The effect of a Mormon president on the Gospel's spread

This blog deliberately stays away from politics, and we will continue to avoid public policy questions on this forum. This blog is concerned with issues of Christian faith, practice, and ethics (as well as the occasional "fun stuff"). However, one of the key directives Jesus gave us was to spread the Good News of the Kingdom (see Matthew 28:18-20, "The Great Commission"). As a Christian & Missionary Alliance church, the worldwide spread of the Gospel is a foremost concern.

Citizens of the United States are given the opportunity to popularly elect their leaders. Christians who are citizens can spend a whole lifetime reflecting on how to participate in this system. We must face a constant temptation to let politics become a distraction that robs of us our energy to love God, others, and witness. As we know, too many Christian leaders and people give in to the "siren song" of political involvement, and get way over their heads. But as someone else once said (I forget who): "When you mix faith and politics, you get politics."

So I don't want to discuss politics or policies. I want to discuss a practical implication of a vote for one of the particular candidates for this election.

Former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and a devout one who served his 2 years in missionary service as a young man and remains committed to the tenets of his sect. I realize that he gave a speech yesterday in which he said he will not be dictated to by church leaders as president. Again, I do not want to discuss policies or heirarchy. But we must consider Mormonism against the true Christian faith and the spread of the Gospel.

Mormonism is by no measure 'historic Christianity'; actually, it is quite demonstrably an invented religion that sets its own bogus writings alongside those of the Old and New Testament. Its founder, Joseph Smith, was a dynamic and forceful leader who developed a toxic cult of personality around himself. Women who caught his attention became his wives, even if they originally were married to others. Mormonism is rather conservative and orderly now; originally, it was birthed in lies, pride, lust, and violence. It is a cult that now looks respectable, but still teaches heresy regarding Jesus Christ and the idea that you too can become a God. All of this is easily demonstrable from history(I'm just not putting the links here now because I'm lazy).

I only want to speak from a pragmatic standpoint, I don't want to say anything about the personal faith, character, record, or policy ideas of Mitt Romney. They may all be fine; he could be the next Abraham Lincoln or Teddy Roosevelt as far as those are concerned. My huge concern here is pragmatic - the worldwide spread of the Gospel.

Mormons are incredibly energetic when it comes to spreading their false Christianity. They are all over the world, they are sincere, and they are financially well-supported. They are listened to - because they pose as Christians. Of course, once they have a foot in the door, they then subvert true Christianity and sell their false Christ to those with very little knowledge of the true Jesus. I have heard anecdotes of how they have entered countries, gone to churches that Christian missionaries have started, and then subvert that young indigenous church with their beliefs and practices. Mormonism in Denmark is a sad story I encourage Christians to be aware of.

Now imagine the impact our misled Mormon friends will have in unreached countries in 2009 when they start talking to an Indonesian, a Tajik, a Bengali, and say, "Do you want to know more about our faith? Did you know that the American president is a member of our church?"

Consider the pragmatic implications of electing a Mormon president. Like it or not, if Romney becomes president, the Mormon cult will gain legitimacy in the eyes of many who have not heard of Jesus worldwide, and many may be tragically misled.

Let's pray for God to bring Mormons into the right understanding of God's love as revealed in Jesus Christ, and that salvation comes through faith in Him alone.