3 hours, 40 minutes with a Mormon

I sat next to a friendly Mormon couple on my flight from Atlanta to Salt Lake City this week.

Besides discussing Jesus, the Trinity, and the gospel, I was also able to learn about their missionary preparation and upbringing. My fellow passenger did his two years as a missionary to South Africa in the mid-90s. During that time he made 7 notches on his Book of Mormon.

As we entered into our conversation he mentioned being rusty on apologetics. This gave me the impression that a Mormon's zeal for the lost runs dry when the two year trip is over. However, later I saw how their doctrine of baptism for the dead empties them of any evangelistic zeal. Why should he worry if I reject his presentation of the Mormon faith? A hundred years from now if any of my ancestors embrace it, they can be baptized for dead-me. And somehow, in the Mormon's view of the afterlife, I would once again have the chance to accept this faith and be saved.

I'm surprised at how thoroughly wacky the Mormon faith is. It's not even monotheistic. Christians have more in common with Muslims than Mormons.