This Month's Contents
It's hard to believe that another year of ministry has gone by, but here it is, heading for Christmas again.
I am writing this just before Thanksgiving, and have been thanking the Lord for all the blessings in my own life and those of the ministry. Years ago, we stopped counting the numbers of people who have been set free from spiritual darkness through the ministry of Saints Alive. But, if the letters and calls are any indication, the response has been beyond mighty and great.Just this last weekend, I met with a wonderful Christian family whose daughter, a freshman in college, had just informed them she will be baptized next weekend into the LDS church. As I sat there talking with the young lady and the Mormon father of her LDS boyfriend, I realized that this work will go on until Jesus comes. Pray for Kimberly.
The amount of material sent out, and the unbelievable numbers of downloads, worldwide, from our Website tell me that the need is increasing more rapidly than ever before.
While we can reflect on the miracle of Jesus' birth, we can also Praise God for His love and mercy that He loved us so much, He did send His only begotten son to die for us.
I pray that you will remember to use this Christmas season to bring Jesus to the forefront of every encounter you have.
On another note, you might enjoy the article on page 2, by our other son, Joshua, a Junior at Whitworth College. Great to see the next generation get excited. Pray for Jason, who will be ministering in the Philippines in late December...
And please pray my secretary Ellen'and her husband, Monty Steere, who, as this goes to press, is in the hospital recovering from a heart attack and bypass surgery.
Please pray for us to be strong in the work and the faith, to be there for every cry for help.
May I sound a cry for help from you, too, on behalf of those we serve? We need your partnership, your support in prayer and finances to keep going. We appreciate those of you who have stood by us over these 20 years now. Please, for the sake of the lost, consider a special year-end gift to the ministry.
During the Christmas season, we make it a special part of our holidays to pray even more fervently for our partners and their specific needs. Please, email me and let us know how we can be in intercession for you.
Your brother in Christ,
The God Makers
Revised, Expanded and Updated
It is with great Joy that I announce the release of a New and expanded version of The God Makers, the book that changed the way the world looks at Mormonism. With all the changes the LDS leaders have made to look more and more Christian, this vital update is urgently needed. It is even more urgent when you read what men like former President, Jimmy Carter, have to say about Mormonism (see below).
You can get your own copy of the first new printing for $10.00 plus s/h or your personal, autographed copy for $20.00, the difference going into the ever expanding ministry needs of Saints Alive.
Direct all orders to:
Saints Alive/Micahtek
or call 1-800-861-9888
We are pleased to announce that Saints Alive will be hosting another International Conference on Ministry to Mormons in Salt Lake City beginning Thursday evening, June 25th, through Saturday evening, June 27th. If you are in this vital ministry, you need to be there.
Email us for information as it becomes available.
We are seeking papers for presentation. The theme will be
New Methods of Mormon Evangelism.
Drop me a note if you are interested.
By Joshua Decker
When discussing the topic of marketing, most think of products such as shoes, automobiles, or soft drinks. But, are these common retail items the only products that incorporate the techniques and strategies of marketing? To answer this, let's look to a different type of product, a religion.
A product is defined as a need-satisfying offering of a firm. If we look at churches as a type of firm, what product do they offer? Should their product be described as either a product or a service? What they do offer is a set of beliefs and community in which to practice those beliefs. The utility they offer can vary from acceptance into a community, a relationship with a God, fellowship with other believers, and forgiveness of sin.
When asked to describe the "Product" of a religion, Dr Ramon Avila, a professor of Marketing at Ball State University says, "I think too often we want to describe our core product (religion) and we should be talking about our total product. That is, the building, the people, the minister, the programs offered to each of the subgroups. A church offers, religious worship, camaraderie, a chance to volunteer, some have schools for the kids, bible schools, etc. The product is much broader than just religion."
How does the consumer choose which religion they will devote their time and efforts to? The number of religions in the United States alone is uncountable, especially if you count the many different denominations of each separate religion. With so many options available how does one choose? It isn't as easy as picking a cereal off of the market shelf.
Each religion in today's society, whether aware of it or not, is presenting an individual product to the society, community, or consumer group it serves. For the most part, each religion has something unique to offer. To understand why people go through a certain process in choosing a church we must look at it in the same way we would analyze any other product.
One thing that every major religion in the world today has in common is that they all seek growth. To do this they, whether knowingly or unknowingly, go through certain marketing techniques. To be more precise, they entice attention of the consumer, to hold their interest towards their product, to arouse desire to attend, and to finally create action on the behalf of the consumer, which would ultimately mean becoming a member of their Church or accepting their beliefs as being true. This is adapted from the AIDA model (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action), which shows the process in which a consumer goes through when making choices for a particular product.
Many of today's major religions don't worry too much about marketing techniques. They simply rely on the things that have worked in the past, such as word of mouth, publicity through community involvement, as well as the attractive benefits that their individual religion offers. One religion, however, doesn't leave its "Product" alone to entice people. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (i.e. The Mormon Church or the LDS) takes a bold and aggressive approach to informing people about their religion.
