Life After Ministry

WHO THEN IS GOD?

     It was easy enough to begin planning the outline of this booklet, sitting down to fill in the essentials was quite another matter!  There are so many attributes of God when I began thinking about Him that I was immediately in a humbling position of feeling very inadequate to even write a few things.

Being a Mormon demands that you are intimately aware of what line not to cross in your life with the “Heavenly Father”.  There is nothing more repugnant to a member of the Church than to see and/or hear non-Mormons talk about God as their “Daddy”.

It is therefore essential to always keep your concordance or lexicon handy to give the “demonstrative example” (show the example – demonstrate) of the nature and character of God as told to us from the Bible.  It seems that when researching LDS doctrine for their “official” teachings of God, I found Joseph Smith’s attempts to describe Heavenly Father to be the exact opposite of everything the Bible states.

Now you may be tempted to think that the poor ex-Mormon you’re mentoring probably doesn’t know all these things, but don’t be so sure about this my friend!  If that ex-Mormon was in the Church for any length of time there is a ninety-nine percent probability the teaching was touched upon.

The main “problem” I’ve encountered when mentoring an ex-Mormon in this regard is that they will be learned of all the teachings, but they don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to the recorded history of the Church.  So let’s take a look at what the LDS Church says about God and compare it with what the Bible says.  For the sake of brevity I am listing only a handful of examples and remember; in addition to my examples, use your favorite verses about God in your rebuttal!

“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” – D&C 93:36

“Many men say there is one God; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are only one God. I say that is a strange God anyhow—three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization.” – Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 372.

“Though Latter-day Saints extensively use the scriptures to learn about God, their fundamental knowledge concerning him is based upon the Prophet Joseph Smith’s first vision, the Prophet’s subsequent revelatory experiences, and individual personal revelation.” – Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 546

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.” – D&C 130:22

“Yet God the Father is not one in substance with the Son or the Holy Spirit, but is a separate being. The Father existed prior to the Son and the Holy Ghost and is the source of their divinity. In classical terms, LDS theology is subordinationist; that is, it views the Son and the Holy Ghost as subordinate to and dependent upon God the Eternal Father. They are his offspring.” – Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 548.

“Yet, if we accept the great law of eternal progression, we must accept the fact that there was a time when Deity was much less powerful than He is today. Then how did He become glorified and exalted and attain His present status of Godhood…As he gained more knowledge through persistent effort and continuous industry… His understanding of the universal laws continued to become more complete. Thus He grew in experience and continued to grow until He attained the status of Godhood. In other words, He became God by absolute obedience…” – Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 114-5.

     As you can see, the god of Mormonism is nothing like the God of the Bible!   Joseph Smith also said this about God;

 “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible,—I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man..”  Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 345

     It may take the ex-Mormon some time to understand and get used to the idea that God is spirit as Jesus says in John 4:24;

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

     God is not a man as it says in Hosea 11:9b;

“…for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.”

      Num. 23:19;

 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

     God does not change.  Malachai 3:6 says;

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

      As I’ve stated in other places throughout this handbook, one of the most incredible passages in the Bible I discovered after getting saved was Isaiah 43:10-11;

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.  I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.”

     For me it couldn’t be plainer.  There is only one God; He didn’t become a god; and there’s no way anyone here could be working towards godhood.  He has exclusive rights to the office and has no future plans to relinquish His throne!  So the message is understood by the ex-Mormon, make sure to place an emphasis on God’s other attributes.

He is the only God just as much as He is a righteous God.

He cannot change and He is holy.  He is the Creator of the universe in addition to being our judge.  He created man to have fellowship with him, but understands and loves us enough to send His Son to be the sacrificial Lamb we needed in order to be found worthy in His presence.  He is a loving Father and provides us with all things necessary.

     Jesus gave us an example for prayer in several different scenarios and described to us how we can have a relationship with God the Father.

 God’s understanding is infinite as the Psalmist says in 147:5

He has all the power

 He is merciful and gracious as David tells us in Psalm 103

He is compassionate, Exodus 2:23-5

He is omnipresent, Psalm 139:7-10

      It is absolutely impossible to list all His attributes as you can well imagine, but encourage the new Christian to seek out just one new attribute about God each week.  Teach them how to investigate that attribute by looking for cross references and how to praise Him for being God!  For even more ideas on His attributes see the article on our site: “Is God a Mormon?”

     The rest of this chapter has been written by a dear friend of mine – Pastor Elbert Sorrell.  Pastor Elbert shepherds a flock of fellow Christians in Ohio and happens to be an ex-Mormon as well.  He has imparted infinite wisdom and given me pearls of great price in solidifying my relationship with Jesus throughout the past year.  I was honored that he would agree to add his insight as a pastor and an ex-Mormon, but mostly as a child of the Most High!

 Pastor Elbert Sorrell

Grace Brethren Community Church

West Alexandria, Ohio

“Eternal life is more than just length of days; but is a personal relationship with our Creator and our Saviour.”

