Temple Square

 

Every year the LDS Church turns the Christmas lights on the day after Thanksgiving and it draws the crowds out.  They are beautiful.  It’s a great opportunity to get the word out to thousands of people!  I also was able to get out close to 100 Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith DVDs.  It was also a great photo-op, which undoubtedly contributed to the soaring stats on my site MormonInfo.org/JosephLied.com.  Advertising worked again!  I also got into a number of conversations with people who were curious about my message.  Of course there were a good number of upset people (by the way, I have never heard so many people mockingly ask if I was referring to Joseph Stalin!), but most were quite favorable to what I was doing.  Many complimented my sign… even Mormons.  Further, it’s difficult to get mad at me when I’m wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!  I would explain that this was my Christmas gift to them. 

Of those who were curious and wanted to dialogue, the primary question I got was, “What did Joseph lie about?”  So I would rehearse to them what I have written in my article about that question: Smith lied about (1) being married to only one wife, (2) the Book of Abraham, and (3) teaching a plurality of Gods.


On Joseph Smith's birthday (the 23rd), I ran into a guy who took my Temple Square Visitor’s Guide and said he didn’t believe in any religion since he was a scientist.  I told him, “Well, just because you’re a scientist doesn’t entail you can’t be a Christian.  There are many Christians who are scientists.”  He just shrugged it off.  Then I told him as he was walking across the street, “There are many scientific evidences for God: the Big Bang implies a Big Banger, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics implies that the universe was wound up since it’s winding down, and how do you explain the intricate design to sustain life in the universe?  Blind natural processes are insufficient.  You need some Intelligent Designer.” 

There was another couple I talked to.  One was LDS and her friend was a guy from Germany, who was Protestant.  I was able to expose him to some serious problems with Mormonism very quickly.  Being a typical European liberal Protestant, he didn’t see the big deal and thought we should just be about love.  I think they got the point of love rejoicing in the truth as 1 Cor. 13:6 says when I told both of them that the LDS God could have been a homosexual, rapist, or child molester.  Another family was standing there listening to the dialogue.  However, at this point, the family and the couple handed me back the Temple Square Visitor’s Guide and ended the conversation by going into Temple Square.  They all thought I was being disrespectful for simply mentioning a fact of Mormon theology.  I was very polite, and we were having a great conversation up until that point.  So remember that you can be as nice as possible, and if you’re going to tell the whole factual story, people are still going to get upset at you.

  
MeetTheExMormons.org


Ryan and Michelle Filby came to share their story out of Mormonism and into Christ.  Please see their wonderful testimony and the pictures on our MeetTheExMormons.org site.


More New Videos


I posted videos of my work at Temple Square prior to Christmas called “Smithmas Time Across from Temple Square” as well as an old video of me dialoguing with LDS missionaries in 1994.


Rome Mission


I’m planning on attending the last week of the temple opening in Rome, Italy—February 11-16th.  I am also scheduled to speak at Rome Baptist Church on February 17th.  Please pray that God will work all the details out for this and please give to support this mission.


We Need Your Partnership!

 

We not only need your prayers, but we need your financial partnership as well.  Keep in mind that your investment is not simply for us, but for the lives of others we reach with the gospel.  The standard way to financially invest is by writing a check to Courageous Christians United (CCU).  For more information on various ways to invest in this ministry, including online giving, please see our “Invest” page on any of our sites.  Please keep in mind we have no financial guarantees each month. Ministry partners come and go.  If you’re not a partner and are blessed by these monthly updates, please consider joining our team and let us know soon.  We’d love to be your missionaries here in Utah.  Many thanks to those of you who hold us up in prayer and in your financial giving!


We expect God to provide for our needs through you.  Why?  Because the Bible is clear: “the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14).


If you sign up to become a monthly partner of our ministry, I will gladly send you a signed copy of our new book Sharing the Good News with Mormons at no cost.  If you simply want to buy it, I will sell a signed copy for $18 (includes shipping and handling within the United States).  Amazon lists it for $15.76 (Prime) without shipping and tax.  All proceeds go to support CCU, which is a 501c3 non-profit organization.


Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6)!

 

Rob Sivulka
President, Courageous Christians United
(801) 738-0539 (leave message)
MormonInfo.org
MeetTheExMormons.org
JWinfo.org
MuhammadLied.Info

 

****MAILBAG****

 

You are very wrong where do you get your info from . If any thing, this is not right what has the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints done to you for you to do this.? Please learn about the church before you post this crap. There have been many miracles because of this church. There are testimonies why this church is true. Read the Tattooed Mormon .

 

[She then sent me an email with the subject "you are lying"]...

