Evangelical Anti Mormon Success?

[canard78]

I met a security guard at the Hill Cumorah pageant years ago who joined the LDS church because of the Anti-Mormon thugs with their mega-phones. And when I say thugs, I really mean it. Those guys were really something to behold. Any other religion and that group would have rose up and rode those guys out of town on a rail.

We aren't the only ones to get this kind of treatment. The JWs tend to ignore it with good grace too.

It sounds like what you're saying is that you'd have like to have "rode these guys out of town."

Hasn't the age of cowboys ended anyway?

[kassie]

I know of about a dozen people who joined the LDS church because of these kinds of efforts. Success.....but not what was intended I imagine.

Isn't that called "reverse psychology?"

[Stone holm]

Speaking anecdotally, they only appear to be successful in strengthening the anti-Mormon views of Evangelicals already inclined in that direction -- but it occasionally backfires and helps people to make inquiries about the Mormon Church. Evangelicals have, however, been very good at turning Americans off with regards to religion in general and Christianity specifically. This typing of preaching along with their political activism has been devastating to religion amongst educated Americans.

[kassie]

This "anti-Mormon", "ex-Mormon" blah blah blah situation never ceases to amaze me. I see no other church for the most part that when someone chooses to leave their church then goes on a rampage against it??? Most people leave a religion for sundry and assorted reasons and then go on. They either find another religion that more closely matches their belief system, or they decide they want no religion at all. But they don't post 4 million sites on the Internet to blast the Methodist church, or the Presbyterian church, or the Lutheran church. What is it with "ex-Mormons" and "anti-Mormons" that they just don't say, "I'm over it. This isn't for me anymore. I'm moving on?" No, they have to set up hundreds of websites for "support" and mock and profane the sacred things about the LDS church. "Me thinks thy dost protest too much."

Edited August 6, 2013 by kassie

[cdowis]

What gets interesting is when an ex-bishop gets on the anti-Mormon circuit. He goes from an unpaid lay church leader to a (professional) speaker attacking the church.

"The Bishop who left the Mormon church"

Edited August 6, 2013 by cdowis

[Stone holm]

As the saying goes, they can leave the Church, but can't leave the Church alone.

[bluebell]

Hasn't the age of cowboys ended anyway?

Not at all. Here in the west real cowboy are still very much a part of the community.

The age of lynching has pretty much ended though.

Edited August 6, 2013 by bluebell

[Stone holm]

We aren't the only ones to get this kind of treatment. The JWs tend to ignore it with good grace too.

It sounds like what you're saying is that you'd have like to have "rode these guys out of town."

Hasn't the age of cowboys ended anyway?

I have heard our own members rant on the JWs.

[kassie]

I have heard our own members rant on the JWs.

When the JW's come to my door and I tell them we are LDS and we aren't interested in changing our religion they want to run like "H...E....Double Hockey Sticks!" They especially don't like it when I agree to take their "Awake" magazine on the condition they will take a copy of the BOM. Otherwise it's no dice. Then they run.

[strappinglad]

Aside from the Jehovah's Witnesses ( and us ) , I can think of none who come door to door to spread the gospel. I admire the commitment shown. They have had their share of serious and deadly persecution here and in many other countries. As fellow laborers for Christ , we should cut them some slack and at least listen respectfully to the message and look for common ground where possible.

[Stone holm]

Aside from the Jehovah's Witnesses ( and us ) , I can think of none who come door to door to spread the gospel. I admire the commitment shown. They have had their share of serious and deadly persecution here and in many other countries. As fellow laborers for Christ , we should cut them some slack and at least listen respectfully to the message and look for common ground where possible.

Have had some great discussions with JWs.

[Calm]

When the JW's come to my door and I tell them we are LDS and we aren't interested in changing our religion they want to run like "H...E....Double Hockey Sticks!" They especially don't like it when I agree to take their "Awake" magazine on the condition they will take a copy of the BOM. Otherwise it's no dice. Then they run.

I have had good experiences with JWs. They have always been respectful and understanding, but it makes sense that if one says one is a committed LDS, they will leave as they probably see it as more effective to spend their time with someone who is more likely to listen to their message, just as our missionaries will discontinue talking with someone who is more interested in promoting their own faith than listening to the lessons. (though I think it is a good idea for missionaries to spend a little time at least listening to others' beliefs so they can understand that POV, learn to 'speak the language' and learn to understand what they are asking at times for people to give up if they were to join our faith.) Edited August 7, 2013 by calmoriah

[Calm]

I have heard our own members rant on the JWs.

It is unfortunate, imo, when this happens. My husband in the past had some negative things to say about them due to some bad experiences with JWs making missionary work harder in his area, IIRC they 'burnt' an area out before our missionaries got there due to overaggressive tactics (in my husband's view as well) as well as taught negative things about LDS missionaries making others afraid to engage them.