     In dealing with the mind of a Mormon on any subject you will need to seek the Lord’s guidance and ask for wisdom. Remember that they have been filtering everything through a system that has taught them to “follow the prophets”.  (1)

They are beginning to explore an area that, until now they thought they had already figured out, even if many of them found no true peace in it. Ideas about God that you may take for granted may take many months for them to work through. Everything in the mind of the Mormon is suspect. Even his own thought processes. They will often feel that they cannot trust their own conclusions because if they have been deceived once, it could happen again.

      One concept that will be new to the Mormon or ex-Mormon’s theology is the idea that the true God of the Bible has always existed, as we see in Ps. 90:2;

 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world’ even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

      This is one of the strongest verses in the Bible that we can read that points to the reality that God did not “become God” through acts of obedience to a Heavenly father as Joseph Smith taught in his theology. (See Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pgs. 345-346.)

We find by an appeal to the Bible, that God has always been who He is.  Another concept is what is often called the “universal fatherhood” of God.  Mormons believe that God is the father of all and is simply working out a plan that He had set in motion before we were ever physically born; their proof is such Bible verses as James 1:17 and Hebrews 12:9.

In considering these verses the point that is being made by the writers is that God is the Creator of our spirits. However, if that were enough then the words of Jn.1:18 would be of no consequence when he said; “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” Also Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in John 3:3 make it abundantly clear that man’s mortal birth alone is not to be equated with a relationship to God;

 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

      To become a child of God, one must have a new birth. After the resurrection Jesus referred to His Father as “my God and your God” (John 20:27).  Although He still retained a unique relationship with the Father, He had secured for us, by His death and resurrection, the right for us to come into a new relationship with the Father as well.

 Gal.4:6 says; “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.”

      The word Abba is a very intimate and personal term. It is the simple equivalent of calling God “Daddy”.  Eternal life is more than just length of days; but is a personal relationship with our Creator and our Saviour.  In the mind of the Mormon this kind of familiarity with the Heavenly Father is unthinkable, but this is the kind of relationship that God desires with us.

In no way do we attempt to lessen God, but simply try to show that the God of the entire universe desires for us to have an intimate relationship with us. One of the greatest things to stress to the Mormon or ex-Mormon as you mentor him is that his knowledge and fellowship with God will continue to grow due to the gift of eternal life.  Remind them of Jesus’ own words in John 17:3;

 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

 Questions For Reflection

 What Bible verses have you seen in this study that you have never seen before?

 What has God said in His Word to you in this section?

 What major conflicts do you see between LDS teachings on God and the Bible?

 Have you developed a plan for dealing with your own inner conflicts as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you? (Read 2 Tim. 2:15)

Link for Chapter 4 – 

Chapter 4. The Truth about Jesus

http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-4/

© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.

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Chapter 2

 What is a Christian?

1 John 2:9; “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.”

This chapter comes after handing out countless mentoring outlines without this topic.  It dawned on me one afternoon while mentoring a brand new ex-Mormon that I needed to include this all important subject!

I was speaking on the phone with one of the sweetest ex-Mormons I had ever met.  I asked her if she had accepted Jesus into her heart yet and in a matter-of-fact tone of voice she told me that she had figured it was “just too late”.  She was getting in touch with me for one reason only – she wanted information on how to remove her name from the roles of the LDS Church.  (If any of you want to know how to make me have a heart attack; well now you know.)

My heart sank as I began asking her if she knew it wasn’t too late.  Her tone of voice wasn’t rude or short; she had simply been hanging on to the doctrines of the LDS Church, (her heritage) some thirty-eight years later.  She remembers being told that Heavenly Father wouldn’t accept her outside of Mormonism and because she had no choice but to leave the clutches of her heritage, she was taking a gamble to leave.

She understood the teachings to mean that she would also have to leave her Heavenly Father behind even though she didn’t want to.  In addition to that, because she couldn’t even have ties to the Father, the idea of having a relationship with Jesus was most certainly out of the realm of possibilities.

Inside I felt as if I was dying while I waited for her answer.  Much to my relief she said that she didn’t know He’d want anything to do with her!  Oh my goodness!  At this point I asked her to hang on – I needed a chair.  Why wouldn’t He want her?  My mind began racing – she obviously wasn’t Hitler or Stalin.  She wasn’t Marilyn Manson or even Charles Manson – so why wouldn’t He want her?  I had to know why she believed this lie so I asked her what made her think this; was there anything other than the doctrines of the Church?

There was nothing that came between the Father and “Jane”.  She wanted a relationship with Him and missed Him in her life.  She was too ashamed to go to Him because she couldn’t accept the teachings of the Church!  Whew – praise God!  We got that settled straightaway and off we went for her to begin her new journey and life in Christ!

What a lie from the pit of hell this woman had to endure in her mind all those years!  About a year before our phone conversation I had given my business card to “Jane” when I had the blessing of meeting her.

She had held onto my card and finally came to a point in her life when she couldn’t deny Him anymore; that’s when I received the phone call I’ve mentioned above.

