SHARON LINDBLOOM Extra! Extra! Read All About It
Summary
Newspapers have informed the public’s opinions for centuries. As an accepted and familiar form of communication, a well-done publication distributed at Mormon events can serve as a very effective evangelism tool. With enough space to include information on a variety of topics, this something-for-everyone handout approach impacts many lives for Christ.
Introduction
It’s never wise to set boundaries for God. I learned that lesson a long time ago on a hot August day in Nauvoo, Illinois.1 Visiting the town to tour historic Mormon sites, I had spoken to a dozen Mormon tour guides while hearing inspiring heroic tales of early Mormon settlers and watched the rousing City of Joseph musical pageant presented by the LDS Church. All around me, Mormons were swooning over the faith-promoting stories that seemed to be the very fabric of Nauvoo.
Heartbroken over the eternal fate facing these dear Mormon people who were not only following but adoring a false prophet, I suddenly knew that God was calling me to serve Him in reaching these lost ones for Christ. In a flood of joy and enthusiasm, I answered, “Yes, Lord! I will go wherever You want me to go! Um…except…please don’t ask me to hand out tracts to strangers.”
Before I left Nauvoo two days later, having been invited to join the Nauvoo Christian Visitors Center in its annual summer outreach, I was standing on the street handing out Christian newspapers to the Mormon tourists. Thus began my ministry to Mormons, a ministry that has been punctuated by tract and newspaper distribution outside many Mormon proselytizing events.
What Is the Newspaper Approach?
This evangelistic outreach tactic begins by simply offering a specially prepared newspaper to passersby, but it isn’t intended to end there. Ministry via a single newspaper might continue for minutes, hours, or even years! The primary goal is to get the carefully written newspaper into the hands of people who need the information it contains. Therefore, most often (in the context of evangelizing Mormons) it is done in an area or at an event where a high concentration of Latter-day Saints is expected. After distributing the material, evangelists move on to discussion, sharing contact information, and hopefully, a long-term relationship of trust.
The Newspaper
Outreach newspapers are most effective if they are designed for the specific event and audience they are intended to reach. A newspaper prepared for a temple open house outreach will be somewhat different than one prepared with visitors to Temple Square in mind.2 This uniqueness keeps a handout fresh and pertinent to each event.
The newspaper format allows an abundance of information to be shared because there’s something for everyone inside. For example, Mormonism Research Ministry has published a four-page newspaper designed to be used at Mormon temple open house events.3 In addition to a comparison chart of Mormon teachings versus biblical teachings, this paper contains challenging articles addressing such issues as the nature of God, eternity, the virgin birth of Christ, Mormon temples, the biblical temple, the Book of Mormon, and much more.
This variety is excellent because every person’s journey out of Mormonism is unique. For instance, during his customary morning reading of the Book of Mormon, my friend John was struck by the mention of horses—dating to a time in history when there were no horses in the Americas.4 This raised a question in John’s mind, starting him on a research path that eventually ended his LDS Church membership and led him to Christ. Another friend who had already “heard all the Christian arguments against Mormonism” was given an outreach newspaper that included a list of foundational LDS doctrines missing from the Book of Mormon. Disbelieving the newspaper, Kathy searched the Book of Mormon to find the doctrines of three degrees of glory, eternal marriage, eternal progression, preexistence, and baptism for the dead. Discovering that those critical doctrines were not in her faith’s primary book of scripture, Kathy began her own years-long journey away from Mormonism to Jesus.
In addition to including information on individual topics that will strike a chord with any Mormon reader, an outreach newspaper presents so many different problems within Mormonism that these can have a cumulative effect on readers. A Latter-day Saint might shrug when learning Joseph Smith had more than one wife, but it’s not as easy to dismiss nearly 40 wives, including those who
• were as young as 14 years of age;
• had living husbands; and
• were related to another Smith wife (mother/daughter/sister).5
One other very important element every outreach paper should include is contact information noting the ministry or person who has prepared it. This not only provides the recipient a follow-up resource, but also makes it clear that the criticisms are not from an anonymous source.
While the focus of outreach at an LDS event is evangelizing Mormons, curious people who are not members of the LDS Church—or those investigating this religion with an eye toward joining—often attend LDS pageants or temple open houses. In fact, the Mormons view these public events as proselytizing opportunities. Therefore, any Christian outreach at an LDS event involves reaching this people group as well. A good outreach newspaper will not only challenge Mormon heresies but also expose them to uninformed non-Mormons while, of course, presenting the gospel to all.
