Feb 6, 2017
What You'll Hear:
James Walker was a fourth generation Mormon but could not be
assured of his salvation and then put his faith and trust in Jesus
Christ alone
His mother and sisters became Christians but it was more difficult
with his father.
James was helped by the Watchman Fellowship ministry. He
later became a volunteer and eventually the President of the
organization and has spent over 20 years in this apologetics
ministry
The most bizzare belief system he's come across is that Jesus is
actually a mushroom
The greatest threats to Christianity come from Islam as well as
religions that are very similar to Christianity but in fact are not
Christian
James has found that it's not enough to be right. We have to
take into account the whole person when sharing the Gospel and to
show that we care and act in love
Intro
James Walker is a former fourth generation Mormon with over twenty
five years of ministry experience in the field of Christian
counter-cult evangelism, apologetics, and discernment.
He has been interviewed as an expert on new religious movements and cults on a variety of network television programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, and The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
He has spoken at hundreds of churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries throughout the United States and internationally.
Rev. Walker holds a BA in Biblical Studies and an MA in Theology
(Summa Cum Laude) from Criswell College in Dallas. He is an
ordained Baptist minister and a member of the International Society
of Christian Apologetics (ISCA), the Evangelical Press Association,
and serves on the Board of Directors of Evangelical Ministries to
New Religions (EMNR).
Q&A*
Tell Us About Growing Up as a 4th Generation Mormon and
Becoming a Christian
I was born and raised LDS Mormon, had a good experience, believed
the Book of Mormon was the word of God and Joseph Smith was a
prophet. I held the Aaronic priesthood. I held the
customary positions and participated in the Baptism of the dead in
the temple in Salt Lake City.
I had Christian friends. Some of them were negative and
bashing, but most were patient and understanding and shared
key verses with me. At age 21, I realized that I had not
received forgiveness of sin, could not be obedient to all the
Mormon laws and ordinances and so was not certain of my salvation.
I then put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone.
What Was That Like, Where You Came to Christ and Yet Your Closest
Friends and Families Were Still Mormon?
It was difficult. It's always hardest with family. The
ones you love and are closest to are the hardest ones to talk to
about things like this.
My mother and my 4 sisters all came to Christ and left Mormonism.
My father was different. He had all these plans for me in the Mormon church that I had ruined. My parents were divorced after my Mom left the Mormon church. We spoke rarely. In the last 5 years before he died, I had the opportunity to share with him the true Gospel. I don't know if he received it or not.
I've learned that it's more important to be relational and to say "I have a problem, can you help me" than to just tell people why they're wrong.
God made us as a whole person. We are the emotion and the intellect and we have to appeal to the whole person. I tell my staff that being right is not enough. You have to win not only in the area of truth but in the area of feeling and relationship and emotion and reach that whole person.
The old saying is true "People don't care how much you know
until they know how much you care." When I was Mormon, some
Christians spoke to me in such a way that I thought they were
trying to make me look foolish.
Tell Us How You Got Involved with Watchman Fellowship and What That
Ministry is Involved In
I was getting confused between what I had learned...