What would you say to Mormon missionary women?

[DiscussingTheTopic]

(Two?) mormon missionary women asked me to meet with them. The irony is very great. Any advice about how to deal with the irony? Did I mention that this is ironic.

(P.S. I am not saying Joseph Smith is a honest and reliable prophet)

“This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church.... If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.”

http://mormon.org/faq/topic/polygamy

61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse aanother, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

62 And if he have aten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.

63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to amultiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be bglorified.

Doctrine and covenants 132:61-63

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testa ... 2?lang=eng

Some of the typos like "aten" instead of "ten" and "bglorified" instead of "glorified" may have to do with copying footnotes

 

[FollowingHim]

I think this is an excellent issue to pull them up on, quoting those two sources you have mentioned. Ask them whether polygamy is ok, then pull out those two references. Ask them:

If they say it's not ok, ask why do they reject the clear words of Joseph Smith? Was he mistaken? If so, he can't have actually been a prophet of God. So what else was he wrong about? Why do you believe mormonism at all?

If they say it is ok, ask why do they reject the teachings of their own church on the matter? Are they really following mormonism? How can you know what is correct? What is the ultimate source of truth?

Etc.

The key here is to not preach at them, but just ask questions. Get them to preach to themselves. Get them to say more than you do. Check how Jesus answered his critics, he often asked them brief questions as well and caught them in their own words.

Have fun when you meet with them!

 

[DiscussingTheTopic]

I think this is an excellent issue to pull them up on, quoting those two sources you have mentioned. Ask them whether polygamy is ok, then pull out those two references. Ask them:

If they say it's not ok, ask why do they reject the clear words of Joseph Smith? Was he mistaken? If so, he can't have actually been a prophet of God. So what else was he wrong about? Why do you believe mormonism at all?

If they say it is ok, ask why do they reject the teachings of their own church on the matter? Are they really following mormonism? How can you know what is correct? What is the ultimate source of truth?

Etc.

The key here is to not preach at them, but just ask questions. Get them to preach to themselves. Get them to say more than you do. Check how Jesus answered his critics, he often asked them brief questions as well and caught them in their own words.

Have fun when you meet with them!

I already did that only I did not have the sources printed out like that but I asked them to look at D&C 132. They said something essentially meaning the rule changes with time (not that the rule actually changes but the rules are always the same but that the same rule acts differently in todays circumstances than then) and they also mentioned that it is against U.S. law and that we should obey the laws. I mentioned that the early Mormons were willing to fight for those laws instead of conforming to the U.S. government but they denied that by claiming that they fled the U.S. territory to Utah and thus did not break those laws. But Joseph Smith died in prison rather than conform.

They claimed the rule changed in the Bible and I asked them to show where the rule changed. They said while maybe not in the Bible but in the Mormon writings.