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When I am witnessing to a Mormon, how do I convince them that God is not flesh?
I find it interesting what they believe. I know what I believe, and I believe God is spirit. The trinity. But how do I convince that to a mormon when they go directly to certain scriptures in the bible and show me that is says He is flesh. example:How did God have a SON? example:We are made in HIS image. Also they point out that God "knew us" before we came to earth, so we must have all been spirit babies with a heavenly mother." Anyway, help me to help them.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ActualMaureen on
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Hello Paige,
I thought this was a very interesting question. We often have mormon missionaries that canvas our neighborhood, and I often find myself in the position of defending my faith. (Gotta hand it to those Mormons, they are serious about their mission work! I wish some of our churches were as passionate about training up missionaries!) I've noticed that they employ certain tactics in their attempts to win converts. First, they put you on the defensive... instead of answering questions about THEIR faith, they ask you questions about YOUR faith, leading questions that they are well prepared to argue. For example, when I refused to read their book of Mormon on the basis that the Bible was complete, and Revelation warns us not to add to it, they bring up that the Bible is not chronological, and then quote a verse from the old Testament out of context. It caught me off guard, and after I FINALLY got them to leave, I went and looked up the verse and found that they were taking it completely out of context. (The missionaries did not want to give me the source of the verse either, I had to look it up myself.) (Moses was saying that the LAW was complete, and not to be added to, the Mormons were insinuating that this verse invalidated the New Testament.) I always left my encounters with the Mormon missionaries feeling very frusterated, because I felt I had not only failed to witness to them effectively, but I did a poor job defending my own faith. I have since learned that one of the best ways to reach a mormon is to get them to question their OWN faith. (Instead of them questioning yours!) I actually found a fabulous tract called "The Visitors" which explains some of the Mormon beliefs, and counters it with Biblical truth.
Some questions to ask:
Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God?
Don't you teach that God was once a man? (They do in Journal of Discourses, Vol II, pg 40)
But the Bible says God is a Spirit (John 4:24)
You don't teach polygamy any more, but don't you believe that God the Father has many wives?
(They do in The Seer by Orson Pratt, pg 172)
You believe that God the Father is now on a planet near the star Kolob with his wives having spiritual children? (The Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3:9, 16)
But the Bible says: Our Father, which art in HEAVEN (Matt 6:9)
Doesn't your church teach that Satan and Jesus are spirit brothers? (Their prophet, President Kimball taught that, Ensign magazine, Dec 1980, p.5)
The Bible says Jesus is God, the Creator of everything in heaven and earth, (including Lucifer) (Col 1:16-18)
Could you tell me about the war in heaven? (According to Mormon teachings, thats when Jesus and Satan both approached God with their plans of salvation.) Don't you believe that there were many "gods" present? (Abramham 3:23-28, & Talmage, Jesus the Christ, pp 15-16)
But the Bible says I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me.." Isaiah 45:5)
So you believe that Jesus is the savior only because His plan was accepted?
(The Bible says... John 1:10)
Mormons teach that the "spirit children" who are faithful to Jesus and faught "valiently" during the spirit war are born as babies with white skin. (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol 1, JF Smith, pg. 61) and the children who didn't fight as valiently are babies born with black skin (Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie, pp 526-527, 1966 edition)
(come on now, I don't have to tell anyone that THAT is not in the BIBLE!)
Mormons believe they will become gods with planets of their own, if they are obedient to the faith. (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, pg. 430)
The Journal of Discourses shows that Mormons once taught that Jesus had many wives, the two sisters of Lazarus and Mary Magdalene. (Vol 1, pg 345 and Vol 2, pg. 210) They believe that Jesus couldn't become a god unless he was married.
Bible: Heb 13:8, John 1:1-3, Rev 1:8
I could go on and on... my point is...
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Permalink Reply by Teresa on
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Color Me Confused! The Mormon Missionaries present a "gospel" that seems so understandable when they first present the discussions to a potential convert, but wait til you spend 6 months attending their church. They throw so much fantastic claims about Joseph Smith and the early church missionaries that it takes a real leap of faith to accept what they present. Once I read the Bible for myself, I saw so much discrepancies between what I was learning in Sunday School and what I was reading in my daily Bible reading of the King James Version Bible. Jesus met with me within the pages of my Bible and boy--what a difference 3 chapters of the gospel of John makes! There are Mormons out there with a real hunger for the truth. But remember: speak the truth in love. Some of the biggest hinderances to me leaving the Mormon Church was Christians who were offensive with the truth. Perhaps, I was closer to the truth than "Christians" whose faith consists of little more than a disdain for Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. God is in control and the Bible says that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Teresa
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Permalink Reply by Pastor Bob B on
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Teresa, I am really glad that you found the Lord in spite of some of his people who need a lesson in loving people. I am so amazed how the Lord works to bring people to Salvation. Every story is intimate and personal. I have a burden for people who are trapped in cultic groups like the Mormons. I have debated, pleaded, and did every thing I could except stand on my head trying to help them see the truth. I recently saw a video that proved that the book of Mormon was filled with lies about a culture that it said existed in America was proved to be non existent. But the LDS still remain. Coming out of an abusive group I can understand the loyalty element that is present. Denial is very powerful if it means it will cost you so much. I refuse to get into endless debate as some one said to me recently. I believe that we need to befriend these souls and stop being afraid of contamination by them and share with them our relationship that we have with the lord. That doesn’t mean compromising our faith, but it does mean loving them because God Does.
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Thanks, Bob for your response. Coming out of Mormonism was probably the most difficult thing I have ever done, but the peace of mind once I found the truth was worth it. Last Sunday I was worshipping in church and I just found so much gratitude in my heart for all that Jesus did for me at Calvary. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes. The truth is worth all the pain we go through to find it. I still need to forgive those who were most hateful to me. Pray that I will find the grace to forgive.
Teresa
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Check out my forum on healing those who have gone through spiritual abuse. Maybe it will be a help to you. God bless BobBu
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Permalink Reply by PrayerQuake on
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You can quote them out of the bible John 4:23-25 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
THis is the KEY: 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
25The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us."
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Christopher, I like what you said and its relation to scripture. You also have a way of putting things that are easy to receive. Good job
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Gordon on
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Well I am not mormon let me get you a link of something k?
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http://thewitness.yuku.com/topic/406
now read each piece carefully and notice the parts underlined...
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Exodus 3
Moses and the Burning Bush
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up." 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses said, "Here I am."
Another example
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9 God heard Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her husband Manoah was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her husband, "He's here! The man who appeared to me the other day!"11 Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, "Are you the one who talked to my wife?"
"I am," he said.
12 So Manoah asked him, "When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?"
13 The angel of the LORD answered, "Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her."
15 Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you."
16 The angel of the LORD replied, "Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD." (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.)
17 Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, "What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?"
18 He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding. " 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD.
22 "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!"
Judges 13
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