Mormons and Money

Increased exposure of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints due to the Romney campaign and the church’s own marketing has led to a continuing onslaught of curiosity and news stories. Many of the stories are good and most are well intentioned. However, even some of the good and well intentioned articles are filled with inaccuracies and stereotypes. Most recently, several “news” agencies have published articles relating to the church’s finances. Again, I think some of these journalists are well intentioned, while others have maliciously misrepresented the faith. There are just a few points I would like to make to help clarify the many lies and half-truths that are circulating concerning this matter.

 1.       The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints follows the law of tithing as set forth in the Old and New Testaments. This is the same law that Abraham and the Levites followed (Heb 7) and the same law for which Malachi condemned the Israelites (Mal 3:8). Mormons believe that this law has been restored and that as followers of Christ, we can freely choose to follow this commandment by paying one tenth of our income to the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 119:3).

 2.     Tithing funds are used for the operations of the church. This means they are used to construct and maintain thousands of meeting houses around the world. The funds are also used to support education around the world through the perpetual education fund, seminary programs and the church run universities. Other areas tithing funds are used are the worldwide missionary program, the building and maintenance of temples, and of course worldwide humanitarian aid.

3.       The church additionally owns for profit businesses. Most of these businesses were started out of necessity when the Mormons were isolated in Utah. They started schools, hospitals and commercial stores to meet the needs of the saints who were gathered in the western desert. Many of the businesses, like the hospitals, were sold when it was expedient, while others have been kept to further the work. Enterprises like Deseret Book further communication needs of the church while at the same time subsidize humanitarian efforts. The land and ranches are all part of the vast welfare system the church runs while at the same time they help the church prepare for a rainy day, or better put, for the coming of the Lord.

4.    All of the money the church makes is put to humanitarian work. 100%. Articles by misinformed or malicious “journalists” would have you believe that only small percentages are given as aid. This is blatantly false. That’s like saying the Red Cross gave zero of its money to charity. The Red Cross does not give its money to charity, it is a charity. The church, being a charity itself, uses its money for operating cost of the church and its welfare program and still gives money to other denominations and charities. For example, much of the money is spent by helping people in local communities pay bills and rent or by letting them shop for free at the local bishop’s storehouse (a grocery store with no register). Because this money never leaves the church, those “investigating” the charitable donations don’t count this. 

5. Mormons believe “in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” (12^th Article of Faith). There is no shady tax evasion going on in the church. The for-profit organizations are run openly as businesses and file all appropriate taxes and paperwork. The not-for-profit organizations follow all the laws that govern them. Those that wish to be upset at the way churches are taxed or not taxed must have that issue with all churches and it’s an issue they must resolve by talking to their legislator. One cannot single out The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for following tax law as it exists.

In conclusion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does great good with the sacred funds it receives through tithing. I have seen, first hand, how these generous offerings have blessed the lives of people in third world countries and people down the street. I have seen members of the church who have been helped and members of other faiths who have had their Christmas taken care of. Most of what is done is done quietly, with no want for recognition. Those that criticize and mischaracterize the Mormons for how they gain and use money have little knowledge of the mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members of the church who give, have full faith that those administering the funds do so wisely with an eye single to the glory of God. In the end, we know that all the ventures of the church are for the building of His kingdom and for His glory and to further His work. 

You can view the church's official response here. 

What Do Mormons Believe About Jesus Christ?

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt 16:13-16)

Just as Peter testified of Christ’s divinity through the power of the Holy Ghost, being revealed to him by the Father, Mormons believe in the divine nature of Jesus Christ. Christ is at the center of every teaching of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although there are countless ways that Jesus influences individual’s lives, it is easiest to talk about Mormon’s belief in Christ by describing His three distinct roles as Creator, Savior, and Mediator.

Creator

Mormons believe that Jesus Christ created the universe under the direction of the Father. As Jesus did while among mortals, He was about His Father’s business in His pre-mortal state.

During this time before His earthly ministry, Christ was referred to as Jehovah. As Jehovah, Christ was the God of the Old Testament. Truly, He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of Israel. Everything we have in this life was created by The Son.

