We continue to have many  teenagers, who are not yet Christians, visit our home every Friday to discuss the Bible. On Friday a new boy arrived. This was not uncommon, as teenagers tend to drift in and out, depending on whether they have sports’ practices or rehearsals. As the students were off school, David was available to come. It transpired that he has been a Mormon for a year and since then he has transformed from being a bad kid to adopting the wholesome values typical of the Mormons. I was startled that he used to attend a local church with his family and it seems that he wanted something more radical and life changing than was offered there. I am disturbed that there are teenagers who want help from their churches, and want to understand the life changing truths about forgiveness and repentance, but instead their needs are overlooked and they are fed more pizza than truth.

Of course, many churches are working hard to teach teenagers about Jesus. However, few Christian teenagers attend as much Bible teaching as the Mormons. Each morning (very early) before high school they receive teaching. David has been learning from the Old and New Testaments and he has a good grasp of some Biblical truths- much better than many of his Christian contemporaries.

There is a big “however” though. David fervently believes that Jesus is his Savior, however he does not believe that Jesus is God and he does not believe in the Trinity. David needed to use our computer as his was broken, so he came to our house yesterday evening to use ours. It was then that I had the opportunity to speak with him and to gently inquire about the reliability of Joseph Smith and whether he could really trust a doctrine that conflicted with some of the orthodox, Biblical, Christian truths: If Jesus were not God, how could He have lived a sinless life to be our perfect sacrifice? No man, even filled with significant God given power could have achieved that. Even Adam and Eve who did not start off with a sin nature, failed to resist temptation.

I was happy that my son, James, had also spoken with David about the differences between Mormonism and Christianity at a basketball game. David said how much he enjoyed the conversation and how he admired James’ good behavior. James wanted to find out more about what Mormons believe and we studied the Bible together and read the appropriate section in Walter Martin’s “The Kingdom of the Cults.” This  helped prepare me for my conversation with David last night.

I encouraged David to keep an open mind when he read the Bible and not to shut his mind to the possibility of Jesus being God. He seems willing to keep inquiring and I prayed with him, asking Jesus to reveal truth to him. He is a very pleasant teenager.

People, old and young, stumble into cults for all sorts of reasons. If we are Christians we have a responsibility to teach the Bible clearly and thoroughly, especially to new Christians and young people. We must also demonstrate transformed lives, that are Christ-like and pure. If we see a teenager who is struggling, it is our duty to reach out to that person, to show compassion, to teach Christ, and  to encourage conversion and transformation. Unless we reach out in this way we are giving opportunity to false teachers to step in and do what we should have done.

In 2 Timothy 3: 6-8, Paul warns of people in the last days who “win their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires….These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.”

In contrast, Paul alludes to Timothy’s Christian home where he was taught the Bible by his mother and grandmother. “…you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.”( 2 Timothy 3:14-15)

There are vulnerable people in and beyond the churches who will possibly receive the incorrect teaching but wholehearted zeal from Mormons, or other false prophets, if Christians don’t get there first. If you are a parent, you can teach your children. If you are a Christian, look out for those who are vulnerable and show them the real Jesus, not a counterfeit Jesus who has been robbed of His position in the Godhead by those who teach half truths.

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