Friday, June 29, 2007

Mormons!

Along with being a new homeowner comes the privilege of being visited by Mormons. Actually, it took them a while, and I still haven't seen any Jehovah's witnesses. It could be because of my strange schedule... maybe they've just missed me.

Anyhoo, they came around today and I didn't have much time but talked to them for a few minutes. I was torn between deciding whether it was profitable or a waste to spend time talking with them, but I was curious so I did.

I think they have some kind of schpeil they normally go into, but I just started in with some questions. I asked what it is about this Joseph Smith guy that makes him seem so special. They said he lived in Vermont at a time when the world was spiritually dark and couldn't find any church with true doctrine, or at least could not determine which was true and which wasn't. So he prayed to God, and God appeared as a pillar of light and explained it all to him, and he wrote it down into what we know as the Book of Mormon.

I said I believe the Bible, and they said "oh, we do too!".

I was like "oh, ok, great! So you believe then that Jesus Christ is the only way to God"

"Yep!"

"And that those who don't believe go to hell when they die, and those who do go to heaven"

"Oh, well, no we believe that there is a second chance".

"Oh! Well, that's not what the Bible says. This is exactly what I've heard about you guys... you try to say you are Christians too, and that you believe the Bible, and then it turns out that you don't."

They didn't seem very disturbed by this statement. They neither refuted nor confirmed it and that is pretty much where we left it for now. So I guess I have a bit of a homework assignment now... to find out why I believe that after we die, it is too late for any chance of salvation. The obvious one is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in Luke 16:19-31. Brad reminded me that Revelation is pretty full too. I'll check that out next. Any other ideas, anyone?

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well Paul mentioned in Acts 24:15 that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous...

So it seems that that there may be a difference in being bad or wicked - or in other words out of "ignorance" versus wonton premeditated actions. Too since the word resurrection means a rising up, could it the grave only or is it a fire burning hell (that many believe) that they are coming from?

Interesting angles or a starting point to looking at ay?! Well whatever you do in your investigation do your homework, look at the original Greek or Hebrew word meanings, and take no ones word for it - THINK!

Saturday, June 30, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Mormon's believe everything the bible teaches. As a matter of fact, they use the bible as a primary source of doctrine. The Book of Mormon backs up everything mentioned in the bible. Joseph Smith got the Book of Mormon from gold plates. Not dictated from Jesus Christ as you have mentioned.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007  
Blogger AndyOfVermont said...

Woops, thanks, yes, I remember the gold plates now. They did mention that. I was working from memory as best I could of the stuff they told me at my doorstep last week.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007  

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