I have a deep desire to live a life that is meaningful. So I'm working with what I have.
It is here in my living room (amongst the dozen and dozens of plants Cory brings home from the dumpster at work) that I do most "ministry."
According to Merriam-Webster,
ministry: a person or thing through which something is accomplished
One of the ways I accomplish kingdom work is I hang out with Mormon missionaries weekly. I've had my present missionaries for a few months and we've really gotten close. We invited them to the kid's piano recital and nearly every time they come they often stay well past closing prayer to play Down By The Banks on the floor.
I never cared to talk to the missionaries that would occasionally knock at my door back in California, but I feel so differently now. If anyone wants to come in my house I really want to make a way for that to happen. I know that the atmosphere is somewhat chaotic on the surface, but under the day old smeared sweet potato on the table and behind the volatile bursts of of laughter and/or tears,
there is a Spirit of Life here.
A wellspring of Hope and Truth.
I want to let anyone who will experience the Living God, even if it's only by catching up here in my home.
The other side of it is that I absolutely love the LDS (Mormons). They have a heart for God. They are kind. They love their families. They serve well. They bring me fresh baked bread, garden zuchinni's, and backyard raw honey.
What's not to love?
These people are part of the Bride of Christ... that is confusing for me still. But I believe it's true.
This week the missionaries and I discussed the book I'm reading, Emma Smith, Mormon Enigma.
This girl had it so rough. I'm in chapter 9 and Joseph has just taken a few more plural wives, but Emma doesn't know about them yet. I told the missionaries that I learned historians disagree on the number of plural wives Joseph had, but it was somewhere between 27 and 84. I usually don't try to persuade them with common arguments like polygamy, but since I had been reading about it and they were asking questions it came up.
As I told them some of the things I learned and my reactions to them the missionaries eyes glossed over and became distant.
I asked them if they had ever thought about he polygamy issue.
Neither had spent much time on it. In fact one did not even know that Joseph had ANY plural wives until she had been on her mission and someone told her otherwise.
Our conversation went like this,
My concern is the LDS insistence of focusing only on the present.
The present prophet, the present practices and the present doctrines.
The present looks pretty good, but we need to evaluate the past.
What if Joseph Smith was a sex addict? Would that mean anything to you?
I don't know. I've got my answer about the Book of Mormon and scriptures. And since I got my answer I don't think that would change anything for me.
Even if he's a sexual predator?
That idea did not seem to bother them. It didn't matter if the founder of their religion was a sex addict or an offender, they are in deep and are not looking for a way out.
And I sympathize with this.
If someone attacked my religion. Or even proved the Dead Sea Scrolls to be a fake. I would not care. I know that the Living God loves me and lives in me. I have a full blown relationship with Him. Not to mention I have given so much up and spent my whole life living for this.
That's where they are... sort of. I love them for it.
How much would it help I hated them at that moment? Judged them for their... I don't know... blindness? Is that God's heart toward them?
Love conquers. I want to be a part of that movement. I want to see death and deceit and law and false religion conquered.
My desire in posting this is to address the Christian community who may be willing to read this.
I invite you to open your heart.
It's not about a cult.
It's about people who love God.
People who are loved by God.
He's doing something with the LDS.
