Kuyper meets the Mormons

“Hello! My name is Elder Price, and I would like to share with you the most amazing book.”

For those familiar with theatre, these words are instantly recognizable as a line from the Broadway hit The Book of Mormon, which graced Toronto’s stage in 2024. However, my actual encounter with a missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) was far more personal and thoughtful. On February 13, 2025, the Toronto-area LDS Temple in Brampton opened its doors for a limited time, inviting non-members to tour the building before its dedication. As a Reformed Christian, I saw this as a unique opportunity for interfaith dialogue, a chance to better understand my Mormon neighbours.

For many, the Mormon image is dualistic. On the one hand, Mormons are often seen as tightly-knit communities with large families, represented in public by the young missionaries in white shirts, black pants and smartly-knotted ties who knock on doors. On the other hand, negative stereotypes – fueled by headlines about polygamous groups like Warren Jeffs’ Fundamentalist LDS or the sensationalized dramas on Sister Wives – dominate the public imagination.

My first real engagement with Mormonism came during a holiday in Panama, when I stayed at a Marriott hotel. While rifling through the drawers, I stumbled upon a copy of The Book of Mormon. It introduced me to a strange narrative: ancient Jews who sailed to America, warring tribes in Mesoamerica and a dramatic climax where the resurrected Jesus Christ visits the New World. While The Book of Mormon never convinced me of its canonicity, it sparked a lifelong interest in understanding this group of self-professed Christians. What follows is my reflection on visiting the LDS Temple.

Twelve life-size oxen

The LDS Temple in Brampton, Ontario, operates with the kind of logistical precision one might expect at Disney World. From the moment you arrive, you are guided by warm, efficient volunteers who usher you through every step of the process. After a friendly greeting from a missionary, visitors are invited to watch a short video featuring Russell M. Nelson, President of the LDS Church, who is considered by Mormons to be a prophet. In the video, President Nelson explains that the temple serves as a vehicle for faithful members to journey through time and eternity, entering the presence of God and engaging in sacred covenants, such as baptisms for the dead and eternal marriages.

Since I visited in the middle of Ontario’s bitter winter, the volunteers had thoughtfully set up a heated tunnel, allowing visitors to walk between the visitor center and the temple without feeling the sting of the cold. I was accompanied by a missionary couple who guided us through the temple’s stunning rooms. The centrepiece of the tour was the sealing room, where mirrors facing each other create the illusion of eternity. It is in these rooms that Mormon couples and families are “sealed” together for eternity, a concept that holds profound significance in the LDS faith.

Next, we were shown the ornate ivory baptismal font, supported by 12 full-sized statues of oxen. In this room, Mormons practice baptisms on behalf of deceased individuals who never had the chance to hear the LDS gospel, referred to as the “Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The final stop on our tour was the Celestial Room, a nearly blindingly white space with plush seating, designed as a reflection of what Mormons believe heaven will be like.

The 45-minute tour concluded in the visitor center, where we were offered refreshments and invited to mingle with other guests. Throughout the experience, the missionaries and volunteers were warm, welcoming and eager to answer any questions. The professionalism and dedication of the LDS community were evident at every turn, leaving a lasting impression.

Approaching orthodoxy?

While the tour guides were friendly and the venue itself fascinating, I left feeling as though I had not quite passed through the proverbial looking glass. I had arrived with enough background knowledge to understand that the theology of Mormonism is far more complex than what was presented. I am not suggesting that the Mormons were being deceptive, but it was clear that certain distinctive elements of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were downplayed – elements that set it apart from more orthodox branches of Christianity. This observation perhaps affirms Richard J. Mouw’s argument in First Things that the modern Mormon church is increasingly approaching orthodoxy. However, to an unsuspecting evangelical visitor, there may be a temptation to assume that, beyond a few unusual practices like baptism for the dead and eternal marriage, Mormons are essentially orthodox Christians.

The purpose of this article is not to engage in a theological diatribe but rather to reflect on what I found most admirable about the Mormon community I was welcomed into. In my ecumenical endeavours, I strive to embody Krister Stendahl’s concept of “holy envy.” By this, Stendahl suggested that we should be willing to recognize aspects of another religious tradition that we admire and wish could, in some way, be reflected in our own.

I felt a deep sense of holy envy most strongly in the sealing room, when a single father and his three teenage children were present. When his daughter suddenly began to sob, the missionary’s wife gently took her aside for a quiet conversation. Overhearing their exchange, I learned that the daughter had been moved to tears by the realization that she and her family would be together forever. Her father, too, was overcome with emotion, reflecting on the comforting thought that their mother, who had passed away, had been sealed to them. This moment of shared sorrow and joy was a powerful expression of the Mormon belief in eternal family bonds.

Sacred spaces

In addition, as mentioned earlier, I was struck by the level of volunteerism the church was able to cultivate. The temple had dozens of volunteers, from young children as greeters to teenage missionaries directing traffic and families serving refreshments. While some critics of Mormonism may view this kind of devotion as cult-like, I find it admirable that such a subculture can inspire so many people to dedicate their time and energy to inviting others to learn about their faith. In contrast, within my own church community, organizing something as simple as serving coffee can feel like a Herculean task. I can only imagine the reaction if we were to ask people to commit two years of their lives to missionary work overseas.

Lastly, the diversity of the Mormon community was striking. While this may be partially due to the temple’s Toronto location, the visitors and volunteers represented a wide array of races and cultural backgrounds. This stands in contrast to many Christian Reformed congregations which, despite their devotion, often reflect more homogeneous cultural backgrounds. There is something deeply attractive about faith communities drawn together not by ethnic or cultural commonality but by a shared doctrine and purpose.

As I drove home, the Broadway musical came to mind again. In one of its key moments, the protagonist overcomes a moment of doubt and professes his belief in some of the LDS’s most unconventional doctrines – humans becoming gods, the idea that ancient Jews colonized the Americas and that the President of the Church speaks directly with God.

While I believe any Reformed Christian must unapologetically affirm that the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are not consistent with orthodox Christianity or Scripture, my experience of meeting Mormons and visiting their sacred spaces left me with a sense of admiration for their sincere faith. Despite the theological differences, I cannot help but recognize that their commitment to evangelism and the spread of their beliefs is something from which we, as Reformed Christians, can learn.