Mormonism (Youth Training)

Grounded: Relating to Your Mormon Friends in Truth and Love is a new youth training resource is an exciting, fast-paced program explores ways Christian youth can have honest friendships with Latter-day Saints while maintaining the integrity of their own beliefs and effectively sharing their faith in Jesus Christ. The five-week curriculum invites young viewers to dig deeper into their faith and get grounded in Jesus Christ. The program includes a movie documentary on DVD filled with interviews with Christian and Latter-day Saint teens, a student workbook with daily faith-promoting activities, and an extensive leader’s guide full of additional resources on the history and theology of the Mormon Church and helpful tips on sharing the gospel.

Program Intent

Grounded is suitable for Christian congregations of all types. The goal of the program is to help Christian teenagers who have Mormon friends strengthen their faith and become better prepared to discuss their beliefs without fear of damaging these friendships.

Many people who do not belong to the Mormon Church look at Mormons (or Latter-day Saints as they prefer to be known) and call them a “cult.” But others who belong to traditional Christian churches – both Protestant and Catholic – know that Latter-day Saints belong to a unique and complex culture, distinguished by its own history, beliefs, morals, and social values. To label them as a cult is to limit our understanding of our Mormon friends and their faith, closing the door to fruitful conversations about the Good News of Jesus Christ and God’s saving grace.

This program does not feature people attacking the LDS Church, discrediting its founder Joseph Smith, or disproving the claims of The Book of Mormon. It does not seek to answer questions such as “Are Mormons Christian?” and “How can Mormons be saved?” What it does contain is young people speaking freely on camera about the way they see the world and the value their faith has in their lives. Some are Latter-day Saints. Others belong to traditional Christian church backgrounds. They speak about their friendships and what they value in each other in spite of the differences in their churches’ teachings and their personal beliefs. In this program, LDS teens bear their testimony and young people from a number of different denominations – Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopalian, Baptist and more – say over and over again “I wish I could testify to my beliefs as strongly as my LDS friends do to theirs.”

Our prayer is that teens from traditional Christian backgrounds who have LDS friends will see this program as a wake up call to dig deeper into their own faith and get grounded in Jesus Christ. We believe that if they join in the class discussions and engage in the suggested weekly activities, they will grow in their own faith and be strengthened in their witness to their LDS friends. Then they will be able to speak the truth in love to them, without fear of damaging their friendships.

 
Grounded covers the following topics:

1. Truth – Where do we find truth? How do we sort out different truth claims the world offers up? How do LDS truth claims differ from those of traditional Christianity?
2. Differences – Where and when did the LDS Church start? What are some key differences between the worldviews of Latter-day Saints and traditional Christian young people?
3. Friendship – How do friendships between traditional Christian teenagers and Latter-day Saints work? How can Christian teens stay grounded in their faith and open to the issues that deeply concern their LDS friends?
4. Answers – What are some of the answers to the difficult questions our LDS friends may raise? How can we avoid the trap of simply arguing Bible verses with our LDS friends?
5. Sharing – What are effective ways to share the gospel with our LDS friends? How can we use the language of LDS testimony to tell about the relationship with Jesus Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

The Grounded training program costs $95 plus shipping. This price includes the DVD, the Leader's Guide, and one Student Workbook. Additional workbooks can be purchased for $5 each.

For more information see our Grounded brochure

In addition to purchasing Grounded for your youth group you can also contact us to schedule a training event where WIIS staff present Grounded and train your youth workers and interested parents with this resource. The fee for this all-day event is $900 which includes a free copy of the training DVD and a Leader's Guide. In addition, interested churches need to cover our travel expenses. Please contact us to purchase Grounded or to schedule a training event.

ORDERS: For orders and administration contact Bonnie Ehrheart at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

REFUND POLICY: Resources that are damaged can be exchanged upon receipt of returned merchandise.

Grounded Products

Grounded DVD $50 Plus $5 Shipping & Handling

Grounded covers the following topics:

1. Truth – Where do we find truth? How do we sort out different truth claims the world offers up? How do LDS truth claims differ from those of traditional Christianity?
2. Differences – Where and when did the LDS Church start? What are some key differences between the worldviews of Latter-day Saints and traditional Christian young people?
3. Friendship – How do friendships between traditional Christian teenagers and Latter-day Saints work? How can Christian teens stay grounded in their faith and open to the issues that deeply concern their LDS friends?
4. Answers – What are some of the answers to the difficult questions our LDS friends may raise? How can we avoid the trap of simply arguing Bible verses with our LDS friends?
5. Sharing – What are effective ways to share the gospel with our LDS friends? How can we use the language of LDS testimony to tell about the relationship with Jesus Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

Grounded Training Program $67 Plus $12.35 Shipping & Handling

Includes the Grounded DVD described above, a Leader's Guide, and a Student Workbook.

Grounded Leader's Guide $18 Plus $7 Shipping & Handling

This extensive guide includes information that helps youth leaders and parents facilitate the Grounded training program.

Postage Rates

Grounded Student Workbook $10 Plus $7 Shipping & Handling

A workbook with material to assist with each major facet of discussion in Grounded and daily exercises.

Postage Rates

For 1-5 shipping is $7.00, and for 6-25 it is $12.35. Shopping cart orders are for single orders only. For larger orders contact WIIS at (801) 728-0334 to calculate postage.
 

Transitions Article

Read the Salt Lake Tribune article on the Transitions project here.