When distributing Christian newspapers outside the Preston England Temple in 1998, our outreach team met Michael, a lapsed Catholic from Ireland. For eight years he had been seeking God through the Bible, but at that time was reading the Book of Mormon. Though he was inspired by the book of Alma, Michael was skeptical about Mormonism, so he traveled to England to see what this Mormon temple had to offer. As we spoke with him on his way to the temple tour, he allowed us to pray for him. Months later we received a letter from Michael that read,
Thank you, again, especially your guidance and advice concerning the LDS Church. I did not enjoy my visit to the Temple; it did nothing for me. The only good thing that came out of this is that I met you…Thank you for making the book of Romans alive to me again.
The Delivery
Latter-day Saints have grown accustomed to being approached by critics of Mormonism. Therefore, some are unwilling to accept anything that is not published by their church. Christians must be creative to convince Mormons that an outreach newspaper is valuable. One way to encourage Latter-day Saints to “read all about it” is simply approaching them with a smile and a kind greeting, a cheerful countenance, or even a playful attitude. When we’re friendly and enjoying our outreach work, Christians are perceived as nonthreatening and approachable.
This happy attitude influenced an LDS woman in St. Louis who saw Christians passing out newspapers outside the temple. Chris didn’t get a paper and didn’t stop to talk, but months later she recognized me in Nauvoo, Illinois. This time she stopped long enough for me to give her my contact information. Months went by before Chris called. Because she was having doubts about Mormonism, she felt that I was approachable. This story has the best of all endings: The Lord brought Chris to new life in Him.
Sometimes friendliness by itself isn’t enough to generate interest or overcome suspicions. I’ve found it helpful to tell people what I’m handing out. I’ll say something like, “This is a free Christian newspaper I’d like you to have,” or “This is a gift for you from [the ministry that is sponsoring the outreach].” Another approach is to pique interest by telling people a bit about what’s in the paper. “Here is a Christian paper that compares LDS doctrines to the Bible,” or “Did you know that LDS temples and the biblical temple have completely different purposes? Read about it here!”
When a newspaper outreach is underway at an LDS event, some Mormons will attempt to hinder the distribution of the Christian materials. This is something to be aware of and to guard against. Obstruction tactics take many forms, including posted signs over prominently placed trash cans, friendly requests from security guards that visitors toss their papers, requests for extra copies of the paper for nonexistent “friends,” blocked access to foot traffic, and conversations meant to distract Christians from distributing papers. Sometimes these obstruction tactics work, but they can also backfire.
During the Christian outreach at the Preston England temple, LDS security guards began to take newspapers out of the hands of those who had picked them up before entering the temple grounds. “You’re not allowed to bring that paper in here,” visitors were told. Not surprisingly, this ploy irritated visitors, many of whom returned, seeking out the Christians to request replacement papers. “I wasn’t going to read it the first time you gave it to me,” one ruffled man said. “Now I want to read it!” Temple security stopped using this obstruction tactic later that day.
Sometimes traffic patterns, municipal ordinances, or inclement weather make reaching people on a sidewalk very difficult. Thankfully, traditional door-to-door newspaper delivery in surrounding neighborhoods works well, too. As a “silent evangelist,”6 a newspaper can still impart its message when left on a doorstep or tucked into the screen door. The main evangelistic objective of this approach is to provide as many people as possible information that will challenge false beliefs while also presenting the gospel. This can be accomplished both face-to-face or by acting as a “paperboy.”
Extra! Extra!
Periodically, someone who has accepted an outreach newspaper will come back after a few minutes to talk about it. It’s important that the Christian understands what the newspaper says and, ideally, knows how to further address each topic it contains if given this fantastic opportunity. These return encounters might begin in a negative way, with the Mormon saying something like, “This is garbage! It’s just filled with lies!” With a soft word, the Christian can set a better tone for the ensuing discussion. Possible responses include, “What’s in this paper that has upset you?” or, “What did you read that you believe is a lie?” Once a specific concern has been identified, it can be addressed, hopefully beginning a long and friendly conversation.
This was proven true while I was distributing papers at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. An LDS man approached me with a paper he had received from someone else and told me it was deceptive. “How so?” I asked. Bob didn’t like the way the facts were presented in an article discussing the death of Mormonism’s founder Joseph Smith. After I acknowledged (but didn’t agree with) his concern, the conversation moved on to other more important topics.
