Posted on 07/13/2010 10:43:45 AM PDT by Colofornian
You know, I got to thinking about this more…and though it’s funny at first…how sad. Why? ‘Cause to the Mormon tithing is an absolute law!
If you look at Lds.org like I did -- every single entry they have for carrying out their various add-on "Laws" -- guess what two add-on "laws" get the most mentions by Lds, Inc?
It's near a tie:
(1) The Law of Tithing
(2) The Law of Chastity
That's interesting, too...'cause you would think that based upon what Joseph Smith said, the Law of Baptizing dead people would be #1. But it's not stressed more than the above (& doesn't rank above many other Mormon "laws").
Joseph Smith: “The GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS WORLD that God has placed upon us is to seek after our dead.” (Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 356)
Mormons are you obeying this? Are you doing three-year missions to the dead to outdo your two- year missions to the living?
If I was a gambling man, I could probably wage a million $ that not a single Mormon could name EVERY law mentioned by Lds general authorities on Lds.org. [What a crying shame, 'cause even Joseph Smith said: “We cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know unless we comply with or keep those we have already received.”(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 256.)]
And Mormons are shooting for the highest degree by way of perfect obedience??????
For the Christian, do we follow a "law" of tithing?
No. Giving is an inside-out thing, done from the heart, encouraged by God as part of being godly. Mormons? They make it an outside-in, imposed upon from without -- or you're out (of the temple, that is). No chance for special "callings" in the church; don't get to see your son or daughter married in the temple. No "forever family." No living with Heavenly Father forever. You could pay 9.99% of your income, and still be disqualified from all the above...because you broke their man-made "law."
BTW...the Mormon "law of chastity" does the same thing as the Mormon "law of tithing": It attempts to impose a man-made law from the outside-in. Now am I saying singles should not be chaste and marrieds should not remain faithful to their spouse? Not at all; of course we exercise self-control. But Jesus said no matter whether you engage in physical adultery, God looks at the heart...and if you lust, you have already broken any boundary of heart purity/chasteness.
Mormons (and many Christian church members, too) consistently want to measure things by external appearances. God already knows our hearts perfectly. We can't change His omniscience and omnipresence. That's why Jesus complimented the Pharisees on their outward righteousness and condemned them on their inward tombstone-like lives.
Too many Mormons and even members of Christian churches compare out their outward religious lives to the rest of the world, and think they are way out front of the race to heaven.
But God doesn't judge us that way.
It's pass or fail. (James says if we stumble at only one part of the Law, we have broken ALL of it -- James 2:10).
It's inside and outside.
It's internal and external.
All: Stay away from such religious legalism as mentioned above; and, if you're already entrapped in it, run away. Jesus condemned it for a very good reason!
Yet they consider Jews to be gentiles.
What Christian or group of Christians have "anti Jewish beliefs"?
Is the author talking about the Christian belief that Jesus is the Messiah? If so, do not the Mormons believe the same? If not, why do they, of late, insist on saying their cult is Christian?
Baptizing deceased Jews against Mormon policy:
____________________________________________
ROFLMBO
Then why do the mormons do it ???
Yup. I don't think there's a Judeo-Christian word or concept Mormonism doesn't distort, turn upside down, or bend beyond recognition.
Another example: Christians are "apostates" per Mormonism.
Joseph F. Smith, Smith said:
Not a soul that has ever lived and died from off the face of this earth shall escape a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
________________________________________
Well good luck with that little fantasy
That would be "Jews for Joseph" ;-)
Excellent phrasing, Vendome...a very good way to approach this.
Let me provide you with three examples as to how Mormons have "appended...[the] life history" of numerous individuals:
Did you know that -- per Mormonism "sealing" records (rituals performed in the Mormon temple) -- that:
(a) Jesus is now "married"/sealed to Mary Magdalene, per our zealous Mormon match-makers?
(b) And Father Damien, a RC priest, was also posthumously "sealed" so that he, too, is now "married"
(c) And a fundamentalist Mormon killer who was divorced was posthumously "re-married" to his ex-spouse.
Documentation for all of these Mormon "religious" acts follow, if you care to take the time to read them.
