What if Mormon missionaries told the truth about their religion?

What if Mormon missionaries told the truth about their religion?
by Matt Slick

If Mormon missionaries came to your door and told the absolute truth about their religion, how many people would really believe that? What if the Mormon missionaries had a dialogue that went something like this...

Knock Knock.

The door opens.

"Hello, we are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And we want to tell you about the restored gospel. You see, after the apostles died, the church fell into apostasy. But God in his loving mercy restored the true gospel to Joseph Smith in the early 1800s. We bear our testimony to you that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true, restored church. All other churches are false.  Furthermore, we testify to you that, through heavenly Father's restored church, you have the ability, with the restored priesthood, by keeping commandments, and tithing, to reach godhood.  We want you to know Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that God was once a man on another world and by keeping the laws and ordinances of His God, he was able to reach the status of God himself. He, and his wife, now live in the heavenly realm and we are all their literal offspring born in the pre-existence before we came to this world. Our goal is to honor God by keeping his commandments, by going to the temple and receiving the tokens, and baptizing people for the dead, so that on the day of judgment we might become gods ourselves."

The man of the house stares back at the two young missionaries.  "Become gods?"

"Yes, you can become a God if you join our church, pay a full 10% tithe of your income to the church, and keep celestial law.  You can then call your wife forth and she will assist you as a goddess in populating your own planet."

The man's eyebrows can't rise any further, though he seemed to try.  "Goddess wife?"

"Yes sir, as you would be a God, she would be your wife and you and your family could stay together forever in heaven."

The man stares at the young men...for a while....not sure how to respond to all of that.

"Would you like a Book of Mormon?"

"What is this Book of Mormon?"

"The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ.  It was revealed to Joseph Smith who restored the true church when he was given golden plates by the Angel Moroni. Joseph translated the golden plates by the authority of God when he put a seer stone in a hat, he put his face in the hat, and then God gave him the translation of the reformed hieroglyphics that were on those gold plates."

After a few more seconds of staring, the man lowers his eyebrows and asks, "Hieroglyphics?  You mean Egyptian hieroglyphics?


"Yes sir. Joseph Smith received the golden plates in New York, and these plates had reformed hieroglyphics written on them. He translated them by the power of God."

The man at the door shifts his weight to the other leg.  "So, there were golden plates with hieroglyphics written on them, and they were in New York?"

"Yes, sir."

"How did those golden plates get there?"

"They were written down by the early inhabitants of this continent who arrived here from Israel a few thousand years ago.  The American Indians are their descendants."

The man leans against the door and scratches his head.  "The American Indians are really the descendants of Jews from ancient Israel?"

"Yes sir."

He takes a deep breath as he contemplates what this young man is saying.  After a few moments, he asks, "Then how come the American Indians don't look like Jews?"

The lead Mormon stop smiling and stares past the man for a moment. He then looks at his missionary partner, then back to the man.  "I don't know. I never thought about it before.  But, I know that the church is true just as I know the true gospel was restored here on the American continent where it all began."

The man jerks his head back slightly.  "What do you mean 'where it all began'?"

"Well sir, the Garden of Eden is in Missouri, and that is where mankind began. It comforts me to know that the true and restored gospel came back to the land where it all began."

The man stared at the missionary for a moment. He then glanced back in his house. His wife was somewhere, but she wasn't around. "I was looking for my wife. I want her to hear this."

"We could always come back another time if you're interested."

"I see," he said cautiously. After another glance back into the house, he looked to the missionaries again. "And how do you know it's true?"

"Because I prayed sincerely to heavenly Father about the book of Mormon and he revealed me in my heart that it was true."

The man nods slowly. "I see. So you prayed and received a message in your heart that all of what you're telling me is true?"

"Not exactly, sir.  I prayed about the Book of Mormon as it says to do in Moroni 10:4.  That Is when I received a revelation that is true. If you were to read the book of Mormon and also pray about it, you would get the same testimony."

The man's eyebrows shot up once again.  "I would? What if I read the book of Mormon and did not get the same testimony after praying about it?"

"Then you would not have been praying with true sincerity."

"I see, so the only possible true answer is at the Book of Mormon is true?   Is that correct?"

"Well, sir, yes, that is correct. the book of Mormon is the most correct book of any book on earth."

The man kind of pursed his lips together and swallowed.  "And all of this that you told me about God from another world, becoming gods, goddess wife, etc., is all in that book?"

"Well, no sir it is not. Those things are not in there."

"I'm confused, "said the man. "You just told me it's the most correct book of any book on earth and that it was also revealed by God to Joseph Smith while he was looking into a hat.  Why then does it not teach all the stuff you told me?"

"I understand that may sound confusing. But the book of Mormon is a book about the history of the people on this continent. The other doctrinal truths are revealed in other scriptures of the LDS church."

The man nodded slowly. "Yes, I'd heard something about that. You have additional Scriptures.  I see."

"Yes sir, we have the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl of Great Price, and of course, the Bible. We use all of these along with the Book of Mormon.  Again, if you would like one, I could give you one."

"Yeah, I think that would be interesting to read."

The missionary who hadn't said anything yet reaches into a bag and pulls out a book of Mormon and hands it to the man at the door.

"Thank you."  The man fans through it briefly.

"Would you like us to return next week after you have read some of the Book of Mormon? We could then present to you lessons about the church, the apostasy, the restoration, our priesthood authority, the church organization, and our modern-day prophet."

"Prophet?"

"Yes, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a prophet of God and sometimes, when necessary, he receives revelation from God and directs our church.  It is very comforting to know he is there."

The man can't help but stare at these two young men. They are polite, well-dressed, and seems sincere.  "Well," he said as he fanned through the Book of Mormon again, "Let me think about it.  But, for now, I have to go.  Thanks.  Have a nice day."

With that, he slowly closed the door.

The missionaries stood there for a moment and looked at each other.  They began to walk towards the street. The less talkative one said, "Maybe you should've told him about how the Trinity is really three separate gods, and that we are all brothers and sisters of Jesus and the devil from the preexistence."

"Yeah, I'll try that at the next house."