“This is a perfect example of how the LDS ‘play’ at being Christians. “
The game is over; “Jesus Christ is the Lord.” I put that in quotes because it is I, a Mormon, who says that - Jesus Christ is the Lord.
“Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost”
1 Corinthians 12:3
Regarding tithing - it’s in the Bible - it’s a good thing - it’s nothing to be ashamed of - we do it because we want to, not because we have to. Same with all Christians.
It’s the only area where God says we can test Him.
Why is this a problem for you?
Let's break this down a bit...
First, as has been pointed out by many on this thread, it's in the OT part of the Bible, it is not a "current" requirement in the NT. It is no longer required as under the OT.
Second, LdS "do it" if they want to be found worthy of a temple recommend. If you don't get a temple recommend, you can't take out your endowments. If you can't take out your endowments, you don't get the promise of the celestial kingdom.
If you don't get to the celestial kingdom, there's no dwelling with god or your eternal family, there's no dwelling with your eternal god, there's no birthing of spirit babies to populate your eternal huusband's (god) planet.
Now tell us again, do you "do it" because you "want to" or because you need to if you want to receive "all the blessings" (celestial kingdom)?
And has been pointed out, not "all Christians" "obey" the OT requirement by making it a requirement for exaltation as the LdS do.
a) THIS IS NOT A GAME. Your eternal salvation is at stake and that is something I take seriously.
b) Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is either LORD OF ALL, or He is not LORD AT ALL. Just because you say Jesus is Lord, doesn’t mean He is to you. Where is He in relation to the Church? Who do you choose? Smith or Christ? Jesus or Joseph? The Messiah or Monson? If you put the Church ANYWHERE in the equation, then Jesus is not your Lord at all. And saying the words won’t make it true.
Are you willing to give up ‘the Church’ for Jesus? Seriously? Because that is what He WILL ask of you, of all of us.
c)Tithing is an OLD TESTAMENT law, not a NEW TESTAMENT ONE. GIVE ME ONE (ONE!) VERSE in the NT where tithing is required. It isn’t.
d) I have never heard, seen, or been to any Christian churches that where you have to go to an annual ‘tithing settlement’, and declare you pay a full tithe. NONE!!!!!! It is between you and God, not you, God and your bishop. God doesn’t care the PERCENTAGE of what we give, He cares about our hearts and motivations in giving.
Yet, the LDS make it a requirement, you may CLAIM you give because you want to, but if you didn’t then you would lose your precious TR, it would be all around the ward, and you would not be ‘worthy’. That is coercion, not giving cheerfully. And that ‘requirement’ is what bugs me about LDS tithing.
e)I quit ‘tithing’ when I left Mormonism, because I am under the NEW COVENANT, not the OT law. I don’t stop at 10%, I give as I am led and where I am led and that is far more than the LDS required.
AFA, ‘testing God’. Wow. YOU ADMIT TO ‘testing God’???!?! THAT takes guts. I love my God too much to ‘seek after a sign’ or to ‘test Him’.
I don’t TEST God, I TRUST Him. Apparently you don’t since you rely on Mormonism to save you.
Circumcision was in the bible too and was a good thing. Let's all do that. We can prove to God how good we are.
Tithing implies a return on your investment. Giving expects nothing in return.
Tithing is monitored by man, giving is remembered by God.