It’s challenging to have meaningful discussions with Mormons, but we can engage even active Latter-day Saints with wise methods. Here is one approach.
Plant seeds by asking questions
When you’re talking to a really strong Mormon, you can plant biblical scriptures as questions. Ask: What do you think about those Bible passages that teach things different from Mormonism? (They won’t think that any Bible passages teach contrary to Mormonism.) Pull out a couple of example. You might say, “I’ve been reading in the BIble. This passage seems like it conflicts with LDS doctrine. Do you mind reading this out loud and telling me what you think God meant when he said this?” By asking it as a question, you let them take the role of the expert.
Here’s an example. Latter-day Saints believe in a great apostasy, where Jesus’ true church was lost from the earth. In Matt 16:18, Jesus said, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Ask: “What do you think Jesus meant when he said this?” You could follow up with a question like, “So after the twelve apostles died, the church Jesus set up failed? Do you mean when he said this, that Jesus didn’t know his church would go into apostasy?”
The idea is to plant seeds with questions. You can share the truth without being direct, offensive, or unkind. There are ways to be loving and respectful.
The LDS Doctrine Topical Guide
Adam’s Road ministry has developed a great tool for scriptural conversations with Latter-day Saints. The LDS Doctrine Topical Guide covers forty issues taught in Mormonism, such as temples, the pre-existence, priesthood, and more, with all the biblical scriptures that explain the truth about each topic.
Follow this link to find the LDS Doctrine Topical Guide.
