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I'm a little curious why you would be interested in telling me how to persuade more Mormons. I mean, according to your religion you're giving me advice on how to win souls to perdition. Surely not a worthwhile activity, even if your advice were entirely on the mark.

I challenge you to type out what you admire about Mormons and the LDS faith; it's your turn.

Off the top of my head, there's the family values stuff (which can also be said of Jews, Confucians, etc.). And storing up lots of food is genuinely good advice.

Now, for Watson: I'm curious why you think Mormonism can be considered a "branch" of Christianity equal to Protestantism, Catholicism, and Orthodoxy. That seems analogous to a Mahdist promoting Mahdism to equality with Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The JWs would seem to have as good a claim to being a form of Christianity as Mormonism. However, I can't examine what you say in those sections because the book you linked appears to be the only part of your site other than the homepage which will display on my computer, possibly because I'm on a Mac.

More to follow.

Classification-wise, there's no doubt Mormonism is a separate branch of Christianity. It, like the other three branches, fully accept all the central Christian teachings that are found in the Bible. Where the four branches disagree are on doctrines and practices that are ABSENT in the Bible. IOW, the areas of disagreements are on extra-biblical issues.

These can easily be seen by identifying the unique differentials of each branch:

EASTERN ORTHODOXY: Equality of the Patriarchates, no filioque clause, additional Scriptures beyond the 66 of the Protestant Bible.

ROMAN CATHOLICISM: Monarchical supremacy by apostolic succession of the Bishop of Rome over all of Christendom, additional Scriptures beyond the Protestant Bible.

PROTESTANTISM: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, the Bible is superior to the church.

MORMONISM: Latter-day prophets by Restoration, additional Scriptures beyond the Protestant Bible, a rational theodicy and cosmology.

None of the other three branches believe any of these unique differentials.

Honest examination shows virtually ALL areas of disagreement between the different branches stem from these unique differentials, unique practices and biblical interpretations.

Not once in 20 years of debates has anyone been able to show me differently.

Can Mormons use the Bible to prove God the Father used to be a mortal entity in an ancestral universe? Of course not. It's an unbiblical doctrine just as the alternative of an aseitical deity is also unbiblical since the Bible NEVER explains what God was doing prior to creating the universe or where he came from.

A common error opponents of Mormonism make is they confuse unbiblical with anti-biblical. Just because something is absent in the Bible doesn't mean it is against the Bible's teachings. 2 + 2 = 4. No one disputes this, but since it's absent in the Bible, does it necessarily follow it then is anti-biblical?

If you're having problems just click on the page links. I placed the entire book on the web.

A.J.-

I'm giving you pointers on how to approach Mormons because promoting ecumenical harmony is in everyone's best interest. Reaching a spirit of understanding is most definitely a worthwhile activity, attaining a free market of ideas of sorts. That way, each individual can evaluate the beliefs of each church clearly and make a decision based upon the dictates of his or her own conscience. "Tolerance" is a word that has been overused by liberals and has lost its cachet, but it's still an important word that applies here. Let me assure you that we don't believe that all people who are not members of our church are bound for perdition. We might feel that our path is the most correct one, but so do the members of all churches. That doesn't mean that a person who chooses a different path is evil to the core, or even evil at all. I fully believe that a Baptist who lives a good life and follows all your church's precepts will be meted a just reward by a perfect God and will not be destined for perdition. Thus, if you were to successfully convert a Mormon to your faith, in all honesty in my heart of hearts, I might feel that soul is a bit misguided, but he or she is definitely not bound for hell. Sharing insights with others as to the best methods of approaching Mormons is not counterproductive; rather, it is the stuff of responsible proselyting. I have attended Baptist congregations before, while traveling in areas with no LDS meetings on Sunday. From what I heard, I at least know that cooperation is possible, and the Baptist road is certainly not the road to Perdition. My friend Nick who served an LDS mission in Georgia is a convert to the LDS church. He was a former Lutheran who first became interested in my church due to the long anti-Mormon rants of his pastor. (George was curious...) Of his own free will, he asked me for a Book of Mormon, read and prayed about it, and the rest is history. Additionally, he has shared with me how the persecution he was subjected to since joining (by his family members and former friends) has done nothing but solidify his resolve and belief. Thus, it is a case study in how NOT to approach this matter. I'm proud of you for writing a few things you admire about the LDS people. You earn several Brownie points in srm913's book for that. You've started on the right track. Keep it up. If you ever run into the LDS missionaries again, start on that track. If you do so, I'm sure the missionaries will react positively and you can have a productive discussion in every way. God speed. -srm913