For people who believe that handing out business cards, tracts, DVD’s, etc., are a waste of time; this woman is proof that those theories are wrong!

D&C 131:1-6;

“In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.  (May 17th, 1843.) The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the Holy Priesthood.  It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.”

I became a Christian in March of 1993 and the longer I am a Christian, the easier it is to sometimes just rest in the daily routine of my “Christianity”.  Her experience reminded me that Mormons don’t even understand the definition of what it means to be a Christian.  The Mormon “scripture” above is a classic example of what the Mormons think of what it means to be a Christian and go to heaven.

I’ll personally never get over the desperate feelings in my heart or mind I had as a Mormon, and thankfully the Lord has moved me into a different place since I’ve left the Church.  It wasn’t uncommon in my life as a Mormon to experience panic attacks, self-loathing and an highly intense fear of the leadership of the Church – the leadership I feared wasn’t necessarily living in Salt Lake City; they were the bishops, MIA leaders, Relief Society members, et al.

The chasm that had enveloped my heart as a member of the Church has been chiseled down through the years by His sweet presence and His mercy to me by opening my eyes when I study His word each day.

I shared with a friend of mine not long ago that it has felt like I have lived two distinctly separate lives in this one body.  I just have no other way of articulating what this has been like for me personally and I’m certain that I’m not a lot different than any of the other ex-Mormons.  Ask the ex-Mormon you are mentoring or any born-again ex-Mormon you know; do they feel as if they’ve lived two different lives in the body of one person?

Webster’s definition of a Christian is:  “a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ”.  I can hear the Mormons now; their fingers flying over their keyboards to make sure everyone knows they’re qualified to be included.  After all, “the name of Jesus is in the title of their church”!

This is what I hear from every single Mormon that writes in and even what President Hinckley told Time Magazine in David van Biema’s article “Kingdom Come”, (August 4, 1997, page 56).

Because we cannot just take this at face value, let’s dig just a bit deeper shall we?  Who is Jesus?

This is the topic of an article that we have available on the website you can download and give to your Mormon friends; it’s called “What Would Jesus Say”.  It’s obviously essential to have the right Jesus before we can answer the following questions properly:

What is a Christian?

Who or what is the Christ?

You can worship the rocks in your back yard and call them Jesus Christ, but you’ll be in the same spiritual boat the members of the LDS Church find themselves in today.  Just because you pick out an object or some imaginary person and name it Jesus does not qualify it to be the authentic Jesus of the Bible.

In the Joseph Smith Historical Center located in Nauvoo, there is a roped off area for a display of various items from the original buildings that were in the village of Nauvoo.  (Kirk & I visited the center while on a missions trip to Nauvoo in 2005.)  In the small roped off area you’ll find a few pieces of crumbling brick that was part of the cornerstone of an original building; as well as some replicas of papers written by Smith that had been buried under the cornerstone.

As you can imagine I began to think about their all-important cornerstone that had crumbled and the cornerstone we have – that being Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:19-20;

“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.”

They have been duped into holding onto a false hope that is found in a set of papers with “another testament” of a false christ.  In the end their good works and false god will resemble those deteriorating bricks on display in Nauvoo.  The following is a short list of what the LDS Church claims about Jesus Christ.

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Jesus was created as a spirit child of Heavenly Parents in the pre-existence – Gospel Through the Ages, pg. 21 – Milton Hunter.

Jesus not begotten by the Holy Ghost but after the manner of the flesh – Journal of Discourses 1:51 – Brigham Young. – also see DS 1:18

Jesus and Lucifer are brothers – Jesus the Christ, pg. 8 – James

Talmage.  Also see Abraham 3:22-8 in the Pearl of Great Price.

Jesus is God – Introductory page of the Book of Mormon.

Jesus and God are both made of flesh and bones – D&C 130:22.

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This should suffice in helping you begin to understand where the Mormon is coming from. I pray it will be of help in the process of detangling the web of lies from the Church.  You can also use the examples from the handout on the website and/or your favorite verses about Jesus.

Grab a separate piece of paper and write out all the examples I’ve listed above.  You’ll want to do a side-by-side comparison with the ex-Mormon to show them from the Bible how these claims are lies. Remember to look at the phrase or word listed to pick out a “key word”.   Use that key word to define your study.

For example the first LDS doctrine listed above is “Jesus was a created…”  Look for the word “creator” and Jesus in the same verse to refute the lie.

There is another section in this workbook that will focus on the person of Jesus Christ from the Bible and that of the Mormon Church.  Let them see your faith in action when you emanate His radiance through your actions and words – one of the most exciting things for me as a member of the Church was meeting a born-again Christian.

I loved being in their presence because they were filled with peace, patience, love, kindness; all the gifts of the Holy Spirit that Paul talks about in Galatians 5:22.

