----- Original Message ----- From: "Charles Perry Locke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 5:39 PM Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Kingdom Come
> Blaine, tithing is not a new testament practice. It was part of the Jewish > economy that provided for the priests who kept the temple. It is interesting > that reaching LDS godhood, making it into the celestial LDS kingdom, and > even getting to go inside the LDS temple is based on whether or not you have > paid tribute to the church (I know, and other things, too). Strange stuff, > my friend. > > Perry Blaine: The History of the Mormon Church explains this. Briefly, the Church was at first commanded to live the United Order--having all things in common--but as time went by, apparently this was too difficult for many to do. The Lord then relented, and told them they could live a lesser law--that of the tithe. Not so strange after all, considering this is essentially what happened in the early church--the United Order apparently did not last very long then, either. I have little info on just how long it did last, but do know that persecution and other kinds of interventions eventually brought an end to it. Also, didn't Moses come down off the mountain with a set of higher laws, but was then forced by the people's wickedness (worship of the Golden Calf, etc.) to return to the Lord for a lesser law--the Law of Moses, as it was eventually called? > > > >From: "Blaine Borrowman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Kingdom Come > >Date: Sun, 29 Feb 2004 17:16:22 -0700 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Kevin Deegan > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2004 6:44 PM > > Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Kingdom Come > > > > > > BLAINE Your report made it seem as if Mormons are under a great deal of > >pressure to pay their annual 10% tithe. I don't think there is much > >pressure, other than that of individual conscience, to pay tithes or other > >contributions. > > > > Again I find info that is directly contrary to what you say. I am not > >sure I can trust you anymore. > > > > Blaine: To Kevin-- The questions you listed below are part of the > >routine when asking for a temple recommend--note I said ASKING? People > >want something like a temple recommend, they ask for it. They expect to > >meet the requirements, or they wouldn't ask. It is a matter of prioroties > >and choice, not pressure or compulsion. > > Tithing is one of the questions, but not the only one. There are also > >questions relating to health, conviction, honesty, virtue, morality, > >loyalty--would one feel pressured by these questions? If you want a > >blessing, you have to pay the price. It is like if you want some money, > >you gat a job--no pressure, no compulsion, you can always live on the > >street and the charity of others--provided you enjoy doing that, but if you > >want the money, you have to go beyond that level of living. Likewise, if > >you want to go through the Lord's house and partake of his blessings, you > >have to pay the price. You have to give up licentious behavior, smoking, > >drinking, stealing, lying, cheating on your wife/husband, abusing your > >kids, etc. and start making a real commitment to the Lord's Kingdom on > >earth and your own spiritual well-being, which among all those other > >things, includes shelling out from the ol' pocketbook. Nothing like a > >little sacrifice to prove you are in earnest, huh? God has said through > >his living prophet that if you are tithed at his coming, you will not be > >burned. Besides whatever else tithing may be, it is good fire insurance. > > > > Here are the questions from the Temple reommend: > > Five of the questions are about the CHURCH! Do you believe and obey the > >CHURCH. Maybe one is arguably about God. Why so much Church? > > Why not call it a CHURCH recommend? > > Why do you have to PAY a FULL TITHE to be a GOOD CHURCH member? > > > > Blaine: Because we live in the real world, Kevin, not your > >tradition-bound world where all you have to do is give a little lip service > >to God and you are forever saved. You show your faith by your works in our > >world, Kevin. > > > > http://www.lds-mormon.com/veilworker/recommend.shtml > > 1. Do you believe in God, the Eternal Father, in his Son, Jesus Christ, > >and in the Holy Ghost; and do you have a firm testimony of the restored > >gospel? > > 2. Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of > >Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator; and do you recognize > >him as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood > >keys? > > 3. Do you sustain the other General Authorities and the local > >authorities of the Church? > > 4. Do you live the law of chastity? > > 5. Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family > >that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church? > > 6. Do you affiliate with any group or individual whose teachings or > >practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted ! by The Church of Jesus > >Christ of Latter-day Saints, or do you sympathize with the precepts of any > >such group or individual? > > 7. Do you earnestly strive to do your duty in the Church; to attend your > >sacrament, priesthood, and other meetings; and to obey the rules, laws, and > >commandments of the gospel? > > 8. Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen? > > 9. Are you a full-tithe payer? > > 10. Do you keep the Word of Wisdom? > > 11. Have you ever been divorced or are you now separated from your > >spouse under order of a civil court? If yes, (a) - Are you current in your > >support payments and other financial obligations for family members, as > >specified by court order or in other written, binding commitments? (b) Were > >there any circumstances of transgression in connection > > with your divorce or separation tha! t have not been previously resolved > >with your bishop? > > > > 12. If you have received your temple endowment -- (a) Do you keep all > >the covenants that you made in the temple? (b) Do you wear the authorized > >garments both day and night? > > > > 13. Has there been any sin or misdeed in your life that should have been > >resolved with priesthood authorities but has not? > > > > 14. Do you consider yourself worthy in every way to enter the temple and > >participate in temple ordinances? > > > > out of 14 questions; > > 1 has to do with God > > 7 have to do with CHURCH and CHURCH AUTHORITY > > 6 have to do with Good works > > > > My calculations work out thus > > the LDS faith is > > 7% God > > 43% good works > > 50% CHURCH > > > > Blaine Borrowman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > This is my response to the article, Kingdom Come, as printed in the > >November 8, 1997 issue of TIME Magazine. > > > > Your article on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was > >very well done. I have been a Mormon all my life, attending meetings, > >paying tithes and offerings, teaching children and adults in church > >classes, etc. We Mormons believe that the sacrifice of worldly goods is an > >important principle, requiring faith in God as it does, but we also believe > >in freedom to exercise moral agency--which means, as far as monetary > >contributions are concerned, each member is free to pay or not. Your report > >made it seem as if Mormons are under a great deal of pressure to pay their > >annual 10% tithe. I don't think there is much pressure, other than that of > >individual conscience, to pay tithes or other contributions. > > BLAINE BORROWMAN Midvale, Utah > > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > > Do you Yahoo!? > > Get better spam protection with Yahoo! Mail > > _________________________________________________________________ > Say "good-bye" to spam, viruses and pop-ups with MSN Premium -- free trial > offer! http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200359ave/direct/01/ > > ---------- > "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org > > If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed. > ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. 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