DR. SEAN MCDOWELL Summary
Those who are disillusioned with Mormonism are often enamored with agnosticism and atheism. Their conclusion is that, since the LDS Church isn’t true, nothing else must be either. Unfortunately, many who come to this conclusion have never considered the evidence readily available to show that God does exist.
Introduction
A few years ago, I had a conversation with a lady who was in the process of leaving the LDS Church. The further her husband ascended in the leadership of Mormonism, the more they both became disheartened with the practices and teachings of the faith. Given how deeply their lives were intertwined with their church, the decision to leave was costly, painful, and disillusioning. And of course, they were trying to figure out what was next. The last I heard, she left Mormonism and began to dabble in New Age beliefs. Her story is not unusual.
Several websites and podcasts are committed to chronicling the stories of people who leave Mormonism.1 Many former church members feel disillusioned after learning about some of the falsehoods at the root of their faith2 and decide to abandon organized religion entirely. Rather than separate the fabrications in Mormonism from creedal Christianity, many embrace the mind-sets of atheism, agnosticism, and New Ageism. The writings of popular atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Michael Shermer are especially popular among ex-Mormons. Since many questioning Mormons have been taught, “If the church isn’t true, nothing is,” they abandon religion entirely when their LDS faith crumbles.
Why would someone abandon belief in God after discovering problems with Mormonism in particular? One answer is that the power of psychological matters such as anger and distrust cannot be underestimated.
Why Abandon All Theistic Beliefs?
First, Mormons are taught to base their beliefs on experience and blind faith apart from evidence. For instance, Alma 32:17-18 in the Book of Mormon says, “Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven, then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.” In other words, faith involves believing something we do not know. If we knew it, through some miracle or sign, there would be no need for faith. In this view, faith and knowledge are opposites.
The Bible proposes a different relationship between faith and reason. Rather than opposites, the Bible models faith built upon evidence. For instance, Exodus 14:31 says, “Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.” God performed a miracle first, and then the people were called to believe in Him and His spokesman Moses. Jesus also gave signs so people could have a confident faith supported by evidence (Mark 2:10-11; John 20:30-31).
I suspect the reason that the Book of Mormon teaches this view of faith and knowledge is the lack of substantive evidence for Mormonism. When there is no convincing external evidence corroborating a belief, it must be based upon experience, feeling, and blind faith. No wonder so many Mormons abandon faith when they encounter evidence against their beliefs—they haven’t been taught to think evidentially about faith.
Second, many Mormons are simply unaware of the evidence for God in general and Christianity in particular. Few have heard of the scientific, philosophical, and historical evidence for Christian theism. The reality is not that Mormons have investigated the evidence and found it wanting. Rather, many simply have not encountered the evidence at all.
I believe the evidence approach can be useful for ministering to practicing Mormons and ex-Mormons.
The Evidence Approach and Practicing Mormons
The evidence approach has two goals. First, it can help practicing Mormons think more biblically (and consistently) about the relationship between evidence and faith, so if they end up doubting the LDS Church at some point in the future, they may pause and consider the evidence before entirely abandoning Christian theism. Second, it can establish the Christian as a thoughtful person who cares about them, so if they ever become open to considering non-Mormon religious options, they might turn to you for direction. People from a variety of religious backgrounds have come to me for spiritual direction years after our first conversations. Part of the evidence approach is to reveal that you are both thoughtful and caring; if a Mormon experiences a faith crisis, you may be the first person who comes to his or her mind.
There are many ways to start an evidence-based conversation with a Mormon. Personally, I have found a couple questions helpful. First I like to ask, “If you were not a Mormon, would you still believe in God? Why or why not?” This can be helpful because it encourages people to think about their beliefs as objectively as possible and to consider them from a different angle.
Depending on their response, I sometimes follow up by asking, “Have you ever considered the philosophical and scientific evidence for the existence of God? If so, what do you think about it?” In my experience, most Mormons are unfamiliar with the evidence but will be curious about what you mean. And they will feel unthreatened by this question since they already believe in God. Many will inquire about the specific evidence you are referring to, and if you are ready, the conversation is off and running!
