Everyone has been invited to a special event—whether it was a senior prom, the wedding of a friend, or a dinner. Remember how you were made to feel important as your presence was requested to honor the one who made the invitation. There is nothing better than to know you are “somebody” and have someone pay attention to you and your needs.
In a similar way, Christians have the chance to present an invitation to their Latter-day Saint friends and family members by offering to engage in an honest conversation about something that ought to matter more than anything else: spirituality and truth. Evangelism is not about a “project” or “crossing an item off the list.” It’s about getting to know other people, hearing what they have to say, and engaging them as a fellow human. This attitude and using the right approach can go a long way.
First, Aaron Shafovaloff believes that some Christians who want to reach out to Mormons make things more complicated than they ought to be. In his “keep-it-simple” approach described in chapter 13, he outlines ways to utilize questions to get to know the person better and share multiple “Jesus stories” to make a connection. In chapter 14, Dr. David Geisler and Brian Henson use the acronym “LISTEN” to show how to make a Mormon most comfortable in any conversation. It all begins by making the Mormon feel important through the validation of hearing what they have to say. Next, Dr. Lynn Wilder—who at one time was a professor at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University—talks about how to successfully use questions to guide a conversation and deal with important issues. Finally, Dr. Bryan Hurlbutt—a Christian pastor in Utah—explains in chapter 16 how inviting Mormons to the Christian’s church services can help break stereotypes and show that the LDS Church does not have a monopoly on community and church.