This Church has been successful at market penetration in recent years through a very aggressive marketing mix. Through national advertising campaigns, the church uses television, radio and other forms of mass media to present the image of the church as being based on family and biblical values.
For any corporation or organization to successfully produce growth, it must have a successful and effective recruitment program. The LDS Church has become the acknowledged master of the proselytizing game, bringing it almost to an art form. From the outside looking in, recruitment clearly seems to be the highest priority item in the corporate budget.
In 1994 the Church released figures that representatives of the Church have personally visited a full third of the population of the United States, and over 36 percent have close friends or relatives that are LDS.
Along with the Church's successful media campaigns, they are involved in many other image enhancing programs. A good example of this is their highly publicized, world touring Tabernacle Choir, which performs all around the world as well as their countless television appearances. In addition to their choir, the Church also has many cultural centers, such as the one in Hawaii, which are aimed directly at tourists.
On the island of Oahu, The Church operated Polynesian Tourist center is Hawaii's top paid tourist attraction. Every year, more than a million people pass through its doors. Tourists are not only handed information about the center, but are given information on the church as well.
One of the major ways in which the church reaches potential members is through personal selling. This is direct spoken communication to the potential customer. Their sales team consists of over 50,000 volunteer missionaries who serve in the U.S. and 94 other countries. It missionary program costs over $550 million per year! Their total membership worldwide was 9,600,000 in 1996 and has no doubt passed the 10 million mark by now.
"The Mormon Church feels they have an obligation to do outreach missionary work. They require their members to go on missionary trips. You can call their missionary work personal selling," says Dr. Avila.
Currently, more than 50,000 Latter-day Saints are serving missions around the world. Approximately 75 percent of the Church's missionaries are young men between the ages of 19 and 26 and holding the priesthood office of "elder." Yet substantial numbers of single women (18 percent) and older couples (7 percent) also serve proselytizing missions. These missionaries work long hours, seven days a week for two years (elders) or 18 months (women and couples), teaching the restored gospel and its ordinances and engaging in community service.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing so fast that its membership figures are difficult to compute. In 1992 US News and World report stated, "Since World War II, its ranks have quadrupled to more than 8.3 million members worldwide. With 4.5 million U.S. members, Mormons already outnumber Presbyterians and Episcopalians combined. If current trends hold, by some estimates they will number 250 million worldwide by 2080 and surpass all but the Roman Catholic Church among Christian bodies.
"The church needs to recruit adequate labor to drive its business growth beyond the borders of the U.S. But at the same time it has to make sure that it doesn't lose control of the home ground. It's the same problem of resource allocation in new markets faced by any multinational." Says Bradley Bertoch, a venture capitalist from Utah.
As we look at the size of the Mormon Church's in terms of it's members, we must also look at it in terms of financial wealth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints is an economical powerhouse. The churches financial assets total a minimum of 30 billion dollars. If it were a corporation, it's $5.9 billion annual gross income would put it more than midway up the fortune 500 list, above companies such as Nike and the Gap. Last year alone, $5.2 billion dollars in tithes flowed into Salt Lake City. For example Mormon ownership of large international corporations such as PepsiCo and the Marriott Corporation show the depth and success of their private investments.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bases it present practices heavily on the Latter-day scriptures. One such example is that the Church believes that it is called create and maintain a virtual Kingdom on earth to prepare for the coming of Christ.
Among the Mormons, things temporal have always been important along with things eternal, for the salvation in this world and the next is seen as one and the same continuing process of endless growth. Building Zion, a literal Kingdom of God on earth, has therefore meant an identity of religious and economical value: in the daily affairs of the Kingdom, Latter-day Saint scriptures call for unity ("Be ye one"), welfare ("Care of the poor"), and Economic independence ("Let thy Garments be the workmanship of thine own hands").
Thus economic growth is an integral part of Mormon Theology. Indeed, of some 112 revelations received by the prophet Joseph Smith, 88 dealt directly with economic matters.
Given that the LDS Church is currently the fastest growing church in the nation, membership size is the most important source of it's income. It is estimated that well over 3 million dollars a day flow in from tithing in the United States alone. Even so, the Church has recently stepped up its pressure on members to tithe. All Church employees, for example, are expected to pay a full tithe or expect immediate termination.
Another example of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints successfully implements marketing strategies is that they have created a perfect example of a Vertical Marketing System, which is a channel system in which the whole channel focuses on the same target at the end of the channel.
Their flourishing Corporate Channel system is complete from shopping malls and grocery stores, to universities and hospitals, as well as insurance and public utility companies, to the largest cattle ranch in the world as well as one of the nation largest conglomerates of produce farms. The Church either owns or has powerful influences in every economic aspect of their community so that if there were a political uprising, they would be more than self sustained.
Kevin Nield, a Mormon Bishop, explained this as, "It's a Reserve, In case there is a time of need. ...if the other systems broke down the church would still be able to care for itself."
