“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6).
You’ve all seen them. They’re the young men and women sometimes spotted walking or bicycling up and down your neighborhood streets. They can be found in almost every country throughout the world, always traveling two-by-two. Dressed in white shirts and ties for the men and modest dresses for the women, they go house-to-house knocking on each door. When a door opens to them, they smile enthusiastically and introduce themselves as missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [the LDS Church], and they would like to share a message with you about Jesus—that is, the version of Jesus they’ve been raised to believe in.
They are the Mormon Missionaries.
When they eventually come knocking on your door—which they undoubtedly will—I would encourage you to not turn them away. Rather, please consider welcoming them into your home. Invite them to have a seat on your couch, offer them a glass of water, and also show them every hospitality and kindness becoming that of a true follower of the Messiah.
I ask this of you because I used to be one of them. I know the hardships these Mormon missionaries experience firsthand, and I also know all too well just how far a friendly greeting, an encouraging word, and a helping hand goes.
God willing, you just may be the tool the Almighty Father uses to guide one of these missionaries out from the lies of Mormonism and into the light of true and everlasting relationship with YeHoVaH God and Yeshua Messiah.
Wouldn’t that be such an extraordinary blessing?
January 6, 1984 is where my own story begins. I was born in Salt Lake City, UT—the headquarters of the LDS Church. I was raised as a Mormon. My parents are Mormon, as were my grandparents, my great-grandparents; as were all of my family going back to the 1830s to the time of the founding of Mormonism by Joseph Smith Jr. Seven generations of time. For almost two-hundred years, virtually everyone on both my father’s and mother’s sides of the family have been Mormons.
As far as I know, I am currently the only member of my family—for both immediate and distant relations—that has left the LDS Church strictly for Biblical reasons. I emphasize for “Biblical reasons” because I do have several cousins that have also left Mormonism, but they all made the choice to leave the faith of their forefathers entirely for secular, sinful reasons.
And as a result, they are now much worse off than ever before.
They leapt out from the frying pan and into the fire, as it were; out of one bad situation and into something so much worse.
I, however, entirely by the grace of God, leapt out from that same frying pan; but instead of going into the fire, I dove into the cool, refreshing, life-giving waters of God’s Torah and Truth.
They left to embrace THE WORLD.
I left to embrace THE WORD.
I give all praise to YeHoVaH God Almighty that He brought me out from what is very much so a false man-made religion and into the beautiful light of His Word, His Torah, His will, and His ways. I give Him that praise because I understand just how unique and rare it is for a Mormon to leave his faith to embrace a Bible / Torah-founded one.
Tragically, though, Mormons leaving their faith to go after the wickedness of the world (as several of my cousins have, for example) is not unique or rare at all. It happens all the time. Many hundreds of thousands of members of the LDS Church have already abandoned their faith. This is not something to be celebrated. Statistics have shown that close to 90% of all Mormons that leave the LDS Church end up becoming either agnostic or atheist.
And that breaks my heart. It breaks my heart because…
(1) I’m always saddened whenever anyone chooses a path that leads them further away from God’s light.
(2) I have a desire to share the beautiful truth of God’s Word that would keep them from going into the fire.
And (3) because I will always consider the Mormons as being “my people.”
They’re my people because I was raised as one of them. I understand them. I understand what they believe and why they believe it. I know perfectly well just how deep the lies and indoctrination of Joseph Smith and his false religion go. I know the tactics the LDS Church leadership engage in to keep their membership brainwashed and ignorant to the truth. And because of all that, I can and I do strongly empathize with them.
I can never forget my upbringing.
I can never forget my people.
They are in so many ways my family, and there will always be a large part of my soul that aches to reach them with the beautiful and liberating truths of the Word of God.
And that brings me back to those two young Mormon missionaries that will at some point come knocking on your door.
I implore you, when that time comes, please don’t turn them away. But with a heart full of love and sincerity, invite them into your home and enjoy what will very likely be a wonderful and enlightening conversation. When finished, be sure to invite them to come back. Most importantly, begin the process of forming a friendship with them.
That’s where it must begin: FRIENDSHIP.
Please never consider those two young men or women knocking on your door as your enemy. I can assure you that they are not. They’re just 18-and-19-year-old boys and girls that genuinely do not know any better. They’ve been raised in a false religion and indoctrinated by their church’s leadership—by men masquerading as prophets of God; men that are undoubtedly among the most dangerous wolves in sheep’s clothing ever to walk the face of this earth.
And I also believe Mormon missionaries should be commended for their great courage.
Think about it. Most of these young men and women spend their entire teenage life working to save up their own money to pay their own way for their two-year mission. They leave the familiarity and comforts and love of their home, their mother and father, and their friends in order to venture out into the unknown. A great many of them are required to learn a new language, travel to a foreign land, and serve among an unfamiliar people.
That takes immense courage, and that’s something to be applauded.
I would ask: Where were you when you were 18 years old? What were you doing at that age? Were you dedicating two whole years of your young adult life living away from your family? Were you in all sincerity seeking to share what you believed to be the truth with complete strangers—the vast majority of which choosing to reject and even hate you?
Very likely not.
Whether they teach the truth of God’s Word or not, the obvious courage of these young Mormon missionaries is something to be admired. If only all Christians followed their example and volunteered themselves to the service of God. We’d certainly all be living in a much better world if that were the case.
My point is this: Mormon missionaries are NOT your enemy.
On the contrary, they could prove to be a great friend to you and you to them.
Far too often I’ve seen videos on social media sites of so-called “Christians” encountering Mormon missionaries on the streets. These “Christians” (likely just for the views their video will assuredly generate) seem to enjoy schooling the young Mormons with their superior knowledge of Biblical verses, and by so doing they act no better than the ancient Pharisees who treated those not of their sect with unrighteous contempt. In these online videos, of which there are many, I’ve witnessed the Mormon missionaries treated with disdain, derision, and even mockery.
Such behavior is hateful to God and Christ.
Such behavior is entirely unbecoming of believers.
Never go that route.
Instead, please follow the counsel of the Apostle Paul: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:5-6).
See these encounters with Mormon missionaries for what they truly are: Opportunities.
If you were to treat those two Mormon missionaries knocking on your door as your enemy, I promise you will only succeed at pushing them further away from the light of God and Christ. You will only leave them with a bitter taste in their mouths, and they’ll go away thinking, “Whatever faith THAT person belongs to, I don’t want to have ANYTHING to do with it.”
If, however, you genuinely treat those two Mormon missionaries as a dear friend, you could very well help to open a door in their lives that will lead them to walk the paths of everlasting life. And in the coming glory of the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem, that same young man or woman could throw his / her arms around you, and with tears of joy filling their eyes they’ll say, “Thank you for loving me enough to help me—even when I didn’t know I needed help.”
But it must start with FRIENDSHIP.
It must start with LOVE.
We are called to be the light in this world, so choose to be that light these young Mormon missionaries so desperately need. And who knows? You just may end up forging a relationship that will last for a lifetime and beyond.
Be sure to read my next blog article (“When Mormon Missionaries Come Knocking, Part 2”). What are the best methods to reach Mormons with the truth of God’s Word? Find out next time.
Until then, my friends, shalom and YeHoVaH bless you all.
