Wednesday, 11 April 2007

LDS Church up in Arms about New Christian DVD on Mormonism

The official Mormon Church News Room website has condemned a new Christian DVD on Mormonism as hateful, distorted, and full of misrepresentations. The distribution of the DVD, which The Salt Lake Tribune now estimates as being in the number of 350,000, has been produced by Evangelical group Good News for LDS.

Regarding the content of the DVD, the group themselves have said:

"It is easy for some to automatically assume that those who disagree with the premises of the LDS Church are motivated by hatred and are therefore "anti-Mormon;" however, it is our hope that thoughtful people will look beyond the name-calling to carefully examine the areas of belief that separate the LDS Church from the biblical norm. In our experience we have found that many people have a very limited understanding of what Mormon leaders have actually taught. Because this is true even within the LDS Church, some Mormons might feel that much of what this DVD contains is fabricated. For this reason great pains have been made to document the statements it contains. Several of them are taken directly from LDS publications and speeches given by those who are recognized as authorities in the LDS Church."

View the entire DVD online (below), make up your own mind who to believe, and post your comments:

Saturday, 7 April 2007

Investigators Experiences of Mormon Chapels

Was wondering what experiences have been like for those who are not Mormons but who have visited Mormon chapels? Maybe you were invited along to one by the LDS missionaries?

I have been along to a few in my time but one memorable visit always sticks in my mind. The two missionaries assigned to the place were new and were watching me from the platform as I tried to fit in with the congregation. I could see they were talking about me during the service. As soon as the service ended they made a bee line for me, weaving in and out of the regular members who were trying to welcome them as new missionaries. Eventually, they got to me and, of course, were polite and showed a lot of interest. After a while, I excused myself to go to the toilet (rest rooms for our American friends), eventually came out, and there they were right outside the door! These guys really didn't want to let me out of their sight! But hey, it is nice to be wanted! Right?

They got my name and address and visited me at my home a couple of times, but when some of the questions about Mormon history and doctrine were raised which they found difficult they stopped coming round.

I am sure people have had some bad experiences in some Christian churches as well, but I do wonder whether the expectations that family and friends back home have on these missionaries to baptize as many as possible to the LDS Church has a bearing on the way they approach potential converts.

Would like to hear others experiences, good or bad.