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NASB | 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. |
Bible Question:
I have a close family member who is a leader in the Mormon church. He gave us a lot of material on their beliefs to read. There are a lot of rabbit trails we could disagree about, but I want to get to the heart of what they believe and be able to give biblical examples of the truth. Does anyone have good, sound biblical answers for me? I have been doing a lot of study in this area on my own, but would appreciate any wisdom that I can get. Thanks, Shelley |
Bible Answer: Shelley: In addition to the good resources mentioned by others here, I would like to recommend two excellent, recent books that can serve as guides to understanding Mormon beliefs and also as tools for evangelism. They are _Mormonism 101_ by Bill McKeever and _The Gospel According to Joseph Smith_ by Ethan Harris. Both provide thorough analysis of the teachings (past and present) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the biblical response to those teachings. You should be able to order both of them from your local Christian bookstore or any of the major Internet retailers. I heartily recommend both! Also, if you would like more Mormon-specific resources for evangelism, I would recommend contacting Watchman Fellowship (www.watchman.org), a Christian counter-cult evangelism ministry. James Walker, the president, is a former fourth-generation Mormon who has spent the last quarter-century evangelizing LDS members and other cultists. In addition to the great resources they have in print, they have a friendly staff who would be more than happy to chat with you one-on-one and give you tip and advice. Please keep us posted on your situation, and be in prayer! God constantly is bringing individuals out of cults into the true church. And He employs people like you to be His instruments quite often! --Joe! |