Due for release June 23, 2008 from Cold Tree Press.
What do you know about Mormons?
Where did you get your information?
Is the information you have accurate?
When a person claims Mormons aren’t Christians what he’s really saying is Mormons don’t believe in the traditional idea of the Trinity. “Their Jesus is different from our Jesus,” is the usual response.
For the Mormons who strive to live their lives in accordance to the Biblical teachings of Jesus Christ, they find the allegation that they aren’t Christian as incomprehensible as it is hurtful.
Ironically, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world are admired for their values. Yet their admirers are repulsed by Mormon doctrines at the same time. How is that possible? Where do the Mormon values come from? What is the source of their doctrines?
This book attempts to set the record straight as it pertains to some basic Gospel doctrines as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how they are scripturally founded in the Holy Bible.
Excerpt
At the time, I was relatively fresh out of college; it had been less than a year, and I was teaching commercial art classes in high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. Back then, I didn’t look any different from the high school students I was teaching. During those first few weeks, I can’t tell you how many times I had been stopped in the halls by older, more seasoned teachers asking to see my hall pass. When I told them I was a teacher, some looked suspicious, others looked embarrassed, and still others looked insulted. In any case, part of my responsibilities as a teacher was to help with after-school extracurricular activities. On one such occasion, I was asked to help chaperone and drive a group of students from the theatre classes to Louisburg College to see a performance of a popular pantomime (he had been a protégé of the legendary French mime, Marcel Marceau).
It was a chilly autumn evening, probably a Friday. The air was clear and the wind was cold. We stood outside, shivering in front of the high school, waiting. The kids had divided themselves into their usual clicks and were huddled together to keep warm. I simply wanted to know who was going to be riding in my car. After some boisterous discussion, and even more arm twisting, the students were divided among us adults and were told who they would be riding with. One small excited, animated group, as most theatre students are, came bounding over to my car and announced that it was going to be my privilege to drive them to the performance. I deftly countered that it would indeed be their privilege to ride in my vintage 1961 Mercury Comet. As I was saying this, my eyes quickly scanned the little group, and I recognized a couple of my own students. Then my gaze came to rest on one particular girl. She was standing behind the others. I hadn’t seen her before. Evidently, she was a new student. Looking at her, my eyes lingered for a moment, not because she was such a pretty girl (which she was), but because there seemed to be something different about her. She looked different. It was as though she had an aura around her face. Her countenance was distinctly and discernibly different from all the other students. Brushing it aside, I urged the rowdy bunch into the car, and we hurried on our way.
Over the next several weeks, through school activities, I came to know the girl that rode in my backseat that autumn evening. Her name was Linda. She and her family had just moved to Raleigh from Bellevue, Washington, as the result of her father being transferred by IBM. My first impressions of Linda were correct. She wasn’t like most of the other teenagers. She spoke respectfully to the adults. She didn’t use profanity or tell dirty jokes. She didn’t smoke or drink or do drugs. She dressed stylishly yet modestly. She always had a smile on her face, a kind tone in her voice, and an encouraging word for everyone she spoke to. In short, she was a pleasure to be around. As time passed, I was drawn to Linda. Everyone, it seemed, was drawn to Linda.
At this time I was renting a room from a charming lady by the name of Mary Jane, who lived in the nicer, more affluent section of Raleigh. Mary Jane, a divorced single mom, had a daughter Linda’s age, named Laurie, who was one of my art students. Laurie was, in her own way, a sweet girl, but she was the antithesis of Linda in many ways.
One Friday evening, Laurie had a birthday party to which she invited all her friends from school. Even I was invited. (I can’t imagine ever inviting one of my high school teachers to a party at my house!) Granted, I lived there, but I pretty much stayed to myself in my downstairs room when family events were in progress. In all fairness, the family, Laurie, her mom, and her older brother did go out of their way to make me feel as though their home was mine. I did feel welcomed there.
Getting back to the birthday party, Linda was among the guests invited. Not only had she been invited, but she had been also asked to spend the night with Laurie. As the night wore on and the party ran down, people began to leave. Later that evening, it was just Laurie and her boyfriend, and Linda and me. I’m not sure where Laurie and her boyfriend were. I think they were upstairs in the kitchen eating the leftovers. Linda and I were sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the fireplace downstairs in the den, staring into the flames and talking about our innermost thoughts. At one point, I asked Linda if she believed in God. She said she did. I asked her if she was a religious person. She assured me that she was. A few more questions along those lines may have been asked, and then I asked her what church she belonged to. Her answer came, “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Everything I had been thinking came to a screeching halt. My first thought was, That’s an awfully long name for a church. The second thought was, I have no idea what she’s talking about. I’ve never heard of a church by that name. Rather than expose my ignorance (after all I was a schoolteacher), I moved on changing the subject to something entirely unrelated.
The next morning, while everyone else was still in bed, I went into the den and pulled the C volume of the World Book Encyclopedia down from the shelf and looked up “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I hadn’t gotten past the first sentence of the first paragraph before I learned the awful truth. Linda was a Mormon! The first thought that came to my mind was, Oh no, I’ve been fraternizing with the enemy!
Want to review or comment on this book?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviews for "What's Wrong With Mormons?"
Reviewed by alex dihes (алик дайхес)
6/15/2008
My friend, I can tell nothing about the plot, the excerpt is not enough. Yet, about technique. You need an editor, an educated one: however, you MUST be your first editor. You use o lot of tautology and close expressions, which junk the brain of your reader and veer them away from the path of your narration.
I’ve done some the work below.
At the time, I was less than a year out of college. I was teaching commercial art classes in high school in Raleigh, North Carolina. I didn’t look any different from the high school students I was teaching. During first weeks, I can’t tell you how many times I had been stopped by older teachers asking to see my hall pass. When I told them I was a teacher, some looked suspicious, some embarrassed, and still others looked insulted. Part of my duties was to help with after-school extracurricular activities. On one occasion, I was asked to help chaperone and drive a group of students from the theatre classes to Louisburg College to see a popular pantomime, a protégé of the legendary French mime, Marcel Marceau.
Finally! Understand and learn from the New Testament Book of Matthew.
Try James first for free
Now there is a Bible translation that is easy to read, understand, and study.
This translation is unique in that it is arrang
Want to get your kids praising more than just their favorite sports stars and celebrities?
Gather a group of praise-minded youths, add 26 beautifully illustrated praise affirmations, couple them with 26 appropriate Bible verses, stir in short Bible
Finally! Understand and learn from the New Testament Book of Matthew.
Try James first for free
Now there is a Bible translation that is easy to read, understand, and study.
This translation is unique in that it is arrang
