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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 6, NUMBER 28, JULY 16, 2006 THINK Several years ago I had the opportunity to engage in a exchange of correspondence with a young Mormon “elder,” and I use that term most accommodatively. The young fellow even took the Bible correspondence course that the congregation I was working with at the time offered. After a time, he sent me a letter encouraging me to be “honest” in my investigation of the Mormon church. In reply, I sent him a number of articles that I had written concerning Mormonism and Joseph Smith, its founder. I promised him that if he could prove any statement that I had made to be incorrect, I would publicly retract it. Quite frankly, I thought that that would be the end of our correspondence, I did not expect a reply. However, the young man did reply, and it was the first of many such replies that I have received over the years from members of various denominations. It was, and continues to be, heartbreaking. It is not my practice to make common knowledge private correspondence, but his letter so aptly illustrates one of the major problems, not only of Mormonism, but other religious bodies as well. The letter read as follows: “Mr. Litmer, Thanks for sending those articles, they were interesting. I’d just like to tell you that I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the one true church on the earth today. And that Jesus Christ restored it through the prophet Joseph Smith. And the authority to perform the saving ordinances of the gospel was once again restored to the earth. I know that there is a living prophet on the earth today. His name is President Spencer W. Kimball. He has said, ‘I am not the head of the church, the master Jesus Christ is the head of his church.’ I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know because I have read it and put to the test the promises in it. No one can say that the Book of Mormon is not true until they have read it carefully and prayed about it. Our heavenly Father is the source of all truth and if we want to know if something is true, we should go to Him and not rely on the ideas of men. I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon and put the promises to the test.” I was so disappointed in this response for several reasons. First, not one word about the documented, proven charges against Joseph Smith, Mormonism, and the Book of Mormon. All that was received were statements of “I know.” How does he know? That is made clear in the letter. The Mormon church teaches its members that if they want to know something, just ask God or the Holy Spirit and he will tell you. This works particularly well when you want to know whether or not charges against Mormonism are true. All you have to do is just convince yourself that God told you they weren’t true and all the documentation, all the evidence, and all of the cold, hard facts won’t make a bit of difference. I don’t mean to be harsh, but in other words, don’t think for yourself, don’t examine, don’t investigate, just accept what your leaders tell you. The Mormon leaders teach their people that what they say is true, and they teach their people that if anyone disagrees with that or says it is not true, then just ask God and God will tell you to believe your leaders and the Book of Mormon. That makes just about a perfect circle of reasoning. This whole episode was a shame. Here was a young man entering into the prime of his life, being taught not to think for himself, not to question, not to investigate – just believe what he is told and believe it blindly. With all of my heart I can honestly say that I don’t want anyone to believe what I say just because I said it. I don’t want anyone to believe what some “well-known” preacher might say just because he said it. I don’t want anyone to believe what some elders say, just because they said it. We all have the responsibility to think and reason according to the scriptures. If those who comprise the religious world in general would think for themselves, investigate the scriptures themselves and not rely on others to do their thinking and reasoning for them, such sad events as these would not take place with near the frequency that they do occur. In Acts 17:11, we read, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so.” Here were individuals who were commended for their investigation. The truth does not fear investigation – it invites it. The truth does not depend on some mystical voice whispering in your head telling you not to believe its critics. If it can’t stand investigation, if it doesn’t demand investigation, then it is not the truth. What did Jesus say? “Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). In 1 John 4:1, we are exhorted, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Certainly there was never any animosity toward this young man. There was, and continues to be, real concern and sadness. How tragic not to be willing to use the reasoning powers that God gave us in the first place. “I know” is not good enough. Really, it is the old, “better felt than told” philosophy. It is “let your emotions guide you” way of thinking. That is not New Testament Christianity. By the way, if we should ever take a position and be unwilling to have that position examined, dissected, and thoroughly investigated in the light of scripture – we are in no better position than this Mormon “elder” was. We must invite investigation, be willing to accept any challenge to prove what we believe by book, chapter, and verse, and not dance or pussyfoot around it. What does God’s word say? That is the question. Greg Litmer
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