ROB SIVULKA Summary
How is it possible to grab the attention of Mormons who are attending their church’s General Conference sessions or on their way to any of their other gathering places? What if there were a way to plant a seed in the mind or put a pebble in the shoes of those who may be questioning their faith to encourage them to do further research online? Holding up website signs is one option for an effective witness.
Introduction
At the end of 2011, LDS Church Historian and Recorder Marlin Jensen admitted that those in the Mormon leadership were aware that members were “leaving in droves.” The primary culprit, he said, was what they were finding on the Internet. “My own daughter,” he added, “has come to me and said, ‘Dad, why didn’t you ever tell me that Joseph Smith was a polygamist?’ ” For the younger generation, Jensen acknowledged, “Everything’s out there for them to consume if they want to Google it.”1
Consequently, I value public advertising for my two websites—MormonInfo.org and JosephLied.com—for two primary reasons.2 First, since I am a full-time Christian missionary in the state of Utah, I certainly desire to see Mormons leave this organization and be steered toward biblical Christian churches. I love Mormons and am concerned for their spiritual welfare.
Second, I advertise my sites so more people will become inoculated from joining the LDS Church. I love everyone else enough to warn them about the errors of Mormonism. While there are many reasons people convert to this religion, they are less likely to do so when presented with a more complete picture of what it is about. To make my point, the Mormon missionaries would never say the following to someone on the other side of the screen door:
We are Christians…except we hold that our Heavenly Father is a man who became exalted to Godhood by following some other god before Him. In fact, there is not a God anywhere who literally created all things. Each god had to get a wife (or perhaps wives) and become sealed to her (them) in a temple ceremony and then spiritually birth humans in a spiritual kingdom. Then those spirit children are sent to another planet (in our case, Earth) to be born with more tangible bodies of flesh and bone to prove their own worthiness and return to their God someday. As such, every child has the potential to become gods of their own worlds and start the cycle all over again for their own spirit-children, from whom they will receive exclusive worship.3
I could give many other examples, but I think my point is clear.4 Once they receive the appropriate information, those with a biblical Christian background may (but not always) be repelled. Such a full-disclosure policy at least provides a reason or two for reconsideration.
Of course, people typically strive to obtain full information when dealing with temporal things. For example, I once considered purchasing a truck from a smooth-talking private owner. On the surface, everything seemed right. Before the purchase, he allowed me to take the vehicle to a trusted friend who is a mechanic. He said everything was fine except for one major problem: the axle was insecure. It was not only dangerous, but it would require an expensive repair.
People don’t always appreciate getting correct information; when I told the seller about this detail, he began to act rudely. I have been approached on the public streets on many occasions and dismissively told that the information on my websites is nothing more than “anti-Mormon.” A common complaint is, “You wouldn’t listen to a Ford dealer tell you all the problems with Chevys.”
To the contrary! In fact, because I am open-minded, I’ll check out other resources that have taken the time to do the necessary research. In effect, my website is the Consumer Reports for checking out the claims of Mormonism. Shouldn’t Latter-day Saints or “investigators” (those who are considering joining the LDS Church) put more time into verifying a spiritual decision that is for eternity than researching a can opener or even an expensive car?
