Lost and Found: Our “Borne Identity”

A former Mormon sends an appeal for prayer.

I very much identify with and relate to the ministry of Paul the Apostle— he knew who he was, where he came from, and where he was going. Hebrew, tribe of Benjamin, son of a Pharisee (Acts 23:6, Phillippians 3:5). Roman citizen (Acts 23: 24-29). Once identified by the name of “Saul”, he was on the opposite side of the Christian fence—persecuting believers, consenting to the death of Stephen, active in destroying the newly-forming church (Act 6-8). Born again while on the road to Damascus, then taken in and taught by fellow believers, Paul’s testimony and great ministry began.

I was born under the Northern Arapahoe tribe in a small town near the Wind River Indian Reservation. American citizen—a former Wyomingite, Utahan, Californian, and now, a Tennesseean. Adopted as an infant and raised in an LDS (Mormon) family; taught to believe in a heretical, false Christ (and didn’t know it). Born again while on the road to atheism, and though the words were different than those spoken to Paul, I heard the same Voice. Was taken in and taught by several believers and shepherds who knew the One that could heal my blind eyes and deaf ears. And my testimony of His amazing grace began.

Paul testified, and I testify of a living God and Christ crucified. There is good news about life in a world that is being destroyed and stripped of hope. There is good news about a powerful, almighty God that is mindful of this little planet called Earth. There is good news about faith, love, joy, grace and mercy. Apostle Paul and I heard this good news, and we will never stop spreading it.

And it all started with prayer.

When Paul traveled to Damascus, he wasn’t expecting God to intervene with his plans of the persecution of believers. When I fell to my knees one day in June of 1996 demanding answers in an atheistic defiance to a “God” I didn’t know nor cared existed, I did not expect Him to answer. Paul and I were both lost, and the Lord found us, right where we were in our lives. And though we may exist at different plots along life’s timeline, our message is still the same: God is alive!

Prayer is not a unique practice among the religions of the world. The religion I was raised in, Mormonism, began with a boy named Joseph Smith praying in a grove of trees. He had been searching which church to join...which one was the true one, the right one. Oh, if I could go back in time and pray with young Joseph in that grove of trees! If I could only tell him that God isn’t about a church or religion, isn’t about dueling pastors and ministers, or denominations divided by traditions, doctrine and politics. I would tell this confused boy that God isn’t about what we ourselves or others might want to hear, or what might feel or sound good. I would tell him the good news of the Word God made flesh (John 1:14), full of grace and truth— that Jesus Christ was, is, always has been and always will be the way, truth and life (John 14: 6), that God never has abandoned us, has never left us nor forsaken us (Heb. 13:5). I would invite others to join us in a circle of prayer, all of us bearing the same testimony of the ages—the same one that Paul and all the apostles, disciples and martyrs have borne, the same testimony that has been the “borne identity” of all believers for 2000 years: God is alive!

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me

so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains.

Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (Ephesians 6: 18-20)

If Joseph Smith could have traveled forward in time, I would show him that there are many more churches and religions than ever before, that there are still dueling pastors and ministers, that there are old and new denominations that are still divided by tradition, doctrines and politics. But I would continue to invite him to pray with me and fellow believers. I’d caution him to stay within earshot of the Good Shepherd’s voice and not go wandering off alone, which is so easy to do in a world filled with distractions…when lies (even white ones) are disguised as truth, pride is disguised as humility, hate and selfishness are disguised as love and compassion, greed is disguised as blessing…when adversaries are disguised as angels. I would tell him that he is not alone, we are not alone, no one is alone on their journey of life—that there are times when we are all lost, but are finally found (Luke 15:11-31). Jesus, our Good Shepherd, always seems to be able to find us, right where we are.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming,

he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.

The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

John 10:11-16

The gospel, the “good news” of Jesus Christ, is still good news. Let us pray that we can finally bring down all of the things that divide us – religion, church walls, traditions, rituals, idols, denominationalism, all the political banter and bickering. Let us leave behind our hypocrisies, our flawed opinions, our arrogance and stubbornness, our conditional love and faulty judgments of each other. Let us bring down all that would, could and does divide us, and stand together in prayer with unity, humility and love—remembering where we came from, where we are today, and where we are going. May we lay down our egos and pride, abandon our prodigal lives, and look forward to a Father who is waiting for us with open arms to celebrate our return to Him, just as we are (Luke 15).

God is alive!