THE TOMS METHOD
How to Effectively Prospect and Teach Mormons the Bahá'í Faith
19 August 2010
To the Local Spiritual Assembly:
Dear Friends,
Mormons will never be attracted to the Faith via the way it is now presented to them. The Hare-Krishnans, the Moonies, Eckankar, all other religions in Utah and in other places where there are many Mormons (such as Boise Idaho, Las Vegas Nevada, and Mesa Arizona), are converted far, far more Mormons to their ranks than the Bahá'ís. Many of the Friends in these areas have thrown up their arms and said, "We tried to teach the Mormons--they are simply not interested!" and have essentially given-up. Other of the Friends hope that "one day" the Mormons will suddenly "change" and be attracted to the Faith. I am here to tell you, that day will never come!
The fault does not lie with the Mormons, but with the Friends. It is the "method" they use to prospect (attract) Mormons to the Faith. They use the following methods:
1) Invite people to a "discussion about world peace" or race unity or the equality of men and women, and advertise it in the newspaper then hope people will come. Few, if any, ever do.
2) Hold a march on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and, if anyone approaches, invite them to a Fireside or Devotional. Few, if any, approach.
One couple has been in Utah for 30 years pioneering, and have made one covert to the Faith, and claim a great victory. This is not victory. It is mediocrisy posing as victory.
If you wish to attract many Mormon Seekers to the Faith, you must use the TOMS Method.
Many of the Friends have simply "given up" on trying to prospect and teach Mormons; blaming the Mormons, and not the "methods" they are using.
Here is the TOMS Method:
TEACH the Mormons that Bahá'u'lláh is the Holy Ghost Incarnate. Mormons expect that "one day" the Holy Ghost, Whom they believe is still a "Spirit-Man", must come to earth to "get a body" (born of a woman) and perform some divine mission in relation to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom (1000 year Reign of Christ on Earth). DO NOT merely present Baha'u'llah as a "Prophet" because Mormons are taught from birth that the President of the LDS (Mormon) Church is a "Prophet" and there can only be one "Living Prophet" on the Earth at one time. Nay, present Bahá'u'lláh as "the Holy Ghost Incarnate"; the One Who inspired the Prophets.
Offer the Mormon Seeker a free publication via University newspapers! Advertise a free booklet via a student newspaper. University students are the most likely to be "Seekers". They are inquisitive, but not yet "set" in their ways. They are "students" by nature. If you wait too long, after they are married with many responsibilities such as spouces and children, that creates problems. Mormon Seekers would NOT be interested in free publications having to do with "Race Unity" or "World Peace" or the "Principles". Such a publication could be titled "Joseph Smith and the Bahá'í Faith" or "Did Joseph Smith Prophesy of Bahá'u'lláh?" This is something many Mormons would be interested in reading.
Shoghi Effendi said that Joseph Smith was a "Seer". A "Seer" is a non-prophet who is given Revelation and Visions: like Mary (who saw Gabriel), and Zecharias the father of John (who saw an Angel in the Temple), like Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i (who had visions of Muhammad and the Imaams and Fatimah).
This free booklet must be advertised in University newspapers where there is a high Mormon population of students: such as the University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah), Utah State University (Logan, Utah), Utah Valley University (Orem, Utah), Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), the University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), and Boise State University (Boise, ID).
Joseph Smith claimed that the "Holy Ghost" was alive and living a mortal life in 1843, and that "if" he (Joseph) lived until he was 85 he would see "the face of the Son of Man". Joseph Smith had plans to go to Palestine so he would see the face of the Son of Man in 1891, and that the Son of Man (Holy Ghost Incarnate) would be wearing red robes. But Joseph Smith was killed in Illinois in 1844.
Some of Joseph Smith's followers went to the Holy Land in 1868, and twenty families settled in Haifa, among the German Templar colony at the foot of Mount Carmel; to await the coming of the Son of Man, in red robes, in the year 1891; when Joseph Smith would have been (had he lived) 85 years of age.
