tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post9098853275009883155..comments2024-02-29T19:21:32.831-05:00Comments on Possible Worlds: My Encounter with LDS MissionariesRandy Everisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870605678781409126noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-24577544168639733072014-04-08T08:52:31.656-04:002014-04-08T08:52:31.656-04:00Thanks Andy, I appreciate it! :)Thanks Andy, I appreciate it! :)Randy Everisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06870605678781409126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-54038944385761889822014-04-07T23:06:40.218-04:002014-04-07T23:06:40.218-04:00Great work. I hope many other LDS friends out the...Great work. I hope many other LDS friends out there begin to think about God and theology (not just what's on the LDS.org website). I've had encounters that pretty much identically mirror this. And you touched on the major points I raised with them. <br />1. salvation by grace alone faith alone not of works (this is - as you say - important)<br />2. Impossibility of an infinite regression of gods. (Many LDS folk don't even realise this has been part of LDS history).<br /><br />Great work and great presentation of the Gospel to them. keep it up.<br /><br />Andy Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06433187374358160778noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-63555770303316131122014-04-05T10:31:34.181-04:002014-04-05T10:31:34.181-04:00Tracy, thanks for your comments! Depending on what...Tracy, thanks for your comments! Depending on what we mean by "argumentative," mine was argumentative as well. After all, I provided them with such arguments! :) I knew, however, that being insulting won't work--at least not on any more than a superficial level, or God's working in spite of it. Now I'm certainly not suggesting that you are suggesting to be insulting. However, given the context, and what I knew their strategy was going to be, it was easier for me to present some challenges to their worldview, explain the substantive differences between them and me, and explain the Gospel of grace of the Lord Jesus. I didn't expect to convert them, but I hope that God will use it as he sees fit, and I hope they, in their hearts and minds, will think about it.Randy Everisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06870605678781409126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-85259994968556578102014-04-05T10:21:27.995-04:002014-04-05T10:21:27.995-04:00What you have said, you said well and your guiding...What you have said, you said well and your guiding principles appear to have served you well. However, I must point out that not all encounters with LDS are as genteel as the one you have described. I wonder, is this the only type of encounter you have had with LDS or the only degree to which you have challenged their belief system?<br />Having been apart of the Mormon culture for my entire life I am qualified to say that 1. Many Mormons (particularly leadership) are not as congenial as the young and tender youth they send to the missionary front lines. And this is a purposeful, tactical maneuver. 2. God uses more than one style of engagement to deliver His message exactly where He desires it go. Some are meant to be genteel, some argumentative, some defensive and some confrontational.<br />The biggest mistake to be made by a Christian is to assume that there is but one way (primarily the genteel crowd) to appeal to this people. God knows exactly what each Mormon person needs and will deliver accordingly. Tracy Walker Maddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05245347561653939647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-31264089398761290242014-04-04T22:32:04.860-04:002014-04-04T22:32:04.860-04:00Thanks for the comment, TL! Good story as well. Th...Thanks for the comment, TL! Good story as well. That's all we can do at the end of the day--give them something Gospel-related to think about.Randy Everisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06870605678781409126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-40806103449215286902014-04-04T18:50:20.261-04:002014-04-04T18:50:20.261-04:00Well done! I had a similar encounter with a young...Well done! I had a similar encounter with a young Jehovah's Witness a few months ago. He was sent to my door alone while the rest of his team waited in the car.<br /><br />I had never read their translation of the Bible at that point, so I didn't know where the New World Translation (NWT) differed from other translations. However, during our discussion, the Spirit kept leading me towards John 1:1. And oddly enough, I had him read it from the NWT. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was *a* god."<br /><br />I did remember enough of my one semester of Greek to know that this wasn't an accurate translation! But after briefly discussing that, I asked him who John was talking about when he used the term "the Word". He replied, "Jesus".<br /><br />"But I thought you believed that Jesus was a created being?", I asked.<br /><br />"That's right!", he replied.<br /><br />"Then read John 1:3", I said.<br /><br />"All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence."<br /><br />"So", I asked, "If Jesus is the Word, and the Word created EVERYTHING, then how can Jesus be a created being? Wouldn't that mean that he would have had to create himself?"<br /><br />Silence!<br /><br />For the next 20 minutes or so, I got to share the true Gospel of grace with this young man, until one of the older members of the team came to see what was happening and rushed him out.<br /><br />I actually did something that I've not done before or since... I actually invited this young JW back! Unfortunately, I've never seen him again. I can only hope that I put a large enough stone in his shoe that he finds the truth.<br /><br />TLnoreply@blogger.com