Calling attention to the Priesthood Ban – Every five years black members of the LDS Church celebrate a “revelation” allegedly given to Mormon President Spencer Kimball in 1978. That revelation lifted a long-standing prohibition that prevented black members from holding priesthood authority in the LDS Church. Only until this year has the LDS Church ever officially joined black members in that celebration. LDS leaders of the past stated that the reason blacks could not have the priesthood was due to a lack of “valiance” in the preexistence when Lucifer (God’s son and Jesus’ brother) convinced 1/3 of God’s spirit children to rebel against God in what they call the war in heaven. The black skin was to mark those who were not eligible for this priesthood office. Mormon leaders now say that they do not know why such a ban was in place and are now calling the statements of past leaders “opinions” and “folklore.” On June 8^th members met in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square to commemorate the 30^th anniversary of this event. Aaron, Randy, and I stood down at Temple Square with web site signs (www.seedofcain.com) hoping to inform members that the LDS leadership was not being truthful about their history. At the time that address linked directly to this article (http://www.mrm.org/topics/miscellaneous/shame-shame-shame-thirty-years-later-and-still-no-apology). We also handed out a specially prepared tract (http://www.mrm.org/files/tracts/SeedOfCain.pdf) that was an abbreviated version of the article. I found it interesting that while several black members took the literature, very few white Mormons did.  Our presence caught the attention of the media and I was interviewed by the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, and our local Fox affiliate. I often try to explain to journalists that I personally don’t see my efforts as a “protest” (a favorite word used by the media). Rather, I try to explain that this is an effort to inform the public where they can go for more information. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t. Visits to mrm.org jumped significantly after the web site addresses were publicized.

The Mormon Miracle Pageant – We just finished up two weeks of ministry at the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, Utah. During that time we had the pleasure of hosting several Christians at our home who came from all over the country to witness at this event. Tammy excels at handling what has come to be called “The McKeever Bed and Breakfast.” It is an incredibly busy time for us. We leave around 3:30 in the afternoon and get home around a little after midnight. However, the hurried schedule and lack of sleep is offset by the great conversations we have on the streets. Mormon presuppositions are challenged and we are seeing conversions.

This year we tried out a new tract we call the Joseph Smith One Million Dollar Bill. It looks like money, but because it has a picture of Joseph Smith on the front, Mormons find it difficult to turn it down. On the back is a salvation message geared towards the LDS people. Thousands of these were given to Mormons during the Manti outreach. You can see what it looks like at http://www.mrm.org/store/books-and-tracts-mormonism/joseph-smith-million-dollar-bill-tract.

I also took my “gold plates” to Manti. I put together a set of 10, 10-pound barbell weights that slide on a piece of pipe. This 100-pound visual aid attracts a lot of attention but the weight is actually half of what Joseph Smith’s plates would have weighed had he really had plates of gold. The great majority of Mormons who come to “heft the plates” really believe the plates Smith received from the “Angel Moroni” were made of pure gold. Smith allegedly carried these plates under his arm for a distance of three miles, at times “running at the top of his speed” and fighting off attackers who were trying to steal the plates from him. When Mormons personally experience that such a feat is impossible, they often resort to saying God gave him supernatural strength. The problem is, Smith never claimed he ever needed such a miracle, nor did any of the others who said they lifted the plates (including his mother who supposedly took the plates from Smith through a window). I then explain to the crowd that the Mormon Church is also aware that nobody is capable carrying such a weight and that is why they have abandoned the notion that plates were made of pure gold (even though they still use the word gold). I then demonstrate why their new revised theories are also implausible.

Once a crowd is drawn, I then turned the attention to their eternal welfare, asking them, “If you were to die right this moment, do you have the assurance that all of your sins are forgiven?” Few will dare say yes because forgiveness of sins in a Mormon context is predicated on their ability to keep all of the commandments. I then partially quote well-known passages from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants, asking them to complete the passage. For example, I recite to the crowd D&C 58:43 that states that you will know if a person has repented of his sin if he confesses them and ____?” The crowd then says, “forsakes them!”  “How many sins must you forsake?” I ask. “All of them” they say. “How often?” I ask. “All of the time!” Then I ask the crowd, “How many of you are doing that?” Of course, they all admit they are not. Once they admit to this I remind them that if that is the case, none of them are truly repentant according to Mormonism’s definition of the word. I then quote them D&C 25:15 that says that Mormons must “keep the commandments continually” or they will never see God. “Are you doing this?” I ask. Of course they all admit they do not. Some will then insist that this is the purpose of repentance. The problem is that they have already admitted publicly that true repentance involves forsaking all of their sin, something none of them has ever done. I remind them that every time they attempt to “repent,” all they do is admit they are commandment-breakers, not commandment-keepers. My hope is to show them the futility of trying to please God by personal merit. None of us can ever be “good enough” to dwell in the presence of an All-Holy God apart from the righteousness of Christ Himself.

Pray for those who came to realize Mormonism cannot offer the peace that passes all understanding and confessed the Christ of the Bible as their Lord and Savior. Pray for people like Cal, Mike, Rachel, Zack, Justin, Brentan, Chris (an atheist married to a Mormon), Warren, and many others that I spoke to personally. Several admitted that I gave them plenty to think about. I’m often asked by Mormons why we come to Manti. My answer is simple, “Because you’re worth it.”

Pray that all of us at MRM are sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We recently had a staff meeting to discuss future plans. It was great to have Eric and Sharon fly in for the meeting and to help at Manti.

Pray for an LDS woman named Anita. About an hour before we had to take Sharon and Eric to the airport, we received her call. She said she had been reading information about her church on the Internet. “My mouth is wide open, open in horror and awe and horror,” she said. Since Sharon and I were busy finishing up a writing assignment with Baker Book, Eric spoke to her with sound advice and a lot of comfort. He has already been doing some follow up and she will soon be getting a package of information in the mail. Finding out the truth about Mormonism has been devastating to her. “Why would they do this to me?” she kept asking.

I have been asked to give four 90-minute presentations at a huge youth conference being held here in Salt Lake City in a couple of weeks. Pray I can stir them up to have a special place in their heart for the LDS people, coupled with a boldness to reach them.

While summer is an incredibly busy time for us, it is also a lean time for support. Pray that our support keeps up with our efforts.

Sorry for being so windy. Thank you for praying.