Thursday, January 7, 2010

I Am A Christian

I belong to The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You may know our religion by our nickname The Mormons, but the true name of our religion is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". Sometimes I say I am LDS (Latter Day Saints) too. I love this church and I know it is true. I feel the Holy Ghost witness within my heart with a burning comfort feeling that it is true.

I've lived in Idaho and Utah all of my life. You might say I am pretty sheltered, because I've never been around someone who hated me because of my religion. I've never been told that I am not a Christian because I am LDS. I've heard that other religions believe we are NOT Christians, but me/myself have never been in that situation - I am sheltered.

This came to an end on Saturday when there was a knock at my door. I answered it and there was a family there to invite me to their church. This happens often. Living in Meridian Idaho has been amazing to me. There are churches of every kind on almost every corner. In Utah there are LDS churches on almost every corner but here there are a multitude of religions.

Through my life I have had many friends from many different religions and I have loved them all. I try not to get into religious discussions because there is no swaying me from the truthfulness of the gospel. I know it is true. But, on the other hand I have always respected other people to worship as they want and love them even though their belief maybe different from my own.

However as I kindly rejected his invitation to attend his church because I am already a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he started to proceed to tell me I wasn't a Christian. Wow! I didn't see it coming. I smiled and listened to what he had to say. He quoted me Isaiah 9:6 (which I thought was funny because I just blogged about this scripture in December here:)

From this scripture he explained that Jesus was God. I agreed because I believe in the Bible and I know Jesus is a God, the Son of Heavenly Father, our Savior. Then he really got after me because he doesn't believe in the Godhead.

"We believe in God the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost." We believe they are 3 distinct and different people. He didn't and because I did believe they were 3 separate people that I wasn't a Christian - that Mormons were not Christians. WOW! I've never been in that situation before.

I am the worst with come backs and he wasn't leaving until he convinced me I was wrong and he wanted to save my soul. I didn't get frustrated at him....because I love all people - no matter what their beliefs are. I try to treat others the way Jesus would, I was frustrated at myself for not being able to pull up scripture references out of my head as examples. I was not prepared for this as I opened the door. I've never been in that situation to even pre-prepare.

I finally kinda just shut up and let him rant. I smiled (because secretly I know I belong to the true church). Finally he gave up too and we parted ways as I said "Happy New Year".  I just felt bad that I wasn't able to explain why I believe in the Godhead as 3 individual people and why Jesus wasn't Heavenly Father.

I didn't even think to explain that Joseph Smith saw the Father and the Son. That would have been disastrous - I can only imagine what he would have said. But, I know it is true.

One of the things I thought was interesting is that he was at my door to persuade me to believe like he does. Then he indicated that our missionaries do the same thing. I had to disagree.  It is not the responsibility of missionaries to persuade people to believe. We teach the gospel and ask each individual to pray and receive their own answer or witness in the truthfulness of the Gospel. It isn't us who convert people, it is only through the power of the Holy Ghost to testify that Jesus is the Christ, That Heavenly Father is our Father. We all have personal revelation to know for our self if things are true. He didn't believe in personal revelation or the power of the Holy Ghost.

"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as long as it is translated correctly, we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."

Part of the scriptures we study and teach from is the King James Bible. I believe in the bible. I always wonder if they believe in the bible how they don't believe that Jesus is Heavenly Father's Son.

I should have asked about when Jesus was baptised and the heavens opened and their was a voice from heaven that said, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased". Who was that speaking if not Heavenly Father?

Anyway.... It was quite the experience that I've never had before. I need to be better prepared. I guess it takes the first encounter to prepare - right?? I'm just really bad in confrontations. It's better for me to end up being quiet and let them rant - LOL! It isn't my job to convert people - it is the Holy Ghost's job. I can only be an example and show love. I just wish I was better at quoting scriptures and that is one of my New Years Resolution.


This morning during scripture study we are reading in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi chapter 28. It answered my prayers to the situation I found myself in on Saturday. But the most amazing thing is when Brady goes off in song when we get to scriptures he has memorized in seminary. He sang verses: 7-9. I always love it when he knows the scriptures. He will be a great missionary.

