When They Come Knocking (Part 3)
By Ken James
May 2009
WHEN THEY COME KNOCKING (Part 3)
How many times have you answered a knock on your door and been confronted with a couple of fine looking young men sporting white shirts and black ties, and nametags bearing the title of “Elder” in front of their names? Now a second and third question: What did you do with that encounter, and were you satisfied with how you handled the opportunity?
Last month I offered a suggestion as to how to greet the Jehovah’s Witnesses that come to your door. In this article I want to offer a suggestion or two as to how you may be more effective in your encounters with Mormon missionaries. I want to, once again, encourage you to greet them in the spirit of Christ, don’t argue, and be prepared with some knowledge of their beliefs with which you can build a bridge of understanding and communication.
First of all, when you open the door and find the Mormon missionaries on your porch, you do not have to wonder who they are. Their dress and nametags immediately identify them. Consequently, this provides you with a wonderful opportunity to seize the initiative in your encounter. This is so important. Remember that it is your doorstep and, thus, you are the host. You have the privilege of establishing the “ground rules” for your conversation. I would suggest that you, in the context of your personality, greet your visitors with something like: “Hello Elders Smith and Brady (get this from their nametags), I’m so glad that you stopped by today, because I have a testimony, and I’ve looked forward to sharing it with someone today. Would you allow me to share it with you?”
This kind of greeting will bring several immediate dynamics to your encounter. First of all, your warm greeting will disarm them. They are used to being confronted by people who are less than kind. Secondly, they will not have had a chance to tell you of their purpose for being on your doorstep, and this gets them out of their normal routine for door-to-door visits. Thirdly, the words “I have a testimony” speak volumes in the ears of members of the Mormon Church. They have “testimony” meetings regularly, and the missionaries must have a “testimony” before they can go out on mission. The word “testimony” is a very important one in the Mormon vocabulary. The “testimony” that every Mormon shares is in sharp contrast to the testimony that you will share. The Mormon testimony is “I believe that the Mormon Church is the true church and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.”
It is highly unlikely that the missionaries will refuse your request to listen to your testimony. As you share a very brief testimony, be sure that it clearly tells of the establishment of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by grace through repentance and faith, and it should include your assurance of heaven for all eternity. After sharing your testimony you may want to say something like, “It is my desire for every person to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and an assurance that when he dies, he will be in heaven with Christ forever.” I don’t recommend that you conclude your testimony with an open-ended question such as “Has anything like this happened to you?” That will give the missionaries an opening that could lead to a conversation that you really don’t need.
A good conclusion to your time would be thanking the missionaries for listening to your testimony. It would be a rare thing, indeed, if they did not attempt to engage you further by insisting that what their church believes and what you believe are very similar. In the most courteous way possible bring the conversation to a close by sharing 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (NIV).
There are, of course, many variations on what I have suggested above. However, the main thing is to send these young men away with the seed of the gospel that will be planted by the sharing of your testimony. Through prayer, ask the Holy Spirit to bring that seed to fruition.
Subscribe to Updates