Richard Mouw: Mormons Moving Closer to Christianity

26 June

Mormons Approaching OrthodoxyThis is an open letter to Mr. Richard Mouw, president emeritus of Fuller Theological Seminary.

I could yammer on about this forever and a day, however, for the sake of space and time, I’m relegating myself to just a few things that quickly came to mind. Lucky you and me! Ha!

In May 2016 an essay written by Richard Mouw was published on the site,Firstthings.com. For those who are unfamiliar with the site, it’s a portal of scholarly articles written by the premiere intellectuals of our day. Their main focus is on the two subject matters everyone’s told not to discuss in public arenas; religion and politics.

I caught wind of the essay when an article on the site Onenewsnow.compublished a pastor’s opinion on Mouw’s essay. To say he disagreed with Mouw would be an understatement. You can read the entire essay in the link provided above, for now I’d like to respond to a couple of key things Mouw said that causes concern.

While explaining his deep friendship with Robert Millet, Mr. Mouw defended his stance that Mormons are moving closer to orthodox Christianity. He stated his friendship hadn’t clouded his reserve, but it did allow him to see Millet’s side of things with more empathy than before.

As a former Mormon, I get that. I deeply understand and appreciate, what I perceive as a sincere love for Jesus most practicing Mormons hold in their heart. I know this from the depths of everything I am, simply because I too, walked for three decades in those shoes.

However, the last time I sided with a Mormon on theological issues, I was still very much a Mormon. Even today I would never argue that a Mormon doesn’t feel as if they loved Jesus. This fact is the very reason I’m in this line of ‘work’. To be quite blunt about this, if I didn’t believe that with all my heart, I wouldn’t be doing this. I’d be a World History professor somewhere, or a full time gardener…someday the gardener in me will see full time work, but for now it’s been relegated to an occasional week night, or free Saturday.

That aside, the fact remains they are far removed from orthodox Christianity. Our post yesterday (Diluting Jesus’ Blood), provides enough proof from their own canon they aren’t any closer to Christianity than than my Rottweiler is to becoming a cat. It just isn’t happening. And as Dr. Walter Martin once said; ‘don’t explain Christianity with experiential reasoning’.

We can’t wish them into the body of Christ. We can pray and witness, but that’s the extent of it. Overall, Mormon theology has rejected the spilt blood of Christ Jesus, and no one should excuse this one hard fact away.

The other issue I saw in Mr. Mouw’s essay is when he afforded leniency to a group of Mormon seminary students who were singing “How Great Thou Art”. One of the students, he said, had tears streaming down his face as he sang the song. Mouw argues that no one who doesn’t know and love the Lord would be capable of that.

Newsflash: I remember tears streaming down my face while singing ‘I Know that My Redeemer Lives’ when I was a Mormon.

The redeemer I knew at that time was a sexually begotten son of God and Mary, who incidentally, had been sexually begotten spiritually by an exalted man-turned-god, and his goddess wife. The redeemer I knew at that time was a brother of Lucifer, and a polygamist with at least three wives. These were the lessons taught to me from a dear Sunday school teacher during my ‘Primary’ years.

When I read statements with the clout and caliber Mr. Mouw holds, I’m wondering if he took into account the number of lies the founder of Mormonism told about the body of Christ.

Everyone, but Joseph Smith, is a Liar

History of the Church 6:478; “All men are liars who say they are of the true Church without the revelations of Jesus Christ and the Priesthood of Melchizedek, which is after the order of the Son of God. (Sermon in a meeting in the Grove, east of the Nauvoo Temple, June 16, 1844)” – Joseph Smith, Jr.

To date, the Church has yet to denounce what their beloved prophet yelled from the pulpit 180 years ago. They’re still teaching about it each Sunday morning, year after year, just as the article in OneNewsNow.com reported.

If the Mormon Church is moving closer to Christianity, neither they, the Christians, and maybe even God Himself, knows nothing about it.

Lastly, I have to ask the question I ask every Mormon that shows up on my doorstep;

If Jesus came back right here, right now, would they go to heaven? If not, then once again we humbly request Mr. Mouw would stop and think before he speaks.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

Life After Ministries

1 Cor. 1:18

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