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A few weeks back, I happened across an internet message
board for ex-Mormons. I was elated to find this, as
it's a joyous thing to see so many people who have been
rescued from a false religion. As I read the postings
though, my spirits sank. With only one or two exeption,
most of these ex-Mormons fled the heresy of the LDS
Church, only to run to the heresy of atheism,
agnosticism, or the New Age. As I read on, I found that
some of these people had been approached by
well-intentioned people who showed them how Mormonism
could not possibly be based on truth. These seeds of
doubt grew until the subject was convinced that he or
she was living a lie. Yet no one was there to show them
the truth, so they abandoned one lie for another.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Can you imagine if, as an elementary school student,
your teachers showed you how NOT to do math, how NOT to
spell words, and where things are NOT located on a map,
but left it to you to find out the truth? Imagine
further, that in your effort to find out how to
correctly spell "heresy," you found at least a dozen
different ways. In your search to find the capital of
Luxembourg, you found that different sources listed at
least a dozen different capital cities for that small
nation. Of the choices given, you knew that one of the
options with which you were faced was incorrect, but had
no way of knowing which of the remaining was true. Can
you reasonably expect to find the truth in that manner?
Of course not.
Nature abhors a vacuum. Many well-intentioned
Christians have witnessed to friends who adhere to false
religious teachings. Sometimes, in our zeal to disprove
the doctrines of this false religion, we forget to
follow up with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
If we successfully plant a seed of doubt about our
friend's false religion, but have not presented the
truth, then our friend will begin his or her own search
for truth. In the absence of the gospel, they are an
easy target for any number of other false religious
thoughts and ideologies. In our failure to communicate
the truth of the gospel, we have just helped our friend
from the frying pan into the fire.
In 1 Corinthians 13:6, Paul says, "Love does not delight
in evil but rejoices with the truth." How can we apply
this verse to this situation? We should delight not in
being able to disprove evil lies. That's just a step - a
small battle. We should delight in being able to present
the wonderful truth of the gospel. That's what the word
"gospel" means - good news. It is this good news we are
called upon to share. Rebutting heresy is something we
must do in the process, but if we don't complete the
process by sharing the true gospel, have we really shown
love? Paul later says, in Ephesians 4:15, "Instead,
speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow
up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
When we
are able to show a Mormon that Joseph Smith could not
have been a true prophet, or show that the Book of
Mormon could not be true, we have only done part of our
job. The Great Commission has not yet been fulfilled by
this action. In obedience to God, we MUST follow this up
by letting our LDS friend no that God DOES exist. Jesus
Christ DOES exist. Mankind IS sinful and can be fully
forgiven through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. If we
fail to convey to them the hope that lies within us,
then we have not helped them. May we all seek the divine
guidance of the Holy Spirit as we share the truth - the
WHOLE truth - with the world. May God bless us all as we
contend for the faith.
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