 

"why would you do this. I have been a mormon for 12 years and will die for the church because i believe in it. If you really are going to put this up at least but your sources up.😥😥😥😥

 

i love this church and plus our church is not a cult you are a cult and just trying to run us out but you can't there are enough people that believe are wrong so just stop. learn are culture. do you know that you guys put through enough by killing us and running us out of towns. you are making people doubt what there parents taught them the book of mormon is true and you are wrong"

 

[I replied:] You are willfully blind for not seeing the LDS sources I cite. For example, go to the Home page. See the chart that says "Differences Between Mormonism and Christianity"? Look under the section that says "Mormonism." You don't see the LDS sources there? Do you have something else in mind? If I don't cite LDS sources, then why in the world would anyone doubt the Mormon faith?


You are in a goofy sci-fi, neo-pagan, fertility cult that masquerades as Christianity.

 

Just trying to warn you!

 

[She replied:] i am sorry what i said i should be more careful what i say. i will be better when i do stuff like that. I am sorry i made you mad. What i do know is i am a child of god and no one will tear me down thank you for understanding

 

[I replied:] Thank you for your apology. I only wish the best for you and that includes coming to know the only true God. The Mormon god is an imaginary idol that is leading you to hell. Joseph Smith has been proven to be a false prophet, so you shouldn't trust his view of God and Jesus. You need to repent before it's too late.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

[She replied:] merry Christmas to you and your family. I am very sorry about your wife. I hope you have a good new year. But i don't need to repent i will honor my parents and I will believe in what i do and i will honor it when you email me about this please try your best to not cuss. Either way mormon or not i do not swear

 

[I replied:] I don't cuss. If you're referring to hell, there's a way to use it as cussing and there's a way to use it as Jesus did. That is, as a real place that most go due to their unbelief. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Mat. 10:28). Do you think was Jesus was cussing here?


Are you sorry about my wife leaving Mormonism? I appreciate your concern for her, but we're concerned for you being in a cult that thinks God had to grow up to become a god and He needed a wife to do that, and if we're worthy, we can follow them and become gods too for other worlds we create. That's blasphemy, and it shows that Mormons don't know God.
You need to repent of following a false prophet like Joseph Smith who, according to your own church, had 30 to 40 wives, and 12 to 14 of them were currently married to living husbands. Why in the world would you take his word on anything that has to do with God, let alone anything else?


Merry Christmas!
_________________

 

[LDS missionary:] What's Courageous Christians United?

 

[I replied:] My mission organization: http://www.courageouschristiansunited.org/

 

[LDS missionary:] Is it a church?

 

[I replied:] No, a mission organization

 

[LDS missionary:] What's that?

 

[I replied:] Well if you read the last link, it tells you.

 

[LDS missionary:] I can't. I don't have access to Google right now.

 

[I replied:] MISSION STATEMENT


Courageous Christians United exists to boldly and respectfully defend traditional Christianity against cults, and other false religions and philosophies on all sorts of levels, and to equip the Body of Christ in facing these challenges.

 

[LDS missionary:] Oh. That's cool. So, you're Christian?

 

[I replied:] Yes, of course. I couldn't be otherwise if I ran this organization.

 

[LDS missionary:] Haha. That's true. So you're like a prophet or something?

 

[I replied:] No, I'm a missionary and a mission president.

 

[LDS missionary:] Oh. That's cool. Is it hard?

 

[I replied:] Some parts are, like raising $. But preaching and defending the faith are relatively easy, since I've been doing it for so long. Then again, it can be hard to be patient with people who are willfully blind.

 

[LDS missionary:] Really? Wow. That sounds amazing. How long have you been doing it? Also, raising money for what?

 

[I replied:] I've started being a summer missionary to Utah back in 1982. Moved to UT in 1996, but became a professional, full-time missionary in 1999, and took over Courageous Christians United in 2006. Raise $ to live and continue preaching and defending the gospel.

 

[LDS missionary:] Oh. Okay. So you get payed to preach people?

 

[I replied:] Let me know if you'd like to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/MormonInfo.org. If so, please answer the 3 questions.

 

[LDS missionary:] What's it about? The group? Hey Rob? What version of the Bible do you read from?

 

[I replied:] DESCRIPTION

 

We hold to the belief that Mormons are not genuine Christians, since the former holds to a false Christ. This group's primary goal is to spread the word of why mere Christianity and Mormonism are two completely different religions.
However, secondarily, the group is open to discuss anything specifically related to Mormonism.

 

I read from many versions of the Bible. Right now I'm going through the ESV.

 

[LDS missionary:] Aren't there lots of differences between the different bibles?

 

Wait. I thought that Mormons were Christians? 🤔 And why are there so many different versions of the Bible? It confuses me. Which one is true? Are any of them correct?

 

[I replied:] Well there are good translations and bad translations. Good translations are basically all the same as far as the content with various ways of saying the same things. Bad translations change the content. A good example of bad translations are the Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation and the LDS JST. The latter adds things that change the content of the Hebrew and Greek scriptures from which all translations come.
Mormons have a false Christ, so they are false Christians.

