LDS packaging often looks and sounds Christian. Here's how to get beyond the surface and show Mormons the truth.

Last year more than 300,000 people worldwide were baptized as converts into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The LDS has one of the most effective and efficient missionary programs of any religious group in the world today, with 55,000 missionaries serving in 160 countries. Doubling since 1981, the LDS has a membership of more than 10 million worldwide with about half of them in North America.

Growth [in LDS membership] in the United States is approximately 5 percent a year, while overseas it increases at approximately 10 percent. In 1950 there were only 1 million Latter-day Saints worldwide. Adherents now total approximately 10 million, with forecasts of the number of Mormons worldwide to exceed 250 million within the next century.

Thus, the LDS presents a major challenge to Christian churches, especially since many LDS converts are from Christian church memberships.

The mainstay of Mormon growth is its missionary corps. Young men and women spend up to two years sharing the gospel of Mormonism. Fifteen missionary training centers dot the globe. The largest is in Provo, Utah.

Many Mormon missionaries were raised in LDS families and were exposed to the teaching of Mormonism from infancy. The budding missionaries attended Mormon Sunday school, and usually attended early morning "seminary" classes during high school.

At the college level they learn about the great "apostasy" of Christianity, the appearances of God, Jesus and other biblical figures to Joseph Smith. They also learn about the distinctive views of Mormonism regarding God, Jesus and the "gospel."

At the missionary training centers, the young missionaries learn to cook, wash, iron and do other household chores. Most important, they learn how to present the claims of Mormonism in the most positive and attractive way possible.

Once committed to a Mormon mission, missionaries have no contact with their families except through letters and two phone calls a year, which can be made on Christmas and Mother's Day. A Mormon missionary's time and energy is to be spent zealously seeking converts to the LDS church.

Mormonism is built on the concept that a person must first be baptized by a priesthood "holder" or an active male member of the church to achieve the highest level of salvation. That level is the celestial kingdom. Mormonism therefore practices proselytization, or the conversion of a person, not just to faith in the Christ of Mormonism but to the Mormon church itself.

In 1950 there were only 1 million Latter-day Saints worldwide. Adherents now total approximately 10 million, with forecasts of the number of Mormons worldwide to exceed 250 million within the next century.

Mormons believe baptism by immersion and other acts are absolutely essential for converts to become active participants in the LDS church so they may become faithful and genuine followers of Jesus in this life.

Bible-based Christians believe that faith in Jesus alone saves. While true believers are members of Christ's universal Body, the Church, they do not have to join a particular denomination to be fully obedient followers of Christ.

On average, each Mormon missionary leads approximately six people each year into the ranks of the Mormon Church. The church is working to increase its number of missionaries. By 2005 to 2010, the Mormon hierarchy hopes to have one hundred thousand Mormon missionaries active around the world.

The tactics of appeal
How is it that Christians develop an interest in the "fullness of the gospel" as offered by the LDS church? First, Mormons appeal to people's interests in knowing more about Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon, they assert, fills in many of the important gaps in Christ's life_like his visit to the Western Hemisphere to the tribes of the Nephites and Lamanites. Even though these claims are fallacious, and contradict all that historians and anthropologists know about the Americas, Mormon apologists strive to present a strong case for their interpretation of the "facts."

A second approach often used by the missionaries is to appeal to people's love for families. Mormons have expended enormous effort in building a reputation for family values. Mormonism says that, if you are married in their temples, then your children are sealed to you, and, if the whole family obeys and serves the church, then they will spend eternity together.

This scenario sounds very attractive to many people. However, it is not supported in the Bible. In heaven, Christ's church is married to Him; the divine Groom is forever bonded to His bride, the Christian church, which constitutes all people who have trusted in Him by faith (Rev. 21:9-27).

Mormonism also appeals to people by offering the possibility of helping deceased relatives and friends. Mormonism claims that not only the recently dead, but ancestors as far back as they can be traced, are able to be liberated from spirit prison. The extensive genealogical studies of the LDS church are based on their teachings that the dead can be evangelized. But here again, Mormonism runs up against biblical teaching that tells us that "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27 NKJV). Decision time for the afterlife is in the present. There are no second chances for salvation after death.

Another attraction to the LDS church is that [Mormon doctrine teaches] it is the "one true church." After all, who would want to be a part of a false church or incomplete fellowship of congregations.

The advocation and promotion of traditional Christian morality, albeit in Mormon dress, is another point of attraction for non-Mormons. In a confusing world where some Christian churches tolerate promiscuous and adulterous relations and even homosexuality, Mormonism is an obviously conservative alternative. Missionaries themselves project this image. Their clean-cut personas with short hair, white shirts, and ties are recognized by all.

