We received an e-mail from Bob Betts who works with Concerned Christians in Mesa, Arizona about a new website that the Mormons have that is designed for those who are interested in Mormonism. Through this new investigator web site, it is possible to log on and chat live with a Mormon missionary. Just click on the top link titled “Ask A Question” and choose the “chat live” option.
After receiving the news of this web site, I just couldn’t resist. I logged on and chatted with Jason. Here is my first “live-chat” with a Mormon Missionary. It is long, but a quick read and well worth the time. Be sure to pass this website out to other Christians so that we can keep the LDS Missionaries busy hearing the truth.
*** Chat Transcript***
You are speaking live with Jason, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Information provided in this session is to provide assistance only and is not an official statement of the Church.
Jason: How may I help you?
Keith: I just came across this site and saw that I could chat live. This is cool.
Jason: It is, do you know anything about the Church?
Keith: Which one?
Jason: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Keith: Oh, lol. Yes, I’ve talked to members before.
Jason: Have you ever attended a Church meeting?
Keith: Yes.
Jason: What did you think when you went?
Keith: How do I get the window to stay scrolled down? It keeps jumping up every time one of us posts a comment.
Jason: Im sorry I’m not sure. It may be the browser you are using.
Jason: Would you like to know more about the Church?
Keith: Bummer. I’m using Internet Explorer so it may be a good idea to take note in case others complain about the same thing.
Keith: Yes, I would like to know more.
Keith: In fact, I saw something on the site about Jesus as a personal savior.
Jason: Good.
Keith: What does that mean?
Jason: We beleive that God is our Heavely Father, and that He loves us.
Keith: So how does that apply to Jesus being a personal savior?
Jason: Jesus atoned for all of our sin so that we may return to live with our Heavenly Father.
Keith: Side question* How long has this chat feature been here?
Jason: Since last November.
Keith: So, do you have a personal relationship with Jesus?
Jason: I do. I pray every day to Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ’s name.
Keith: So you don’t talk to Jesus?
Jason: Jesus Christ’s atonement as stated earlier is the central part of our Heavenly Father’s plan. Without the sacrifice Jesus made we would not be able to return with Heavenly Father.
Keith: OK, but do you talk to Jesus?
Jason: Yes.
Keith: So like, you pray, “Dear Jesus thanks for a beautiful day?
Jason: No.
Keith: I’m confused. How do you talk to Jesus then?
Jason: We open in the name of our Heavenly Father and pray to Him. However as stated before we do this in the name of Jesus Christ for he is the bridge of our relationship to God.
Keith: So then you don’t really talk to him?
Jason: So I do have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Keith: But, you don’t talk to him like the example I gave then, right?
Jason: We believe that God hears our prayers. However God and Jesus are one in purpose so he also hears our prayers.
Jason: No.
Keith: How do you have a personal relationship with someone you don’t talk to?
LONG PAUSE.
Jason: I know that if you pray to God. You will feel Christ’s love you for along with the Father’s.
Keith: If I don’t talk to my wife, guess how long our relationship will last.
Jason: http://scriptures.lds.org/en/search?search=alma+7%3A11-13&do=Search(This URL is opening in the browser window that you opened the chat window from.)
Jason: This passage of scripture explains our relationship with Jesus.
Jason: He suffered for for all of our sins, weaknesses, and sorrows.
Jason: He has felt everything that you felt.
Jason: Therefore he has Personally suffered for you.
Keith: I’m not following you. I’m glad Jesus did all that for me, but President Bush does a lot of stuff for me too and I don’t have a personal relationship with him.
Jason: This passage is found in the Book of Mormon. This book was translated by a modern prophet. It gives us the fullness of Christ’s Gospel and atonement.
Jason: Has president Bush felt…Everything that you have felt?
Keith: I’m still confused about having a personal relationship with someone you don’t talk to. They may do all kinds of great things for me, but if I don’t talk to him, how is it that I have a personal relationship?
Jason: The true question of this matter isn’t how the relationship is established. The true matter is that Christ has done this for you, are you willing to accept His message and come unto Him?