Bahá'u'lláh called Himself "the Son of Man". In 1863, one of His wives made Him a red robe out of Persian Tirmih (red cloth), which He wore thereafter. In 1891 Bahá'u'lláh recited the Tablet of Carmel, overlooking the Templar Colony in Haifa; which was His great announcement ot the world that He was the promised Son of Man.
All coincidence? I think not.
Certainly, Bahá'ís cannot say: "The Bahá'í Faith teaches that Joseph Smith prophesied of Bahá'u'lláh". The Friends cannot say that. But the Friends CAN say: "Joseph Smith may have been a Seer who prophesied of Bahá'u'lláh!" That the Friends CAN say. And, if they wish to convert large numbers of Mormons, they must say it.
The Prospecting Advertisement ("P.A.") should read as followings:
Some of the Friends will say, "Oh, we cannot say that Joseph Smith prophesied of Bahá'u'lláh, because it might offend some Mormons!"
Ok, do not present Bahá'u'lláh as a Prophet to anyone; because that will offend many people! Don't talk about Him, ever, because some people will be offended.
Mormons are far, FAR more "offended" by what the Friends tell them now: "No, we don't see Joseph Smith as inspired of God in any way!" THAT offends them to no end!
Memorize the 9 Points for Teaching Mormon Seekers! These 9 Points were written by a former Mormon who is a Believer as "points" the Friends must use in teaching Mormon Seekers. They are:
1) NEVER call Bahá'u'lláh a "Prophet" but rather "The Holy Ghost Incarnate--the One Who inspired the Prophets and Seers".
2) NEVER say "We don't believe Joseph Smith was a Prophet" but rather, "Joseph Smith may have been a Seer who prophesied of Bahá'u'lláh in the capacity of a Seer."
NOTE: A "Prophet" is an infallible Revelator, while a "Seer" is a "fallible" Revelator. In Islaam, a Seer is called a "Moo-haw-dawth"; which means "One Spoken To". Like Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in the Jewish Temple and said, "Name your son John, for he will be a Prophet of the Most High". Shoghi Effendi believed Jospeh Smith was a Seer, but he did not require (mandate) the Friends to believe this as well, or he would have said so in a directive.
3) NEVER say "Jesus was only a Prophet" but "We affirm that Jesus was the virgin-born Son of God, the Lord of the Visible and the Invisible, and the very Savior of Man."
NOTE: Nothing will "turn-off" a Mormon Seeker more than saying "Jesus was only a Prophet"!!!!
4) NEVER say "Satan does not exist" but rather "Satan is a symbol of our lower nature, our Ego--that which opposes the Will of God."
Note: The Book of Mormon teaches that the Devil tells men "There is no Devil" so if a Bahá'í says that, the Mormon thinks he/she is inspired by the Devil to say it.
5) NEVER say "There is no marriage in heaven" but say, "'Abdu'l-Bahá taught us that Bahá'í couples who become one both physically and spiritually will achieve Eternal Union throughout all the Worlds of God. No temple rite is needed."
Note: 'Abdu'l-Bahá did teach "eternal union" for Baha'i couples who become "one" physically and spiritually and reach "an exalted state" (of spirituality) in life. Mormons believe that they must be "sealed" by a "Sealer" (Mormon high priest) in a Mormon Temple in order to be married for eternity.
6) NEVER say "We don't believe that The Book of Mormon is ispired of God" but say: "We don't know if the Book of Mormon is literal history, or an inspired parable, or a work of fiction! Bahá'ís can hold any view. But Scripture in the Bahá'í Faith must be infallible, and the Title-Page of The Book of Mormon says it contains 'the mistakes of men'. The Holy Writings of the Faith contain no mistakes."
NOTE: The Title-Page of The Book of Mormon says that it is inspired of God but still contains "the mistakes of men".
7) NEVER say "We don't believe that the President of the LDS Church is a living Prophet" but say "In the Bahá'í sense of the term Prophet, the leaders of the Church are not Prophets, because in the Bahá'í sense of the term a Prophet must be infallible. Are the Mormon leaders infallible?"
Note: The Three Presidents and 12 Apostles of the Mormon Church are believed to be "Prophets/Seers/Revelators" by Mormons. They are called "The Brethren", but no Mormon believes "The Brethren" are infallible.