Mormonism claims that not only the recently dead, but ancestors as far back as they can be traced, are able to be liberated from spirit prison.

Once part of the organization, the succeeding generations of Mormons from the families of converts learn the fine points of Mormon theology. These doctrinal issues include exaltation to godhood, the rites and rituals of the temple essential to perform for admission into the celestial kingdom, as well as the unique position of the church regarding Jesus and proxy baptism for the dead.

Generally, the claim of the LDS church to be the one true Church, the fact that LDS baptism is essential for eternal progression, and questions raised about the integrity of the Bible are not mentioned by the missionaries to potential converts. Instead, cautious and encouraging comments are made about God being our Heavenly Father, Jesus being our big brother, and families staying together forever. By emphasizing these positive elements, Mormon missionaries effectively lessen the possibility of rejection by potential converts.

Public relations and financial resources
The LDS church is not only an aggressive, proselytizing church, but it is also a powerful economic machine. Mormonism teaches that tithing is essential to gain the celestial kingdom. Tithing, therefore, is a work that contributes toward achieving a higher level of salvation. Time magazine estimated that in 1996, $5.2 billion in tithes flowed into Mormon church headquarters in Salt Lake City, with $4.9 billion coming from American church members. Church authorities in Salt Lake City direct the funds, helping to construct more than 300 chapels or ward houses each year and several new temples. The missionary support enterprise itself receives approximately $500 million dollars each year.

Mormons use high-powered investments to produce an empire of financial enterprise. Recent estimates calculate that the LDS church produces $5.9 billion a year and contains more than $30 billion in assets. Apart from Mormon temples and meeting houses, the Mormon empire owns 16 radio stations, one television station, a daily Salt Lake City newspaper (Desert News), a book company, and a large agricultural enterprise with one ranch outside of Orlando, Florida, alone worth $858 million. It also owns and operates Utah's largest department store chain (ZCMI). These commercial enterprises make Mormonism the largest religious financial enterprise in the United States outside of the Roman Catholic Church.

Public perception
The public image of the church is fine-tuned to present the image of Mormonism as the best and most complete form of Christianity.

While Mormonism tries to soften its critique of Christians, it more emphatically seeks acceptance as a Christian religion. In 1982 additional words were added to the Book of Mormon to give it the subtitle Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The official logo of the church was altered as well in the early 1990s by making the name "Jesus Christ" three times larger than the words "The Church of" and "Latter-day Saints."

Visitors to Temple Square in Salt Lake City over the last 20 years have noted a dramatic shift in visitor displays. The emphasis has been taken off Joseph Smith and the foundation of the Mormon church. Instead, the prominent murals displayed in the visitors center are biblical paintings featuring the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Mormons use high-powered investments to produce an empire of financial enterprise. Recent estimates calculate that the LDS church produces $5.9 billion a year and contains more than $30 billion in assets.

Visitors are informed that the church emphasizes the person of Jesus Christ and that Latter-day Saints are folks who have a true and living relationship with Christ. At the same time church officials declare "We are Christians!" USA Today promoted the headline "Christian but different," adding: "Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say they are Christian but neither Protestant nor Catholic."

Other public relations emphases within Mormonism include recent attempts to discourage the use of the term "Mormon." Mormon was allegedly the compiler and preserver of the Book of Mormon who delivered the "golden plates" to his son Moroni who later revealed their location to Joseph Smith. The name Mormon has stuck with the LDS church almost from its inception. Due to the negative connotation of the word Mormon and its identification with anti-Christian beliefs, now "Mormons urge use of formal name"--The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Is the attempt to redesign the Mormon image working? Well, at least one evangelical poll, the Barna Report, now shows that up to 26 percent of all Mormons are genuinely born again. (The Mormon doctrine of baptism and the subsequent laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost are now understood and interpreted by Mormons as the new birth.) Even former President Jimmy Carter has declared that Mormons are Christian in spite of their nonbiblical views of God, Jesus and salvation.

On the surface, Mormons sometimes look and sound Christian. Mormon leaders have created a public relations campaign to promote the LDS church as Christian, and they have a financial empire to support their efforts. For people who are uninformed about what Mormonism really teaches and what Mormons truly believe, the LDS campaign will continue to make a positive impression.

The Bible calls on followers of the true Jesus Christ to judge righteously (John 7:24). We are to draw conclusions that are accurate and based on facts. All non-Mormons, especially orthodox Christians, should be fully aware of the facts about Mormonism. Otherwise, they may be unable to respond adequately when Mormons come knocking on their doors.

This article is excerpted from Mormonism Unmasked by Phil Roberts. Published by Broadman & Holman, the book is available by calling the Customer Service Center, 1-800-233-1123 or fax 615-251-5983.