As a full-time evangelical missionary to both “the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12 NIV) and to Latter-day Saints, particularly in southeast Idaho, my counsel is often sought on the thorny issue surrounding the involvement of Evangelicals with LDS. This past month I received an email from a friend and long-time STS sponsor who has “occasionally” found himself embroiled in this controversy.

Bob wrote:

As most of my friends and acquaintances outside my extended family and church family are Mormons, I occasionally run into a difficult situation that I thought you might advise on. While I was talking with a Mormon friend at work recently, he began to tell me that his son had married a girl from Rexburg who, oddly enough, was raised a Baptist and attended church in Idaho Falls. When planning the wedding, the Mormon Stake Center or other Mormon building was made available to the couple free of charge but her Mom made it clear that she wouldn't be there if this happened. The couple was married in a secular location by the girl's pastor. My friend acted as if he couldn't understand this as the Baptist pastor had said the same words that a Mormon person presiding would have said and he acted as if he couldn't understand why the woman would feel as she did regarding the Mormon location. 

This weekend, my 9-year-old's baseball coach took most of the team to a Boy Scout campout and invited us. My little guy wanted to go and, while I'm sure it would have been fun and probably harmless, I knew that it would be predominantly Mormon and would probably include Mormon prayers and other activities that I don't even want him around. The question will probably come up as to why I don't want to participate.

Another acquaintance at work likes to talk about the differences between his religion and mine [as an Evangelical] but alleges to not understand why I wouldn't gather together with him and his fellow Mormons and pray or do food drives, etc. I've told him we do not believe in the same God (mine was not a sinful man), the same Jesus (mine is God), and the same written word. I haven't been very tactful at times but he never seems to understand.

My question is: Are these people sincere or is this part of their training, to act as if we believe the same and "what's the big deal?" I am nearly positive that they don't believe we believe the same things and I don't believe they believe that those outside the Mormon church are saved. I know that "lying for God" is not considered to be a sin by the Mormons. Is that what is going on here? I avoid the discussion now but should I try to explain to them why I do not want to come into their facilities or have my children trained by them or meet publicly with them? It feels like a trap to start a conversation that would make a person sound like an ignorant, bigoted person. I know you have run into this many times and thought you might advise.

Thanks for any help and thanks for your important work,

Bob

My reply was as follows:

First of all we should avoid generalizing or stereotyping and begin evaluating the sincerity and motives of Latter-day Saints on an individual basis. We are closer to a Christ-like ethic when we give people the benefit of the doubt and suspend negative judgments until there is strong evidence to warrant such conclusions (e.g. Matt. 7:1; Lk. 20:21).

Second, my personal experience has been that the beliefs of Latter-day Saints relative to those of Evangelicals definitely run the gamut—from genuinely believing our doctrines are essentially the same, to patently knowing that they are not and not admitting it until pressed, to alienating Evangelicals for our doctrinal differences.  (The latter can be a two-way street, however.) Then there is the whole issue of whether or not these doctrinal dissimilarities are at all crucial, at least in the minds of LDS. Here again the LDS response vacillates considerably. This disconnect may be due in part to the fact that LDS and Evangelicals do hold many similar beliefs, particularly as they concern “the royal law” (James 2:8 NIV) among others.  Moreover, in this age of grace LDS church leaders are overtly emphasizing what they believe to be our common social and spiritual bonds whereas in generations past the emphasis seemed to be more on separation for the sake of solidarity and sanctification with Joseph Smith’s First Vision being the primary catalyst (cf. Joseph Smith—History 1:18-19 in The Pearl of Great Price).

As to whether or not you should “try to explain to them why [you] do not want to come into their facilities or have [your] children trained by them or meet publicly with them” I humbly offer two suggestions. First, concerning your participation with LDS, have a full-orbed, biblical basis for your convictions so that you tread neither the path of the believer with a “weak conscience” (1 Cor. 8:10 NIV), nor of the believer whose freedom in Christ becomes “a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor. 8:9 NIV), nor of the one who “arouse[s] the Lord’s jealousy” (1 Cor. 10:22 NIV). Notwithstanding the clearly delineated boundaries in NT Scripture, these are matters that are solely between you and God and discerned by the Spirit. (See the excerpt below from my presentation “Should Evangelicals Attend LDS Functions?” for some general guidelines.)

Finally, concerning your explanation to LDS, it is certain that Evangelicals have more to lose by not explaining ourselves than to gain by avoiding the prickly problem. As long as our reasons for exclusion or non-participation are expressly doctrinal and not personal we advertently pave the way for future dialog with LDS on crucial doctrinal differences thereby fulfilling our obligations to the LORD as watchmen, evangelists, and apologists (e.g. Eze. 33:1-9; Mk. 16:15; 1 Pe. 3:15, respectively).

Should Evangelicals Attend LDS Functions?

Some New Testament Considerations

·        Removing barriers to the Gospel–The apostle Peter entered the home of the Gentile, Cornelius, which Peter explained was “against [his] law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him” (Acts 10:28 NIV).  Being rendered unclean, according to Levitical law, was more the result of the unclean foods and practices of Gentiles than it was contact with Gentiles.  By God making unclean foods “clean” (Acts 10:15) table fellowship and acceptance of Gentiles were more easily accomplished for Christians in order to spread the Gospel in the new era.

·        Becoming flexible for the Gospel–Figuratively speaking, the apostle Paul became a “slave,” a “Jew,” a Gentile, and “weak” (i.e. “all things”) so that “by all possible means [he] might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22 NIV).  Nevertheless, he remained “under Christ’s law,” which naturally set moral limits on his freedom in Christ.

·        Becoming weak for the Gospel–Becoming “weak” for Paul most likely meant “not becoming a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9 NIV).  Paul’s warning here was in the context of the offense taken by some believers (“the weak”) who thought other Christians were sinning by eating food from the market place that had been sacrificed to idols.  Paul ultimately denies his freedom for the sake of his brother as a demonstration of his Christian love (e.g. 1 Corinthians 8:13).

·        Becoming holy for the Gospel–Paul also recognized that had the believers in Corinth participated in the sacrifices of the pagans they would have been “participants with demons” and “arouse[d] the Lord’s jealousy” (1 Corinthians 10:21-22 NIV).  This was strictly forbidden!

Some Practical Guidelines:

·        Christians may participate in and attend LDS functions when LDS know, or will come to know, that you in fact do not share in their core beliefs because of your biblical faith.  Participation should take place with the hope of sharing the Gospel of Christ.

·        Christians whose faith is weak and who may be tempted to adopt any uniquely core LDS beliefs should not participate in or attend LDS functions.

·        Christians wishing to participate in or attend LDS functions who receive opposition from a believer with a weak conscience should do the following: (1) attempt to teach the weaker believer from the NT about their freedom in Christ and (2) forfeit his/her rights if the weaker believer does not acquiesce.  (See Romans 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:12; 8.)

·        Christians may not personally participate in any LDS sacraments, rites, rituals or temple ceremonies.  Attending LDS church services, public temple tours, missionary sending or returning celebrations, weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications, etc. may be permissible considering the above guidelines. 

I hope this helps, Bob!

Charis kai eirene (Grace and peace), Mike