There is nothing wrong and everything commendable about being as objective as possible, especially in the most important decisions of life. Unfortunately, today’s Mormon leadership discourages investigators from hearing all sides prior to making their decision.5 Brigham Young University professor Robert Millet teaches Mormons to give investigators “the milk before the meat.”6 Nonetheless, consider the words of Brigham Young, who said, “Our doctrine and practice is, and I have made it mine through life—to receive truth no matter where it comes from.”7 He also said in a flamboyant way, “Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test.”8
One may think these two primary reasons for sign advertising should suffice. Yet many well-meaning Christians, including some former Mormons, needlessly worry about offending LDS sensitivities. Some Christian leaders, as well as other Christian friends, have expressed their reservations of my methods. They have called my methods sensationalistic and destructive to the friendly relationships they have been cultivating with Mormons over the years. These Christians think we can “attract more flies with honey rather than vinegar,” as the old saying goes, and that the “shaking the beehive” (the state symbol of Utah) will produce a lot of angry bees. One author and friend of mine wrote me this:
I admire your devotion to the Christian cause; however, [I] have always felt that you come on too bombastically with signs that, for example, say “Joseph Smith lied.” I respectfully suggest that that method is not going to win converts at all. It immediately puts Mormons on the defense. You need something more invitational that will produce congenial dialogue.9
My friend may have a point if my sign simply said, “Joseph Smith lied.” The only information conveyed with that is what I personally think of Smith. In that case, why should anyone else care? However, my sign displays a website—JosephLied.com—and as such, it conveys more information than simply my attitude toward Smith.
But let’s assume that JosephLied.com is really what was meant. In that case, why must congenial dialogue be the priority rather than giving the masses something they won’t forget to look up later in the comfort of privacy? While I am for friendly dialogues and lifestyle evangelism, should these approaches hold the monopoly on all evangelism? This person’s priority need not be mine. Finally, the idea that my “method is not going to win converts at all” has happily proven untrue, as I will soon demonstrate with real testimonies.
Do Website Signs Work?
Occasionally I drive by a local pizzeria that hires someone to stand on the sidewalk next to a busy street. He plays air guitar—technically on a cardboard-cutout guitar with the pizza company’s name on it—and dances like a madman. Some observers might say he is rather obnoxious while others may dismiss him with laughter. Why does the owner pay this man to do this? For the same reason millions of dollars are expended on 30-second Super Bowl ads. Advertisers know a memorable spot in front of a large crowd will have a huge payoff.
Furthermore, many memorable ads are controversial; controversy sells. People will talk about it, keeping the attention on the product. Some may not like the sales pitch and might even be repelled, but others will at least consider the product, including those who were initially repelled.
Just like the pizza sidewalk salesman, a person who holds a Christian website sign on a busy street is involved in “sales.” While holding up my sign, I don’t need to be silly. But I can smile, wave to the passing cars, and politely greet bystanders, encouraging them to do further research by visiting the site. My very presence at a Mormon event, such as a temple open house (which sometimes lasts three or four weeks preceding the opening of newly built or remodeled temples), may cause someone to take another look at a religion that many consider mainstream.
Holding signs for crowds is a head-scratcher for some. Yet as Jesus says in Matthew 10:16, “Be wise as serpents but innocent as doves.” Common sense needs to play a major role in any strategy. Just as the pizza salesman probably doesn’t play his air guitar in front of his family or friends, I don’t stand outside my relatives’ or neighbors’ homes holding a website sign. As Solomon put it in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
The assumption that website signs are not effective is simply mistaken. Using Google Analytics to check the stats, I find that the number of visits to my websites typically skyrockets wherever I hold up my sign. For example, I went to the Hartford, Connecticut, temple open house from October 12 to 18, 2016. From October 1 to 11, the analytics showed only 3 visits to my website from Connecticut; in the surrounding states of Massachusetts and New York, there were only 4 and 17, respectively. However, during the short duration of my trip, there were a total of 1,393 visits from Connecticut, 228 from Massachusetts, and 394 from New York! During this time, Connecticut produced more hits than any other state. Yes, advertising does work!
Testimonies for This Approach
Over the years, I have collected numerous testimonies that have encouraged me to continue doing what I do. Here is one such example:
Rob, this is awkward to say, but I just wanted to thank you for your evangelizing efforts…Don’t ever give up or get discouraged! After all, it was a picture of you holding the sign JosephLied.com that started my search, though I really just wanted to know why you were so angry with the Mormons.10
It is not unusual for people who see my sign to file the names of the sites away until they are open enough to begin researching. Some seed germinates faster than others, and some trees bear fruit much sooner than others. And some may take many years. I recall someone taking eight years to tell me that they saw me outside the Newport Beach Temple in 2005! This person looked it up at the time and put it on the mental shelf. Sometime in 2013 that shelf came tumbling down, and the person thanked me for planting the seeds of truth.