8) NEVER say "There will be no begetting of children in the Afterlife" but say "The Holy Qur'an agrees with Mormon doctrine, in that it teaches those who will be exalted will inherit Gardens of Eden in the Afterlife, and they will be wed to their wives, and be served by Servant-Angels, and their children will be with them. We accept the Holy Qur'an as the Infallible Word of God, but we interpret the Verses differently than from Muslims."
NOTE: Mormons believe if they are "faithful" to the Mormon Church, and are "sealed" (married) in a Mormon Temple by a "Sealer" (mormon high priest), they will become Gods, create their own worlds, and beget spirit-children to become inhabitants of those worlds, for all eternity. If a Mormon leaves the Church, they will become Servant-Angels on those new worlds; serving the Exalted Mormons forever.
9) A Mormon Seeker will say, "I've been taught that there can only be ONE TRUE CHURCH, so how can the Church and the Bahá'í Faith both be true?" Say: "Was Judaism and Christianity both true? One was established to prepare the way for the other. Was John the Baptist and Jesus both true? The lesser was sent to prepare the way for the greater. The Bahá'í Faith is not a Church. It is the Millennial Kingdom of God in embryo! We are here to establish the Millennial Kingdom, the World Order of Bah´'u'lláh, the Celestial Kingdom on Earth. That is the purpose of the Bahá'í Faith."
NOTE: Bahá'u'lláh once referred to His Cause as "The Celestial Kingdom". Mormons believe that if they are faithful to Church leaders ("The Brethren") they will after death enter "The Celestial Kingdom" and become Gods and Goddesses; creating worlds for their spirit-children to inhabit, for eternity. This is called "Exaltation". No TBM (True Believing Mormon) is going to give up his chances for Exaltation in exchange for World Peace/Race Unity/Equality"!
Study the book Commonalities by Serge Van Neck (a Bahá'í). This book is available via Bahá'í Distribution Service. Published by George Ronald. The book will help "Teachers of Mormon Seekers" to understand how Mormons think.
It is not practical to train every Believer in a Mormon area the TOMS Method. Therefore, the LSA should ask for volunteers to become "Teachers of Mormon Seekers" (TOMS) who can learn the method, and be available at all Seeker Meetings during the "Question and Answer Period".
Each Community that decides to use the TOMS Method should hold at least one Seekers Meeting per month, which should include:
1) The showing of a brief DVD about the Faith.
2) A "Question and Answer Period" whith a TOMS (Teacher of Mormon Seekers) present.
3) A "Social Time" which icludes the serving of refreshments. Mormons cannot drink cafinated sodas or drink coffee or tea. So, please have non-cafinated sodas and juices for them.
Prospecting Advertisements ("P.A.s") should be in University student newspapers where there is a large Mormon student population. They should be as large as possible, and be placed at least every month or every three months.
DO NOT MAIL the free booklet (article) to the Respondants, but rather mail them an "Invitation to a Seekers Meeting" with directions, a description of the meeting, a map, and promise them if they come to the meeting they will get a copy of the booklet.
Enclosed is a Master Copy of Joseph Smith & The Bahá'í Faith. Please use it. The article is not copyrighted. Internet articles do not need to be reviewed. There are disclaimers stating it is not an official Bahá'í publication. Please use it. Otherwise, the Faith will continue to be totally absolutely ineffective in attracting Mormon Seekers; now and forever.
You can make copies of Joseph Smith & the Bahá'í Faith and give them to Members of your Community who desire to read it. There is no copyright.
Some of the Friends in the Salt Lake City area have read Anti-Mormon books by Jerald and Sandra Tanner, and have concluded Joseph Smith "Must have been a chalatan and fraud" because of these works. Let me assure you, that the Tanner's materials are just as reliable as those of the Anti-Bahá'í Society in Iran.