However, I have never encountered such treatment in any of my experiences so perhaps this was a local style of JWs down in part of South America.

[Vookman]

I know from my discussions with people I have met at anti-Mormon events in Utah, most of those leaving the LDS faith were inactive for long periods of time before their "conversions" to EV. I think Shawn McCraney boasts "hundreds" of Mormons have left the faith as a result of his shows, but the ones I met were definitely not practicing LDS, with just a few exceptions. As a clerk in our stake here in Utah I knew of only two people who left in a 5-year period who claimed a theological background for their disaffection. That would translate into a 0.0143% annual success rate for EV conversions. Since our Seventy presiding over our corner of Zion has never even brought up the topic of "mass defections" that I am aware of in Utah, I think that is actually a fair number here. Convert baptisms and organic growth dwarf any losses EV can claim.

[cdowis]

I think most of the "defections" are quiet, passive. Just stop coming to church, no longer accepting home/visiting teachers, etc, rather than a formal withdrawal.

I suspect from my experience that these defections leave a void in their lives, rather than filling their lives with another church or religion.

Edited August 7, 2013 by cdowis

[Stone holm]

It is unfortunate, imo, when this happens. My husband in the past had some negative things to say about them due to some bad experiences with JWs making missionary work harder in his area, IIRC they 'burnt' an area out before our missionaries got there due to overaggressive tactics (in my husband's view as well) as well as taught negative things about LDS missionaries making others afraid to engage them.

However, I have never encountered such treatment in any of my experiences so perhaps this was a local style of JWs down in part of South America.

They have a list of anti-Mormon questions to ask Mormons, but unless the Mormon is totally doctrinally illiterate they are easily deflected, and then you can get into some interesting discussions. They quit coming to our house after a junior companion started agreeing too much with me. My wife also observed the senior companion ripping up the B of M the kid had been reading.

[Calm]

As a clerk in our stake here in Utah I knew of only two people who left in a 5-year period who claimed a theological background for their disaffection.

The only individuals I know who have left the LDS faith for another one became either Catholic or Buddhist, I don't remember any who became EV, though I have met on this board EVs who stated they were once Mormon (and I see no reason to disbelieve most of them...there are a few who claimed to be active LDS before leaving who did not know what I would assume were the basics, so I had my doubts about them).

[Calm]

They have a list of anti-Mormon questions to ask Mormons

Never experienced that in all my years of greeting JWs at the door or having a JW as a singing teacher or knowing JWs at school, etc.

[williamsmith]

I have heard our own members rant on the JWs.

Nearly everyone on a "personal' level rant's against this thing, that thing, or this or that person.

We all do that either correctly or wrongly. That is however far different from direct intolerant actions against others, especially unjustified ones that cross the line into bigotry and the incitement of hate.

Anti-mormonism is rife with the later.

[LordUther]

I can think of none who come door to door to spread the gospel.

A few years ago I had the Elim Pentecostal knock on my door tracting, I let them go after about an 1hr 1/2. My housemate at the time came out of his room in stitches "I've seen hundreds of people trying to get away from religious people at the door, the first I've ever seen the religious people at the door trying to get away!" :-)

On the JW front I remember on my mission we were in our flat having lunch when they knocked our door, you should've seen their faces when I opened the door & they saw my black name badge...oh I wish I had a camera :-D

[Calm]

A few years ago I had the Elim Pentecostal knock on my door tracting, I let them go after about an 1hr 1/2. My housemate at the time came out of his room in stitches "I've seen hundreds of people trying to get away from religious people at the door, the first I've ever seen the religious people at the door trying to get away!" :-)

On the JW front I remember on my mission we were in our flat having lunch when they knocked our door, you should've seen their faces when I opened the door & they saw my black name badge...oh I wish I had a camera :-D

I hope you are writing this stuff down...

[Calm]

Here is an example of one group going door to door, but this may be due to they are attempting to proselyte to LDS by using LDS methods.

[Calm]

Slightly off topic, but very fun:

[why me]

Most anti-Mormons fail to understand that if you alienate an LDS from his Church you don't have a Protestant, or a Catholic, you have an atheist.

This is not necessarily true. As you know there are some former mormons on catholic discussion sites who seem to be very antimormon now. And mormons have crossed over to evangelitical churches. The EVs have been successful in latin america among the catholics. Maybe less so among the mormons. I think that the big EV churches offer a cotton candy approach to religion. Good musice, a lot of praises to jesus and a very convincing 'god is love' argument. But mormons who reject their faith, do not necessarily end up as non believerers.

[Gervin]

I think that the big EV churches offer a cotton candy approach to religion. Good musice, a lot of praises to jesus and a very convincing 'god is love' argument.

Actually, our church is thinking of renaming ourselves First Cotton Candy Church of ____, Virginia; we spend alot time singing, praising Jesus, and believing that God is love.

Edited August 8, 2013 by Gervin