I hope I didn't offend any readers of this blog. This is my journal and I had to put this in writing. It was quite the thought provoking experience. But it did strengthen my testimony of the truthfulness of the Godhead.

10 comments:

Ann Marie said...

Wow! That would be a shock to me as well!

I have many friends of different faiths as well.. but we would NEVER do this to each other.
It makes me sad.

When I was pregnant with Tenney.. a woman from a faith that believes babies need to be baptized as an infant.. told me that my baby was damned.. and would go to He** because I wasn't baptizing it as an infant. I cryed good over that one.

Isn't it nice to have freedom to believe how we choose? I feel grateful for that daily.. since I have met women in other countries who are struggling with the freedom to even be an "open" Christian. In some places in Europe.. it's easier to be openly gay than openly a Christian. So sad.

Anyways... sorry for this long novel... but I thought I would also share with you.. I know you are in Primary.. so you don't get to hear the Gospel Doctrine lessons.. but we are learning the Old Testament.. and last week I taught from Moses chapter 1. It is some good scripture as Moses it is about Moses conversing with God. There is reference in Moses 1:6 where God tells Moses about his "only begotten" - A Savior. showing that they are 2 seperate beings.

Lots of symbolism and good things in the Old Testament...:)

Ann Marie said...

Ok.. Obviously.. I was typing to fast.. I hope you can understand it with all of my typo errors! LOL!

Small House said...

WOW....I've had other religons come to my door before, and I'm okay with that. We have missionaries to...but wow...to stand there and criticize you, and speak to you like that is beyond me.

I think you handled it well. And you're right, saying nothing was probablythe right thing to do.

I really enjoyed your post, and power of your testimony. BEAUTIFUL!
Have a great day.
Sandra

Anonymous said...

Good for you! One of my friends is a Jehovah's Witness so I always let her in. It's very interesting, but they always leave a 'positive' message. Maybe this is your missionary opportunity! Keep us posted!

Valerie said...

Great post! I think I would react the same way. I've never been confronted with having to defend my beliefs, but this really has got me thinking about how I could/would respond.
We lived in AZ for 4 years, we never had any difficulties because of our religious beliefs, but a family two streets over from us did. The other neighborhood children were not allowed to play with them because they were mormons! It was a sad situation for these sweet little kids!

On a different note...I've been reading through all your movie reviews! I now have a list of movies I want to see! Now I'll know what to get from Redbox. :)

Valerie said...

You mentioned that you felt you weren't prepared because you didn't know what to say. But maybe that's exactly what Heavenly Father wanted you to do. Leave it simple because he wouldn't have felt the Spirit anyway. I'm sure if Heavenly Father wanted you to recite some scripture or doctrine, he would have helped bring them to your mind because you are prepared by staying close to the Spirit. And I really like what you said about the missionaries. Great inspired point!

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Sondra, I think you are wonderful. You are so amazing and always willing to share the gospel on your blog. I can tell you are such a woman of faith.
I love coming here because I know I will leave a better person.

Anonymous said...

I think you handled it very well. I'm not LDS but I do consider myself Christian. I thought the basic tenet to be a "Christian" was the belief that Jesus died for our sins and was/is the Savior.
I always have had lots of questions and take comfort in the verse is Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

I think he handled it badly, he sounds like he wanted to win an argument. I don't think he showed a loving or servant's spirit.
I live in Nampa, so I'm guessing this fellow won't be winning many folks to his church if he keeps using this tactic.
Perhaps he will read this and it will help him.

Scrappy Girl said...

So sorry that happened to you...I think you handled it well and quoting scriptures would have just fueled his fire...I don't think he would have listened to your point of view since he was so determined to press his onto you.

CB said...

Sondra I had this happen a few years ago almost identical. It was people from that big church on Fairview near Louies.
I was amazed that people would be brazen enough to come to my door and try to argue about my beliefs.
I remember feeling unprepared also and did much the same as you.
Reading your experience and looking back on it now I think that not saying anything is the way to go, even if you were a super scriptorian it would be unwise to engage these types of people. They have it so wrong and do not want to believe otherwise.
I think you did good!

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