God loves Mormons. Let me say it again, and yet in a different way, to be sure it sinks in—God loves the Mormon people. God desires to be in a relationship with them, as He does with all people.
The stark reality, however, is that the gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is different than the gospel of the historic Christian faith. This should come as no surprise because Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, claimed that God the Father and Jesus appeared to him as a 14-year-old boy to tell him that the entire Christian church had been corrupted in his day. This is also clear when comparing the teachings of the LDS Church—on the nature of grace, the person of Jesus, and requirements for the afterlife—with biblical Christianity.
Thus, it is critical that we have the courage, confidence, and training to share the good news with our LDS friends. And this is why I love the new book Sharing the Good News with Mormons, which is edited by Eric Johnson and my son, Sean McDowell. It is full of practical ideas to reach Mormons with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not a book of abstract ideas, and it is not merely a theological or apologetics book (although these kinds of books are vitally important). However, if we have knowledge without using the information in evangelism situations, what’s the point? This book uniquely brings together a number of qualified Christian voices to offer a variety of practical approaches for lovingly reaching out to Mormons.
The variety of contributors in this book is one of its great strengths. After all, there is no “magic bullet” approach that works for everyone in evangelism. Even Jesus used a variety of different approaches when sharing truth with people. Sometimes He asked questions, other times He told stories, and He even engaged in heated debate (for example, see John 6–8).
This is certainly the case with evangelism to Mormons. There are a number of different ways that have proven effective in seeing Mormons come to Christ. The key is to find an approach (or approaches) that match your personality as well as your unique situation. And then when you find one, go for it. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you begin. Just give it a try and learn along the way. God can (and will) use your efforts regardless of the results.
The chapters in this book were written by people from a range of backgrounds, including full-time missionaries to the LDS people as well as pastors, teachers, and scholars. Some chapters may resonate with you more than others. There are some you may want to read and apply right away. And there are some you may never want to read. That’s okay. The whole point of this book is simply to equip you with some practical ways to lovingly reach out to Mormons.
Through my books, speeches, and personal conversations, I have had the privilege of leading many people to Christ, including some Mormons. Seeing people come to Christ is one of the greatest joys in the world. That’s my hope for you. Take the strategies in this book and put them into practice and experience the joy of seeing the LDS people, whom God loves dearly, become transformed by the gospel. Go for it.
Josh McDowell is an internationally recognized speaker and the author or co-author of more than 150 books, including Evidence that Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter.