My Faith

I had a discussion aka "exchange of personal beliefs" today with a man {Luthern Pastor} that comes to my fitness center. He was working out and I was making sure he was doing it right.  I had mentioned a series I had been watching about the King James version of the Bible on BYUtv and the things I found interesting about the series. He then asked me a succession of questions regarding my faith "Mormonism" {The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints}. What I found interesting about our "discussion" was that in all the things he asked me it was never about whether I believed in Jesus Christ. If I knew he was my Savior and Redeemer. He focused on trying to bait me into a contentious argument about whether I felt he was "saved" and going to heaven. He focused on our differences of his belief in the trinity {God in 3 forms} and my belief in the Godhead {3 separate beings with 1 purpose}. Our differences about true scripture and my belief that God still speaks to a prophet today, continuing revelation. I was grateful for my conscious effort to keep the Spirit in our discussion. I was grateful that I was able to point out our commonalities and bear my testimony of my Savior, His redeeming love and grace. I just dont quite understand how people who believe that the life I lead and the faith I believe isn't considered "Christian" yet the first opportunity this man who calls himself a "Christian" because he "reads the Bible" is bashing the Catholic faith for worshipping Saints and "having it all wrong." I wonder what the world would be like if people would consider asking the questions," How has Christ strengthened you in your life? Or what does Christ mean to you? Or How do you feel we can come closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?" Our world has a tendency to focus on how we are all different. But God knew that there would be differences in peoples beliefs and opinions after Christ was crucified. He sent the Apostle Paul out to teach the people. I love this record of when Paul went and taught the Ephesians about the reasoning for missionaries around the world and messengers like himself sent by God. In Ephesians 4:11-16 he records:

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

I will be grateful for the day when someone won't just assume I am not Christian because I attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I will be grateful for the day when someone will ask me who my Savior is instead of asking me why I don't drink coffee or alcohol and assume I must not be Christian. Until that day, I will be grateful that I can live my life in such a way that someone who doesnt know Christ will learn of him because of my example.