There is no major church in the U.S. as active as the Latter-day Saints in economic life, nor, per capita, as successful at it. One of the main attributes to this flourishing growth is their use of multiple marketing strategies. Their efforts and success can be compared with major international corporations such as McDonalds or Coca-Cola. To more closely examine the makeup of the Churches marketing program it must be broken down into two main categories: Mass marketing and personal selling.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses mass marketing to reach a national audience. The Church uses television and radio as a key part of their advertising campaign. From prime time to the soaps, the Church place commercials that shows strong family values, happiness, and Christian virtues as a framework for their advertisements. Virtually every commercial, radio or television provides a toll free number which one may call to request a free copy of The Book of Mormon. What one is unaware of is that their name and address is given to the LDS missions office nearest the caller's home. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has easy access to the media. Its increasing investments in media companies show this to be true. Currently, the Church owns at least 16 radio stations as well as a number of TV stations.
These costly advertisements work. As a guidepost of their success, we can look at an indicator of their growth, the distribution of the most important attribute to their religion, the Book of Mormon. The Church reports that approximately 4.5 million copies of The Book of Mormon were distributed in 1995 alone.
Most recently, television, radio and print have been bombarded with the Mormons latest advertising campaign which offers callers a free copy of the Holy Bible, as a free gift from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. There is no mention of the Book of Mormon, and callers again will receive an unsuspected visit from local Mormon missionaries to hand deliver their copy of the Holy Bible and are encouraged to take a copy of the book of Mormon as well. This ad campaign has a goal of creating an image for the church as just another "Christian church." The ads are misleading and would be rightly described as false or deceptive advertising.
In most cases product differentiation is a good thing. But in this case, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints strives to be known as a Christian Church. As stated their statement of core beliefs and doctrines, "The Church is Christian but is neither Catholic nor Protestant. Rather, it is a restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ as originally established by the Savior."
This has lead to response from many of the Christian denominations such as stated in Time Magazine:
In 1995 the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) issued national guidelines stating that the Mormons were not "within the historic apostolic tradition of the Christian Church." A more sharply edged report by the Presbyterians' Utah subunit concluded that the Latter-day Saints "must be regarded as heretical." The Mormons have responded to such challenges by downplaying their differences with the mainstream. In 1982 an additional subtitle appeared on the covers of all editions of the Book of Mormon: "Another Testament of Jesus Christ." In 1995 the words Jesus Christ on the official letterhead of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were enlarged until they were three times the size of the rest of the text. In Salt Lake City's Temple Square, the guides' patter, once full of proud references to Smith, is almost entirely Christological. "We talk about Christ a lot more than we used to," says magazine editor Peck, whose journal's outspokenness has earned him an edgy relationship with the church. "We want to show the converts we are Christians."
This is a perfect example of how a company may change the appearance or alter the fundamental characteristics of a product to be appealing to a larger group. This can also be described as product development, which is the offering of improved products to satisfy needs of present markets.
The Church thrives from publicity. While there is the obvious negative publicity about the Mormon Church, there is also a great deal of positive media attention. The October 21st, 1997 edition of USA Today had one such article. The article, Christian, but Different included testimonies of missionaries and new converts alike.
While technically there is never any purchase or transaction taking place, consumers still decide on religions in a similar fashion as if there was. Religions, just like any product, must be marketed. It is very clear that the Mormon Church has this down to a fine science. The tactics and strategies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be compared to that of many fortune 500 companies.
The Church definitely understands the marketing concept, this is shown through their successful implementation of the marketing tactics. They have adapted to changing customer needs through sophisticated techniques. Their growth is exponential, almost a sort of phenomenon. Their presence is felt worldwide, and it is estimated that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints could be the worlds largest religion by the middle of the next millenium.
The Orthodox Christian Churches need to wake up and look long and hard at the techniques being used to seduce their people away from the light into darkness... For even the darkness can look pretty tasty in living color, and attractive sound bites. As with so many other impulse purchases, you don't know the trouble you "got" until you get it home. The adage, "Buyer Beware" was never truer.
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Endnotes:
of Freemasonry
A Pastor wrote and asked me if his church was correct to withold membership to Masons. I answered that the simple Christian NO list has been enough for most truly Bible based Churches to take a stand regarding Masons holding membership in their Church.
First, if the Mason is a Christian, Christ's admonition to swear no oaths at all should be all one would need to stay clear. The secrets of Masonry are protected by the most vile of blood oaths, every one of which is an offense to Jesus.
Second, the name and nature of the Masonic deity is an offense to the one true God. It is taught in the Royal Arch degree that Masonry draws its teachings and powers from three great teachers and gods. The combined deity is represented as a three headed snake, whose name is Joa:Bul:On, which stands for Jehovah, Baal and Osiris, Now the Mason who pronounces that name in the Masonic prayer of worship has just simply defiled the Holy name of God.