Savior

Christ was born of the mortal Mary to live with and teach mankind. Inheriting mortal qualities from His earthly Mother, but maintaining his Godly nature from His Father, Jesus led a sinless life. During his mortal ministry he taught us how to best live God’s commands and showed us the path to return to Him. At the close of His life, Christ offered his perfect life as a sacrifice for all sin. He saved man from sin and from physical death. Mormons testify that Christ is the Savior of the world.

Mediator

Mormons pray to The Father in the name of Jesus Christ. We believe He is our mediator with our Heavenly Father. At the Day of Judgment we will account for our time on earth. Christ will be our advocate for us with our Heavenly Father as is only through Him that we can enter into the peace that awaits us with God.

Christ is the center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and worship Him as such.

Baptisms for the Dead and Mormons

Misunderstanding leads to ignorance, rumors and even bigotry. The many misconceptions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continue to be strung across the blogosphere and even national television. Among the lesser-known doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ, baptisms for the dead has been mischaracterized recently and taken out of context to marginalize the believers of Mormonism. In a poorly researched article, a well-known atheist recently described the belief as part of “the weird and sinister belief system of the LDS.” The casual observer may agree with this author if the doctrine is not understood. The following is a brief description of what Mormons believe in the context of baptisms for the dead.

Mormons believe that all men and women ever born on earth will live again and even be resurrected like Jesus Christ (Romans 6:5; Mosiah 6:18). We also believe that as resurrected beings, all men and women will be judged according to their works and live in a degree of glory for eternity (1Cor 15:35-44). After death and before judgment, there also exists a time when man’s spirit awaits judgment. It is during this time that Mormons believe everyone will be given the opportunity to hear the gospel (1Peter 4:6).

This unique doctrine illustrates the infinite justice and mercy of our Heavenly Father; the doctrine that regardless of circumstance on earth, the gospel will be preached to each soul so that each individual may accept or reject the message. This means any person in any time. People in China or Africa where Christianity has not been preached, great-great grandparents that never knew of Christ, every son or daughter of God will get to hear and chose the good news.

Like most Christians, Mormons believe there are certain earthly ordinances, like baptism, that must be performed in order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Because the deceased await the day of judgment as spirits, those that have passed on cannot perform these ordinances for themselves. This is where Mormons follow the direction of Christ’s church as taught in the Bible by Paul and perform ordinances for those who could not and did not (1Cor 15:29).

Mormons absolutely do not believe that anyone is posthumously made a Mormon by virtue of performing the ordinance. In fact, we believe that the agency to choose that we possess here on earth will continue to exist in the eternities. This means that although a baptism may be performed in a Mormon temple for a certain ancestor, it is still up to that ancestor to decide and choose to accept the gospel.

There is nothing spooky about the ordinance. No graves are robbed and no cadavers are to be found on the premise of a Mormon temple. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints perform the baptism nearly identical to the way the ordinance is performed outside the temple. A living member stands as proxy for their ancestor that has passed on. We believe that the temple is a sacred place set aside to do work for the dead, and that is why the ordinance is not performed in the standard chapels or elsewhere.

Mormons don’t intend to offend anyone with their practice of baptizing the dead. They simply try to fulfill Elijah’s prophecy of turning "the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6) by giving those that have passed an opportunity to know and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Creatures or Children of God?

I must claim ignorance as to the specific beliefs of all other religions as it pertains to the existence of man’s soul before birth. From what I gather generally, most religions recognize the creation of the soul at some point here on Earth either in the womb or at birth. I am open to be enlightened by those of other faiths as to their beliefs on the existence of the soul before life begins. It is not so much my intent to define other’s religious beliefs as it is to explain and clarify mine. 

Mormons believe that all of us existed together as spirit children of our Heavenly Father before coming to this Earth. We co-existed as literal brothers and sisters and interacted with God. God knew us as he knew Jeremiah before he was “formed in the belly” (Jerimiah 1:5). Details of day to day life in this pre-earth state aren’t readily available, but some of the major events of that life have been revealed through prophets. 

John teaches in Revelation that there was a great battle between good and evil before the Earth was (Rev 12:7). Mormons believe that this “battle” was a battle for our souls even before the world began. We believe that two plans were presented to bring us back to our Heavenly Father. One plan was presented by Lucifer. His plan was to force all mankind to choose good so that not one soul would be lost. In return for saving all of mankind, Lucifer wanted all glory. The alternative plan was that of Jesus Christ. He presented a plan of free will and offered Himself as a sacrifice for those that used free agency to sin. Christ returned all glory to The Father (Abraham 3:27-28).  When Christ’s plan was chosen, Lucifer rebelled and fell from heaven (Luke 10:18; 2 Nephi 2:17). 

