A Conversation with a Mormon

Subscribe now

The other day I was home and heard a knock on the door. It was a salesman with Vivint, which is a home security system we utilize. The salesman was just “checking in” on how our system is doing. (Although we all know that means he’s going to do his best to up charge me, right? I didn’t let him.)

Anyway, he was a friendly guy and, maybe because he saw me, another young-ish male, he felt free to cuss a few times. Though I didn’t think it was professional, I also didn’t think too much of it. But then we spoke about how Vivint headquarters is in Provo, Utah. I asked him if he lived there; he said about a few hours south.

And then I asked him if he was Mormon. My assumption was correct! I originally asked him since I didn’t know any Mormons that cuss. He was surprised! I then told him about the mission trip I went on a decade ago and how our group got kicked out of the Mormon temple. (Maybe that’s another story for another blog.) But that was a sure sign from the Lord that I needed to share the gospel with him.

Anytime you have a conversation with a Mormon, there’s a good chance the discussion will go in circles; mainly because Mormons and Christians use lots of the same language but mean different things.

Though we spoke about a few different things, we mainly focused on pride, and the need to contribute to our salvation. The salesman was candid with me and said, “I don’t know, maybe it’s my pride or ego, but I want to play a role.” We talked about the Trinity, and how he must believe in the one true God to be saved (and how that it’s not a matter of mere opinion, but he was openly rejecting it). We talked a little about the difference in grace between Mormonism and biblical Christianity. But surprisingly, the biggest thing we talked about is the nature of good works as they relate to salvation.

I agreed with him that our natural instinct as sinful humans is the need to contribute. We want to play a role in earning our salvation. We want to do it. We want to deserve it. But, of course, that flies in the face of the Bible. Per his own words, he didn’t believe God’s standard was perfection; I told him he was lowering the Lord’s perfect standard and raising his righteousness; self-righteousness to be precise. As I was writing this, I happened upon a quote from George Whitefield that goes well here, “Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!”

Our conversation was less about Mormon doctrine and more about the inability of sinful humans to achieve salvation ourselves. We can’t do it. God’s standard is perfection and that’s why we needed the perfect, sinless life of Christ, along with his atoning death and resurrection.

I pleaded with him to consider that all he has to contribute to salvation is the sin that makes it necessary (per Jonathan Edwards’ words), and that we must humble ourselves and admit we need a Savior. More, I talked to him about the distinction of doing good works not to be saved, but because we are saved, and that trying to do all of this ourselves would never happen. It’s impossible. Our hearts are too wicked.

The main point I tried explaining to him was I don’t do good works in order to received God’s love and grace, but I do good works because it’s already been given to me . . . because of Christ. When we die and meet God, our only plea is the blood of Christ.

So pray for him, his name is Trevin. Pray for the Lord to open his eyes to the beauty of the gospel; pray for the Lord to show him that all he must do is repent of his sins and believe in the finished work of Christ.