Third, in the Shrine, the initiate swears a terrible binding oath in the name of "Allah, the God of our Fathers!" Friends, Mohammed was a false prophet and Allah is an evil god, a demon god destroying nation after nation of his followers. The red Fez itself was originally a badge of honor worn only by Muslims who had actually killed a Christian and dipped his cap in the martyr's blood.
Fourth, At the Apron lecture, the foolish mason is usually told that the lambskin apron will be his covering at the great white throne judgment of God. The prayer and dedicatory sounds great, but there is only one Great white throne judgment and it is the judgment of the damned. (Rev.20:11)
Fifth, the promise of godhood through the Lodge, the usurping of Christ's Melchizedek Priesthood, the Holy communion of the dead, drinking wine from the carved out top of a human skull...........
The scriptures say "not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with un-righteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you."
(2 Cor. 6:14-17)The true Christian must leave the Lodge or suffer the rejection of Christ and the judgment of God's Word. Next month, I'll share about the grave spiritual danger a practicing Mason brings to his family. Meanwhile, email me for a free copy of my booklet, The Masonic Lodge: What you Need to Know.
The Miracle Of Manti
and
The Gods of Paradise
An In-depth Study of Mormonism
Dr. John M. Boyd
This is an outstanding video library series looking at Mormonism from both the inside and outside.
Using footage from the LDS annual Manti Pageant, interviews with LDS people and Ex-Mormons,the full deception of the LDS leaders is exposed.
The set contains 14 one hour videos, and a complete Bible study outline with each tape. Every Christian church should have this set in its library. The price is $20.00 per tape and $250.00 for the set (CA and WA residents add tax), plus SH.
Email us for a
detailed brochure
Award
Awarded from time to time for acts of gross stupidity
Former President Carter weighs in on Mormons-Christian debate
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ Former President Jimmy Carter, in comments at odds with the official leaders of his Southern Baptist faith, says Mormons should be considered part of the Christian community.
In a copyright story published Saturday, the Deseret News reported that during a teleconference with religion writers this week, the Democratic 39th president said that leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention were wrong to imply The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a non-Christian cult.
``Too many leaders now, I think, in the Southern Baptist Convention and in other conventions, are trying to act as the Pharisees did, who were condemned by Christ, in trying to define who can and who cannot be considered an acceptable person in the eyes of God,'' Carter said.
Thanks, Jimmy, for one of the most inane things you have ever said. You may be a peanut farmer who made it to the White House, but a theologian, you ain't. Calling Christian leaders Pharisees, condemned of God, is an affront to the true Christian faith.
NEW INFORMATION
11/17/97
SBC leaders rebut Jimmy Carter on claim Mormons are Christian
By James Dotson
ATLANTA (BP)--Former President Jimmy Carter, who significantly raised
the profile of evangelical Christianity in general and Southern Baptists in particular during the 1970s, has said Southern Baptists are off the mark in their belief that Mormon doctrine is essentially non-Christian and Mormons are therefore in need of evangelization.
A Southern Baptist interfaith witness leader and Carter's own pastor, however, say Carter is wrong in his views on Mormon teachings. "Mr. Carter must be a better politician and diplomat than theologian," said Phil Roberts, director of the North American Mission Board interfaith witness team responsible for assisting Southern Baptists in understanding and witnessing to persons of other faiths. "His comments show he is totally uninformed and naive about the nature and beliefs of the Mormon Church, which claims to be the one true church. Mormonism is not essential biblical Christianity. It is a new religious movement created by Joseph Smith."
Carter's statements came in a copyrighted article that appeared Nov. 15 in the Deseret News, a newspaper in Salt Lake City owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The statements reportedly were made during a national teleconference with religion writers.
Carter was on an interview tour Nov. 17 promoting his new book, "Sources of Strength: Meditations for Daily Living," and could not be reached for immediate comment, according to a spokesman for his office in Atlanta. She had not seen the article previously and did not know whether Carter considered it an accurate portrayal of his comments.
Southern Baptist Convention President Tom Elliff voiced "all due respect for former President Jimmy Carter," but suggested "he would do well to take a serious look at the Mormon faith before embracing it as part of the Christian community. It is the ultimate irony that this same Mormon faith makes no bones about the fact it considers all non-Mormons as apostate and in need of conversion to Mormonism.
"I do not believe there is ever room for true believers to be caustic or uncharitable," said Elliff, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Del City, Okla. "On the other hand, it is our responsibility to point out to a lost world that there is only one God (not many, as the Mormons teach) and that the only way to fellowship with him is through the cross upon which Jesus, our only Savior, died for our sin."
Elliff continued, "While every true believer cherishes the 'blessed hope' and, with it, the prospect of spending eternity with the Savior, the Bible nowhere teaches (as does Mormonism) that we have prospect of becoming God of our own universe. When the Apostle Paul spoke of 'fighting the good fight' and 'keeping the faith,' he was bound to have had in mind his constant vigilance while combating error in a polytheistic culture."