They are a mixture of truth and lies, and many "straw man" techniques. I know, I studied their materials for over 30 years, in great detail. Please don't let a few Believers--indoctrinated by Anti-Mormon propaganda-- "disrupt" a Community--deliberately causing "dis-unity" so they can "get their way" like a spoiled child who has tandrums in order to force his will upon others. Don't let them. The Book of Mormon need not be "literal" history in order to be inspired of God. The Garden of Eden story (talking snake, Eve from a rib of Adam) is not "literal" history; yet it was written by Moses, as a parable, and certainly it was inspired of God. The Book of Jonah (in the Old Testmanet) is not literal "history" but a divinely-inspired story. The Bhagavad Gita (a book which Bahá'ís quote from) is not literal "history" but a "song"; a parable that was written by a Seer (not a prophet) that is not "Scripture" (infallible writings of Prophets) but "Apocrypha" (inspired but fallible writings of Seers).
The Book of Mormon teaches, essentially, that God allowed the white-skinned Nephites (nee-fights) to be "utterly destroyed" by the dark-skinned Lamanites (lay-man-nights) because the Nephites became "proud" of their white skins, and committed "whoredoms" and because they became too "materialistic" (worshippers of wealth instead of worshippers of God). Personally, I believe that The Book of Mormon is an inspired prophetic parable about America. The whites are becoming more and more materialistic, and will one day be a small minority in a sea of dark-skinned peoples--like the Nephites in The Book of Mormon. Teachers of Mormon Seekers (TOMS) should not try to read the "blue cover" edition of The Book of Mormon (which is extremely difficult to read), but should read the Plain-English edition of The Book of Mormon which can be found online at:
http://www.plainbookofmormon.com
Some Bahá'ís think "Mormons are racists" or that Joseph Smith was a racist. First, 98% of all Mormons under the age of 65 are NOT (nor have they ever been) "racist". Early Mormon leaders in Utah were, but concluding Mormons are "racists" because early Mormon leaders in Utah were, is like concluding all white Americans today are "racist" because early American leaders (i.e. Thomas Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln) were racist! ABSURD!
Joseph Smith was NOT a "racist" (Brigham Young was). Joseph Smith ordained black men to the Priesthood, and invited Negroes inside Mormon Temples. It was Brigham Young, not Joseph Smith, who introduced anti-black doctrines and practices into the Mormon Church. Joseph Smith ran for U.S. President in 1843, and was the first Presidential candidate to advocate that Negroes be freed, educated, and given "equal rights". He was the very first. Shoghi Effendi called Joseph Smith a "Seer" who had "high standards". I don't think the Guardian was fooled! I think he knew more about the subject than you or I.
The Mormons will never be attracted to the Faith using the "World Peace/Race Unity/Equality" Message. ___NEVER___! I cannot emphasize that enough. Mormons will NOT give up their chances for "Exaltation" in exchange for Esperanto-for-all! Using the World Peace/Race Unity/Equality message, you can forget, now and forever, attracting Mormon Seekers. You may attract a "few" ex-Mormons, or "Jack Mormons" (those born Mormon but who don't believe in Joseph Smith), but you'll never attract Mormon Seekers. Use the TOMS Method, and you'll attract many, many, Mormon Seekers. Thank you.
Aenon E. Moss
P.S. If I used my real name, I'd be accused of "trying to start a following"(I have been falsely accused of that before). Since I'm using a pseudonym, I'll be accused of some nefarious "hidden" Anti-Bahá'í agenda. I am "damned" if I reveal my true name, and I am "damned" if I don't. But the Truth is: I seek no following, and I have no "hidden" nefarious Anti-Bahá'í agenda. I simply want Mormons to know about Bahá'u'lláh, and they never will, unless you use the TOMS Method. Go in Peace.
DID JOSEPH SMITH & THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH (Free Book Offer). Was Joseph Smith a true Seer who prophesied of Bahá'u'lláh, the Founder of the Baha'i Faith; a world religion with over 6 million Believers in 120 countries? Call us for a free booklet. Nothing to buy. (000) 000-0000 or email: freebahaibook@gmail.com
IMPORTANT! Do not mail the booklet to the Respondants! Rather, mail them an invitation to a "Seekers Meeting" where they can pick up the booklet. Include a map and directions. Describe what a Seekers Meeting is. Have a photocopy of the cover of the booklet. Tell them that Refreshments (like at an LDS Church dance) will be served. Give directions. Offer a ride to those who need one.