Are Mormons Born Again? - Part I

This was my first post about the program that day.

Former Mormon in North Carolina Says: September 16, 2008 at 4:43 pm

I was born again last year after more than 40 years in Mormonism. My exit from Mormonism is a story of grace, pure and simple, not unlike Shawn’s. I did not leave the church because of its history or its doctrine–although I was certainly aware of its problems. (In fact, I was am amateur apologist who worked as a researcher at BYU during college).

However, God called me OUT of the church into his grace. Staying in the church would have meant “set[ting] aside his grace” (Galatians 2:20-21).

A key aspect of being born again is a renewing of the mind. All of the Mormon apologetic arguments and justifications melted away for me. However, I appreciate and understand that it takes time to unlearn this “other gospel” of Mormonism (Galatians 1), but the place to do it is NOT IN the Mormon church.

Helping born-again Mormons “appreciate and support positive aspects of church membership” (Shawn’s website) is not what Paul had in mind when he said “[If] we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8 KJV).

The Greek word for accursed is anathema which also means “a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed.” It is not Biblical, I believe, to think that “integration of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into the existing body of Christ” (Shawn’s website) is possible nor desirable.

There are other Bible verses (that I am sure will be quoted by others here and on the program today) that make it clear that we need to separate ourselves from the false doctrine of Mormonism. I think it is naive of Shawn to think that born-again Mormons can “simultaneously (but politely) reject any doctrine or practice contrary to biblical truth and authentic Christian beliefs” (Shawn’s website).

For one thing, once a member starts speaking (no matter how politely) against the doctrine and the leaders of the church, they will find themselves on the outside (ex-communicated). So, what value is there to remain in a church that is not what it claims and try to remain safely silent for fear of losing a cultural identity that should have been shed at the time of being born again?

Why not exit the church to be free to praise God and share Christ’s grace with those with whom we recently associated? Staying in the church, I believe, stunts our witness to current members.