Of Carter's reservations about witnessing to Mormons, Elliff noted, "This feeling is certainly not shared by the Mormons, who are noted for their energetic approach to
proselytizing. Anyone who thinks that sharing the good news of Jesus is the same as 'condemning' another person would do well to consider the ultimate condemnation which comes to anyone without Christ."
In the Deseret News article, religion editor Carrie A. Moore quoted Carter as saying SBC leaders were wrong in characterizing Mormons as non-Christians. "Too many leaders now, I think, in the Southern Baptist Convention and in other conventions, are trying to act as the Pharisees did who were condemned by Christ, in trying to define who can and who cannot be considered an acceptable person in the eyes of God," he said. "In other words, they're making judgments on behalf of God. I think that's wrong."
Carter spoke specifically against current SBC leaders, who he said have become "narrow in their definition of what is a proper Christian or certainly even a proper Baptist." He said those leaders are "inerrantists, (meaning) there cannot possibly be any error in even a translation of a Bible down through centuries."
Morris H. Chapman, president of the SBC Executive Committee, said "Unfortunately, President Carter's statements indicate he neither fully understands the teachings of Mormonism nor the widely-accepted meaning of 'inerrancy.'"
Most Bible scholars who ascribe to biblical inerrancy believe that it is only the original autographs, or the Scriptures as they were originally written by the authors, that are considered inerrant. It is generally acknowledged that errors in transcription or translation through the years are possible.
According to the article, Carter said, "I think the worst thing that we can do, among the worst things we can do, as believers in Christ, is to spend our time condemning others, who profess faith in Christ and try to have a very narrow definition of who is and who is not an acceptable believer and a child of God."
Sharing the gospel, Carter said in the article, is "a mandate that has guided Baptists as well as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and others all down through the centuries. I think that that's part of my own life commitment, is to tell others about Christ, and to offer them, at least, the Word of God, and to let the Holy Spirit decide, or ordain the results of those intercessions. So, I think that that's a very worthwhile effort."
The writer of the article said Carter has reservations about attempts to "convert other Christians, as will undoubtedly happen in Utah next summer as Baptists seek to share their message and Mormons return the favor." The SBC annual meeting will be held in Salt Lake City, the headquarters of the Mormon church, in June 1998.
"The only thing I'm hesitant about is exactly what you mean by proselytizing," Carter was quoted as saying. "If you mean should we Protestants devote our time to converting Catholics to be Protestants, that's something with which I generally disagree. I think, though, that if people don't know about Christ, I have a mandate directly from our Savior to try to share the message that he espoused both through his own words and through his own actions."
Carter also said, "... the people in my own local church have no interest in trying to condemn Mormons or trying to convert Mormons to be good old Baptists like me."
Dan Ariail, pastor of Maranatha Church in Plains, Ga., where Carter is known for teaching Sunday school on a regular basis, said he disagrees both with Carter's reported views as well as the statement that his church would not be trying to convert Mormons. In fact, he said, he plans to use in his church "The Mormon Puzzle," a video and curriculum resource developed by the North American Mission Board to help educate Southern Baptists on Mormon beliefs.
"I would disagree with (President Carter) in the most basic way, but he is entitled to his opinion ... he has a right to be wrong," Ariail said. Sharing the biblical gospel with Mormons, Ariail said, "is not a front-burner issue here but we need to share the gospel with them and I would certainly try."
Roberts, the NAMB interfaith witness director whose department produced The Mormon Puzzle, noted Carter apparently did not understand the Mormon claims that "all other faiths are wrong and all members of other churches are corrupt. Which means, according to their beliefs, Mr. Carter himself will have to become a Mormon to receive all the blessings of heaven.
"He must not understand that Mormonism worships another god, one which was once a flesh-and-bones man, and another Jesus, who was a created being. These are doctrines found in Mormon Scriptures but not in the Holy Bible."
Roberts also cited Carter's definition of the biblical inerrancy espoused by SBC leaders and others as evidence of his "lack of understanding" of theological issues. "No thoughtful biblical scholar would claim inerrancy for a translation but only for the original autographs of the Scripture," Roberts said.
In a related issue, Roberts commented on recent news reports that one-fourth of Mormons consider themselves born-again Christians. "While individual Mormons may be genuinely born-again by faith in the biblical Jesus, they do so in spite of the official teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)," Roberts said.
Researcher George Barna reported 26 percent of Mormons in a recent survey described themselves as having "made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ." Roberts said that's not surprising given Mormon doctrine.
"Mormons believe that when they are baptized in the LDS church by proper authority and are prayed for with the laying on of hands by that same priest, they receive the 'holy ghost' as he is defined by the Mormon church," Roberts explained. "That doesn't make a person a Christian according to the Bible."