For now, let’s take a moment to answer the question:  What is a Christian?  The message I would never want to send is that you must know everything there is about the Bible in order to qualify as a Christian!  Jesus rebuked His own disciples for shushing the children that came to be blessed.  Mark 10:13-4 says;

“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his

disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much

displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not…”

Likewise the apostle Paul told Timothy not to be intimidated because of his youth in 1 Tim. 4:12, but to be an example of charity and truth.  In the body of Christ there are all types of Christians.  Some of us have been around for a long time and others of us have only been a true child of God for a short time.  And then within those parameters there are different levels of how dedicated we are to the Christian faith.

There are parts of the body of Christ that will be drinking milk all the days of their lives.  Then there are some of us whom God set apart and we were eating meat before we had a taste of the milk.  All of us who are acquainted with or have met a baby Christian know it is vital to be kinder and more patient with those who are new to the faith.

May we always remember those baby Christians are no less of a Christian than the mature person who has walked with the Lord for ninety years!

It’s also our duty to point these things out to the new Christian – they need to be encouraged to study the word, investigate the teachings you’ve presented them with and take responsibility for their own spiritual life.  Up until this point they’ve been kept in a vacuum of lies without understanding the basic truths of the “real Christian church”.

For example: the LDS Church certainly isn’t teaching that there were 500 soldiers that showed up to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane or that after He crossed the Cedron, He was betrayed just as David had been a thousand years beforehand at the same place (2 Sam. 15).

Factual information isn’t what the LDS members are accustomed to, so this is going to be really cool for them!  Isn’t it amazing when we think of how God has sustained His church?  We as humans may die and go live with the Lord, but His promise continues on as it says in Matthew 16:18!

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

I suppose one of the definitions of a Christian could be “encapsulated” if you will, in John chapter three.  Nicodemus asked Jesus what a man must do to be saved.  Jesus told him that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God.  John 3:1-8;

“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

If Nicodemus chose to continue living by the Law then surely God was going to judge him by it (Rom. 2:12).  Jesus let him know that it was time to die to self and allow God to give him a new life in the spirit. Paul also tells us in Galatians 2:20-21 that to live a Christian life we must be crucified with Christ and believe that He is the only acceptable sacrifice in the eyes of God.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Watchman Nee, an awesome man of God who suffered greatly at the hands of the Chinese government for his testimony said the following in addition to quoting 2 Cor. 5:17;

“Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.”

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  (1)

A change in character, a turnabout of who we once were is the leading sign that someone is a Christian.  The cross necklaces we dangle from our necks, the worn Bibles we carry to church, the tithe we pay each week is not what make us “Christian”.

“Someone who has accepted by faith, God’s gift of salvation through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross” is how my husband Kirk defined what it means to be a Christian.  One of the questions for this chapter is for you and the ex-Mormon to define this question!

How has your life changed since you became a follower of Christ?  There are countless people who say they believe in Christ, however, there’s a huge difference between those who believe and those who follow.  The Bible says that even the demons believe in the Messiah in James 2:19!

So, we are Christians when we follow the Jesus of the Bible.  We need to make sure we have the right Jesus and then we need to be followers, not just believers.

The doctrines of the Mormon Church have historically claimed that each individual of the LDS Church is the doctrine of the Church.  According to God Almighty this is a lie.  Ps. 139:13-15 says that He knew us in the womb.  Ps. 119:73 says His (God’s) hands made us; Eph. 2:10 says that He created us and we are His workmanship.  The Greek transliteration for workmanship is a poem – so here we find that we are referred to as a “written word” in a sense.  When it says we are His poem, it is an allegory (symbolic), just as we find in other places of the Bible.

In LDS doctrine you can find that they believe Adam was a Christian and that Adam was baptized.  Now let’s stop and think about this for just a moment instead of allowing our brains to absent-mindedly absorb any and all information that our eyes take in.

This is when it’s imperative for the ex-Mormon to stop and think about what has been written and implied.

How logical is it that Adam was the first Christian on earth based on what we learned earlier in this lesson?  What about Adam receiving the Gospel from God and passing it on to his children and then baptizing them?  If Adam was a Christian then how did Jesus change his life?

Doctrines of Salvation 3:81 says;

“To Adam, after he was driven from the Garden of Eden, the plan of salvation was revealed, and upon him the fulness of the priesthood was conferred. As Michael, the prince, he holds the keys of all the dispensations, which appointment he received under Jesus Christ, “Who hath appointed Michael your prince, and established his feet, and set him upon high, and given unto him the keys of salvation under the counsel and direction of the Holy One, who is without beginning of days or end of life.”

In Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 157 it says this about Adam;

“Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael, he will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as head of the human family.”

Aside from the fact that Adam got booted out of the Garden of Eden, take a week or two to study the term “inherently evil”.  What does inherit mean?  Why does the Bible always refer to Adam and sin at the same time?  Listed below are some challenge questions for you!

Who was the first Christian?  When did this take place?

Who was the first recorded European Christian in the Bible?  Clue:  she was a seller of purple fabrics.

To help you find the answer to the last question – look up the key words in your concordance.  For this situation they are purple and fabrics.

Your concordance will then give you a list of all the locations in the Bible where these words can be found.  Since you know you’re looking for something or someone that took place in the era after Jesus’ resurrection, you can obviously narrow your search by going to the New Testament references.

The way I distinguish key words from a verse or passage of scripture is to find the least common word or phrase in that particular passage.  Because purple and fabrics would be less likely to show up as often as woman in a lexicon or concordance, I would look for those first.  (This is not necessarily the way anyone else would use this “tool”.  As I stated, it is the way I look for key words and phrases.)

Also, the Bible doesn’t use the word European –this is a modern term created to name the continent.  The etymology (creation of a word) for European was circa 1603 and it means “broad-faced”.  Again, it’s an interesting historical account of what really took place and it gives the ex-Mormon a little more information to build their trust in the Bible.

The one thing to always keep in mind that while there are many subjects that are touched upon, even with the break-down of having chapters and titles in this book; the LDS Church has interwoven things together when there shouldn’t have been interweaving!

Such is the case with the example of Adam above.  One subject will probably lead them into another LDS doctrine and prompt them to ask you; “Is this Mormon or Christian”?  It takes a few years for that to be ironed out in the mind of the Mormon and that’s okay!

The average Mormon who has spent any amount of time in the Church will remember the teachings about Adam.  These teachings didn’t die out in the 1970’s like some members would have you believe.  Whenever there is a new topic or subject presented in this work I suggest you write it down and have the Mormon do so as well.

Your ultimate goal is to help show how God can expunge all LDS teachings from the mind of the ex-Mormon that has held them in bondage.  It has been my experience there are no set of rules to just zap them with the right words and they’re healed.  It’s never worked that way in the past so I don’t imagine it’ll start anytime soon!

As soon as any new topic or subject is raised for discussion then it’s usually a sign this needs to be addressed.  Something as monumental as the tokens at communion; to the seemingly benign issue of dresses vs. slacks for women, are indeed worthy of counsel and sharing.  So that you don’t get off track, write the topic down to address another time.

The ex-Mormon has never been asked to give their opinion about anything at Church before, so asking them about it now is imperative.  They need to learn how to flex their spiritual muscle, employ independent cognitive thinking and gain confidence in their new role!  One experience upon another will continue the building up of their spiritual maturity level and encourages them to think on their own.  They will soon learn to lean on Jesus and not others around them.

LESSON PLAN FOR CHAPTER TWO

1 – Give at least one biblical reference to refute each of the LDS doctrines listed about Jesus in this chapter. (Jesus is spirit child of God, not begotten by HS, etc.)

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2 – Give at least four other scriptural examples of the “cornerstone” of our faith.  These can be prophetic examples taken from the Old Testament or the fulfillment stage that you’ll find in the New Testament or both.

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Challenge yourself:  Find one scriptural example of “corner-stone” from each of the books in the New Testament and 4-5 from the Old Testament!

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3 – In your opinion, what is a Christian?

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4 – What does a person need to do to live under grace?

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5 – Space for answers in the bonus section of chapter two!

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6 – Using a dictionary, define the following words giving examples of each.  Examples for churches can be used as the name of church or as denomination.  Just be sure to define the two categories as clearly as you possibly can with the ex-Mormon!

Church ___________________________________________

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Denomination ______________________________________

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Ministry ___________________________________________

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Bibliography –

1. Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life, pg. 48. 

© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.

Link for Chapter 3

3. Who Then is God?

http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/22/mentoring-handbook-chapter-3/

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1 – Prayer

So you want to be a mentor!  The task of taking on this awesome responsibility will find you both blessed!

The first thing you must do before anything else in this job is to hit the floor on your knees.  James was known by the nickname of “old camel knees” and rightly so, for he did nothing outside of the will of Christ Jesus – our God.  With calloused knees he petitioned the Father as he sought unselfish wisdom on how to encourage the small congregations of Christians already scattered in and out of Jerusalem.  Nothing mattered more to James than the ongoing, open line of communication with God.

Every single morning we set aside a pocket of time to pray for mentors, new ex-Mormons and others we come into contact with.  The mentors and their families need prayer coverage just as much as the ex-Mormon and their families do and we want for all of you to know just how much we care for all of you, no matter what side of the teacher’s desk you’re sitting at.

Persecution of the body of Christ obviously varies in many degrees depending on the circumstances surrounding those being persecuted.  It is to be expected and understood that while mentoring this dear person in their new life they will most likely be facing some sort of turmoil from those within the community of the Church.  Don’t underestimate the real fear inside their hearts and minds whether the threat is real or implied; it is alive in their world.  The key to overcoming the oppression of persecution is done through reading His word and prayer.  1 Peter 5:8-9 says;

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

The Lord knows exactly what we need and cares deeply about the pain in their heart; never stop encouraging them to turn to Him.  Remind them daily that He already won!  Jesus told the disciples in John 16:33 to fear not because He has overcome the world.  The real “war” is over with – Jesus has been raised from the grave and isn’t lying in the ground like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young are!

We’re part of the winning team – at last!  Let’s take heart and give thanks that the God we worship is Sovereign!