Bob and I discussed Mormon history, archaeology, the Book of Mormon, and finally the doctrines surrounding eternal life. I shared my great love of Christ and my deepest desire of spending eternity with Him. But Bob believed eternity with Christ was just the “appetizer” before a fine meal; personal Godhood was the “main course” that he anticipated. Though we didn’t come to agreement, Bob and I parted ways cordially.
An hour later he came back to continue our discussion. He had highlighted the outreach newspaper, marking all the things he didn’t like. We reviewed each one before eventually saying our friendly goodbyes. I don’t know what happened to Bob, but I know he read every word of that newspaper—and he heard God’s amazing gospel of grace.
The Late Edition
Once an outreach newspaper has been delivered, the paper may be promptly tossed in the garbage, read and dismissed out of hand, or even stuck in a drawer and quickly buried under bits and pieces of daily life. Though it might look like that is the end of an outreach paper’s ministry usefulness, looks can be deceiving. The paper that is thrown away still displays its headlines for those who glance into the trash bin. I have seen Mormons fish these discarded newspapers out of the garbage and sit down to read them.
The paper that has been read and dismissed has done its job. It has imparted challenging information about Mormonism as well as a gospel message. These things can’t be unlearned. That information can and often does come to mind over and over again, pressing for answers. Meanwhile, the paper that is carelessly thrown into a drawer is just biding its time. Someday someone will pick it up and decide its fate. Keep it, read it, or toss it? The pictures and headlines will plant seeds in any case. In some cases, this “late edition” of an outreach paper or tract will have a monumental impact on its readers.
Katrina was a dedicated Mormon wife and mother. As she cleaned out a dresser one day, she found a Christian tract that she had received years earlier outside a Mormon pageant.7 She casually flipped open the tract and read Joseph Smith’s own words:
I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.8
Katrina was stunned. Surely, she thought, a prophet of God would never say something like that! She ran to her bookcase and found the book cited in the tract. Quickly scanning the page, she stopped dead in her tracks. Joseph Smith’s unbelievably boastful words were confirmed. And in a church-published book, of all places!
In a daze, Katrina picked up the Christian tract again and read it from cover to cover. When her husband came home, she gave him the tract. Over the next few months Katrina and her husband checked the references of each citation included in the pamphlet. They talked to their bishop and friends. Nobody could soothe the unrest they felt. Katrina and her husband spent much time in prayer, finally understanding what they must do.
The tract challenged them with this: “The Word of God never asks what you have done with Joseph; instead it asks: What will you do with Jesus? Here are four keys to help you find true Christianity for yourself, based on what God says in the Bible.”9 Katrina, her husband, and their children all came to understand that Joseph Smith was a false prophet and that Mormonism was not of God. They surrendered to Christ and now serve God as Christians!
Old News Is Still Good News
In summary, advantages of this approach include:
• Information written for the specific audience
• Photos and headlines that impart immediate (though limited) information
• Information on many topics
• Enough variety to present something of interest for nearly everyone
• Cumulative effect of challenging details
• Recipients taking the information with them
• Follow-up discussion points
• Contact information for long-term discussions
To make the best use of this evangelism strategy:
• Always be prayerful.
• Keep the main thing the main thing: Distribute the material.
• Be kind, approachable, and happy.
• Describe what is being distributed.
• Tell people the origin of the newspaper.
• Know what is in the paper and how to further address its assorted topics.
• Listen to, recognize, and address the concerns of recipients.
• Hand-deliver to people’s doorsteps (make sure it won’t blow away!).
• Always be ready to provide a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15).
Conclusion
When I began in ministry three decades ago, I had no idea how effective handing out newspapers could be. All I knew was that I was scared and intimidated by the stonewalling of the very people I longed to reach with the gospel. They didn’t want my handouts, they didn’t want my questions, and they didn’t want my God. But God wanted them—and still does. Christians are told in 2 Timothy 2:24-26:
The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
We have our marching orders. May God grant Mormons repentance leading to His glorious truth.
Sharon Lindbloom (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) has been involved in Christian missions to Mormons since 1987. After serving for nearly two decades as director of a Minnesota-based outreach ministry to Mormons, Sharon joined the staff of Mormonism Research Ministry (www.mrm.org), where she has served since 2006. She writes a regular column that can be found at http://www.mrm.org/category/in-the-news.