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Re: Lds missionary bait & switch tactics...

What I meant here is several things:

1. Lds missionaries will ask contacts to read & pray about (more pray than read) the Book of Mormon...

Yet, most of the key distinctive doctrines that makes Mormonism distinctive from Christianity are not to be found there!

Becoming a god? (not there)
That multiple gods exist? (not there)
That god was once a man & has a physical body? (not there)
Baptizing the dead? (not there)
Temples used for ritualistic purposes...temple recommends...etc. (not there...oh, sure a few temples are mentioned...but never for purposes Lds claim they are for)
3 degrees of glory? (not there)
Eternal progression? (not there)
And on and on...

2. Lds take perfectly good words...Christian vocab...and assign entirely different meanings to them without clueing their hearers that they are doing that.

For example, "Eternal damnation" becomes temporary damned up...or "becoming like God" -- which hearers think is simply godliness...actually in Mormonese = being already a god-in-embryo, becoming perfect via Lds covenants, good works, ritualistic undertakings, being a full grown-up god, and getting your own planet to run.

There's just no way that Lds missionaries would dare to unpack that for the contacts they meet...It'd scare 'em all away!

"Forgiveness" and "grace" are other misused Lds words...as they predicate receiving that based from God based upon merit/earnings...etc.

C “Re: Lds missionary bait & switch tactics... What I meant here is several things: 1. Lds missionaries will ask contacts to read & pray about (more pray than read) the Book of Mormon... Yet, most of the key distinctive doctrines that makes Mormonism distinctive from Christianity are not to be found there!”
When I taught as a missionary, the first discussion was about Joseph Smith, the first vision, and how the Godhead was different from the trinity. (Not much hiding going on if’n you ask me)
I did have a “pre-lesson” that I'd teach that i came up with myself. Most of the people we taught didn't know who Jesus was, even if they thought they did. I'd give them a quick update on Christianity, Catholics who are they, protestants, who are they, Mormons why are we not protestants. How Crhistain beliefs relate to Confucianism.

C “Becoming a god? (not there), That multiple gods exist? (not there), That god was once a man & has a physical body? (not there), Baptizing the dead? (not there), Temples used for ritualistic purposes...temple recommends...etc. (not there...oh, sure a few temples are mentioned...but never for purposes Lds claim they are for), 3 degrees of glory? (not there), Eternal progression? (not there)”
That stuff is all in the Bible, you just aren't focused on the scriptures they are from. Are you seriously complaining that we teach these things that can be found in the Bible?

C “2. Lds take perfectly good words...Christian vocab...and assign entirely different meanings to them without clueing their hearers that they are doing that.”
Like redefining God? (council of Nicea did that... Remember? There are two sides to every story)

C “For example, “Eternal damnation” becomes temporary damned up...or “becoming like God” — which hearers think is simply godliness...actually in Mormonese = being already a god-in-embryo, becoming perfect via Lds covenants, good works, ritualistic undertakings, being a full grown-up god, and getting your own planet to run.”
Eternal Damnation, nope, that's what it means Damned Eternally, now Eternal Is one of God's names, so I think you meant Eternal Punishment which is God's punishment, but not that it goes on forever (I'll have to get you a cheat sheet :-)
Becoming like God, just what it says, What that means differs in what you and I think God is like (see the council of Nicea thing again...)
Then you just start getting silly...

C “There's just no way that Lds missionaries would dare to unpack that for the contacts they meet...It'd scare ‘em all away!”
I unpacked as much as I could, and I had good success, you'd be surprised how fast people can learn by the spirit.

C “”Forgiveness” and “grace” are other misused Lds words...as they predicate receiving that based from God based upon merit/earnings...etc.”
Again, it's all in the Bible and how we and or you (mis)interpet it.

God bless you

Delph