Do you have only two-thirds of Jesus?
I just finished reading a biography of Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. What amazed me was how so many church-going, Bible-believing Christians so readily accepted Smith’s message, abandoned their churches, and converted to Mormonism.
I did a little research on the issue and discovered that so many Christians in the early nineteenth century only had two-thirds of Jesus. I’ll explain what I mean by this in a moment.
Though they had been warned against its theological errors, a large number of deeply religious Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, converted to Mormonism. Note this: They joined because Mormonism offered something they felt their churches lacked; most importantly – certainty, authority, spiritual power, and a sense of participating in God’s unfolding work.
The historical record shows that conversion to Mormonism was rarely impulsive; it was usually thoughtful, experiential, and rooted in unmet spiritual needs.
Mormonism was attractive due to its simplicity, authority, and clarity. There was a single “true church.” There was a prophet who spoke for God. There were clear answers about salvation, authority, and doctrine. These contrasted sharply with what converts considered to be the theological muddle in the churches they left behind.
Powerful spiritual experiences helped fuel the move to Mormonism. These included visions, dreams, miraculous healings, spiritual gifts, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and a burning conviction while reading the Book of Mormon. Some even reported angelic visitations. Historians report that this experiential dimension was one of the strongest drivers of conversion. [Editor’s Note – This lingers on in the oft-repeated “testimony of modern day Mormons, that they “know” Mormonism to be true because when they prayed about it, they had a “burning in the bosom.”]
There was also the powerful community draw of Mormonism. Early Mormonism wasn’t just a church — it was a movement striving for holiness of life while loving and caring for one another. Mormons didn’t just belong to a church – they belonged to one another.
Historians consistently find that spiritual reasons dominated the conversion of Christians to Mormonism. They were dissatisfied and disillusioned with their churches. They complained of cold or formal worship, lack of spiritual gifts, endless doctrinal disputes, and ministers seen as worldly or uninspired. They believed the Bible predicted a restoration and found their spiritual experiences more credible than the warnings of the clergy. Christian converts to Mormonism longed for certainty, clarity, authority, experience, and community.
There is nothing wrong in desiring these things.
Much of the conversion to Mormonism was driven by unmet spiritual needs. Here’s where two-thirds of Jesus comes in. Conversion to Mormonism was more existential than theological.
Jesus said, “I am the WAY and the TRUTH and the LIFE.” Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and other Christians who converted to Mormonism had two-thirds of Jesus. They knew Him as the WAY to the Father. They knew Him as the TRUTH of God. But they never experienced His LIFE. To know Jesus as the WAY and the TRUTH, but not as the LIFE is to have two-thirds of Jesus. Those with two-thirds of Jesus are in grave spiritual danger. Those who converted to Mormonism were so hungry for LIFE, that they were willing to tolerate theological error to experience spiritual LIFE.
As a pastor, I am zealous for you to experience Jesus as your LIFE. I want you to know and experience ALL of Jesus, not just two-thirds of Jesus. I want you to experience certainty, clarity, authority, spiritual experience, and life-giving community. I want to see you filled with the Spirit, baptized in the Spirit, walking in the power of God, overflowing with the love of God, and desiring to be used of God in meaningful ways.
Though I have theological problems with Mormonism, this isn’t the place to explore those. This post is for us to take a look at our own souls and make sure that we are experiencing ALL of Jesus, unlike the converts to Mormonism that came out of the Christian churches. May you have Three-thirds of Jesus! Jesus is the Way and the Truth – AND THE LIFE.
Tim Brown has been in some sort of ministry since February of 1973 – as a youth pastor, an assistant pastor, and a senior pastor. Tim planted Calvary Chapel Fremont in January of 1997 and continues to pastor there. Tim has been married since August of 1976 to Fran. They have three children and nine grandchildren.
