How do I get my LDS friend to disagree with me?!
If ever there was a common frustration among born-again Christians who witness to their LDS friends, it’s this one. For those unfamiliar with the struggle, let me explain.
Despite Mormonism’s utter incompatibility with biblical Christianity, LDS people frequently (and happily) agree with Christian theology. Very often, they agree to Christian affirmations that undercut Mormonism entirely. I’ve heard LDS friends agree that salvation is by grace through faith apart from works, the Bible should be authoritative in all matters of faith and practice, God is One in three Persons, and the non-existence of Heavenly Mother.
So, what gives? Are our LDS friends lying for the Lord?1 Perhaps they’re uninformed? Or maybe neither? Let’s consider four factors for why your LDS friend might agree with you more than you think they should. We’ll cover two positive possibilities, then two negatives.
Wide Theological Differences
Because the LDS Church affirms an open canon2 and assumes individual Spirit-leading through one’s emotions,3 LDS people can have an extremely wide range of theological perspectives. Add into that mix the power of God’s Word (see the next point), and it becomes entirely possible that your LDS friend truly agrees with you.
Paul says that love “hopes all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7) and that God’s servants must be “kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:4). At minimum, love and kindness demand that we explore our friends’ theological perspectives without forcing disagreement. It’s always best to discover what our individual LDS friends believe rather than imposing on them LDS Church teaching.
God’s Powerful Word
Even though the LDS Church disparages the Bible in many ways (see 1 Nephi 13:26-29; 8th Article of Faith), it uses the Bible frequently. LDS devotional guides, for example, contain many Bible references. The Book of Mormon is filled with Bible quotations. The LDS Church even studies the Old and New Testaments in Sunday School classes on a four-year rotation. Anecdotally, I once attended an LDS funeral where the presiding Bishop effectively exposited John 19. Any evangelical preacher would have been happy with the sermon (or, “talk,” as he called it).
However diminished its place might be in the LDS Church, the Bible is an unquenchable power. So, whenever an LDS friend agrees with me more than a faithful Mormon should, I try to find out what Bible passages they’ve been studying. From there, I simply try to further the ministry of God’s Word.
Redefined Terms
We’ve covered two positive possibilities and now, we’ll cover two negatives. First, the LDS Church has a long-established habit of redefining biblical terms. Words (or phrases) like gospel, grace, faith, Father/Son/Spirit, only begotten, repentance, priesthood, truth, covenant, or testament all have radically different definitions in the LDS world. It may be arduous work, but the only path forward is the time-consuming task of exploring every word of substance.
In my experience, LDS people are rather eager to discuss the definitions of these words; they’re typically more patient than their born-again counterparts. I’ve never once had an LDS friend balk at my request to explain a particular word from the LDS perspective. I know it may sound overwhelming, but some of the best gospel opportunities come from long discussions over a single concept.
LDS Church Insistence
In generations past, LDS Church leaders loathed any positive comparison to biblical Christianity.4 Times have changed. What began quietly with David O. McKay’s long tenure as Prophet (1951-70),5 flowered under Gordon B. Hinkley’s frequent declarations that Mormons are, in fact, Christians. At present, an entire generation of LDS adherents know only of an LDS Church that desires to be Christian.
Consider for a moment how disoriented LDS people must feel. They were taught their entire lives that the LDS faith is, in fact, Christian. When a professing Christian abruptly rejects the claim, they’re stunned. Should they have thought more carefully about Christianity and Mormonism? Well, of course. But they haven’t. And, so, it becomes a job for the born-again Christian to shepherd their LDS friend to a proper understanding of biblical Christianity. For help in doing so, we have another free resource called “I’m a Christian Just Like You”.
Closing Thoughts
When Latter-day Saints agree with the tenets of biblical Christianity, possibilities abound. The born-again Christian should inquire, listen, and teach. Disagreements may emerge or may not. Either way, the best possible attitude is that of Philip, who asked the Ethiopian eunuch, Do you understand what you are reading? (Acts 8:30). Philip assumed not only the Ethiopian’s sincerity, but the Bible’s sufficiency. We should assume the same.
Footnotes
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See Lying for the Lord. ↩
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See “Think Ye Salvation Grace”. In this speech, Bruce McConkie says the Trinity is the first great Christian heresy and salvation by grace through faith is the second. He says of this second heresy, “the delusion and mania that prevails to this day in the great evangelical body of Protestantism – is the doctrine that we are justified by faith alone, without the works of the law.” ↩
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In a speech to the National Presbyterian Church’ in Washington DC in 1963, McKay stated, “Our two churches have much in common. Both believe in the divinity of Christ, in His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, and in the necessity of repentance for personal salvation. We have common ground in our desire to follow Christ’s teachings and in our commitment to make the world a better place.” ↩