Update #4 Open Letter to LDS Leadership

My friend Bill Mckeever wrote this letter to the LDS leadership. In response to the news items on LDS.org referring to the DVD Distribution as an act of "Hate". I am still blown away by the attitude of the LDS people, the ones who say they are the "only true church" which by their own definition is hateful speech within itself. I find that when they are confronted about their faith it very often becomes contentious for them. Honestly, I do not believe Christians are the same way, confront me, show me your best evidence, I will listen, look, review and reply. We have objective evidence for our faith and therefore we do not rely on the same subjective experiences that Mormons so often defend. I believe that is what it comes down to. Pray for them.

http://www.mrm.org/topics/rebuttals-rejoinders/open-letter-first-presidency-regarding-charge-hatred
April 4, 2007
The First Presidency
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
50 East North Temple
Salt Lake City,
UT 84150-0002

Dear Sirs,
As a Christian living in the Salt Lake Valley, I wish to express my indignation at your church’s tacit approval of the Anti-Defamation League’s accusation of hatred towards Christians who were involved in a recent DVD distribution. It is one thing to disagree with the content of the DVD, but it is quite another to accuse them of being motivated by hate. I will try to temper my outrage by asking the following questions:
* How many people involved in the distribution did you actually speak to who exhibited hatred as their reason for participating?
* What phrase or statement in the DVD resembled anything close to “hate speech”?
* If there is no evidence that the participants were motivated by hatred, are you not guilty of bearing false witness when you make that accusation?
* Isn’t it also duplicitous of you to make such an unfounded accusation of hatred and then retreat to your 177th General Conference to talk about forgiveness and speaking “with the (peaceful) voice of angels”? Jesus talked about such hypocrisy in Matthew 7:1ff.
* You insist that the DVD did not include official sources. It did. However, if official sources really concern you, why did you hide behind an unofficial rebuttal? Why should anybody consider FAIR’s response authoritative since this organization claims it does not officially speak for the LDS Church? Why doesn’t the LDS Church have the courage to offer its own response?
* LDS.org states, “When Latter-day Saint missionaries visit homes or engage others in conversation, they studiously avoid criticism of other faiths. They do not attack and they do not condemn”? Are you really unaware that your present missionary manual clearly states on page 36, “Investigators must be told that a universal apostasy occurred following the death of Jesus and His Apostles. If there had been no apostasy, there would have been no need of a Restoration. As a diamond on black velvet appears more brilliant, so the restoration stands in striking contrast to the dark background of the Great Apostasy. As guided by the Spirit, teach investigators about the Great Apostasy at a level of detail appropriate to their needs and circumstance” (Preach My Gospel, p.36). Do you really not see the hypocrisy in this statement?
* Over the years I have listened politely to numerous missionaries tell me about Joseph Smith’s alleged First Vision. Do you really think Christians such as I should not feel criticized when we are told that our churches are wrong, our creeds are an abomination, and that Christian “professors” are corrupt?
* At your 177th General Conference, it was stated, “I know that heaven-sent revelations have replaced the gross errors of man made doctrines concerning the Godhead.” Is this not a criticism directed at millions of Christians?
* If the LDS Church had its people place information on doors in neighborhoods and Christians made a concerted effort to remove this information (as Mormons have bragged they did), wouldn’t that be called stealing? Why is it that the Mormons who did this do not see it as such?
* If the Christian community responded to an evangelistic effort by the LDS Church with the loud, angry voices exhibited recently by Latter-day Saints, wouldn’t your members accuse the Christians of persecuting them? Why should these actions not be considered persecution against Christians?
Please bear in mind that I am not saying that Mormons do not have the right to believe whatever they wish; in fact, I have often strongly supported their right to do so. I would only ask that you, as leaders of this church, be honest with the media and the general public when it comes to the subject of criticism and the charge of hatred.
With all of the talk of repentance at your last conference, I think you need to lead by example and offer an apology to the thousands of Christians you have offended with this false accusation.