Another former Latter-day Saint said that he wanted to talk to me at an LDS event but his friends wouldn’t let him. When he got home, he looked at the site and stated how “God opened my eyes to the truth about Mormonism.” He later became a Christian! Keep in mind that the site name “JosephLied.com” is not easily forgotten, and for those who see the lighted sign, it literally burns on the retinas!
Some have seen me advertising and have written to simply thank me for helping them leave the LDS Church, even getting their names removed from the membership role. But others seeing my sign have thanked me with tears for helping them remove the blinders and now really getting to know the Savior.
Justifying Offense
As if these notes aren’t enough, some still claim that my strategy is nothing more than a pragmatic approach, which means that even if it works, it may still contradict clear biblical commands. Some Christians fear offending LDS sensitivities and the risk of being disrespectful.
While I understand their concerns, these critics forget how controversial Jesus was along with His disciples. There is a reason Jesus was beaten and crucified after all. Besides the religious leaders of His day, Jesus offended many people, including His disciples and members of His own family. While He was “a friend of sinners,” this never kept Him from telling others the truth in the loving way they needed to hear it.
The apostles were threatened and beaten for their stand with Christ, even dying for proclaiming the controversial message of Jesus. Acts 24:5 and Philippians 1:13-17 show how Paul caused riots and was jailed for the defense of the gospel. Second Corinthians 11:16-33 explains how the apostle was beaten and stoned on several occasions (some of which are documented in the book of Acts) for speaking the truth.
We must not forget the biblical commands for the watchman to warn (Ezekiel 33:2-6), to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations” and “teaching them to observe all that I [Jesus] have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20), to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5), and to “preach the word…reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). We minimize God’s Word when we are not faithfully teaching it. Every day I am teaching and warning people all over the world through the Internet.
The late Walter Martin, a pioneer in researching cults, famously said, “Controversy for the sake of controversy is sin, but controversy for the sake of truth is a divine command.” He also said,
Controversy is part and parcel of the Christian heritage. You cannot escape it if you really want to serve Jesus Christ. The only way you can avoid controversy as a Christian is never to say anything except that which people want to hear. No one wants to hear they’re lost. No one wants to hear there is eternal judgment. No one wants to hear about meeting Christ as the Judge instead of the Savior; yet this is precisely what the Church is committed to preaching.11
Unfortunately, the critics of this approach are often willing to allow this politically correct culture to unduly influence them. This mindset prioritizes everyone to get along at the expense of truth. While people are walking quietly on their broad road to eternal separation from God, this attitude is wholly unbiblical. Both elements of Ephesians 4:15 always need to be kept in mind: “speaking the truth in love.” Using website signs in evangelism has not only worked for me, but is also very much in line with the biblical mandate found in the Great Commission: going out into all the world and sharing the gospel message the lost so desperately need.12
Conclusion
I won’t argue that we should always win unbelievers over with words. In fact, 1 Peter 3:1 gives an example of the believing wife winning her unbelieving husband without using a word. I also won’t argue that “anything goes” in our evangelistic tactics. First Peter 3:15 is clear that we are to be gentle and respectful relative to God’s standards, not merely others’ emotional standards. With that said, using website signs in evangelism to Mormons is a legitimate means of bringing others to Christ and can be used by anyone who wants an effective way to share the truth.
Rob Sivulka (West Jordan, Utah) is president of Courageous Christians United based in West Jordan, Utah. He holds four degrees in biblical and theological studies, philosophy, and philosophy of religion and ethics from Biola University, Talbot School of Theology, and San Diego State University. He has also studied at the University of Oxford, the University of Strasbourg, and the University of Utah.