A new way to share Christ with Latter-day Saints

A friend in ministry recommended this book to me a few months ago, and when I finally got into it, I devoured it. From my own limited experience (and more so in the opinions of people far more involved in the ministry than I), this is hands-down the best treatment of the topic of sharing the Gospel with Mormons. If you’ve got even the slightest burden for an LDS person in your life or for Latter-day Saints in general, you need to get this book.

The book covers many topics, and a quick perusal of its chapter titles will give you a sense of what it covers:

1. “Hard-won Lessons in Evangelistic Football: A Personal Experience” in which the author relays his own failures in building walls and burning bridges due to his fervent yet uninformed approach to reaching the lost in Utah.
   
2. “At the Heart of the ‘The Forgotten Sector’: The Cultural Nerve Center” in which the author hammers home the idea that Mormonism is a culture and not merely a belief system.
   
3. “Roots and Wings: The Imprint of Mormon Culture” in which the author shares a fascinating look at the growth of Mormon culture throughout history.
   
4. “Mormon Theology 101: The Template of Official Beliefs” in which the author highlights major doctrinal beliefs and lays the foundation for a major pitfall in missions to Mormons, the fact that we don’t all speak the same language.
   
5. “101 Laboratory: The So-Whats of Discussing Theology with Mormons” in which the author offers an overview of opportunities for and pitfalls within theological discussions with Mormon friends, neighbors, and visiting missionaries.
   
6. “Mormons in Transition: The Travels and Travails” in which the author discusses the challenges some face n leaving Mormonism.
   
7. “Love It or Leave It: Two Stories”
   
8. “The Heart of the Matter: Learning to Speak ‘Mormonese'” in which the author digs deep into the epistemology of Mormonism and how essential is to understand the different frameworks from which think and speak.
   
9. “Speaking Mormonese: Stories and Sensibilities” which is perhaps the most helpful chapter in the whole book, summarizing the love and respect necessary to speak with Mormon friends.
   
10. “Concluding the Journey: Is Your Church a Safe Harbor?” in which the author summarizes the book, reminding readers that “Most often our LDS friends need to hear the music of the gospel before making sense of the lyrics. The need to ‘Taste and see that the LORD is good’ (Ps. 34:8).” (157)

Following the wonderful meat of this book, Rowe also provides these three incredibly helpful Appendices:

1. “The Articles of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (with annotations by the author)”
2. “Changes in Mormon Doctrine: An Example”
3. “Relating to Mormon Missionaries: A Model Story”

When all is said and done, the “new way to share Christ with Latter-day Saints” is to love them, which requires getting to know them, trying to understand their belief system and culture, and relating to them genuinely without any expectation beyond friendship. After all, the goal is not to “save Mormons” but to share Christ. The goal is to be the friend who knows the truth and shares the truth. The goal is to be present and available when one’s Mormon friends face the inevitable trials of life and realize that their religion of works just can’t deliver on its promises of lasting peace with God.

I interacted much with the book as I read it, but (not knowing enough about Mormonism myself yet) I don’t think it’s right to share my mere musings. Instead, I’ll just quote this insight from Rowe that’s essential for any believer hoping to share Christ with a friend (from any background):

“We are determining which facet of the gospel diamond we will present, not whether or not we will present the diamond. We are turning the gospel diamond to the facet that gleams with a certain brilliance, catching the very rays of heaven and sending them to a certain person or group because that facet appeals to a particular need they profoundly own.” (125)

Whether your own approach to evangelism has been a canned, one-size-fits-all script or essentially non-existent, this mindset of getting to know a person intimately and sharing the “facets” of the Gospel that meet real needs is an incredibly helpful insight that can speak into all our relationships with people from any background.

This book might just be a study of one religion, but its principles of thoughtfulness cross the bounds of Mormonism and can apply to lost souls of any stripe. The question is, are we willing to take the time and effort to get to know our lost friends, to understand their unique cultures, speak their languages, and meet them where they are? This is a thought-provoking and flame-stirring book, and I highly recommend it.

©2022 E.T.