Tithing and Temples Part 2

One member is examining the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism so glad to be with us for this additional viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM yesterday.

We began looking at an article that was written by Peggy Fletcher stack.

She writes for the Salt Lake Tribune. This was an article that was posted on March 26, 2018. It was titled because typing requirement for entry into LDS temples amount to Mormons buying their way to heaven and we should mention that MRM's own Sharon Lynn Bloom did write an article on this and you can find it on the MRM.org website. Her title was his Mormonism's promise of eternal life.

First sale. This is posted in April 2018 and if you wanted check out Sharon's insights on this and by all means we encourage you to do so in yesterday show. We brought out the very beginning of this article were Peggy Fletcher stack makes the comment that money may be the root of all evil and Eric is you appropriately brought out doesn't really say that in the New Testament it says the love of money is the root of all evil. But she says for Mormons. It also provides a pathway to the highest heaven. That's because to gain access to the sacred spaces and saving rituals of a Mormon temple LDS believers must take take notice of that word folks must donate 10% of their income to the church.

No payment, no entrance, and that's basically true.

The temple is very important for the Latter Day Saints if they hope to achieve celestial exultation technically is a Mormon, you cannot gain entrance into the celestial kingdom unless you have participated in the temple endowment ceremony in order to participate in the temple endowment ceremony.

You must have a temple recommend. And as we explained yesterday temple recommend his identification card that you must show at the temple recommend desk when you enter any particular Mormon temple. They must see that you are allowed to enter the temple in this recommend is your validation for entrance into it so as we mentioned yesterday, this is kind of apprised object for Latter Day Saints to have if you have a temple recommend.

That means you're really kind of a cut above the rest, especially for those who do not have a temple recommend.

You would be considered temple worthy and as we also brought out yesterday show that could also lead to it of pride on the part of the individual. Latter Day Saints and I think it lends itself toward that because you have done something that God considers to be worthy of allowing you to go to his most sacred place the temple before we get into Peggy Fletcher stacks article is want to read a quote I think it's a classic quote by LDS apostle Jeffrey Hollen, who explained that paying tithing is the discharging of a debt to God in he calls it like a payment of rental fees owed to him.

This is what he says. Elder James E. Talmage, who was an apostle of the church once described this as a contract between us and the Lord he imagine the Lord saying you have need of many things in this world, food, clothing and shelter for your family. The common comforts of life. You shall have the means of acquiring these things.

But remember, they are mine and I require of you the payment of our rental upon that which I give into your hands us a conference message from October 2001, and it was printed in the November 2001 and sign like a watered garden, page 34.

I think it's abhorrent to say that that payment of a tithe is like a rental like you're going to red box and checking out a video and you're getting something for your payment again there's that pride factor will not only is there a pride factor involved there, but I think there's a bit of selfishness involved to this is why the Christians works. The New Testament Christians works cannot be placed in the same category as the works of a latter-day St. As Christians, we don't do our works in order to gain something.

In fact, we are told that if we are doing it for that that kind of a work will be burned up. It will amount to nothing, but in LDS theology you most definitely are doing your works in order to get something from God.

Therefore, it works toward your own selfishness. If you want something from God. You are going to make an exchange.

In this case it would be paying your tithes you give your tides God exchanges your work of pain that tie in order to give you something that you desire. It's all based in selfishness. I don't know why it is except the spiritual blindness that we read about in the New Testament that Mormons don't see this. I don't look at my works or I'm sure Eric you don't look at your works as a means to gain something from God that would just as you said, be important to us as Christians. One of the things that we often talk about in the show is the idea of the difference between justification and sanctification because we certainly have a phase 289 which says that were saved by grace through faith. It's not of ourselves. It is the gift of God not by works, and yet verse 10 says that we are God's workmanship, created by Christ Jesus to do good works will the differences justification by faith alone, the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation certainly is all about the idea that we receive this gift, not based on what we do and yet were called onto good works.

Philippians 212.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling not work for your salvation, but work out.

This is a major difference between Christianity and every other world religion out there because Christianity is not talking about what we have to do for God in order to receive his gift, but rather what he is already done for us were asking what he's done for us. I want to do those good works, but in Mormonism you have to pay your tithing in order to be able to get into that temple that so important. Not only do a thing. The Mormon church perverts the word salvation. They also pervert the word gift because most people when you hear the word gift.