Even the most benign of questions the ex-Mormon may ask is fully loaded with meanings you wouldn’t have thought of before…in other words be prepared; and the only way to go about this is through prayer!

Your prayer life will enable the person you’re mentoring to learn things they’d never thought of before, as well as being the example they so desperately need in their lives.

Also be prepared for spiritual warfare, it’ll be more than happy to make its appearance.  Above all, know the Lord will richly bless you dear one and you’ll find also that your own walk with the Lord will grow in miraculous ways.  Nothing ever comes into our lives without God’s approval.  A good verse to memorize is Acts 5:41; “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

It is impossible to have a relationship with God if you do not have a regular schedule of being in your Bible each day and if you do not pray.

It doesn’t matter how much you volunteer, clean your house or how many pounds of food you give away to the homeless shelter or what you’ve done for the Relief Society or Priesthood meetings.  Your relationship with Jesus cannot grow if you don’t spiritually grow.  If you don’t read and study, you cannot grow.

Jesus is always right there waiting patiently for us to come to Him in our distress, maladies, and our greatest physical diseases that take over our bodies.  He wants nothing but to love us and put His everlasting arms around us!

Expect more from the ex-Mormon that you’re mentoring than you originally had planned for him/her.  If you expect more there’s a good chance they will see fit to expect more of themselves as well.  Remember they have never experienced real Christianity so you have a clean slate with which to work!

Schedule a time every week to go through the lessons to pray, study and just to share with each other every week.  Having a set routine will give focus to the events of life with a tangible goal that is achievable.

I’m not trying to imply that I did everything perfectly when I got out of the Church.  I had two daughters; ages five months and 26 months.  It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t always convenient to sit down and discipline myself to do my daily studies.  My youngest daughter had to be taken to Children’s Hospital every other week for the cleft lip and palate she was born with.  I took what time I could get; a half hour here and twenty minutes there each day and my relationship with Jesus was very intense.

It was also the time that I lost everyone and everything (monetarily speaking) because of the exodus from my heritage.  People from both sides of the clan denounced me; people called with death threats and summarily wrote me off.  For the average Mormon this will be one of the most traumatic events they will ever live through.  They must see the connection between Bible study, prayer and the way they deal with their situation they are living through.  The level of animosity from their loved ones will vary as well.  There’s simply no hard and fast rule as to how this goes.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see someone with their arms tightly folded?  This visual will give you a good idea of how the Mormon goes to the Lord in prayer.  The Mormon has never been taught that prayer is a way of communication with God to enrich and strengthen their personal walk with Him.  Prayer in Mormonism is regarded as a necessary work only.  It is not used to build upon their relationship with Jesus; therefore they are not to “interrupt God with idle chatter”.

Their lives have been filled with set rules and regulations that have kept their minds focused on them and away from the One True Lord.  Their experience of praying is to always fold their arms during prayer.  It is considered to be highly irreverent if they pray in any other way.  There is to be no speaking at all by anyone else in the room while someone is praying and they must only pray in 1611 English.

The only time anyone touches another person during prayer is when one of the members of the bishopric are laying hands on someone’s head to “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” after baptism; during their temple endowments or when they receive their patriarchal blessing.

Your job is to show them how they are cultivating their relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ by communicating with them through prayer.  Mormons are to follow a certain pattern for praying.  To understand what they know as truth I’ve listed a couple specific examples they have been taught to follow:

“Jesus used simple, expressive language in his prayers, avoiding vain repetition and flowery phrases…” (1)

“In praising God, in offering thanks, in asking for needs-remembering to pray that God’s will be done-language is to be reverent, humble, and sincere. President Spencer W. Kimball commented, “In all our prayers, it is well to use the pronouns thee, thou, thy, and thine instead of you, your, and yours inasmuch as they have come to indicate respect” (p. 201). Unnecessary repetition of God’s name is avoided, as are idle clichés.  Prayers close by stating that the prayer is offered in the name of Jesus Christ, concluding with amen.””  (2)

You will want to introduce the Mormon to the idea that a Christian can also pray over the phone with another Christian.  This is usually a very startling discovery for the Mormon, but rest assured they will adjust to their new life and grow to be comfortable with it just as you are.  Use prayer as the powerful tool that it is!  Share with them how prayer has changed your life and how you’ve seen it change the lives of others.

Jesus gave us the example in scripture of the son who goes to the father.  Luke 11:9-13 says;

“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?  Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

This example shows us that we can go to Abba for anything and without shame.  Show them with Biblical proof how many times Jesus prayed.  Share with them the favorite place that Jesus liked to pray.  Do you know?  If you’re not aware of where His favorite place to pray is located, then it’s time to learn something new!

You might have to show them how to hold hands during prayer, how to raise your hands to the Lord in prayer or any other way that you personally pray.  Discourage them from keeping their arms folded by reminding them they have become a new creature in Christ, the old is gone away – 2 Cor. 5:17;

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

You may witness a bit of hesitancy on the part of the ex-Mormon during this time.  If you’ve never been a Mormon it may be difficult to understand, so all I can say is that you must be patient with this.  If an uncaring spirit is all they see then the foundation of their future prayer life could very well be negatively impacted.  There’s no need to force anything to happen.

