Real Life - Humbled

Today in Real Life of a Christian, I will cover an issue that is currently all over my blogs. It humbles, overwhelms, challenges, and lifts me up all at the same time. And I need your prayers concerning it.

Over the last few weeks I have been helping a friend though a crisis of faith that he was/is having. I am trying to be supportive yet not overbearing; understanding, yet firm. It's hard work to keep your mouth shut sometimes, but if the Spirit is not leading my prayer is that I will not be talking.

Over the course of these weeks he has introduced me to two young LDS (Mormon) missionaries who are currently serving their two-year missions in our town. They were working pretty hard to convince him to join them until he talked to me. I was concerned due to my knowledge of the LDS church and its beliefs, and began a bit of an intervention.

The missionaries have been to our house now on two separate occasions. Through these two visits (and some time before with at least one of them), they have begin to doubt their beliefs (praise God for how He works!). I have asked for one more meeting with them to defend one question that they asked last time which I provided an answer for, but had no time to provide my evidence for my beliefs. They have agreed to return at least one more time.

Although I had some fairly knowledgeable overview-type understanding of the LDS beliefs, through this situation I have REALLY learned a lot about them and their history. I have learned a lot about their church, both what is portrayed and the actual inner workings. I have learned much about some secret rituals that they do not discuss with non-members. I have learned how to use the Bible and some of their own scriptures to refute their very beliefs.

I have, in short, become slightly obsessed.

Now I feel the urge/push to share my obsession with you.

I am going to start a series of posts that will examine the ins and outs of the beliefs, history, and people of the Latter Day Saints church. I will show you how to speak with them and how to back up your own beliefs and not be intimidated by their apparent familiarity of scripture versus your feelings of inadequacy. I will show you how to defend your faith as a layperson and child of God.

So, there is a LOT to cover and I currently look like a deer in headlights. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot and I am pondering how to cover it all clearly and effectively without a lot of jumping around.

Please pray for clarity and direction in this effort. I really believe this is something I need to do. The people of the LDS church are good, hard-working people who have been lied to. Many of them were brought up in environments where they were surrounded by others like them and therefore are immersed in their faith. It resonates in them so loudly that it is often difficult for them to see what appears obvious to those outside of their faith. They are certainly not bad people and have no bad intentions. However, they are misguided and not headed in the right direction. Pray for them as well that we might reach out to them in a Christ-like way and lead them to the appropriate flock.

What do you need prayer for this week? Do you need guidance, help, love, healing, faith, strength, peace? Please lay your burdens before the Lord. Feel free to blog about it or just ask for a supportive prayer partner and leave a link here. We all have to be in this together.