Bridge of Reason

  Over the years I have heard countless Christian testimonies. The person sharing their testimony (sometimes called a conversion story) talk about how they became a Christian. Their testimony will usually involve a before, an after and how Jesus has changed their life. Testimonies also play an important role in both Mormonism and Islam; but unlike the Christian testimony of conversion, their testimonies serve a very different purpose. The Mormon Testimony I have discovered that Mormon Missionaries like to bear their testimony. They usually do so in response to a challenge from a Bible believing Christian. But what is the Mormon testimony? A testimony is a spiritual witness given by the Holy Ghost. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves His children; that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the Son of God, and that He carried out the infinite Atonement; that Joseph Smith is the prophet of God who was called to restore the gospel; that ...

  Last week, in our Facebook Watch Tower Wednesday, we looked at this film from jw.org. It’s very short, only 2.14 long. and it would be well worth your looking at it before reading on. In the film a young Jehovah’s Witness is teaching her contact, another young woman, who says, ‘I’ve got it. I found the answers are all there.’ When she is challenged, ‘It’s more than just the answers.’ she responds, ‘I’m with it, I’m all about study.’ The Witness asks, ‘Which do you remember more from our studies, the answers, or the things that touch your heart?’ I found it interesting that an organisation that lays such great store by book studies, getting the answers right, should appeal to the heart. The question challenging the young woman involves sexual immorality and she struggles with it, but if we thought this was going in the direction of grace we would be mistaken. In another film, Reaching the Heart , we find where this is going. Where is her 'Repurchaser'? Here, the youn...

Did you know, that though Mormonism and Islam claim to have a book given to them by God (Book of Mormon and the Qur’an), little of what these religions believe, teach and practice derive from these books? This is in complete contrast with Christianity, which also claims to have a book given by God (the Bible), but for Christians, pretty much everything that they believe, teach and practice comes from this book. So, if not from their primary sacred texts, where do Mormons and Muslims get their doctrine? Thus, Saith the Prophet – Doctrine and Covenants Mormons claim four sacred texts namely, The Holy Bible (King James Version); The Book of Mormon; Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Of these, it is Doctrine and Covenants that provides the Mormons with most of their doctrine. The LDS website says: The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of divine revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the kingdom of God on the ea...

  Paradise is a constant theme with Jehovah's Witnesses, as we saw in last week’s Watch Tower Wednesday. According to this article , Paradise is defined as a place where: There is a one-world government International unity A harmonious environment Perfect health and abundant food Peace and security Ample housing and satisfying work The best education Unending life How would you discuss this with a Jehovah's Witness? Where are they right? Are they right? What have they misunderstood? What does the Christian message bring on this issue? In the Facebook discussion Lois pointed out the absence of labour and production in the illustrations that typically these stories of paradise, including this one. Lois remarks: ‘ They also show this beautiful picture of paradise on earth but how are the buildings and tractors made, no factories or workers are ever shown!’ Given the original purpose of God being man’s stewardship o...

  I recently attended a course entitled ‘Who is My Neighbour?’. We spent three days looking at the beliefs, teachings, and practices of Islam. During the course we had a tour of a Mosque and had three Muslim ladies visit us to share how their faith shapes their lives and way of thinking. It was all very interesting. The programme was designed to help Christians better engage our Muslim neighbours with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we shared about what we had learned, I realised that I got something from the course that no one else did. The more I heard about the beliefs and practices of Islam, the more I thought to myself that Mormonism is Islam in disguise. This is the first in a series, where I will compare and contrast the beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with those of the Islamic religion. Mormons and Muslims ‘ Elder Carlos E. Asay of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da...