David L. Rowe - I Love Mormons: A New Way to Share Christ with Latter-Day Saints

Mormonism is an experiential religion. People who want to argue with Mormons about the teachings and the texts of their religion may seriously miss the opportunity to communicate. David Rowe helps readers understand how Mormonism functions as a culture, a way of life, and even as a catalyst for burning-in-the-bosom moments of personal transcendence. Following Rowes insights can help readers create points of deep personal contact with Mormonsand the potential for transformation.

David Neff, editor and vice president, Christianity Today

For the past thirteen years, I have developed wonderful friendships with a small group of religion professors at Brigham Young University, all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing. Through extensive conversations I have learned firsthand what they actually believe and teach, what directions the church is heading in the twenty-first century, and how evangelical Christians are generally perceived in LDS circles. When people have asked me for the best resource available for how best to interact with LDS friends today with respect to religious topics, I have told them, The Bridges video series, produced by Salt Lake Seminary. Now similar material is even more accessible in this book. A must read for all who care about this topic.

Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

Dave Rowe not only loves Mormons, he understands that an essential requirement of love is truth telling. He writes candidly about the appeal and burdens of Mormonism, the differences between it and historic Christianity, and our often counterproductive attempts to share our faith with Latter-day Saints. This book should be required reading for all who know Mormons or will soon know Mormonswhich is to say, almost everyone. It is written with clarity, practicality, and most of all charity.

Donald McCullough, president, Salt Lake Theological Seminary

This is a highly commendable example of the apostle Pauls directive to Timothy, his fellow missionary. In his enlightening discussion of how to witness effectively to Mormons, Dr. Rowe exhibits not only keen logic and detailed knowledge but an irenic spirit and gracious attitude. Here we have missionary apologetics at its best.

Vernon Grounds, chancellor, Denver Seminary

Something is wrong with witness when one consistently wins arguments but never souls. The habits of the Mormon heart are not reshaped by confrontation with the gospel but by confession of the gospel. David Rowe teaches us lessons in faithful confession to Mormon culture. Live these lessons, and the lives of those around you will turn Godward.

Terry C. Muck, professor of mission and world religion, Asbury Theological Seminary

For over a century and a half, evangelicals have written books condemning Mormon belief and practice. Not surprisingly, these books engendered a style of evangelism focused on winning arguments, not people. Dave Rowe has written a new kind of bookone that endeavors to make the Good News actually sound like good news to Mormons. His three decades of ministry in Utah has given him insights into Mormon culture and the Mormon mind-set that are a tremendous help to those who want to reach their Mormon friends.

Ken Mulholland, founder and former president, Salt Lake Theological Seminary

What a fresh, creative approach to sharing the gospel with those of the Latter-day Saints faith! In his delightful narrative style, David encourages the reader to accompany him in his own journey in coming to understand how to relate to Mormons. He demonstrates a key understanding of Mormonism: it is not just another religion, another cult, but a culture. He does this without any compromise to the teachings of historic Christianity but displays a genuine love and respect for Mormons. From my own experience of pastoring a church in Utah for twenty years, I cant emphasize strongly enough that this is such an important concept to grasp if one is to be effective in relating to them. The questions at the end of each chapter are a great help toward applying these principles to our own situation.

Les Magee, former pastor of Washington Heights Church, Salt Lake City

I have been a serious student of the Mormon Church and Mormon culture for forty-five years. I grew up in the state of Utah, and I ministered as a pastor in Utah for thirty-three years. I have read dozens of books over the years about Mormon history; Mormon theology, beliefs, and practices; and how to witness to or share the gospel with Mormon people. This is the best book I have read on understanding Mormon culture and communicating effectively with Mormon people. David Rowe writes out of decades of experience of living in Utah and interacting with Mormon people. This is not a theoretical treatise, but rather a practical and compassionate approach to living constructively as a Protestant Christian in a setting dominated by Mormon culture.

Jeff Silliman, executive presbyter, Presbytery of Riverside, San Bernardino, California

I
MORMONS

I
MORMONS

A New Way to
Share Christ with
Latter-day Saints

DAVID L. ROWE, PH.D.

2005 by David L. Rowe

Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rowe, David L.

I love Mormons : a new way to share Christ with Latter-day Saints / David L. Rowe.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8010-6522-4 (pbk.)
1. Missions to Mormoms. I. Title.

BV2627.R69 2005
266'.0088'2893dc22 2005005245

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture marked Message is taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Contents

We felt respected, said the Mormon student who lingered at the front of the lecture hall longer than all the other questioners. Five of her Latter-day Saints friends lingered with her, and all of them nodded their agreement. We were at Baylor University, and I had just given a long-planned, carefully crafted lecture titled The Creed and Culture of Mormonism. The administrator who helped plan the event expected it to draw twenty-two people, including you and me, but to everyones astonishment, the three-hundred-seat hall was packed! The planners and I had prayed hard for precisely the above response from any Mormons who might attend. We were overjoyed.

Such respect for this people called Mormons, born of and carried on the wings of a deep love for them (despite deep disagreements with some of their distinctives), embodies the spirit as well as one of the major objectives of this book. My prayer, my dream, is that you, the reader, would come to understand Latter-day Saints and their culture and wed this understanding to a profound love and respect for them that they will sense as you relate to them.