I stayed up last night and watched the new video released by Hello Saints and Pastor Jeff, featuring Dallas Jenkins, the creator of The Chosen. I found the video really interesting, as it was insightful to hear what two faithful evangelicals had to say about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Here are a few of my takeaways:
LDS RELATIONSHIPS
I believe both of these men have genuinely come to love and cherish their relationships with faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I think they have found ways to nurture these relationships, even though theological differences typically would create a divide. I think that’s really neat.
LDS SUPPORT FOR THE CHOSEN
Dallas Jenkins mentioned that members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been some of the strongest supporters of The Chosen and have helped spread its message around the world. While Dallas is clearly not LDS, I believe he is a great example of someone who lives by the two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor. He hasn’t let doctrinal differences stop him from building bridges of faith. This is evident in the approach he has taken to create The Chosen. Dallas has brought people of many faiths together, working side by side to create The Chosen.
DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES
The two of them discussed a few of the differences between Evangelical beliefs and Latter-day Saint beliefs. It seemed as though Pastor Jeff wanted Dallas to address some of the greater doctrinal differences, but Dallas wasn’t going there. They touched on sola scriptura, prayer, The Book of Mormon, and faith in general. At one point, Dallas makes a great point: there’s a prevailing attitude that if you believe something I don’t agree with, we can’t find common ground on the beliefs we share. We should all be fighting those beliefs.
SUMMARY
I think Dallas is a great example of how we should all strive to be. He demonstrates love for God and love for his neighbors. I believe he truly embodies these values. Many great points were shared during this interview, and I encourage you to watch it in full.
WHY DO I LOVE THE CHOSEN?
Why do I personally love The Chosen? There are so many reasons. It has transformed my understanding of the Bible and Jesus Christ by providing deeper insights into the culture in which the Bible and New Testament took place. I especially love the portrayal of Jesus in the series. He is loving and compassionate, and there are several moments where He hugs people. In each instance, I can imagine a loving and compassionate God comforting those individuals. His love for everyone is beautifully depicted, and it is absolutely heartwarming.