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I’m not defending or bashing anyone’s religion, that is for those more pious than me.

If your Church has good works to mention, just like the Mormons do, now would be a good time to post them on this thread.

It will make this a more positive experience, unless of course, your Church doesn’t have much street cred in the “Good Works” dept.

If all ya got is “we believe in Jesus” then you should take that and supplement it with good ol fashioned mimicry of the Mormon deeds. If all you have is words, that is fine, but how does anyone know if you believe and understand the words in the Bible if you don’t do anything with them?

If your Church has good works to mention, just like the Mormons do, now would be a good time to post them on this thread. It will make this a more positive experience, unless of course, your Church doesn’t have much street cred in the “Good Works” dept. If all ya got is “we believe in Jesus” then you should take that and supplement it with good ol fashioned mimicry of the Mormon deeds.

You're operating on some lopsided assumptions. Jesus said, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:20)

This was the best compliment Jesus ever gave the Pharisees! He was saying their outward deeds were as good as you could get; if you couldn't surpass those Pharisaical deeds, he was saying, forget about trying to enter the kingdom of heaven. But what did Jesus say about the internal make-up of the Pharisees? (Did you read Elsie's citation of Matthew 23 in post #88?)

Here's four verses of what Jesus said in Matt. 23 about the great outward-good deed producing Pharisees: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse FIRST that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Mt. 23:25-28)

...if you don’t do anything with them [words]?

Assume away. Even if I presented a treasure's trove of church-based good deeds equal to that of what the Pharisees accomplished -- good enough to prompt a great compliment from Jesus to the tune of Matt. 5:20 -- it still wouldn't prove what our church is like on the inside...it'd still be beyond your "good deed measure meter."

If your Church has good works to mention, just like the Mormons do, now would be a good time to post them on this thread.

Esther 5:11

Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.

Psalms 12:3
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

Psalms 75:4
To the arrogant I say, `Boast no more,' and to the wicked, `Do not lift up your horns.

Amos 4:5

Burn leavened bread as a thank offering and brag about your freewill offerings-- boast about them, you Israelites, for this is what you love to do," declares the Sovereign LORD.

Romans 4:2
If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.

1 Corinthians 5:6
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?

1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

If your Church has good works to mention, just like the Mormons do, now would be a good time to post them on this thread.

WORKS?!?

Luke 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’