A New Kind Of Mormon

Oh baby, do I wish she had come to me door. I'd convert.

But she didn't. And two other Mormons did. Here's the story...

I was online looking for free stuff, and I came across a link for a free Book of Mormon. So i figured, "what the heck, why not?" After all, I did want to learn a bit about what they believe. My only education had come from South Park(Bad Language). Apparently I wasn't the only one.

So again, why not? I'll get a Book of Mormon in the mail. A few days later I was at my mom's and on my way out to go to a church dinner. As I was walking out two guys in suits and coats were walking up. They were hand delivering the Book of Mormon (at least they weren't here to kill me) . I was not prepared and on my way out, but I was excited to talk to them. I had always wanted Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses to come to my house.

We talked outside in the cold for about 20 minutes. They told me a little bit about what they believed and I asked them lots of questions and showed a few problems and concerns I found with their outlook of scripture, so I challenged them to think about those things. As we were parting I asked their names. They told me Elder so-in-so and Elder so-in-so. I was confused for a second and asked if they had first names. Kyle and Steve. I told them I'd like to get together again soon.

A few days ago I got a call from Kyle (Elder Porterfield, I think) and I invited him and Steve over for dinner so we could talk more. That was last night.

We talked for over two hours. They started their path of explaining to me their beliefs and validating them through scripture, as best they could. I certainly wasn't making it the easiest lesson, seeing as how I would interject with question or ideas, which would take us down another road for the next 10 minutes, only to come back to where we started.

I'd like to think they enjoyed our time together and the challenge I brought them in knowing their faith and making sure it is correct. I know I enjoy that very much, and it was two against one (if you want to see it that way) so hopefully they enjoyed it and didn't feel like I was "after them." I do believe I made it clear that I consider them my brothers in Christ, and really just want all of us to have a better understanding of what we believe, why, and if the Bible and God really back that thinking.

As best I can tell, the main differences between Mormons and more Evangelical types are just a few.

1. Mormons believe Joseph Smith was a prophet; but more than that they believe that prophets are required for men to not lose track of God's path. They believe that the time after the apostles and before Joseph Smith was a great apostasy, which is basically a falling away from God as explained to me. Joseph Smith and the line of prophets that followed him are here to keep us on the straight and narrow.
2. The Mormon afterlife is different.
   
1. They believe in three levels of afterlife: telestial, terrestrial, and celestial, which are in order of progression towards God's glory. I thought it was odd that telestial would be before terrestrial, since terrestrial means "ground or earth," as far as I know, and telestial should mean outside the earth, like telescope. I thought I was told last night that telestial was while we're on Earth, like now, I think... but wikipedia seems to say otherwise. I may have misheard.
2. They believe that we can do things for those who have already died, in a way atoning for them, which seems off even for their beliefs.
3. They do not believe in Hell. They believe that it's a progress of understanding God's way I think.
4. In some ways, many ways really, I think what they believe makes more sense with my confusion of ghosts/spirits/channeling/etc. It certainly doesn't make all sense, and they said they don't like talking about it, because it's not the point of their faith, just a part. I understood that. I think some of it makes sense, but is with holes... certainly more sense than "When I die I immediately go to heaven or hell," at least in my mind.
3. "As we are God was, as God is we one day will be." I think I have problems with this in some ways. It doesn't mean I will ever have the omniscience, omnipotence, or omnipresence of God, but that I can have spiritual children. I guess in some ways creation that I have lordship over. I don't really know, it was pretty confusing, coming from the background I do. I had trouble finding info on the Internet to clarify.
4. And obviously they believe that the book of Mormon is God's word in addition to the Bible... it's "Another testament of Jesus Christ." The way the guys explained it to me, it's just making the Bible up to date with stuff today, without really adding or taking away from the Bible, just making it current. But at the same time, with the little I know, there are additions. Stuff that is stated like law, as things to abstain from... but maybe it is for today what the Levitical law was for it's day. Regardless, Christ has freed us from the harshness of the law, so I'm not sure.

There are certainly more difference, almost all of them I don't know of, but these seem to be the important differences. The rest is just cosmetic (I think). Coming from a more traditional Christian background, some of this sounded weird, hocus pokus stuff. But when you take a step back and look at our Bible, there's a lot of weird, hocus pokus stuff there. How can I so readily accept one because I was raised being taught it was the Word of God, and deny the other, just because someone other than I believes it because they were raised being taught it was the Word of God.

What I love about my new Mormon friends is that they are constantly encouraging me, and I'm sure everyone, to not just read the Book of Mormon, but to pray about it. Ask God if this is his Word. It's like they don't want me to just take their word for it. I wish more pastors did that. Some do, but I don't know if they always mean it.

I'd encourage you to get some education on this faith, which is really a Christian faith with a few differences. Order a book of Mormon and talk to the guys (girls?) that come visit you. It will probably help you learn about God and what you believe more, and will no doubt expand your witness.

We'll see, maybe God will reveal some truth in all of this. If I were to become Mormon, I'd definitely want to be... A New Kind of Mormon.


:::For those who may be extremely concerned after this. Take a chill pill. It's all ok, relax:::