The following was reported by Pastor Chip Thompson following his witnessing at the recent Manti Pageant and passed on to us by Pastor Dave Roberts of Utah. It is a master class in witnessing to Mormons from the Bible and we hope it blesses and inspires you.
I arrived late and didn’t even make it to the street before I encountered what I believe was my divine appointment for the night. I stopped for a moment to listen to a Christian teenage girl who was engaging an older LDS man near the food court. The discussion didn’t last long and when it finished I encouraged the girl that she had done a great job. While we were talking, an RMM (Returned Mormon Missionary) walked right up to us and said, I want to talk to you, why do you think Mormonism is sooooo wrong?
I told him that I believe the LDS gospel is impossible and as such cannot be considered the good news.
This RM could talk… for a good five minutes he talked a blue streak. He told me how wrong I was and how he knew he had eternal life because he was keeping the whole law of Christ. To make a long story short, he was saying that keeping the law of Christ was making him righteous.
Can you guess where I turned? Right, Romans 3. I asked him if he believed the law was given to make men righteous?
For about 5 minutes, in every conceivable way, the RM said, “YES.”
So, I asked him to read Romans 3:19 out loud,
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
I then asked him, “Was the law given to make men righteous or guilty?”
He said, “The law only makes you guilty if you break it!”
So I said, “Are you telling me that some people are justified by the deeds of the law?”
He said, “Absolutely!”
So I had him read Romans 3:20′
“Therefore, by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
The RM said, “YES. This is talking about people that SIN.”
So I had him read Romans 3:10,
“As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one.”
The RM said, “YES, anyone who sins is not righteous but for those who do not sin they are righteous!”
So, I had him read Romans 3:23,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
and asked him how many of us have sinned?
By now he was getting flustered and said, “Well everyone knows you can’t become righteous unless you keep the law!”
So, I had him read Romans 3:21-22,
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.”
I asked him what the righteousness of God apart from the law was referring to?
He said, “THERE IS NO RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM THE LAW!!!”
So, I asked him, “Are you saying that God is wrong, it sounds to me like God is saying we become righteous by faith, not the law.”
Again for about 5 minutes he talked a blue streak explaining that law keeping was absolutely totally required before anyone could be declared righteous by God. His thesis was that faith is works.
So, I asked him to read Romans 3:28,
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
By now the RM was ready to bail… and he said to me, “Why won’t you just let me leave. I don’t want to talk to you but you won’t let me leave.”
I said, “You came up to me and asked me why Mormonism is soooo wrong. I’m not forcing you to stay here. You are free to go… go ahead, I give you permission to leave. Just be sure you keep all the commandments so you can justify yourself in the sight of God.”
The RM said, “See you did it again. I can’t leave after you make a comment like that.”
I said, “Why not? That is what you have been telling me you have to do to be righteous… so go ahead, knock yourself out and deny yourself of all ungodliness.”
Again, he said, “There you go again. I can’t just walk away when you say something like that.”
So I said, “The reason you can¹t walk away is because you know you can’t do it. That’s my point… the LDS gospel is impossible. But Romans chapter 3 is the good news of salvation based upon the works and righteousness of Christ not our good works. Why don’t you go home and read Romans 3 and pray and ask God to help you understand the gospel.”
At this point he left, frustrated and with tears in his eyes, but he will never forget our conversation… because I don’t think the Spirit of God will allow him to forget it. God’s Holy Word hammered him and God’s Word will never return void but will accomplish that which He pleases.
Thanks again for your prayers. Unless you have been to the Manti Pageant Outreach you cannot even imagine the spiritual battle that is raging. It is as if we are seeking to share the truth of God¹s Word right in the Devil¹s bedroom. Four days left, please continue to keep us in your prayers.
Under the Same Feathers,
Chip and Jamie