Keith: Are you allowed to talk to Jesus?
Keith: How do I come to Jesus?
Jason: By repenting of your sins through Him and striving to follow the counsel that He and His gospel have established.
Keith: Are you allowed to talk to Jesus? I’ll get to the other stuff in a minute.
Jason: This gospel has been brought to us through a living prophet. Who guides and directs the Church of Christ even today.
Keith: OK… but can you talk to Jesus?
Jason: Christ has taught us how to pray.
Jason: If we disobey his counsel, how can we have a relationship with Him.
Jason: The closest way to get to Christ and develop a relationship with Him is to follow His example and teachings, which have been restored to us today by a living prophet.
Keith: I get the impression you don’t want to give me a direct answer. I’m just asking if you are allowed to talk to Jesus or not. At the beginning of the conversation you said you could. Am I confusing something?
Keith: Does this living prophet tell you that you can’t talk to Jesus?
LONG PAUSE.
Jason: I apologize if this is confusing if I did say you could direct your prayer only to Jesus Christ I apologize.
Jason: Jesus Christ has taught us to direct our prayers to Heavenly Father, in Jesus Christ’s name.
Keith: OK, just so that I have it straight. We’re not allowed to talk to Jesus, right?
Jason: Not in direct prayer.
Jason: One should not be concerned with this however.
Keith: How else could you do it?
Jason: The personal relationship we establish with Jesus Christ is by following the perfect example He set for us.
Keith: What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord?
Jason: Because Jesus Christ knows who you are and what you are feeling, have felt, and will feel, He has a personal relationship with you.
Jason: When praying to our Heavenly Father you would first open in His name. “Dear Heavenly Father.” Then speak to him about your desires and gratitude to Him. then end “in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Jason: This is the order of prayer that Jesus Christ has told us to follow.
Keith: So, if we are calling upon the name of the Lord, that means we are praying to God?
Jason: Yes.
Keith: Do you have a Bible handy?
Jason: Yes.
Keith: Can you please give me your thoughts about 1 Cor. 1:2?
VERY LONG PAUSE.
Keith: Are you still there?
Jason: Yes
Keith: Still thinking?
LONG PAUSE.
Jason: He is calling upon the name of Christ to speak with God, and glorify God. For that is Christ’s purpose, to glorifiy God, not himself.
Jason: Look in verse 4
Jason: As stated in the prayer order I gave you he is using the name of Jesus Christ to praise God.
Keith: Verse 4 is Paul’s prayer. Verse 2 is how all the saints everywhere call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t say anything about God.
Jason: Yes, they are to call on the name of Jesus Christ or as stated in the prayer order, “in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” , to receive God’s grace through Jesus’s Atonement.
Keith: Hmmm. Take a look at Acts 7:59-60.
Jason: It is not as if you can just pick one verse of scripture and choose to believe that, and not the other. For it mentions God in the next verse.
Keith: I agree. Let me know when you get to Acts 7.
LONG PAUSE.
Jason: What are you trying to get to with this verse?
Jason: It is the people that are stoning him that say that.
Keith: Saying what?
Jason: Does it matter? For they are the ones sinning. Are you going to follow the example of sinners?
Keith: Huh?
Keith: You’ve got me confused.
Jason: The peoople who are stoning him, are they following the example of Jesus Christ?
Keith: By killing Stephen? Of course not.
Jason: How then would they have right to call upon His name in an example of prayer?
Keith: Who is calling upon Jesus in prayer?
LONG PAUSE.
Jason: How is this verse supposedly proving your point that we can directly call upon Jesus Christ in prayer and not ever mention God?
Keith: I didn’t say that we don’t ever mention God. I am just asking you to give me your impression of the fact that Stephen directed his prayer to Jesus as he was being martyred.
Jason: Our purpose is to bring to you the truth of the Gospel. Are you willing to pray to God and find for yourself if this Gospel we preach is true?
Jason: Bible bashing brings no one close to Christ or God.
Keith: Can I pray to Jesus?
Jason: You can pray in Jesus’s name to our God the Eternal Father.
Jason: Are you willing to do that?