The Holy Spirit who now resides inside of them is the one who does the prompting, not us.  While God can heal anything inside of their hearts and minds; there is no reason to add to the animosity and fear they may still be experiencing.  Here are a couple of verses to use as examples for how the Holy Spirit works.

Acts 8:29; “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”

Hebrews 4:16; “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

We can teach and lead by example to introduce the culture of Christianity, but all that means nothing if what they learn is that prayer and worship is a performance based experience.  We don’t have to perform for God.  If this was truth then which one of Jesus’ arms are you going to take the nail out of; or which drop of blood wasn’t enough?

According to LDS.org: “Every worthy, baptized member is entitled to and should receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired direction from the Lord. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person’s lineage in the house of Israel and personal counsel from the Lord. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.”

Mormons are taught to use this blessing as a guide for their lives. As you may or may not know, they are taught to believe in what their leaders refer to as “condinued revelation”. Meaning that God continues to speak through their prophets, church leaders, their other canon and other means such as blessings given by priesthood holders.

Using prayer, and the bible seems trivial to them when discerning God’s will for you and your life. It’s imperative from them to learn and know the power prayer and the Holy Spirit can and will have on their lives once they accept that Jesus is the one and only way to eternal life.

Also show them how they can do this for others and even their own homes.  Walk through their homes with them and go into each room of their house or even your house.  Place a finger wet with oil or water on the walls and draw a cross while praying for God to bless and protect the room.  After each room of the house is done then take them outside to sprinkle the perimeters of their property while praying for protection and use scripture during the prayer.

These steps are all powerful ways to show the Mormon how they can take control of their own spiritual lives instead of it being ruled by the “authority” of the Church.

Remind them that relationships are cultivated through an open line of communication.  To be comfortable with God they need to learn it’s okay for them to go to Him when they’re confused, angry and tired.  Isaiah 30:15;

“For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…”

God already knows each detail of anguish and desires for you/them to come to Him.  Teach them that it’s really okay to pray to Jesus as well.  They’ve only been taught that He is their elder brother and it is frowned upon to have a personal relationship with Him, let alone worship Him. (3)

If you’re a Mormon and have never heard that you can go to Jesus anytime and anywhere, allow me to be the first one to give you the good news!

If no other message gets through this study let this be the one thing you remember and claim for yourself.  Jesus loves you so much and wants nothing but for you to know Him.  He’s already aware of your darkest sin and your worst thoughts.  He knows your heart and is intimately aware of how clean your house or briefcase is right this moment. 

Let me tell you from personal experience the only thing He cares about is that you spend eternity with Him.  The dishes and next phone call can wait; your relationship with Him cannot.

The following is an article LAM’s volunteer Melissa wrote on Patriarchal Blessing. You can also read this here.

Receiving you own patriarchal blessing is a common practice within the Mormon Church. These blessings are given by the Stake Patriarch to the youth and to those who are recent converts to the Church.

What are Patriarchal Blessings?

Patriarchal Blessings are given to every worthy member of the Church who desires to receive one. Their Patriarchal Blessing includes their lineage in the house of Israel, as well as provides warnings, guidance and comfort for their life.  Mormons believe these blessings are “inspired” direction from the Lord.

Church members consider their patriarchal blessings sacred and are counseled to avoid sharing their blessing with anyone except with a spouse or immediate family (father, mother), and most all they’re not to compare their blessing with another’s.

Where did this practice come from?

When Joseph Smith began organizing the Mormon Church he started restoring things he believed were lost, one of these things was the priesthood, and along with that the office of patriarch. Smith patterned the practice of giving blessings after those fathers gave their children in the Old Testament (Genesis 27, 49).

As I was talking about this article with Michelle we were wondering if patriarchalwas even a real word, and given Joseph Smith’s propensity to make up stuff has he went along this wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. The word patriarchal, as defined on dictionary.com is:

1. of or pertaining to a patriarch, the male head of a family, tribe, community, church, order, etc: my father’s conservative, patriarchal ways.

2. characteristic of an entity, family, church, etc., controlled by men: the highly patriarchal Mormon church.”

Ok, so it can be used as an actual word, but if Joseph Smith’s plan was to pattern the practice after those given by fathers to their children in the Old Testament why do strangers give these blessings to those not in their bloodline?

How does one receive their own Patriarchal Blessing?

First you must be a baptized member of the Mormon Church, and have a desire to receive your own blessing. After you’ve been interviewed by the Bishop and receive a recommend from him you must call and schedule an appointment with the Stake Patriarch to receive your blessing.

Before he lays his hands upon your head to reveal your blessing he’ll take a few minutes to talk to you and get to know you. He’ll ask you about the things going on in your life at the moment, see if you have any issues, or any questions you hope to find answers to.

In a talk given at BYU on March 30, 1980, James E. Faust spoke of the importance of Patriarchal Blessings and the role they play in the lives of those who receive them.

