Ravi Zacharias Speaks, Fernando Ortega Sings … at the Mormon Tabernacle
“Famed apologist once made history as first evangelical leader in 100 years (since D. L. Moody) to address Latter-day Saints leaders. Now he’s the fifth big name in five months.”
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Dave,
You have it wrong about Ravi Zacharius. I heard him speak last Sunday when he announced he was going to speak at the Mormon Tabernacle. He expressly and clearly said that he never compromises the message, but thanks the Lord for the opportunity to take the gospel to all places. If you are going to separate from Ravi, then to be consistent, you would also need to separate from D L Moody too.
Jeremy
Well,
I went tonight to hear the good Dr. speak. I was pretty saddened. I gave Ravi the benefit of the doubt. But was even hesitant myself. To God our master each servant will stand or fall, it is not my place to determine if Ravi should or should not have been in that venue. A couple of observations, do what you will with them.
1. The group standing together. org that promotes and brings Ravi to SLC (did so 10 years ago and I went then too). Is as ecumenical as you can get. That group can’t stop fawning over itself and back slapping how tolerant and loving they are.
2. Greg Johnson (president of that group) started the evening with some touching story about how he was moved and grew closer to God by having a field trip with his Mormon friends to Navou, Ill a while back and how he wept over how they must have felt being driven from their lands, but that better days have come now as Mormonism is alive and well in SLC.
3. A professor of “spiritual transformation and ministry” at Wheaton college also spoke. He wanted to be very clear that he had deep friendship with his mormon friends and that they all loved the Bible and God very much. He also wanted to be certain that we all understood that the nights events were about friendship and partnership.
4. I can’t remember if this was the right order, I have my program but am too lazy to get it right now. But I think that one of the elders in the quorum of the 12 from the LDS side spoke now. He was very warm and winsome and wanted everyone to know we are all brothers and sisters and that we all love Jesus. Then he bore his testimony and in that he was explicit concerning Mormon doctrine. He was very clear that it was suffering in the garden that purchased our redemption and anything about the cross was clearly left unspoken. Interestingly, I though he spoke more clearly about his doctrine than everyone else. Although everyone said that there were doctrinal and theological divides. Funny, but the mormon elder was the only one to say that they were not their to bridge the gap of theology and doctrine.
5. Everyone time one of the people prayed, I struggled and was unable to partner in prayer. They used such inclusive language that a Christian or Mormon could use. I am probably a little bit harsh about this, but clarity is the most important way to love a Mormon, and that was absent in the prayers.
6. Fernando Ortega was great and his song selection was wonderful. Although everyone singing “My Redeemer” together was a little weird to me since the Mormon lady near me was singing with all her heart and I couldn’t help but cry a little inside as I considered how she is singing about a different Jesus and doesn’t even get it.
7. Ravi spoke as he usually does. Not he did not compromise, he spoke clearly and he said true things. His text was about Mannasseh and the historical path toward moral destruction in a culture. It was not billed as nor was a Gospel presentation. I knew that going in. He alluded to the Gospel, and at one point, he illustrated how one man can lead many to believe a lie and it takes a long time to disbelieve that lie. He applied it to Stalin and Hitler, but I wondered if he was also applying it to Joe Smith. A few doctrinal differences I have with Ravi made me shake my head a few times, but not because I thought he was compromising the truth. However, he did not give the Gospel clearly (don’t take that as criticism necessarily). He alluded to it, he spoke of reading the Scripture and praying. he spoke of coming to Jesus, He spoke of redemption, righteousness, and worship being critical in that order. He mentioned needing a new birth. But he did not explain any of it and simply mentioned them along with his own testimony. I and an guy with me (both long time living in mormon area-he whose family was mormon pioneer stock) agreed that nothing was said that would necessarily cause a Mormon to think his religion disagreed. This has mostly to do with the fact that Mormons use much of the same verbiage and without explanation would not understand the differences.
8. My take away, Kind of a let down. For many years, I (and many other conservative evangelicals, not just fundamentalists) have decried “standing together” and Greg Johnson as causing harm to our gospel efforts. Ten years ago, Richard Mouw along with this group apologized to the Mormons and said that they and Joseph Smith were alike in that they both were seeking Truth. So I knew that going in and was expecting the worst from this highly ecumenical group, They did not disappoint. I was happy to hear Ortega and he did not disappoint. I was disappointed with Ravi, but kind of expected it, knowing that his topic was not the Gospel. I do believe that if his topic was the Gospel, he would not have compromised but would have been more articulate. There was a lot of appeal to emotion, and a lot of appeal to intellect, but sadly, I think that this will be forgotten in a week and that LDS will go about their business unless God regenerates a heart. If a conversation starts as a result and someone gets saved from that, glory be to God, but I believe it will be in spite of this event, not the direct cause of it.
Two cents from someone who was there, of course, this is my opinion and someone may have interpreted things differently.
I like Ravi and listen to him routinely. He is a brilliant man with uncanny insight in many areas, gifts of the Holy Spirit for his ministry, no doubt. I have no question but that he loves the Lord and His Gospel. But he was wrong on this one. The LDS is an idolatrous organization, and he should not have been a part of this idolatry. I Cor. 8 - 10
Lee
I appreciated your report.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
Has anyone seen Dr. Mohler’s talk in front of the same group? I gather that he was more confrontational in his manner. If I were to speak to a bunch of mormons on a political or cultural issue, I wouldn’t start out with a text of scripture as if we hold anything in common related to scripture and what it is.
Discussion