Keith: This is interesting. I’m not Bible bashing with you here. I’m asking for you thoughts about certain verses. If I pray through Jesus, where do my prayers go?
Jason: Are you willing to pray to God?
Keith: Are you willing to help me with my question?
Jason: I can’t go any further on this issue if you are unwilling to pray to God in Jesus’s name if our message is true.
Jason: The point of this chat is to help others come closer to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Keith: So, I’ll take that as a “No.” If you are telling me that I cannot pray to Jesus about your Church, then there are some serious problems here.
Keith: Don’t my prayers first have to go TO Jesus before they go THROUGH him?
Jason: I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to this day through the prophet Joseph Smith, by the power and revelatioin of God. I would invite you to pray about this to our Heavenly Father, and ask if it is true.
Keith: That would be nice if you could clarify who I can pray to. You seem defensive and unwilling to answer my questions.
Jason: If you will do this I know that you will receive and answer, and promise you that by acting upon this revelation that you get you can recieve a greater peace in your life.
Jason: Pray to our God Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Keith: Sounds nice, but I’d really appreciate an answer.
Jason: I have.
Keith: Think of it this way. When you are done for the day and leave to go home. Try walking THROUGH the door before you go TO the door.
Keith: Don’t you first have to go TO the door before you can go through it?
Jason: I think this is a good point to end our conversation, I have answered the question on how to pray, will you please do so?
Keith: You’re telling me to go through the door but forbidding me to go to it.
Jason: Thank you, have a good day.
***End of Chat***
Hmmm? Isn’t it interesting that they call it “Bible bashing” only after you ask them a question they can’t answer?
nice try Keith. i hope you’ve put some questions in his mind. i’ll try some of this angle with the boys who are coming back Saturday. i’m blogging about my interactions with them.God is goodjpu
Hey Keith – Great Post. After reading through the exchange a couple of times – I noticed something interesting – you asked him several questions trying to understand how to pray through Jesus without praying to him, and then took him to scripture which is plain as day. You never once came out and said “This verse proves that we can pray to Jesus” notice his response -How is this verse supposedly proving your point that we can directly call upon Jesus Christ in prayer and not ever mention God? I think it is cool that he saw your point through honest questions and clear scripture. Its up to him to respond to what he obviously saw w/o you ever coming out and saying it.If bible bashing means letting the scriputure speak for itself and prove its own point – Keep on Bashing Brother!
Hey there Keith…Just a heads up, the church hard codeed some Javascript into their missionary chat page, so that now you are unable to copy and paste your conversation into a blog like this. You would think all this talk of the one true church, they would be able to withstand a little scrutiny. Guess not.Grace and Peace…-Eric Hoffman
I think he thought of you as the one who does not understand him… This is it.I laughed when I read through. BUT in reality, it is sad, I think. Internet conversations are not as profitable as personal, I think.
I’m an atheist and I just *love* chatting with those guys.
when you gave the reference for Acts 7:59-60, what version did you use? cuz you know that the mormons use the king james version, right? in the king james version it says:”And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit…” while the NIV says:”While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit…”In the KJV its not as clear as to WHO was praying to Lord Jesus, Stephen or the people who were STONING stephen. i think that might have confused the guy because he thought the SINNERS were calling to Lord Jesus…?Do you see what im saying or am i just rambling jibberish? sometimes its hard to tell the difference
HOW DO WE NO WHEN GOD IS CALLING YOU?
Even if you are using the KJV, it doesn’t make any sense for the people stoning Stephen to say “receive my spirit.” They aren’t the ones dying.I had a great chat with a missionary the other day, but I was greatly disappointed that I couldn’t copy the conversation.
Hey Keith,Honestly I don’t understand what you were trying to accomplish here. The boy obviously sincerely believes what he is telling you and you seem to simply be arguing with him about the particular wording of a few verses. The fact is that the bible is never really clear about who is God and who is Jesus. The old testament repeatedly refers to God when meaning Jesus, and vice versa. Is there really a difference. I really wonder what your object is. If a person can find peace and pray to God, or to Jesus, or whatever, why do you care? I have to wonder if maybe you weren’t trying to prove something to him, or the world, but to yourself.