Sincerely,
Bill McKeever
Director,
Mormonism Research Ministry

DVD Outreach a "Hate Crime"?

I have revised this post as of 4/3/07 .....there has been some comments from LDS authorities and media sensationalists crying foul and worse yet using terms like "hate crime" "sneak attack" "violation of rights" against the Christians who distributed the DVD. I am concerned that it will be none too soon when we will not be able to tell Mormons the truth of the Gospel without it being called a "Hate Crime". There are many debates as to how to approach Mormons. There seems to be two sides to this debate more traditional Biblical way and the culturally sensitive pragmatists/relationalist. The people who take the relational approach to witnessing to Mormons have not stood against the Mormon Church. Even during this time we have not seen anything but an opposition to the DVD. Organizations like Standing Together or John Morehead's many projects. In fact Morehead went so far as to oppose the DVD outreach publicly and let the information leak out about it in the name of "justice". How is that for divisiveness. If John and the other relationalist are so convinced to being relational with Mormons, why do they not apply that with other Christians. Hmmm looks like...... a double standard. I think it will be sad for all of us when no one will be allowed to even have a truth conversation with Mormon. Here is a link to an article in response to Morehead here and then another here. In addition here is a link to a blog with a lot of recent debate over this (they have been temporarily hidden), as well as a conversation with some "relational only" Christians. Why do I associate the issue of this outreach and the relationalists? Well because the relationalist are fueling the fire for the LDS Church, to give them the benefit of the doubt they may not knowingly be doing that. See the LDS response to the DVD used terms like "dialogue" and "friendship". These terms are used by relationalist to support the conversations with the LDS Church. The amazing part about all this is that if this continues where issues of Homosexuality has in places like Canada it has all the makings for some scary legislation here in Utah. How will we be culturally sensitive then when we will be silenced by law for our faith? I am pleading with anyone who is a "Christian" to step up now and stop supporting the LDS Churches move into the Christian Category and realize that the term Anti-Mormon is thrown around far to often and unchecked. This is about "truth" and it is time to start contending for the faith.

DVD Distribution to the Mormons

We discuss the Jesus Christ Joseph Smith DVD. This nationwide outreach was an amazing move of God to try and bring truth to the Mormon people. It is not Anti-LDS or Anti-Mormon, but simply the truth of the Bible correcting the wrong understanding of God in the Book of Mormon and teachings of Joesph Smith. You can view the DVD if you would like.

Jesus Christ Joesph Smith DVD Outreach

What an amazing time it was to go out on Sunday and blast an entire city with the Gospel. Our Church participated in this outreach event to distribute the DVD to as many Mormons as possible. It is a well done DVD that explains the differences between the lives of Jesus and Joseph Smith. Since the Mormon belief system relies almost completely on Joesph Smith and his first vision then it is important to look at him as a prophet and an individual to see if what he claims is true. There is a great review of the DVD here. The DVD distribution was a success because all the people who participated were being obedient. We did not look to worldly "results" for our reason. I say that and yet the feedback has been tremendous. There are the typical Mad Mormons. Then there are the relational Christians who don’t believe in telling Mormons that they are wrong. However those same Christians have no problem telling other Christians the way they do it is wrong….ironic why cant they be relational with us? Then there is a third category, several Mormons who are on the edge where this DVD has impacted them to the point of consideration. One lady in particular whose husband is Christian and she is a Mormon wrote about finding help to leave Mormonism. Could you imagine that God actually used this outreach as an answer to what likely was that man’s prayer? Please pray for all those Mormons who have been deceived for over 175 years. I thank God we are part of a Church who cares enough about their eternal fate, and enough about the Glory of God to tell them the TRUTH. Dr. Epps said it best on Sunday, “One of the reasons the Bible was written to help correct wrong theology.” Why would we stop correcting them now?