Dear Ed and staff,
First we are glad to hear Ed is recuperating nicely. We will look forward to him coming back but hope he doesn't rush it. Are prayers have been with you all during this time. Ed's lecture notes on the JW's are so good. I copied them out tonight as my daughter's friend, works for a JW doctor. She sees many of the JW's as patients plus he tries to indoctrinate her during the day. She is a very good Christian and was talking to me tonight about how best to witness to them. I explained that they had a different Jesus so witnessing is different - I shared with her some things I had from FREE MINDS but your material is wonderful and so to the point- I will be giving this to her right away. As I was a JW for seven years I can express how I felt when people tried to witness to me and that the ones who got me to doubt were the ones who were most effective.
We will continue to keep you ever in our prayers. Thanks for the way you are serving our Lord.
In His Love,
Alice
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Dear Ed
Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing you to get your take on something that has happened in our church. A Mormon recently began attending our church by invitation. This guy is as polished and slick as any Mormon I have ever met. He (through a policy flaw) weaseled his way into the choir and began attending Sunday school classes. He was never there to learn, but to teach. Every time he opened his mouth, he said things that were just off center enough to alert a discerning believer. Our church is presently without a full-time pastor. Our music minister told me about him, as he was open about his affiliations. I counseled our music minister that we should wait until we are sure about his motives.
It became clear immediately that he had no intention of renouncing Joseph Smith and Mormonism. In fact, like a virus, the longer he was allowed to stay the bolder he got. Finally I confronted him in a not-too-loving manner. I believed that because he was openly trying to introduce his doctrine into our church, he did not rate politeness. Our interim pastor and our music minister have spoken at length with him. He is arrogant, entrenched and bold. He was finally removed from the choir and asked to leave the church. Because of the ignorance of some our people he was made to feel quite accepted in the Sunday Schools, even though he was constantly making doctrinal comments that were un-Biblical.
My question is, to your knowledge, are there additional incentives, rewards, or positions given to those who attempt to infiltrate evangelical churches? One
woman suggested that he might be trying earn his way to becoming a bishop.I e-mailed CRI a short time back concerning this same situation. They told me that missionaries are encouraged to go into churches and proselytize.
Any additional information you can give will be appreciated tremendously. God bless your ministry.
In His Service
Nova
P.S. As a last try, our music minister gave him a copy of "The God Makers". His outrage and disgust told all of us that he was not seeking, but seeking to destroy.
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Dear Mr. Decker,
My husband and I are now ex-Mormons and we are writing you because my husband felt he owes you an apology. My Christian mother put us on your mailing list and my husband called you and very angrily asked to be removed from your mailing list. Since then we have traveled that very rocky road from Mormonism to the Truth and even though there is a lot to tell we just want to say we are sorry. We understand from your recent newsletter to my mother that you have been ill and we are praying for you. Would you please put us back on your mailing list? We have been reading everything we can get our hands on and we have benefited greatly from your book "Complete Handbook on Mormonism" . We also have finally met some other former Mormons. Thank you for your love and guidance to those of us out there in need of the truth.
May God Bless You,
Forrest and Cheryl
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Dear Mr. Decker:
I've been receiving the Saints Alive newsletter for the past year. I found out about your ministry when I was doing research about the LDS church on the Internet. I am a fallen Mormon married to a man who was raised as a Christian. My husband has always been very tolerant of my feelings concerning the church, even though he never agreed with it. I left the Mormon church in 1991, and since then there have been many times I thought about going back to "the one true Church." The very last time I thought about doing this, I asked my husband to join me. We had a very big discussion about it, and he finally ended it by telling me that if I would truly do some research about Joseph Smith and the Mormons, my eyes would be opened. His conclusion was that if I still felt as strongly after finding out the truth about Joe and the Gang, he would go with me. I thought it was fair, so I began searching for info about the Mormons. That was when
I found your web site. What can I tell you? It was like someone lifted a veil from my eyes. Now I can go on to tell you about my personal experience with the Mormons...
I became a Mormon after a good friend of mine revealed the "truth" to me. I was in the Navy and going through a spiritual and moral crisis at the age of twenty-three. I'd gotten pregnant out-of-wedlock the year before, miscarried, and basically blamed
God for all my problems. I had a tremendous amount of guilt, shame, and self-loathing that I attributed as grief over the loss of the baby. I was also in a terrible, unhealthy relationship with a young man who treated me badly. In all honesty, I was lost and
couldn't find a way out of my sin. Enter my Mormon friend, who pushed all the right buttons, telling me that "there was a way my child and I could be in Heaven together" after the Judgement. Everything she said sounded great, so I agreed to go to the ward with her the following Sunday.
What can I tell you? After I went to services with her at the ward, it was like the whole world opened a new door. Within two weeks, yes, only two weeks, I completed all my training and was baptized into the Church. I started doing all the "work" that was assigned to me, baptisms for the dead, etc. They made me break-up with my boyfriend because he wasn't a Mormon, and told me that God wouldn't want me in the military. I had to start changing the way I dressed, because my clothing wouldn't cover the secret underwear that I was well on my way to earning.