Because we are here on Earth, we know we accepted Christ’s plan to come to Earth and be tested (Abraham 3:24-26). Job even tells us that we all “shouted for joy” (Job 38:7) when we accepted the plan. Here, we do not remember the events that happened before we were born. We must rely on the revelations given to prophets and the promptings of the spirit. These promptings tend to be very strong and lead people to ask, “Where did I come from?” Others wonder what it means to “return” to our Heavenly Father (Eccl 12:7). 

As Mormons, we happily share that we came from a Heavenly Family. We are literal spirit sons and daughters of a Heavenly King! Great happiness come from the knowledge that we are not mere creatures of a foreign God, but rather we have a loving Heavenly Father anxiously awaiting our return.

Where Did All These Mormons Come From?

Thirty years ago Mormonism was perceived as a strange cult out of Utah. Over the past two decades you’ve probably seen more and more Mormons all over the place. You see their missionaries, you hear about them on the news, or perhaps your neighbor or a co-worker is a Mormon. At this point you might be asking yourself, “Where did all these Mormons come from?!”

In the spring of 1820, a 14 year old farm boy named Joseph Smith from upstate New York was confused about the religious uprising in his town. He and his family read the Bible regularly, and after reading from the Epistle of James he decided to pray to God and ask Him what religion to join. Joseph went to a grove of trees to vocally pray. Upon praying, Joseph describes his experience this way:

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. […]When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Pearl of Great Price, JS-H 1:16-17).

In answer to Joseph’s prayer, he received a visit from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. After this initial visit, Joseph received divine instruction to not join any of the churches established at that time. Over time he received the authority to organize a church. The church he organized is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or more commonly today as the Mormon Church.

The church was organized on April 6^th, 1830 with only 6 members. Immediately, revelation was given to the church to send proselytizing missionaries throughout the world. Starting with only a few missionaries, the restored gospel was taken to any country that would allow missionaries. The commandment to share the gospel is still in effect today for members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Today there are over 330 missions with nearly 60,000 missionaries worldwide. Those missionaries continue to find people seeking the truth. 

The church continues to grow each year as missionaries talk to new people every day. Mormons still find themselves in obscurity when it comes to their beliefs, but not when it comes to the name of their church. If you have a question about their beliefs, track down those pesky missionaries or ask one of your Mormon friends right away, they’ll love it. 

And that is where all those Mormons come from.

Mormons are Ignoramuses: The need for Authority

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the same organization that existed in the primitive church, that is to say, the church found in the Old Testament and again established by Christ during His earthly ministry (See the Sixth Article of Faith). We also believe that throughout history, the truth found in that church has been lost and had a need to be restored. Such was the case when Christ visited the earth. The Law of Moses had become corrupt by the leaders of the church and the basic saving doctrines had been lost. Christ came and taught His gospel and established His church.  

After Christ’s death, He led His church through the rock of revelation (Matt 16:17-18) with Peter as its earthly leader. Over the next century, the apostles of the church spread throughout Europe to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Each met different difficulties in the regions they preached. Each apostle met a different end to his life. At first the apostles met to replace those that had passed on, such was the case after Judas hung himself. As time went on, the apostles were too spread out to meet and ordain new apostles.

Those with authority to run the church died by the end of the first century. Local leaders kept trying to follow the gospel Christ set forth, but without the authority of the apostles, the task became impossible. This is evident even before the apostles’ death as you read each of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. Nearly every letter was sent with the purpose to course correct the saints found in different lands.

Members of the Mormon Church call this loss of God’s authority, apostasy. The time period after Christ’s death is commonly known as the dark ages, and surely they were. Without the proper authority in the land, false doctrines were taught and accepted. Good intentioned men taught scripture with their own understanding, void of true inspiration or revelation.

Although everyone can find truths of the gospel in the scriptures and follow them, this is not the same as having the proper authority to preach and perform saving ordinances found in the scriptures. Authority has always been an important part of leading Christ’s church. That’s why Moses led the Israelites and not Aaron, that’s why the prophet Abraham paid tithes to the high priest Melchizedek, and that’s why Peter, not James or John led the church after Christ’s death.

