Temple Square started out chill: Shared the gospel with some jolly-and-soft-hearted Danish car-trippers (touring the country). They had grown up in Christian schools but had never heard the gospel of grace.

Then I similarly shared the gospel with some ex-Mormon gay guys and their friend, all who work at Noodles and Company. They were out for Pokémon Go. Conversations like these remind me of the Four Laws presentations from Campus Crusade. Simple gospel.

Then we talked to a group of Catholics in town for a business trip. A guy from Denver, Colorado was curious about why we shared our faith on a sidewalk. He said he had just started visiting a Christian church where he lives because of some hard things happening in life. He was exploring.

At the end there was a large group of military chaplains taking a tour of Temple Square. They waited to cross the street to see the choir. Half of them took our tracts, and I preached to the whole group.

When they came back again later an old man put his hand on my shoulder. He smirked and patted me. He said, “Don’t you have anything better to do with your time? You’re just trying to destroy people’s faith.” I replied that no, it was Mormonism that was destroying people’s faith. People are leaving Mormonism and becoming cynical agnostics, throwing Jesus out. I am the one trying to preach a Jesus that outlasts disillusionment with Joseph Smith. If Mormonism really wanted to encourage the right kind of faith, it would preach a Jesus that doesn’t depend on Mormonism being true.

As we talked the rest of the chaplain group came and eagerly took tracts from me! This was awkward. They were coming up and asking for them even as their tour guide was expressing his displeasure with me.

It turns out that the old man was the Director of Military Relations at the LDS Church. He had given the visiting chaplains a tour, and was upset that I had engaged them. Our conversation got intense. We talked about the nature of God, the Trinity, Adam-God, the King Follett Discourse, grace, the Council of Nicaea, paid ministers, the LDS Gospel Topic essays, polyandry, standards of accountability for New Testament leaders, and testing the fruits of alleged prophets. It started with confrontation and heat. And things were spirited, since right next to us Ritch was talking to a lively ex-gang member!

Our conversation gradually became more cordial and it ended well. I invited him to come back on a Thursday night and talk with us.