“I am investigating the LDS church…they seem to discredit this article I gave to them, what is your advice to learn who is right?” – Jason
Jason,
I would make sure you take the time to look at both sides, both favorable and critical. Mormons often like to given metaphors and analogies that somehow communicate that you can only truly learn about Mormonism from a favorable Mormon source. They also want investigators to interpret certain feelings as divine confirmation of Mormon teachings. If you want to investigate the mainstream sect of Mormonism, it makes a lot of sense to listen to what their own people have to say. But you shouldn’t stop there. It’d be odd in any other area of life to simply ignore all critics. If a consumer group had an important critical report on defects in a car you were looking at, wouldn’t you want to know about it before making your purchase?
As one person once put it:
“Joining a religious group is much like a marriage, often including a type of ‘falling in love’. When two people are seriously involved and contemplating marriage, is it really the ethical responsibility of each to, say, hire a private investigator to fully investigate the background of their loved one to make sure there are no ugly surprises after the wedding? Or is it the moral and ethical responsibility of each party to make that disclosure?”
Since Mormonism doesn’t make full disclosure, it’s especially important to compare the claims of both proponents and critics.
At the end of day, the most importance source you can look at for spiritual truth is God’s very word, the Bible. Be a good Berean (Acts 17:10-11). “Test everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Pray that God would open the eyes of your heart and mind to see and love and understand what God has publicly revealed. “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from your law.” (Psalm 119:18)
If I can be of any help, please feel free to e-mail questions.
Grace and peace in Christ, who justifies the ungodly by faith apart from works (Romans 4:4-8),
Aaron
Further Reading