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CULTS CRITIQUE T he following moving account appeared in a recent issue of Power for Living, one of the fine Sunday school papers published by Scripture 'Press Publications, Inc. Wheaton, 111. by whose kind permis sion we are using the article. Byline is Dorothy Grunbock Johnston. Marv Cowan had been reading his Bible—off and on—for years. After all, he had been ordained a deacon in the Mormon Church when he was 12. At 15 he gained the rank of teacher. The Bible was one of the books he was supposed to study, plus the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. But his leader doubted if even one Bible verse had escaped corrup tion in the process of translation, and Marv agreed. The next weekend found Marv pursuing his favorite sport—fishing. The majesty o f snow-capped mountains was a fitting backdrop for his musings as he barbecued his catch. Wouldn’t this be a good place to have a vision? After all, the great leaders of the Mormon Church had seen visions. Marv believed he and God were on pretty good terms because he was trying to keep the Ten Command ments perfectly. He had never touched a cigarette or taken one swallow of beer. He never drank tea or coffee. He never swore. How good could a guy get? But, how good does a guy have to be? persisted an inner question. What if he hadn’t kept the Ten Commandments perfectly ? Marv decided to closely examine the four books recommended by his Mormon leaders. As he diligently compared them, he found that the Mormon books did not agree with each other or with the Bible! He couldn’t be sure the Bible was right, but he was drawn to it. Beginning at Genesis, Marv read the Bible straight through until he came to the third chapter of Romans. “ All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” he read. Mormons do not accept this, but Marv was convicted. He read several chapters farther: “ If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt be lieve in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
by Betty Bruechert
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” God, then, gives righteousness to the person who believes on His Son! “ Lord,” Marv said, “ if this is what salvation is, there is no reason why I can’t be saved.” Slipping to his knees in his bedroom, he received Christ as his Saviour. Peace flooded his being. As soon as his parents came home, he told them what he had done. “ You’re fanatic,” his mo t he r scolded. “ You worry me.” But Christian Science and Unity literature in the Cowan home clear ly showed that Marv’s parents were not happy in the Mormon faith, even though they had been married with secret rites in the Mormon temple at Logan, Utah, and their great grand parents were among the early Mor mons. Marv, at 17, left the Mormon Church, or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as it is better known, and started attending a Bible-preaching Mennonite church. Marv’s new zeal for Christ led him to witness constantly. Within a year, his father, mother, brother, and a sister professed their faith in Christ and j o i n e d a Mennonite church. In 1958, Marv met Janet Schwab, and they were married. He then en rolled at Conservative Baptist Theo logical Seminary in Denver. He was graduated in 1960, and the following year was appointed a missionary to the Mormon people by the Conserva tive Baptist Home Mission Society. Using the Mormons’ method, he and another converted Mormon go house to house with the message of salvation: God offers eternal life through Jesus Christ as a gift; it is not something you earn. While preaching in “ Mormon coun try,” Cowan often encounters loud opposition from visiting Latter Day Saints in the congregation. But thanks to his early training with the Mormons, Cowan is able to reply with “ chapter and verse” from the Book of Mormon or The Pearl of Great Price, to the discomfiture of the hecklers. He has been cursed and maligned by those who consider him a traitor. “ I don’t expect a warm welcome from Mormons,” says Cowan. “ But I believe some of them are seeking true salvation just as I was. And Christ can bring them the joy that He brought to me.”
PTL teams launch the Argentina Evangeliza tion and Scripture distribution campaign. A heavy schedule of day and night meetings, both indoor and outdoor,draws enthusiastic overflow audiences. The Gospel is preached, the word distributed and many Argentinians are won to Christ. MY W ORD ...SHALL NOT RETURN...VOID. Goal for Argentina 1,000,000 Gospels. J. Edward Smith, International Director Alfred A. Kunz, international Director Emeritus 49 Honeck Street, Englewood, N J. 07631 Canada: 74 Crescent Rd., Toronto 5, Ontario POCKET TESTAMENT LEABUE i
W A N T E D ! ! Used cars for use by Missionaries on furlough. In donating your used car for this worthwhile purpose, you will receive a tax-deductible receipt for top re tail value. W rite: ASSISTANCE TO MISSIONS, Inc. Box 3232, Glendale, Calif. RECEIVE AN ATTRACTIVE COPY OF AN INDIAN VERSION OF THE 23rd PSALM and a large list'o f unusual Indian names by contributing $1.00 or more to aid work among Indians of North America. AMERICAN INDIAN MISSION, Inc. Rev. R. L. Gowan, Director Custer 9, So. Dakota 57730 ^ E . n V E . C . I . _ All Independent, Conservative, Pastors and Churches, are invited to inquire about ordina tion and membership requirements. Write to: Dept. K
EVANGELICAL MINISTERS AND CHURCHES, INTERNATIONAL
2057 Lawrence Ave.
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AUGUST, 1964
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