Another question I like to ask is, “If you were not a Mormon, would you still believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Why or why not?” As with the question above, this one is meant to encourage them to probe deeper into the reasons for their beliefs. While the conversation may go a variety of directions, you might be surprised by how many people will ask you about your own beliefs. If they do, you have the opportunity to explain how Christianity would be false without the resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17), and also provide the positive evidences for its historicity.
The Evidence Approach and Ex-Mormons
For ex-Mormons, the evidence approach has a different goal: to help them separate false ideas about faith that they adopted from the LDS Church and to reconsider positive evidences for Christianity. This is (of course) easier said than done. And these kinds of conversations can take years and may require an immense amount of commitment and patience.
The reality is that many ex-Mormons have unwittingly adopted a certain epistemological approach to religion that is different than that of classical Christianity. Until they can learn to separate from bad thinking about faith (such as the idea that faith is blind), they will not likely be open to considering the evidence for Christianity. For ex-Mormons who are open to discussing faith, here is a simple question I have found helpful: “Even though you feel burned by the LDS Church, have you ever considered the positive evidence for creedal Christianity?” Chances are they have not heard the evidence and may inquire about what you mean. If so, go for it!
You may also ask a follow-up question to help them think through how they may have adopted some faulty assumptions about religion from the LDS Church: “How has your experience in the LDS Church shaped the way you think about religious faith as a whole? You disagree with Mormon doctrine, but do you disagree with how you learned to even approach religious issues?” The idea is to help surface some of the unconscious assumptions they may have inadvertently adopted from Mormonism. And the goal, quite naturally, is to begin discussing and analyzing those assumptions.
Remember, the evidence approach is not meant to downplay the importance of emotional issues ex-Mormons experience as a result of leaving their faith. These issues are often raw, real, and deep. The last thing we want to do is ignore or dismiss those real emotions. In fact, before we even get to the evidence, it is often helpful to spend considerable time simply listening to their story and being a good friend. These kinds of conversations can take a long time, but the goal is to help direct them to the Christian faith through positively engaging the evidence for faith.
Three Principles for the Evidence Approach
If you choose to adopt the evidence approach, please keep three things in mind. First, keep the focus on the positive evidence for Christianity and try to avoid criticizing Mormon doctrine and history. Few people like to have their beliefs challenged. In the minds of many Mormons, if you criticize their faith, you are criticizing them personally. Not long ago I used the evidential approach with a couple of college-aged Mormons who recently returned from their missions. After our 90-minute conversation (which we all enjoyed immensely, by the way), I sent them a copy of More Than a Carpenter, a book I co-authored with my father Josh McDowell, which provides evidence for the New Testament account of Jesus but says nothing critical about Mormonism. There is certainly a time and place for criticizing Joseph Smith and Mormonism, yet it should be done in a judicious and careful manner.
Second, ask questions. Jesus asked dozens of questions, even when He knew the answers. He often responded to a question with another question. Why? One reason is that He wanted people to think so they might personally wrestle with truth and hopefully come to faith. If asked generously and strategically, questions can be a nonthreatening way of getting Mormons (and really anyone) to consider the positive evidence for Christianity.
Third, be kind and generous. The purpose of the evidence approach is not to trap someone and to try to argue him or her into the kingdom. The goal is simply to lovingly guide someone to consider the positive evidence for creedal Christianity. Many Mormons (as well as Muslims, atheists, and others) have asked me what I believe because I first listened to their beliefs and treated them with generosity and kindness.
A Primer on the Evidence for God
In this final section, I want to lay out some powerful evidence for faith that can play a central role in the evidence approach. Christian apologists have done a remarkable amount of work to make the case for Christian theism. Many of these evidences go beyond the scope of this chapter, such as the argument from reason,3 consciousness,4 the Cambrian explosion,5 fine-tuning,6 fulfilled prophecy,7 the reliability of the Bible,8 and ontology.9 I have found the following arguments particularly helpful in conversations with Mormons.