 

[LDS missionary:] Hmm... Interesting. I wasn't aware of that. Why do people make bad Translations of the Bible?

 

[I replied:] Because false prophets like taking people away from the true God.

 

[LDS missionary:] So, are there no more prophets on the Earth?

 

[I replied:] I believe there are. I just warn people of false prophets like Mormons.

 

[LDS missionary:] Really? I didn't know that we had many prophets around still. I thought they all died, or were killed?

 

[I replied:] There are many prophets in the Church.

 

[LDS missionary:] What church?

 

[I replied:] All different denominations... like Church of God or Assembly of God or Foursquare

 

[LDS missionary:] Wait. What do you mean? I thought that they were all separate? And that they taught different Doctrine?

 

[I replied:] You've never heard of Pentecostals? Sure there's different nonessential doctrines that makes them unique but the essential doctrine makes them all part of the Christian church and other groups like Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses not part of the Christian Church.

 

[LDS missionary:] I've heard the name Pentecostal, but don't know avything about it.

 

[I replied:] Well they believe all the gifts of the Spirit are operating today, including prophecy

 

[LDS missionary:] Oh. Okay. Hey, I talked I had a quick question about the Bible, maybe you could help?

 

[I replied:] K

 

[LDS missionary:] I don't understand 1 Corinthians 15:29 And also 1 Corinthians 15:41 Well, mainly all of that chapter. 😅

 

[I replied:] The only biblical passage that mentions baptism for the dead was most likely done by those outside of Christianity, since the Apostle Paul made a contrast between what "they" do and what "we" do. Paul said that even those who do baptism for the dead believe in the resurrection. How much more should we, who do not baptize for the dead and are led by apostles who were eyewitnesses of Christ's resurrection, believe in the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:29-30).
Even if some of the Corinthians were performing baptisms for the dead, there is no reason to think the practice was understood to be a means of salvation. Further, even though baptism is normal and a believer should be baptized, it is not essential for salvation since individuals have obviously been saved without it (e.g., Lk. 23:32-43; Acts 10:44-8; and 1 Cor. 1:17).

 

Finally, there is no second chance for salvation to those who reject it in this life (Lk. 16:19-31; and Hebrews 9:27).

 

So a lot of people aren't completely sure about 1 Cor. 15:29.

 

1 Cor. 15:41 is simply describing the vast differences between the earthly body and the spiritual or resurrected or glorified body.

 

That's the context.

 

It has nothing to do with an LDS understanding of 3 different kingdoms we go to after death.

 

[LDS missionary:] Hebrews 9:27 says only one death, but in Revelations it mentions a second death? I don't understand that either.

 

[I replied:] Only 1 death for this life before the judgment. Then after that judgment there's the second death or eternal death or the lake of fire.

 

[LDS missionary:] Really? I didn't know that.

 

[I replied:] That what the Bible teaches

 

[LDS missionary:] Where in it does it say that?

 

[I replied:] Rev. 2:11, 20:6, 14, and 21:8

 

[LDS missionary:] Wow. You know your Bible. I didn't know those references. How long have you been studying?

 

[I replied:] Since I was born into a Christian family that valued the Bible in 1967

 

[LDS missionary:] Did you go to school studying it?

 

[I replied:] Yep

 

[LDS missionary:] Like college?

 

[I replied:] Yep

 

[LDS missionary:] Wow. So, this is your job?

 

[I replied:] Yep

 

[LDS missionary:] Wow. That's cool. If you don't mind me asking, what's your favorite scripture?

 

[I replied:] Not sure. Maybe Lk. 6:26

 

[LDS missionary:] What makes it your favorite?

 

[I replied:] Because I don't live for the applause of men, but I only live for God's applause. Gal. 1:10 is another in this regard.

 

[LDS missionary:] Makes sense.
__________________

 

[Here's a great testimony on Janna's video, who spoke at our November fellowship:
From] "monica lee

 

I've been grieving because I also just found the truth.. I also just came out of Mormonism, and it has been extremely hard because I have zero support from family. But my love for Jesus out weighs my sorrow. The word of God (the Bible) is what set me free.. Thank you for your testimony!!! It really helps."
__________________

 

You are so courageous Rob!!  I am surprised that they don't attack you for being so brave (I mean physically!).  I see more and more of them come out of that cult, but every day people fall for their baloney!  Thank you for your courage!
__________________

 

I'm pleased with the statistics that you gave the LDS church is weakening due to your efforts and with my and others support.
__________________

 

…What a high honor to be so visible for God rather uniquely in this world, strongly grasping Bible truth and sinners needs. And for the dear wife to stand beside you, be blessed in big ways from God.


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