Within three weeks in the Church, the bishop's wife had introduced me to a fellow (set-up is a better word) and suggested that we start dating. So, we did. The man they introduced me to was a long time friend of the bishop's family. Within another week, the bishop and his wife were pressuring us to marry the following year, and start inducting little Mormon souls into the world. It was all moving a little too fast for me. I wasn't ready to get married, nor did I want to. However, everything was so wonderful, I felt it would be what Heavenly Father wanted. So, I got engaged.
Shortly after the "engagement," my Mormon fiancé raped me in his apartment. This was barely two weeks after my baptism into the church. I left the fiancé and the church the next day. I never told anyone what happened until I met my husband five years later. After I quit going to services, the members of the ward and the bishop hassled me. I found out the man they had set me up with had been married three times previously, once to a bisexual woman. They didn't tell me any of this during my brief time in the church. Fortunately, being in the military, I was transferred away from there and didn't have to deal with the pressure of the ward. But, honestly, I felt really betrayed by
the church because of all that happened.After the sexual assault, I knew something was wrong, but blamed it on myself. I was sure it was because I loved sin more than their Heavenly Father. But I see now, it was because I am a sinner, and nothing short of the love of Christ will bring me to the peace that I am seeking. I was sure I was damned to hell because I could never be a Mormon. I know also that the Mormons do not have the same vision of Christ that I am seeking.
I had no idea of the deception I was introduced to until I found your web site, Mr. Decker. While in the church, I had problems with the president of the church being a "prophet" of God. How can this be? One dies, and another takes his place? I also have problems with the Mormon concept of Heaven, and what I perceive as a very racist attitude toward people of color. They don't voice it, but it's very much there. I got the distinct impression that blacks are looked down on in the LDS church, and the "scripture" is there, somewhere, to back up my point. I was so deceived and so lost when I was there, just as much as before they baptized me into their family.
Now that I'm out of the Church, my friend, the one who got me there, has ceased contact with me. I guess she figured I wasn't salvageable. So, here I am now, seeking Christ and trying to find my way back home. I still see the Mormon adds on television, see their missionaries walking around my town and hoping they don't knock on my door. By the way, I was convinced that everyone expect the Mormons were going to hell, and every other religion, save theirs, was an abomination. (I refer to the letter you wrote to USA Today). Now, I'm a member of the one of "abominations" and quite
happy in being "filthy." I know that I'll never go back to the Mormons, and thanks to you, I now know exactly why. I'm really working hard on my relationship with Christ, and trying to forget the horrendous incidents of my past.
What I would most like to know, Mr. Decker, is how can I get my name removed as a member of the LDS church? I will renounce Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the church president, and all the ceremonies, even Moroni, himself. I'll renounce all belief in the Book of Mormon as "the second testament of Jesus Christ" if it will get me ex-communicated and out the church for good. I don't want anything to do with their cult of personality, their gods and goddesses far away near Kolob, or any of it. Please, tell me how to do this. And, please, pray for me to find my way back to Christ, which is where I should have been in the first place.
Most Sincerely,
Eleanor
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Greetings Ed in the precious Name of Jesus,
In 1962, I was born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was blessed in December of 1962 and baptized on December 5, 1970. Confirmed on Fast Sunday, December 6, 1970. When I was 14, I received my Patriarchal Blessing. When I was 16, I lost my faith. For the following 10 years, I was semi-agnostic and "believed God in my own way." When I was 27, the lights went on. I was dating a nice Christian girl who attended Walter Martin's Bible class. Her brother used to keep Walter's book in his parents bedroom and then clobber me with it when we were teenagers.
There was one thing she ultimately said that disturbed me. "I am Christian, you are not! You will never accept Christianity and accept what I am." I told her that I would look into it and I wasn't afraid of it. Not only was I not afraid of it, I EMBRACED IT!!! I'm not with her anymore. While I was studying in college, I met a nice Jewish agnostic girl. She is now a Jewish believer and my wife. God is truly amazing. He works in spite of us. This demonstrates how much He loves us.
We both thank you for your ministry and keep up the good work.
In Christ Jesus,
Dan & Amy North
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Dear Ed:
I was very sorry to hear about your illness during these past few months. The latest news letter I have is from June/July 1997. I trust and pray that you are on the road to recovery and regaining your health and strength.
I am writing to tell you some great news. I'm not sure if you remember my contacting you several times in the past regarding my roommate Georgia and her entrapment into Mormonism because of the friendship with her friends The Lxxxxs. Anyway, she is back in the fold and last Sunday evening, she threw out everything she had received and purchased regarding Mormonism. Three 30 gal. garbage bag full. Actually, she has been away from this cult for several months but until she made the commitment of destroying everything, I didn't want to write you and say it was over. She is doing so much better and now is involved in a women's Monday night Bible Study (which is very intense), singing in our church choir and is returning to her old self. I want to thank you for all of your prayers and concerns and the materials you sent to help me in dealing with this matter.