From article documenting (a) above: On May 27, 2010, “Maria Magdelena” was listed in New FamilySearch with her birth date as “1504 Israel,” and death date as “before 1540 Israel.” Both years are likely inventions. Along with “spouse” “Jesus Cristian,” “Maria Magdelena” was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS Church by proxy on April 8, 2010 in the “Salt Lake City Utah Temple.” She was subjected to initiatory temple ordinances on April 8, 2010; an endowment ceremony on April 9, 2010; and the marriage “sealing” to “Jesus Cristian” on April 9, 2010—all rites were done in the “Salt Lake City Utah Temple.” Mary Magdalene is described in the New Testament as a faithful follower of Jesus. Because the concept of marriage is strongly emphasized in LDS teachings, the notion that a spousal relationship existed between Jesus and Mary Magdalene is common among Mormons—although that belief is not formal LDS doctrine. There is no reliable historical evidence to indicate that Jesus was married—to Mary Magdalene, or anyone else. Source: Jesus Christ was baptized and “sealed” to Mary Magdalene
From column documenting (b) above: "It's blatantly wrong to seal a person who took a vow of celibacy as a Catholic priest and is so revered in his Catholic religion," said Radkey, a former Catholic. Source: Helen Radkey and Salt Lake Tribune strike again
Why is the Lds church playing "matchmaker" post-death with single RC priests? Answer: Lds say single people are shut out of the highest degree of glory in heaven. Therefore, if Father Damien was going to get there, they had to find a way to marry him off -- in the nether world!
This whole religious shenanigans brought this out in a Yahoo Question: Mormons "marry" dead Catholic priest posthumously to a woman he likely never was married to in life. Why?
This whole enterprise is a literal Mormon marriage machine for dead spirits...
From the article documenting (c) above: The LDS Church has disowned Mormon fundamentalists. In sharp contradiction, the LDS temple system systematically validates the plural marriages of dead ex-Mormon polygamists through its marriage sealing rituals. An example of many such individuals is Rulon Clark Allred, who was excommunicated from the LDS Church in 1940 for practicing polygamy...As though killers will share an eternal reward with their victims, Ervil Morrell LeBaron — the Mormon fundamentalist behind the death of Rulon Allred — was sealed by proxy in 2002 to Delfina Salido, from whom he was divorced. Source: Mormon Church Quietly Endorses Polygamous (Afterlife) Marriages of Excommunicated Fundamentalists
We need to understand that Mormons clarify their belief that marriages are forever by saying that applies only to those who reach the highest degree of glory. So Mormons believe murderers need proxy eternal marriage sealings 'cause they represent the highest degree of works-righteousness folks?
That is just sick.
Exactly.
(I'm waiting for entrepreneur types to start opening up "Honeymoon suites for the deceased" just outside of Mormon temples worldwide -- so that these nether world "marriages" can be properly consummated. Hmmm...I wonder what Mormons will start offering themselves as being "available" to perform these acts by proxy? And while some of you might write that off as a crude, insensitive joke, you need to understand that such an extension is no different than the reasons Mormons perform proxy baptisms to begin with...Mormon leaders say these "deceased spirits" need a body to baptized...they have no bodies...thereby bodies from this world are vicariously offered up...well, what about non-Mormons being sealed to a partner post death...what? No consummation for them?)
The Mormons don't have a corner on the entrepreneurial "christian" corniness...
Hey doc, I think this site is run by atheists.
After the party, for my friend, I came away with a sense that many LDS are moving more mainstream and they don’t even recognize some the things we argue against here.
In fact, many were not aware of those viewpoints and called them extreme for their arrogance and not something they identify with.
That is not to say that many are not more fundamental and rigid, but that a good many I talked to wouldn’t agree with the subjects we discuss.
The older generation does but more of the 40 and unders just think some of the early church views go to far and farther than they would support.
It’s Tuesday!
Heart of the Matter Ping!
Understandable - false religions do that - their flock end up with a pick/chose attitude.
An atheist? On a FR religion thread? please; tell me WHY!!
(Other places on the web would call this bi-curious...)
Resty; your input is needed.
That was my initial thought
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