Today we had the opportunity to visit the Mormon Ward (congregation) in Hebron at the invitation of Oscar from Torch Community Church. I also invited Sarah Brewster from Burlington Baptist Church, who is the wife of the youth pastor there. Many of you were praying for our meeting with the two young missionaries Oscar met last week. These two young ladies were probably in their early 20s, but when we arrived at the Ward, an older couple who seemed very well-versed in LDS theology also joined the meeting.
So there were four of them and three Christians sitting together in a circle inside a side room of the Mormon Ward—not in the main auditorium. We began by rehearsing how Oscar had met them. Then I asked the first question: “What are the main differences between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ teaching and non-denominational, biblical Christian teaching?”
One of the young missionaries started to answer, but as she did, she turned the question back to us and asked, “What do you think happened at the cross?” That opened the door for me to speak for about 20 to 25 minutes, walking through many Scripture references about the person and work of Christ, especially emphasizing what Jesus accomplished at the cross. I wanted them to hear clearly that Christ did not merely make salvation possible, but that He truly accomplished redemption for His people. As Jesus said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). And Scripture tells us that “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
I walked through a lot of Scripture with them, trying to show from the Bible that sinners are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, and not by works or religious obedience. We talked about Abraham believing God and being counted righteous in Genesis 15, and how James 2:14–26 shows that true saving faith is never dead or empty, but produces fruit.
We looked at Romans 4:1–5 and Romans 11:6 to show that grace and works cannot be mixed as the basis of our right standing before God. I also pointed them to Ephesians 1 and Ephesians 2:8–10, including the truth that apart from Christ we are children of wrath, but in Christ believers are saved by grace, made alive, and created for good works that flow from salvation rather than earn it.
We considered John 1:12, which speaks of receiving Christ and being given the right to become children of God, 1 Corinthians 1:17, where Paul distinguishes gospel preaching from water baptism, 2 Corinthians 5:21, where Christ is presented as the sinless One who becomes sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, John 3:5–6, where Jesus speaks of the new birth by the Spirit, and John 19:30, where Jesus declares His work finished.
We also did a brief Greek word study on dōrean, looking at Romans 3:23–24, Galatians 2:20–21, Revelation 22:17, and John 15:25 to show that salvation is freely given by God’s grace, not earned by human effort, and that if righteousness could come through law-keeping, then Christ died needlessly.
Romans 3:23 says that God justifies us “as a gift” dōrean. Galatians 2:21 says, “If righteousness comes through the law then Christ died “needlessly” dōrean. Revelation 22:17 says, “Come; let the one who wishes take the water of life “without cost” dōrean. And in John 15:25 Jesus says, They hated Me “without a cause” dōrean.
In the same way that there was nothing in Jesus that would cause people to hate Him, so also there’s nothing within us to cause God to justify us. God justifies us freely, as a gift, without cost, without a cause. God declares us righteous because of something good in Him not because of something good in us. He saves us because of His character not because of our character.
Then one of the missionaries began to explain her interpretation of the cross. During that part of the conversation, she said that we have to be water baptized in order to be saved or to have peace with God. At that point, I spoke up and explained that water baptism is not a requirement for salvation. Baptism is an act of obedience that Christians do because they have been saved; it is not something a person does in order to become a Christian.
We talked about repentance and faith as matters of the heart that result in salvation. As Paul writes, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). And again, “By grace you have been saved through faith…not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
The discussion continued for another 20 to 25 minutes, with the older man taking the theological lead while I sought to answer and correct his misinterpretations from Scripture. It became very clear that although they were using familiar words like Jesus, grace, salvation, and gospel, the meanings behind those words were very different from the biblical gospel. This is why Jude 3 tells us to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints,” and why we must speak the truth in love, longing for people to be set free by the true Christ and the true gospel.
Eventually, they rushed out, saying they had another appointment. All three of us Christians were disappointed that we did not have more time with them. We had only about 5 minutes left, so I thought it was important to end the meeting with the truth that they are believing in a different Jesus and have a different gospel. Paul warned of this very thing in 2 Corinthians 11:4, speaking of those who proclaim “another Jesus” and “a different gospel.” He also wrote in Galatians 1:6–9 that any gospel contrary to the gospel of Christ is no gospel at all.
So I asked one of the young missionaries if she worships Jesus. She said she adores Him and loves Him, but she could not bring herself to say that she worships Him. Then Sarah said to her, kindly but plainly, that we do not consider Latter-day Saints to be Christians. I was thankful that the conversation ended with a clear contrast, because as usual, they made a heavy and concerted effort to come across as though we essentially believe the same thing. I did not want the young missionaries to remain deceived into thinking the differences are small or merely denominational. The issue is the very heart of the gospel: Who is Jesus, what did He accomplish, and how can sinners be made right with God?
Thank you for praying. We believe the Lord opened this door, and we are asking Him to use His Word, even the parts of the conversation that felt tense or unfinished, to unsettle false confidence and draw these souls to the true Jesus. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would bring Scripture back to their minds, convict them of sin, open their eyes to the glory of Christ, and grant them repentance and faith. “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone…correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24–25).
Oscar plans to contact them again to see if we can meet up another time. Hopefully, we will have more time—maybe two to three hours with them next time—but we will see what the Lord allows. Please pray for wisdom, boldness, humility, love, and clarity if He opens that door again. Pray especially that we would proclaim Christ faithfully and with compassion for the lost and confidence in the power of the gospel, because “the gospel…is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).
Thank you for standing with us in prayer and in the work of the gospel. May the Lord be pleased to save, sanctify, and glorify Himself through His Word.