 “The office of patriarch is one of the great separate priesthood offices of the Melchizedek Priesthood. The patriarchal office is one of blessing, not of administration, nor of counseling. It is a sacred, spiritual calling that usually will be the remainder of the patriarch’s life. Our patriarchs give total devotion to their callings and do all they can to live in faith and worthiness so that each blessing is inspired”

“When moved upon by the Holy Spirit, the patriarch makes an inspired declaration of the lineage of the recipient together with such blessings, spiritual gifts, promises, advice, admonition, and warnings as the patriarch feels inspired to give. It is in essence a prophetic utterance.” 

Mormon leaders have compared these “prophetic utterances” to a road map for the Mormon’s life, or as one church leader put it their own “personal scripture”. Mormons believe these blessings are unique and tailored just for them, which is why they see their blessing as a guide to how they should live. It also gives them warnings of the blessings that won’t come should they fall away as well as the blessings that will come if they follow its counsel.

The blessing pronounced upon the recipient that day is meant to be not only for this life but for the next as well. This is sort of a loophole for the Church, when someone begins to feel discouraged those blessings and promises they were given will never to come to fruition, all they have to do is consider that maybe that particular promise isn’t for this life. The crisis is averted and that person can go on thinking “the Church is true”.  Amazing isn’t it?

Christians have a “roadmap” and a “personal scripture” as well, it’s called the Bible. Mormons also have the same guide for their lives, but they refuse to acknowledge it as such and desire something a little more current that tickles their ears as they make their way to exaltation.

All throughout His word God has made it clear that we’re supposed to use the bible as a guide and roadmap for our lives.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

As we spend time in prayer and in studying God’s word we will know of His will for us. I know it can be a struggle wondering what direction the Lord wants you to go, but if you have His word and the Holy Spirit you have all you need.

Not long after I was baptized I received my patriarchal blessing. It was about a page and a half long and told me that I was from the line of Ephraim, that I would soon go through the temple with my husband and my son and be sealed as a family, it told me that my spiritual gifts were knowledge and wisdom, to not fear man but fear God, and that if I lived worthy I would one day work in the temple, that my children would have every opportunity to serve the Lord and finally that I would arise on the morning of the resurrection.

After I received my blessing I felt very disappointed. I think I felt that way because I was hoping to learn something new about myself, I wanted to feel special. Instead all I received was more of the same recycled teachings I’d heard the over past year I spent in the Church. If I do this, God will do that but if I don’t do this or that God’s hands are tied and He can’t bless me. Everything in Mormonism is that way. God’s ability to bless you is based on your performance.

I’m so thankful He saved me from a life time of trying to decipher and figure out what the “prophetic utterances” in my patriarchal blessing meant, for a life of studying His word and knowing by the power of the Holy Spirit what His plan, and His will is for me.

In Christ,

Melissa Grimes (melissa@lifeafter.org)

1-(Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 1118.)

2-(Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 1118.)

3- “We do not worship the Son, and we do not worship the Holy Ghost. I know perfectly well what the scriptures say about worshipping Christ and Jehovah, but they are speaking in an entirely different sense–the sense of standing in awe and being reverentially grateful to him who has redeemed us. Worship in the true and saving sense is reserved for God the first, the Creator.” – Speech given by Bruce R. McConkie at BYU, March 2, 1982

Lesson Plan for Chapter One

1 – Why is prayer with scripture important?   Read Luke 11:1-10 and answer below.

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2 – Where was Jesus’ favorite place to pray?  How many times did He go there? Give scriptural proof of your answer.  (Hint: Read John 18:1-2 and then find name of place in concordance)

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3 – What spiritual consequences could there be if we are not in His word on a daily basis?  Be specific, use scriptural proof.

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4 – How much time each week should be spent in His word?  Are there any set rules?

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5 – Give five reasons why we go to the Lord in prayer.

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6 – Give five more reasons why we go to the Lord in prayer.

(This time use personal reasons why – the kids are sick, they’re going through a rough time because of shunning, spouse is unemployed, private doubt of salvation, etc.)

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7 – Who intercedes for us in prayer?  Be specific, use scriptural proof of your answers.  Use a lexicon and/or concordance to find the word intercedes for your answer.  You should have at least three examples to share.  Why do we need intercessors?

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8 – Has the ex-Mormon been made aware of the prayer chain in your church or theirs?  Do they know how to utilize this blessing?  List the names and phone numbers here for them to call and explain how they work at the typical Christian church.

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9 – Where in the ex-Mormon’s home was Holy oil/water used?  Do they understand why this was done?

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10 – Give two or three examples from scripture when holy water or oil was used.  Be sure to write down your proof.  (Remind them you’re not operating and doing these things based upon the gospel of “your name here”, but because this is what the Lord said in His word!)

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11 – How many times in the gospels did Jesus pray?  Give at least two examples from each gospel.

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© 2010 Life After Ministries, Inc.

Chapter 2. What is a Christian?

http://lifeafterministry.com/2010/10/12/mentoring-handbook-chapter-2/

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