From the get-go, there has been intense opposition to the Book of Mormon.  If you are an outsider looking into Christianity, you may wonder where the most opposition has come from since the whole Book is saturated with references to Jesus Christ, his divinity and mission.  Interestingly enough, the opposition has come from Christians of various denominations from the day Joseph Smith started telling people about it.

I’m reading the History of Joseph Smith by his mother and I read a story I had never heard before about a group of Quakers coming to her house and ransacking the place “in the name of God” so they could find the Book of Mormon and destroy it. That was just the beginning of persectution and ultimately the Latter-day Saints were driven from their homes and many were killed.

Although persecution towards the Mormons today isn’t as physically intense, it still exists verbally.

One of the things that baffles my mind is when I hear preachers, and/or hear reports of preachers bashing Mormons and other faiths over the pulpit.  That is another form of abuse the Mormons deal with and don’t even know about it.  It has come to the point that when I say I’m a Mormon to a Christian I just expect to hear their tone of voice change and their countenance change and the more religious of a Christian they are, the less tolerant they are in many cases (from my experience).  I’ve had them tell me I’m on the pathway to Hell, that I don’t believe in their Jesus and the list goes on.

I used to be offended and hurt when Christians treated me like this, but I’ve grown to try and see things for what they are. First, Jesus has commanded us to love those who despise and reject us and as His follower, I try to do this, which I’m not always the best at. Next, they’ve had years of people telling them stuff about Mormons that may or may not be true and are conditioned to be afraid to engage in conversation.  Some things are 1/2 true and other things are outright lies.  Next, in many cases, they may have never met a Mormon before, so fear is involved.  Finally, I wonder if deep down they may be afraid that the Book of Mormon is actually true and that will damage their faith.

On the other hand, I have spoken with Christians who feel that Mormons are rude to them. They say Mormons are arrogant and flaunt that they are the “one true religion in Christianity” and don’t allow their kids to associate with their children.

Clearly, there are significant misconceptions on both sides of the aisle and I’ve often wondered if there is a way to bridge the gap. I’m sure that Jesus looks down and isn’t pleased with contention between Christian faiths.

With these thoughts and experiences in mind, I reached out to my friend, Cal, who has frequented Graceforgrace for a few years now.  He’s been an awesome contributor to the blog and has helped countless people come closer to God through his prayers and experiences that he shares.

He is a Christian and attends regularly.  He hears the stuff that people say over the pulpit about Mormons and the awesome thing is that he not only believes in the Book of Mormon, but he shares his testimony about it to other Christians.

Below is an interview that I had with him about his testimony about the Book of Mormon and his ministry:

Interview with Cal about his Testimony of the Book of Mormon

  1. What is your Christian background?

I became a Christian on June 6, 1983, after reading a prayer that included Romans 10:9, which says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” Upon repenting and deciding to follow Jesus, a peace came into my heart and an assurance that I was now an accepted member of his family with my sins forgiven on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice of himself in my place.

I then began attending a church of the charismatic variety. They stress praise and worship, meaning singing praise songs to the Father or to Jesus, usually many songs in a row, which attracts the presence of the Spirit. Charismatics also encourage the manifestations of the gift of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12, such as physical healing, miracles, prophecy, and speaking in tongues, all brought about by faith.

  1. What led you to looking into Mormons?

Curiosity, desire for adventure, and being contacted by Mormon missionaries (elders).

  1. How did you come to the conclusion Mormons are Christian?

It was a long process. The big ah-ah moment came when visiting the Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in South Royalton, Vermont. I saw something on the wall indicating that the Mormon Church believes Jesus is the Son of God. I remembered 1 John 4:15: “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” I believe it was shortly after that that I dared to begin reading the Book of Mormon—I say “dared” because, like many non-Mormon Christians, I was afraid of being deceived. However, I discovered agreement with the Bible, and after my suspicions died down, I began to realize that it was lifting my faith and strengthening my spirit in same way the Bible does.

  1. Do you believe in the Book of Mormon and other LDS scripture?

The Book of Mormon appears to me to be about 99% accurate. Not only that, but also, like the Bible, I find an amazing balance—important truths are treated as such, less important truths are treated as such, and the whole gospel, including God’s wrath, are given attention.

The Doctrine & Covenants is loaded with prophecies that obviously came from the Lord, but some toward the end, in my view, did not.

  1. If you do believe then why aren’t you Mormon?

A major reason I’m not Mormon is that I feel that becoming one would be inconsistent with what God has called me to do, namely, encouraging unity among all Christians. The LDS believes it alone makes up the church of Jesus Christ on the earth today, which contributes to the break between non-Mormon Christians and Mormon Christians. Also, I don’t believe Joseph Smith was a restorer of the church, though I like him, respect the larger part of his ministry and gifts, and am glad that many are finding salvation in Christ through Joseph Smith’s message.

6. Tell us about your ministry to help Christians see Mormons are Christians.

At this point my ministry consists mainly of a small website directed toward evangelicals. A key page is http://www.evangelicalsandmormonsforjesus.com/fast-facts.htm , which has Bible verses of doctrines essential for entering God’s kingdom juxtaposed with LDS doctine to show that the LDS fulfills God’s requirements for a Christian organization.

  1. How do you know God has called you to this mission?

The urging of the Holy Spirit and the joy I receive from spreading the message that the LDS is Christian. I have also received personal prophetic words from prophetically gifted ministers that confirmed that I’m on God’s track for me. (I’m glad God sometimes has a chance to bypass the unrenewed minds of his people—if these ministers had known in their minds what they were encouraging me to do, they probably would not have said what they did!)

  1. What push-back have you received from fellow Christians as you’ve defended Mormons?

For starters, very few non-Mormons have encouraged me. When they learn what I’m doing, they usually try to correct me or simply look down on me as someone seriously mistaken and deceived. My wife is with me whole-heartedly and my Lord encourages me: “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:11-12)!

  1. What success have you had with your ministry?

Many people are spending some time on my website. Besides that, it’s hard to tell. I’ve received a small number of encouraging letters from evangelicals. Ironically, more Mormons contact me than non-Mormons. Apparently, after enduring verbal abuse for so long, Mormons are refreshed by my defense of them and appreciate it.

Moving beyond what I’m trying to do to God’s big picture, I am excited by the many little signs I see that barriers between us are coming down. For example, just moments ago, I noticed an article listed on google titled, “Evangelical visits to BYU signal a new evangelical-Mormon détente”

10. What are the commonalities and differences between your belief and what Mormons believe?

Commonalities: Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords; he suffered for our sins so we could be forgiven and receive the Holy Spirit (what Mormons call the gift of the Holy Ghost); on the third day he rose from death and is now seated next to the Father, mediating for us; Jesus, under the direction of the Father, created the universe, rules the universe, and will judge all men. God is calling all to repentance, faith in Jesus, and baptism. Doing these will lead to blessings; not doing them will lead to misfortune. God is calling us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves with the enablement of his grace. Joseph Smith was prophetically gifted.

Here are key areas where I differ: Joseph Smith taught some error, mainly, if not totally, during the latter part of his life. The LDS is one among many Christian denominations but not the full extent of the kingdom of God on earth. The church of Christ has needed, and still needs, restructuring, reformation, more revelation, and revitalization; but not a restoration of priesthood authority since that authority never totally left the earth.

I believe our commonalities should bond us together for the sake of pleasing God and winning the lost (see Jesus’ prayer in John 17). Our differences can be worked out in time as we worship together, fellowship with each other, and pray together. I’m not claiming it’s going to be easy. In fact, “with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

Thanks to GraceforGrace for helping to bridge the gap between us.

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