we are given specific demands of faith, by LDS, in their writings. So why the opposition to being "called on the carpet" as it were?
I think down deep, many in LDS know there are some real challenges in the history of their formation, by "Apostles" and "Prophets". They also know their founders had some real errors of heart and spirit, such as having several wives and even taking the wives of other men and then having those men officiate or act as witness to their wife being taken by another man.
Talk about losing your way. I mean, what man would accept that god had commanded and ordained another man to take his wife? Where would you scriptural imprimatur for such a thing? No where.
I will expand on this later but that about does it for today.
