About ten days ago I walked in a conversation one of my staff members was having with a member of the LDS or Mormon church. We were quite busy and so I started dealing with her, leaving my staff member to deal with other customers.
She was hoping to find some LDS material from their in-house printing company, Deseret Publishing, and I gently explained why it is that you don’t see those materials in a Christian bookstore.
But once I’d drawn a few lines in the sand, she was comfortable staying as I was comfortable continuing the conversation.
The thing that impressed me was how — without citing chapter or verse — the scriptures of her faith flowed out of her conversationally. I could tell when she quoting something versus when it was just her talking, though she didn’t make a big deal out of it. Of course, I don’t know if she was quoting Doctrine and Covenants, or Pearl of Great Price, or The Book of Mormon; while conversely, she was impressed that I could name those books off the top of my head.
I don’t know how many quotations our conversation contained. I was able to spot two or three but there may have been more. It was natural, effortless. Biblical quotations flow from me just as easily — either quoted or instantly paraphrased — though I wasn’t trying to match her line for line, as it wasn’t that type of discussion. But maybe that’s why I recognized what was going on at her end.
She remained convinced that I would be won over if I would simply sit down and read The Book of Mormon, though she failed several times to truly hear me when I said that I do, in fact, actually own one and have read large sections of it.
I’m reminded again of two quotations:
Of all the major religions in the world, Christians are least acquainted with their own scriptures.
And this one:
A faith community that does not impart its sacred writings to its young people is one generation away from extinction.
Sorry, I don’t have the sources on those at hand. But obviously, either my LDS friend, or whoever has been mentoring her, gets it.
This is exactly what I have been impressing on the discipleship group I lead on Sunday Nights. Our being shoul dbe consumed with love for God and love for His Word. It should pour forth naturally…uncontrived and immediate! Amen!
Comment by Cynthia — July 3, 2010 @ 9:34 am