Praying for Mormons During Their Worldwide Meeting
Editor’s note: On Oct 4-5, thousands of Mormons are set to gather in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a worldwide meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormonism originated in the U.S. in the 1800s, and it reports 17.5 million adherents worldwide, including a growing number of followers in Africa, Latin America, and other nations.
Travis Kerns, who served with Southern Baptists in Salt Lake City, offers some context for the worldwide gathering and ways to pray for Mormons to see and embrace the truth of the gospel.
THE LOCAL CONTEXT FOR A WORLDWIDE MEETING
Since 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has held at least one annual meeting, but they often hold two biannual meetings. The gatherings are designed for faithful Latter-day Saints to hear from their leaders, receive updates concerning Church happenings, and choose leaders in the massive structure that makes up the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
These meetings have taking place in Salt Lake City since 1848, not long after the original pioneers led by Brigham Young entered the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Since 2000, meetings have been held at the organization’s Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
Entrance tickets are free, but they’re extremely difficult to obtain for Latter-day Saints. Many count it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for members to hear in person from their leaders in person. (Both conferences are also broadcast via BYU-TV and online through various media platforms.)
For all faithful Latter-day Saints, the highlight of each conference is hearing from members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and members of the First Presidency, each of whom is believed to be a “prophet, seer, and revelator,” with the climax being a talk given by the President of the Church.
As the meetings roll around each year, they serve as good reminders to pray for members and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for Christians who are regularly around them.
TWO WAYS TO PRAY FOR MORMONS AS THEY MEET
1. Pray that members of the Church, commonly referred to as Mormons, would see the error of their beliefs.
Mormons believe in a god (Elohim) who was born and raised on another planet, who had parents and a family, and did everything he needed to do as a good Mormon, including getting married, having children, and performing various rites and rituals recognized within the Latter-day Saint tradition.
Mormons believe in a created Jesus who is the literal offspring of Elohim and his heavenly wife. Mormons believe in four written books of scripture and one additional set of revealed truths given by the “prophets, seers, and revelators” at each General Conference meeting. Mormons also believe in salvation by both grace and works.
2. Pray that Christians who find themselves around Mormons would have confidence in sharing the gospel.
Ask the Lord to give our brothers and sisters in Christ confidence in the power of the gospel and conviction to share that gospel. If you find yourself around Mormons, remember the truth of Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”
There is power in the Word of God. If you can’t remember your favorite gospel presentation, simply find 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 and explain the prophetic fulfillment of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and why those things matter. Or utilize the proverbial Romans Road through Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; and 10:9-10.
God’s word is powerful, so ask the Lord to remind you and others who might find themselves around unbelievers, whether Mormon or another religious tradition, that the gospel is indeed the power of God for salvation.
