Boys on their bikes
This is the first time i've had the Mormon missionaries return. They were late for our first appointment, so i could only give them 10 minutes. Although I had been prepared with my King James Bible and book of Mormon, I misplaced it right before they arrived. So we chatted. I asked them about their views on salvation and heaven. I asked them what the benefits of embracing the LDS were. They answered a modern day prophet who speaks the words of God today and being with my family forever in the afterlife. They asked me what my views were on prophets. I replied that they were just as essential as any other gift in the church. The apostle Paul was an extremely important part of the church but no prophet. I asked them how they understand the gift of salvation. They were totally honest and said the gift needs to be worked for to the best of their abilities. And i appreciate the website linked today, by a commenter earlier, which uses the Book of Mormon and other Mormon resources to show the impossibility of salvation by works.
of Anyway, i told the boys they could come back the next day, although i'd be working on laying brick for a patio. They offered to help and i couldn't refuse. They showed up and we worked. They were enthusiastic and did a pretty good job. We made small talk and God talk. I kept pressing them on grace. I asked them if they had any favorite verses. they were caught off guard with that one. So they returned the question. I recited grace verses, Ephesian 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, Not of works, lest any man should boast. (you have to use the King James with them. for once i was glad i memorized all these verses in King James when i was a kid.) and Titus 3:5 Not by worksrighteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; and Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
and i talked about what grace means to me, how i've tried to impress God with my works and failed miserably. i told them that being a father has enlarged my understanding of grace. i made the analogy of my kids' art works. they aren't rembrandts. in the same way, my works of righteousness are filthy rags before God, Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
All this happened while we worked. Then they had another appointment. I gave them some water to cool off, but i feel so bad because i didn't offer them use of my restroom. i asked them to come back again. they were agreeable, but i don't know if they were sincere. i hope they lay down their works and method and prophet. i hope they let go, and let God.
of Anyway, i told the boys they could come back the next day, although i'd be working on laying brick for a patio. They offered to help and i couldn't refuse. They showed up and we worked. They were enthusiastic and did a pretty good job. We made small talk and God talk. I kept pressing them on grace. I asked them if they had any favorite verses. they were caught off guard with that one. So they returned the question. I recited grace verses, Ephesian 2:8,9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, Not of works, lest any man should boast. (you have to use the King James with them. for once i was glad i memorized all these verses in King James when i was a kid.) and Titus 3:5 Not by worksrighteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; and Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
and i talked about what grace means to me, how i've tried to impress God with my works and failed miserably. i told them that being a father has enlarged my understanding of grace. i made the analogy of my kids' art works. they aren't rembrandts. in the same way, my works of righteousness are filthy rags before God, Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
All this happened while we worked. Then they had another appointment. I gave them some water to cool off, but i feel so bad because i didn't offer them use of my restroom. i asked them to come back again. they were agreeable, but i don't know if they were sincere. i hope they lay down their works and method and prophet. i hope they let go, and let God.
Comments
-David
i was attempting to present their views. i agree that their is variation in understanding of grace and salvation by LDS. but you can't escape the scripture in the BoM that you are saved by grace as much as it depends on you. i contend it doesn't depend on me. if you agree, why did God need another book explaining what the earlier book already said?
God is good
jpu