Darryl had met a couple of Mormons on the street a few days ago and invited them over this morning to chat. It was weird being in a place of someone trying to convert you. It was only weird though because I understood what they were doing. I understand their motives, I understand their tactics and I understand why they were sitting in my living room.
I can see myself in them five years ago. Young and full of energy for my faith. Completely indoctrinated in what I was brought up in and wanting to share with as many people as possible this happiness that I have found in my version of the faith. Everything they said made me cringe because I swear I’ve said what they said. They however talk about the Book of Mormon like I would talk about the bible. They tell me to take the Book of Mormon and read it and ask God to reveal himself and the truth to me on whether its real or not. I would tell people to take the gospel and read it and ask God honestly to reveal himself through it if its really from him. I told them I would read it. I’ll read this week the few spots that they set out for me to read.
We just asked them a lot of questions, curious as to how they came to their conclusions. We asked them their first names and asked if we could call them by that. We asked them to come over and play Settlers of Catan one night and we could talk about our books over a game. I asked him that if God didn’t tell me the same things that he told them if He would send me to hell. He answered how I would have answered five years ago “well, it’s not for me to judge your heart but ‘it’ clearly says” In other words, I’m going to burn. They are only in Sarnia for small periods of time. I guess whoever shifts them around really doesn’t want them to build relationships with the people they are trying to convert. Run them through the system, city by city, try to convert as many as you can and then move them along. Sounds awfully familiar.
Hopefully we can hang out with them again. Talk bible and book of mormon over trading wheat and ore and get to know them a bit better and hopefully we can be friends. After all, its so easy to be friends with someone that you have had so much in common with in the past.
Hope you didn’t give them the Norwalk bug.
I really respect that you did that. I find myself getting very combative with Mormons for some reason
I’ve always found it easier to talk with Mormons than Jehovah’s Witnesses. The missionaries are almost always young guys and as such are easy to talk to.
However I see a younger self in the Mormons I’ve met as well. Zealous, not really thinking all that much about the faith, etc. I think it’s good that you’re building a relationship of trust with them as well as opposed to trying to rake them over the coals.
Settlers of Catan, eh? I’ve been known to make a few people cry with that game.
i’ll be trading wheat and orr with you this weekend…cool?
Hello from Toronto, Nathan!
It is indeed interesting to sit across the room from Mormons and talk together, isn’t it? I have had many such conversations and made many Mormon friends over the years – although you are quite right that the way they move these guys around makes it hard to develop the relationship very far.
I will be praying they do show up for SofC and that the Lord opens your mouth to speak freely of the grace that is found in Jesus Christ alone.
Paul
You should play them heads up in a game of poker. Who ever God favors, He will deliver the right cards to and the swift wisdom to catch a bluff.
That is, if you have faith in your God to deliver you pocket Aces.