The Cosmological Argument
This argument begins with the observation that the universe had a beginning, which is demonstrable by science and philosophy. Given that something can’t begin to exist without a cause, it seems eminently reasonable to believe that a transcendent cause (outside of the universe) is responsible for its existence. Since matter, time, and energy simultaneously came into existence at a finite point in the past, the cause is plausibly timeless, immaterial, intelligent, powerful, and personal. Simply put, the beginning of the universe points to a Beginner.10
This argument can be particularly powerful in conversations with Mormons for two reasons. First, it raises questions about the plausibility of the Mormon belief in the eternal succession of gods. And further, it points toward the existence of one eternal, timeless, powerful God who is worthy of worship.11
The Design Argument from DNA
While the cosmological argument makes the case for God as the cause of the entire universe, the DNA argument points to design within the universe. It begins with the reality that cellular organization and the development of living creatures are orchestrated by genetic information. Human DNA, for instance, contains the information equivalent of roughly 8,000 books (to be conservative). Natural forces such as chance and necessity have overwhelmingly failed to explain the origin of biological information. Yet we know minds can produce information. Simply put, the vast amount of information contained in living organisms points to an Author of Life.
This argument often finds warm reception from Mormons since they already believe in an intelligent designer. Its value is helping them realize that, despite Mormon teachings, faith is not the opposite of knowledge. There are good reasons for faith in God. And if DNA points to God, what else does?
The Moral Argument
This argument draws a connection from the reality of objective moral values to the existence of God. If God does not exist, moral values and duties are ultimately subjective and nonbinding. Yet we know objective moral values and duties are real. We don’t need to be persuaded that, for instance, torturing babies for fun is wrong. All reasonable people know this. Therefore, since moral values and duties do exist, God must as well. Simply put, the existence of moral values points to a universal Moral Lawgiver.
This argument can be particularly influential to Mormons for a couple reasons: (1) it is rooted in Scripture (Romans 2:14-15), and (2) Mormons tend to care deeply about the moral behavior of both individuals and the society, and thus resonate with the philosophical case for an objective moral law.
The Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus
This can be made in a variety of ways, but typically it involves establishing a few well-documented historical facts, such as the death of Jesus, the discovery of the empty tomb, the multiple appearances of Jesus, and the transformation of the disciples. Presenting these facts together indicates how the historical resurrection is the best explanation for them. Unlike the previous three arguments, this argument points specifically to the Christian God.
This argument is particularly powerful because it can be based upon how historians normally approach their task.12 It also indirectly raises some troubling questions for the Mormon historical record. Consider two examples. First, there is significant external historical evidence from archaeology and extrabiblical written sources for the life and death of Jesus.13 On the other hand, external evidence for the reliability of the Book of Mormon is lacking.
And second, the case for the resurrection largely depends upon the reliability of the witnesses—the disciples of Jesus. In chapter 5, cold-case detective (and former atheist) J. Warner Wallace explains that there are three broad motives at the heart of misbehavior: financial greed, sexual or relational desire, and pursuit of power. There is no evidence the apostles were motivated by any of these. They sacrificed material gain and willingly suffered for their faith. Yet the same cannot be said for Joseph Smith.14
Again, there are many other evidences for the faith. The person who employs the evidence approach should feel freedom to be flexible in what evidences he or she utilizes. Just as readers may choose different tactics in this book depending on the person and circumstance, the wise person will use evidence that fits the individual person.
Conclusion
The goal of the evidence approach is actually quite modest: to encourage practicing Mormons to examine the evidential roots of their faith, and to discourage ex-Mormons from entirely abandoning theism while considering the positive case for creedal Christianity. The goal is to plant seeds in the minds of current and former members of the LDS Church that may later come to fruition. If you are willing to lovingly engage people with the evidences for faith, through question-asking and with kindness, you might be amazed at how God can use you to minister to others. Go for it!
Sean McDowell, PhD (San Juan Capistrano, CA) is an associate professor of apologetics at Talbot Theological Seminary, an international speaker, and the author of more than 18 books, including the updated Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (with Josh McDowell) (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017). He also teaches high school part-time and is the Resident Scholar for Summit, California. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sean_McDowell and his blog at www.seanmcdowell.org.