This leads me to explain a quote from a Catholic Priest after having visited with leaders of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Speaking of the idea of a restoration, he said:  

 "You Mormons are all ignoramuses. You don't even know the strength of your own position. It is so strong that there is only one other tenable in the whole Christian world, and that is the position of the Catholic Church. The issue is between Catholicism and Mormonism. If we are right, you are wrong; if you are right, we are wrong; and that's all there is to it. The Protestants haven't a leg to stand on. For if we are wrong, they are wrong with us, since they were a part of us and went out from us; while if we are right, they are apostates whom we cut off long ago. If we have the apostolic succession from St. Peter, as we claim, there was no need of Joseph Smith and Mormonism; but if we have not that succession, then such a man as Joseph Smith was necessary, and Mormonism's attitude is the only consistent one. It is either the perpetuation of the Gospel from ancient times, or the restoration of the Gospel in latter days." (Elder LeGrand Richards 1972)

The idea is simple, authority was either passed from person to person, or it was restored again to a prophet like it always was in the Old Testament.

Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Elijah, Elias, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, and Christ all worked with authority from God. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe it is still necessary for Christ’s church to operate with that same authority. We believe that authority was given to Joseph Smith from Christ and that it has been given to each prophet since by the laying on of hands. 

Mormons Trying to be Christians

Often contempt is held against Mormons from other faiths for not being “Christians”. When a member of the Church of Jesus Christ is confronted with this, the conversation generally goes something like this:

Other denomination: “You are not a Christian”

Mormon: “Yes I am, my church is named after Him”

Other denomination: “That doesn’t make you a Christian”

Mormon: “Well, we follow His teachings”

Other denomination: “That doesn’t make you a Christian, you have to believe in the same Christ I do”

Mormon: “Oh… I think we do”

Other denomination: “Well, you don’t”

This misunderstanding comes from both sides. Mormons use one common definition of the word Christian and other denominations use another. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ use the general definition found in any dictionary or used by Peter in 1 Peter chapter 4:7-19; that a Christian is simply a follower of Christ and His teachings. Because Mormons believe in the Bible and try to follow the teachings of Christ as they understand them, Mormons call themselves Christians.

What many Mormons don’t understand is that the Catholic and Protestant religions are using a more specific definition when excluding the Church of Jesus Christ from the ranks of the Christians. Their definition includes allegiance to a strict definition of the Trinity.

The idea of the Trinity, and even the word Trinity, was used shortly after the apostles’ deaths in the second century. The exact nature of the Trinity was still widely discussed and debated throughout the next few centuries. Near the first part of the fourth century, a political figure, Constantine, while trying to keep peace in the land Christianized Rome and Paganized Christianity.  When the debate over the true nature of the Trinity, whether they be of one substance or many, became heated, Constantine ordered a council to be gathered at Nicaea. This council was made up of over 300 bishops, most coming from the eastern orthodoxy. After much debate, all but 17 bishops agreed to sign the first Nicene Creed. Declaring that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are inexplicably one being, this has been the standard definition of who God is and how the Trinity works for most Christians. Centuries later, when Luther and others left the Catholic Church because of its corrupt doctrines, many still hung on to this piece of doctrine.

So herein lies the difference. Catholics and Protestants believe God, the Son, and the Spirit to be one actual being. The Church of Jesus Christ believes God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit to be one in purpose, but three distinct beings. Because of that difference, Protestants and Catholics think that Mormons don’t believe in the same Christ as them and therefore they can’t be true Christians. Mormons sometimes don’t understand that difference. But, Protestants and Catholics also don’t understand what The Church of Jesus Christ proclaims in its first Article of Faith, that we do believe in God the Father, in His Son, and in the Holy Ghost. Mormons very much believe in the divinity of the Son and in His eternal nature as God.

If strict allegiance to a non-scriptural creed is what is necessary to join the ranks of Christendom, then count Mormons out. But, if trying one’s hardest to follow the precepts of Christ’s gospel as set forth in the Bible are what being a Christian is all about, then Mormons, Protestants, and Catholics alike can join together to make the world a better place.