If you want to share the gospel, ask questions. Why? Because asking questions can help you share the gospel with your LDS friends in two ways.
1. Asking Questions Builds Bridges
Building relationships is the best way to share the gospel with someone who is LDS. Asking questions gives you opportunities to know someone, understand his thoughts and beliefs, and show that you care. Each answered question adds a plank to the bridge that you want to build across the gap between you and your LDS friend. You’ll soon have a sturdy bridge across which you can drive the gospel into your friend’s life.
Don’t know where to begin? Here’s a list of social questions you can try. One pastor recommends asking questions following the acronym FIRE:
- Family/Friends
- Interests
- Religious beliefs
- Exploratory questions
It’s important to ask questions out of genuine interest. Don’t ask questions merely seeking an opportunity to share the gospel. Ask because you genuinely love your friend, and listen to his or her answers.
2. Asking Questions Pops Bubbles
LDS teachings and beliefs are like bubbles. They may look shiny, but they have no substance and pop easily. A good question can burst a bubble like a well-aimed arrow.
Be careful how you ask these questions, though. Some level of confrontation is unavoidable, but try not to be overly confrontational unless necessary (no “gotcha” questions!). After all, you want to shoot your friend’s bubbles, not your friend.
Ask questions that make your friend think about their beliefs and why they could be wrong. When your friend answers a question or thinks through its implications and his belief bubble pops, you want him to see the bow and arrows in his own hands. By asking thought-provoking questions, you can lead people to pop their own bubbles.
What might this look like? A hypothetical conversation about the LDS teaching that Heavenly Father is a created being who progressed to godhood could go like this:
You: So, who is Heavenly Father?
LDS Friend: He was once a man, but he progressed to godhood and created our world.
You: Does that mean someone else created Heavenly Father
Friend: I suppose it would
You: Is there a way to know who created Heavenly Father? If someone created Heavenly Father, would it be more important to worship Heavenly Father or his creator
Friend: Those are good questions. I’m not sure
You: If this other god became god the same way Heavenly Father did, who created him? Is there a first, uncreated god?
Questions like these help your friend think through things, and they’re friendlier than something like “Don’t you know the LDS teaching about God is impossible because of infinite regress?”
Practical Tips for Asking Questions
If you’re like me and this doesn’t come naturally to you, what can you do to improve?
- Pray for love and wisdom. If you genuinely love your friends, you’ll ask them questions because you care about them. You’ll also need wisdom from God to know how and when to ask the right questions in the right way.
- Practice with a saved friend or family member. Thinking through things ahead of time can prevent you from getting stuck and ensure that you’re asking questions with the right tone.
- Pay attention to people who ask good questions. You probably know someone who’s good at asking questions like these. Learn from them.
- Read Evangelism for the Fainthearted by Floyd Schneider. This is the best book I’ve read on personal evangelism. Schneider gives excellent examples of thought-provoking questions and shows how they work in real situations.
Asking questions strengthens relationships with LDS friends and helps them think through the faults and shortcomings of their own beliefs. With a little practice, you’ll be building bridges and popping bubbles in no time. So, have you asked a good question lately?