Keith,Check out Mathew chapter six, especially vs 6 and 9-14; John 14: 13 and 14; John 16: 23 and 24. Does Christ instruct us to pray to him or to the Father?
keith you have no idea what you were doing, you just tried to flirting on him, I noticed that you wanted to dating with the mormon guy.Am I wrong?lol
I'm pretty sure that you should be ashamed of yourself. All you were trying to do was throw anti mormon versus at him. If you are not willing to read all the information you shouldnt be allowed to give your opinion on things. Stop being so narrow minded. Maybe if you were to open your ears you would undertstand better, or eyes which ever. Either way you are disrespectful and rude. As well as really narrow minded. Maybe you should just visit with missionaries and read the book and pray about it how ever you decided to do it. Than write about the outcome.
Mormons are teaching false things. They are going to Hell.
The Church is true.I know this because I have prayed. I know if you pray with faith and true intent ; you will know too.It's that simple,just try it, have the courage,and an open heart , with nothing holding back. He will answer you and you will know , without question. You will be astonished. I was.
Alex, I did ask God in prayer. He told me that the LDS church is not true. I have a testimony in this and am assured that my sins are forgiven. Plus, as this live-shat shows, you are forbidden to talk to Jesus and I am not. Why would I want to join a church which forbids me to talk to one one who saved me?
The reason why we pray to our Heavenly Father and not to Jesus Christ is because Heavenly Father is above all and the prayer goes through Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is his begotten son and died for us to save us from our sins. They are as one. The father and the son as as one like a husband to his wife. Together they are one. Just like a family are as one. So as we pray to God we can pray about Jesus. Here's an example. "Dear Heavenly father, I pray to you this day to thank you for all the blessing you have given me. I thank you for my safety, family and all that I may take for granted.Lord God, thank your for sending your only begotten son to this earth to save us. I would like Jesus Christ to know that I am greatful that dyeing for us. For without this great sacrifice, the repentance of sins wouldn't be. Lord God please help us strive to stay strong in spirit,mind and body as all three work together in each and everyone of us as we live. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."So here in this prayer Jesus hears what you want to say to him because it goes through him first, then God. In the 10 commandments, whats the first commandment? Thou shalt not have any other gods before me. So if your worshiping Jesus as your god then your breaking the first commandment. Just like those who worship Mary and ect. Jesus is very special to us. He wants us to pray though him to our heavenly father.Jesus doesn't want the glory to himself. He wants us to glorify his father in heaven. Which is also our father who made us all and has no ending.
Keith thank u brother 4 being such a blessing n standing up in what u beliv in, I understand exactly yo point n me myself I wud neva go 2 a church tthat will not allow me 2 pray 2 Jesus. If we call ourselves Christians n say that we beliv in Jesus they why can't we believe in the word which is the BIBLE. We need 2 stop misinterpreting the word of GOD n changing it 2 suite our selves but it is what it is JESUS is the way the truth n the son of GOD n they that woship him must worship him in spirit n in truthIm John 16 it clearly tells us how 2 pray so y is it so complicated 4 sum ppl. Keith brother don't pay any mind or attention 2 all these ppl who r bashing u n tryna say sum bad stuff 2 u keep the FAITH n keep lifting Jesus higher man n I will keep u in prayer that GOD blesses u n yo family and keep u growing spirituallyTo all those who r supporting Keith GOD bless u 2 guys lets just keep preaching n spreading the word of God coz thats what he told us Go ye forth into all the nations n teach
I guess its so much easier when we BELIEAVE IN TRINITY cause then we can pray to GOD, JESUS , OR HOLY SPIRIT. I really hope this kid and all the kids I also speak to at this chat can at least give themselves the option to read the bible and see the truth. God bless.
praise the lord
But I’ve seen Christians call us argumentative when I ask a question they can’t answer, so nobody wants confrontation. What about Acts 7:59-60? Does he not see both God and Christ as 2 separate beings as in Christ on the right hand of God?
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