Nampa pastor leads drive to convert Mormons
Really? With all the Islamic terrorism going on, there are still people who call themselves Christian that attack other Christians? Pitiful.
From Nampa pastor leads drive to convert Mormons | News Updates | Idaho Statesman
A media campaign has been launched in eastern Idaho against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The "Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons" campaign was started by the Truth in Love Ministry of Nampa. Its focus is on "witnessing to Mormons" and showing them the "truth of God's words" through "loving means."
Five billboards have been placed in heavily Mormon southeastern Idaho - one in Rexburg and two each in Idaho Falls and Pocatello - showing a woman holding her head next to the words "Feeling Worthy?" The billboard gives the campaign Web site. The billboards are expected to remain on display for at least three months.
These kinds of crusades aimed at Mormons by some conservative Christian churches aren't new, said Denny Clark, professor of religion and philosophy at the College of Idaho in Caldwell.
"The assumption is that anyone who is involved in the LDS (church) is basically endangering their soul," he said. "It comes off rather harshly."
The "Feeling Worthy?" message "targets a foundational fact of Mormonism, the need for all Mormons to achieve worthiness in order to receive eternal life," according to campaign literature. The campaign says God's truth is "the concept of free and full forgiveness through Christ" rather than the "earned forgiveness taught in Mormonism."
"There is an important difference between LDS teachings and conservative Christianity," said Mark Cares, president of the Truth in Love Ministry. "The aim of the campaign is to talk about the great message of forgiveness in the Bible that is obscured by LDS teachings."
Cares is also a pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church, 534 W. Iowa Ave., Nampa, which is part of the theologically conservative Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church.
Robert Chambers, an LDS area seventy (a church administrative title) who represents the LDS church in southeastern Idaho, had no comment on the Truth in Love Ministry campaign, in part because he had not heard of the group.
The ministry's literature focuses heavily on Mormon "stress points."
"Mormons are under a significant amount of stress because of all the commandments they need to uphold and all the duties they need to perform in order to be worthy to receive God's blessings - including his forgiveness," the literature says.
Cares said: "The teachings of Mormonism cause people to despair because they have so much to do."
Cares preaches that God's forgiveness and blessings are available to everyone for free if they simply accept the "good news of God," that "we are already perfect and worthy in God's sight."
Cares shapes his arguments as being concerned for Mormons, Clark said. "He's been outspoken in dealing with this," he said.
The Truth in Love billboard featuring a despairing woman follows studies about depression by Mental Health America - formerly the National Mental Health Association - and Express Scripts, a national drug-distribution and pharmacy-benefit management company. Mental Health America ranked Utah as the most depressed state in the country. The Express Scripts study showed that Utah residents are prescribed antidepressant drugs at twice the national average.
Some researchers believe Utah's large LDS population is partially to blame for the high levels of depression in the state.
But Brigham Young University sociologist Sherrie Mills Johnson did a comparative study of more than 3,000 non-LDS women and two national surveys of more than 2,000 LDS women. According to Johnson, "to date, no conclusive evidence has been presented that proves that LDS women are more depressed or take more antidepressants than other women."
Johnson said the "most significant finding of her study" is that "increased religiosity predicted increased life satisfaction and mental well-being."
Reed Stoddard, director of the Brigham Young University-Idaho Counseling Center, said the center frequently helps people feeling guilt or stress, but those feelings are not necessarily caused by religion.
"Properly understood, our religion does not contribute to depression or anxiety," Stoddard said. "In fact, the church can be helpful in overcoming stress and depression."
From Nampa pastor leads drive to convert Mormons | News Updates | Idaho Statesman
A media campaign has been launched in eastern Idaho against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The "Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons" campaign was started by the Truth in Love Ministry of Nampa. Its focus is on "witnessing to Mormons" and showing them the "truth of God's words" through "loving means."
Five billboards have been placed in heavily Mormon southeastern Idaho - one in Rexburg and two each in Idaho Falls and Pocatello - showing a woman holding her head next to the words "Feeling Worthy?" The billboard gives the campaign Web site. The billboards are expected to remain on display for at least three months.
These kinds of crusades aimed at Mormons by some conservative Christian churches aren't new, said Denny Clark, professor of religion and philosophy at the College of Idaho in Caldwell.
"The assumption is that anyone who is involved in the LDS (church) is basically endangering their soul," he said. "It comes off rather harshly."
The "Feeling Worthy?" message "targets a foundational fact of Mormonism, the need for all Mormons to achieve worthiness in order to receive eternal life," according to campaign literature. The campaign says God's truth is "the concept of free and full forgiveness through Christ" rather than the "earned forgiveness taught in Mormonism."
"There is an important difference between LDS teachings and conservative Christianity," said Mark Cares, president of the Truth in Love Ministry. "The aim of the campaign is to talk about the great message of forgiveness in the Bible that is obscured by LDS teachings."
Cares is also a pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church, 534 W. Iowa Ave., Nampa, which is part of the theologically conservative Wisconsin Synod of the Lutheran Church.
Robert Chambers, an LDS area seventy (a church administrative title) who represents the LDS church in southeastern Idaho, had no comment on the Truth in Love Ministry campaign, in part because he had not heard of the group.
The ministry's literature focuses heavily on Mormon "stress points."
"Mormons are under a significant amount of stress because of all the commandments they need to uphold and all the duties they need to perform in order to be worthy to receive God's blessings - including his forgiveness," the literature says.
Cares said: "The teachings of Mormonism cause people to despair because they have so much to do."
Cares preaches that God's forgiveness and blessings are available to everyone for free if they simply accept the "good news of God," that "we are already perfect and worthy in God's sight."
Cares shapes his arguments as being concerned for Mormons, Clark said. "He's been outspoken in dealing with this," he said.
The Truth in Love billboard featuring a despairing woman follows studies about depression by Mental Health America - formerly the National Mental Health Association - and Express Scripts, a national drug-distribution and pharmacy-benefit management company. Mental Health America ranked Utah as the most depressed state in the country. The Express Scripts study showed that Utah residents are prescribed antidepressant drugs at twice the national average.
Some researchers believe Utah's large LDS population is partially to blame for the high levels of depression in the state.
But Brigham Young University sociologist Sherrie Mills Johnson did a comparative study of more than 3,000 non-LDS women and two national surveys of more than 2,000 LDS women. According to Johnson, "to date, no conclusive evidence has been presented that proves that LDS women are more depressed or take more antidepressants than other women."
Johnson said the "most significant finding of her study" is that "increased religiosity predicted increased life satisfaction and mental well-being."
Reed Stoddard, director of the Brigham Young University-Idaho Counseling Center, said the center frequently helps people feeling guilt or stress, but those feelings are not necessarily caused by religion.
"Properly understood, our religion does not contribute to depression or anxiety," Stoddard said. "In fact, the church can be helpful in overcoming stress and depression."