Don't think that something has to be done in exchange for the gift but in Mormonism most certainly that is the case now. Perhaps not when it comes to general salvation. And again I think that's a perversion of the word salvation. General salvation has been described as salvation by grace.

In other words, everyone is going to be resurrected from the dead doesn't matter what you believe. Doesn't matter what you did in this life. Everybody gets resurrected that Mormons might call that a salvation but as we've mentioned often on this show when Jesus says there's a resurrection into damnation.

I don't see how that is a gift at all, that I would want to have but yet Mormonism because they perverted the word salvation. They pervert the word gift. It certainly doesn't take on the same meaning as we understand it when we read those words in context. In the New Testament. But let's get back to what Peggy Fletcher stacks wrote here because in the She cites Marion G.

Romney, who in a June 1980 and the sign is quoted as making this statement in an article that is printed in the June 1980 & title concerning typing this is what Marion G. Romney said you can earn and then in brackets a place in the presence of our father in heaven and bracket by observing faithfully day by day and year by year. The law of tithing and the other requirements of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that goes back to what I said earlier in the series that just because you have a temple recommend does not guarantee you a place in the celestial kingdom.

That's only a part of the whole.

But when he senses you can earn right there as a New Testament Christian. I find problems with that you can earn that is not normally held New Testament Christians understand how they receive their salvation.

So when a Mormon leader such as Marion G. Romney, who is a part of the first presidency before he passed away says that you can earn and as you said in brackets a place in the presence of our father in heaven by observing faithfully day by day and year by year, the law of tithing, of course, and other requirements. But the law of tithing is absolutely essential and even Marion G.

Romney looks at this as being something that the individual Mormon earns. If you earn it cannot rightfully be called at the same time gift we would say no but clearly Marion G. Romney is using that word earn and it was Thomas S. Monson.

He did the same thing when he talked about the celestial kingdom. We are hoping to get to the celestial kingdom. It's something that we have to earn in order to get there. So when you hear Mormons talk about their salvation or exultation as being a gift. You need to remember they are defining that word probably very differently than the way you would define that word don't you just reminded me when you you talk about this idea of earning because it's a lot of tithing.

What does Paul have to say about law and in Galatians chapter 3 he says for all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse as it is written curse.

It is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law, if that's is one of the many laws that are part of Mormonism and people admittedly when you talk to Latter Day Saints.

They're not doing everything they're supposed to do its condemnation you Fletcher's that goes on in her article and rights should Mormons place in the afterlife, though be determined at least in part by the dollars they give here and now. Should blessings of the temple be withheld from those who can't or won't pay Mormon leaders reject the notion that the process to gain a recommend for entrance to an LDS temple is a form of salvation. Black male tithing, they argue, is repaying a debt owed to God or showing obedience.

It's about faith, not finances is really about faith.

If you look at it as a debt that you owe to God and that you must show obedience. Where's the faith involved in that process. I don't get them out when it she asked the question, should Mormons place in the afterlife, though be determined at least in part by the dollars they give here and now. Should blessings of the temple be withheld from those who can't or won't pay now.

In reading that if I put on my LDS thinking. I would think that most Mormons would probably say will absolutely if that's the requirement, they should be held accountable. But then I would think that some would probably look at the situation and say will wait a minute. Maybe I've never gone through a hard time in my life where I didn't have the finances to meet the needs of my family and so I had to withhold some of that which I probably would've given to the church in order to pay for groceries or the electric bill or whatever they could probably sympathize the will. In that case they can't, maybe they should get a pass if they're sincere and that let's say that that was a real sincere need and they were also at the same time putting the down payment on a Mercedes-Benz which makes you wonder that maybe they're just not using wisdom in this case, but when they say they won't pay it.

I could see most Mormons go well if they won't pay it, then certainly they must be held accountable. I would almost tend to agree with that kind of thinking but at the same time. If the requirement is set at a certain amount whether or not they can, then you have the Mormons kicking in these stories, yes. But look at all those who were blessed by striving to pay that and you gave the story in yesterday's show of that woman who tells the story about how she was going to sell her wedding ring in order to get caught up on her tithes and such and I commend her for her faithfulness. I think her faithfulness is misguided, but certainly she is living within the context of Mormonism and that's what it expects of their people. Tomorrow were going to continue looking at this article does tithing requirement for entry into the LDS temples about to Mormons buying their way into heaven. Thank you for listening. If you would like more information is research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter. Mormonism researched this again, as we look at another viewpoint is