One of the reasons I am writing you (Georgia asked me to do this) is that she wants to know what the final step is in breaking all ties with that group. Is there a letter she should write and who should it go to. She wants to make sure that her name is off all of their records and that they will not contact her in anyway, anymore. I'm not sure if there is a procedure to follow or what to tell her. But any help that you could be would greatly be appreciated. [ed: we sent her the material to get her name removed from the church's records- it is called the Exodus package] Again, thank you for any help you can give us and I truly enjoy the Newsletters you send out. I still want to be informed of what's going on and pray that others will not be blinded by this "religion.
In Christ,
Marge
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TO:
edecker@nwlink.comA couple of years ago a friend of mine Kara VanVonderen's family gave me a book
you had written on the false teachings of groups such as the Mormons, masons etc....
I was searching for information on the Barcelona Disputation of 1263 when I came across the web site address Saints Alive.
Just wanted to tell you that your book really empowered me to enter into rational, intelligent conversation with folks on the topics in your book. Praise God for your ministry and for your continued good health in recuperating.
Grace and peace be with you,
Justin
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Hi Ed.
Don't want to be a pest but I thought I'd bring you up to date on my situation. Two weeks after I sent in my letter of resignation, I received a terse letter from the bishop. That was last week. Today, Tues, I get a personal letter from the stake president, expressing his sorrow at our decision, that the letter I wrote was "full of anger", (not really, is expressing your disbelief in something considered anger?) and he told me that he was not going to write me off as a friend and that he will always be there for me.
I gotta tell ya, after 30 years of the church, there is some pangs of guilt, am I doing the right thing, have I made a tremendous mistake, what if they are RIGHT, and you and all the other escapees are wrong, so many doubts. It is probably the most successful religious organization, after the Catholics, to come around. We must leave in any case due to my being totally disaffected by some of the doctrines of the church, and researching some of the history, which I never knew, and my stake president friend called "misguided information". This is an interesting experience in life. Nothing is ever simple, is it.
Gary on the left coast.
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First of all I would like to say God bless you Ed.
The work you and your family and friends are doing is of great importance to the Lord. I myself am a former Mormon who left the church after years of blindly following the teachings and lies of false prophets. I have always been interested in the African-American culture leading from a belief that the Garden of Eden was located on the African continent. And I have been fascinated with Malcolm X for years. Well, when I was stationed in Germany in the Army, my bishop paid me a visit at home one day. I had been reading the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Qu'ran that day. When he saw my Qu'ran on the coffee table ,he asked me why I was reading it. I told him about my beliefs about the Garden of Eden and he told me that as Mormons, we believed the Garden of Eden to be located in Missouri. I asked him why we could believe that when the Bible was so clear on the topic and he said "That's what Joseph Smith taught and that is why we believe it"
Well that was all it took. I never went back to the Mormon church since that day. Sadly though I became a Muslim less than a year later. The beliefs of Islam were somewhat close to those of Mormonism, such as Jesus being a separate person from God and not part of the Trinity, prophets receiving new revelation, becoming new scripture. And with my dis-belief of the Holy Trinity, I liked the idea of not worshiping Jesus, but worshiping Allah alone. (the whole thou shalt have no other gods before me thing)
I was a faithful muslim for about two years after I returned to the States. I said my prayers five times a day, I attended mosque every Friday. Until while working nights at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, I started to discuss Mormonism with one of the nurses that I worked with named Dan. To this point I still hadn't completely cut my ties with the Mormon religion and sub-consciously still held to a lot of the beliefs I had learned in the church.
Dan turned me on to a couple of Gerald and Sandra Tanners' books and some of your books and as I read these books not only did I learn so much about the blasphemous nature of the LDS doctrines, but the Lord opened my heart to the true nature of the Trinity and led me to become saved. I have now truly accepted the Lord Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I pray that the Lord will bless you and the Tanners and Dan, for if the Lord hadn't brought each of you into my life in what manner he did. I might still be in darkness today. So rejoice Ed, You helped in leading me to salvation!!!!!! and I know the Lord will bless you for it. I thank you for all your work and I pray for your complete recovery from your accident.
God bless you Ed and Co.
Your friend in Christ
Norman Dunham
p.s. feel free to publish my e-mail address. I welcome correspondence from other Christians and opposing views from the enemy's camp! ndunham@theonlynet.com
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Dear Ed,
I have studied the Masons on your web-site and others whom I consider to be respectable Christian writers and I have a question I am hoping you can help me with. I realize you can not tell me what to do but I hope you can offer some guidance to me.
I am planning on marrying a man who is both a Baptist Pastor and a Freemason in the York Rite. On learning about Masonry I am now having second thoughts as to the wisdom of going through with this marriage. I have asked him to read some of your literature but he says it is all a witch hunt and is not true. He has shown me some books he has from his lodge where there are passages from the Bible and prayers that are said to Jesus so he rejects the idea that any God will do and that Jesus is not mentioned in the lodge. I would appreciate any guidance you can offer to me.
Please, may I remain anonymous.
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