No Coincidences

Tag: churches

  • Churches for Profit

    Churches for Profit

    This often happens with a blog post.

    I start with a simple anecdotal story.

    I start telling that story and as I start to make a point I realize I don’t know enough about the topic. I start researching. I go down rabbit holes. I end up with thousands of words, quotes, videos, links, and information.

    My simple story gets lost in a lot of information and I never finish my thought.

    This happened with a story about a woman I met.

    This was back when our dog Bengie was still with us. I was walking him when I got into a conversation with an elderly woman sitting on her doorstep. She was very sweet. We discussed her kids, Bengie, and the neighborhood.

    During our conversation she made a simple comment that made me very sad.

    This lady was talking about her church and how it was close enough for her to walk to.

    Internally I was thinking, “Awesome!”

    Then, unprompted, she said, “I don’t give them much money though… just sometimes when I go, I give them a little.”

    Why did this little old lady, a stranger, feel the need to clarify that she didn’t give her church too much money? When talking about her church, the first two things she told me were that it was close and that she didn’t give it too much money. That is sad.

    She didn’t tell me anything about how her church helps her feel closer to God, nothing about how amazing her pastor is, nothing about the community her church brings her life.

    1 – She can walk to it

    2 – She’s not giving it too much money

    When did that become one of the first things you have to say about your church?

    This got me thinking about the progression of churches. Satan has been corrupting religious institutions since the Earth began.

    All institutions, including churches, need money to operate. Where is the line drawn? I think the line may get drawn at extravagance, excess, and greed.

    That’s why this post originally got derailed. I started talking about this woman’s comments about her church, thinking about how sad that she had to mention her donations, and it led to me defending the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its finances.

    I’m going to set that discussion aside for another day. As I said, there’s a lot to be discussed there.

    Ultimately, it’s sad that profit has to be discussed about any church.

    Churches are for the benefit of man. Not for the profit of man. Churches are for the eternal benefit of man.

    What does the Book of Mormon say on this topic?

    The Book of Mormon takes a strong stance against churches for profit. See Mormon 8:32-37, 4 Nephi 1:26-27, 2 Nephi 26:20-22, 2 Nephi 26:31, and Alma 1:12 for examples.

    I think so many people have been turned away from organized religion due to this corruption for personal gain.

    I think it’s interesting to take a look at the things Satan attacks. Some of the first things to come to mind.

    1. Our true identity – Divine, Children of God
    2. Who God is – our Eternal Father
    3. Truth – what is truth, really?
    4. Churches

    That last one I think is shown in all the things churches have done wrong over the centuries. Judgement, wealth, greed, manipulation, abuse. These are the things Satan has brought into religious institutions and it has resulted in generations of people who then spurn religion, which in turn allows them to spurn the big questions about life.

    I don’t think the major issue with people not going to church is people not being in church, I think it’s them not thinking about who they are, how they got here, who sent them here, and who they’re going to see when the finish here.

    If you’re not asking these questions, you’re not seeing the big picture.

    And that’s what Satan wants. He wants us to miss the bigger picture.

    With technology, the busy-ness of life, and the corruption of churches, Satan is making us forget the real reason we’re here.

    The main benefit of church is thinking about Jesus Christ each week. After that it’s community and support. That’s it, I think. Outside of that, church doesn’t do much. If we all had a strong relationship with Jesus Christ and showed that in a covenantal way as a community by supporting one another and showing our devotion to Jesus Christ regularly in the other ways He’s asked us to, we wouldn’t really need a church. Life would be church.

    That’s the goal.

  • One True Church

    One True Church

    I initially tried to write this post with the hope of using scripture and doctrine and principles to convince anyone who would read that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God’s true church, restored from the meridian of time on the same principles that Christ established while He was here.  I have agonized over this post.  Eventually I realized something obvious.  No one is going to read this and dive into the deep scriptural and doctrinal references that add to the truth claims of this church.  Plenty has been written on the truth claims of this church.  All of it by much more learned and accomplished religious scholars than I.  For the best intellectual break down of every truth claim of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, A Marvelous Work and a Wonder is the book to read. 

    What I can do is reference some scriptures, but ultimately give my testimony of this Church and Christ’s gospel.  This will be my best attempt to explain why it’s important to have one faith, one body, one church (Ephesians 4:5).

    Into some scripture from the Book of Mormon:

    “Thou hast beheld that if the Gentiles repent it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel; and thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish.”

    1 Nephi 14:5

    In a recent post He Lives I talked about why any church is important.  Why covenants?  Why repenting?  Because it turns us to Jesus Christ.

    “And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.”

    1 Nephi 14:10

    It’s important to note that this scripture doesn’t mean if you don’t belong to the Church of Jesus Christ you belong to the Church of the Devil.  But.  An important point is made.  There is a church of the Lamb of God.  There is a church that if Christ were here today, He would be the head of.  There is a church that Christ is the head of spiritually.  It must be.  God and Jesus Christ have not left us.  What this scripture is saying is you either must follow the devil or follow Christ and there will be a church on the earth with proper keys and authority to help you in following Jesus Christ.

    “There is only light and darkness; there is no dusky twilight zone [in regard to covenant salvation].  Either men walk in the light or they cannot be saved.  Anything less than salvation is not salvation.  It may be better to walk in the twilight or to glimpse the first few rays of a distant dawn than to be enveloped in total darkness, but salvation itself is only for those who step forth into the blazing light of the noonday sun.”

    Bruce R. McConkie

    The beauty of the doctrine taught by Joseph Smith (given him from Jesus Christ) is that everyone will have a chance to hear the gospel.  Every one will have their chance to choose to walk in the light.  Agency is a core truth in God’s Plan.  Without agency it would all be for not.  What would our faith and devotion mean if it was by coercion?  There is an idea perpetuated by other faiths and churches that if you aren’t baptized you are doomed to hell or if you don’t believe a certain way, you’re destined for eternal suffering. This is not how God works.  It can’t be.  Where is the grace, love, and compassion in that plan?  Many faiths that emphasize the grace of Christ also claim hell as the destination for those who have never heard of Him.  All will have their chance to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  We are all the more blessed if we accept Him while here on earth when we are walking completely by faith. The covenants we make here draw us closer to Him  These are truthful doctrines taught by Joseph Smith that should speak to all hearts that believe in a God who is our loving Father.

    “Many in the religious world claim that no church is better than any other, just different.  As “all roads lead to Rome,” it is reasoned that all beliefs must lead to heaven.  If all religious paths do indeed lead to heaven, the righteous will be at a considerable disadvantage.  If the gates of the celestial city are to be thrown open that widely, why the need for Apostles and prophets, their doctrines, their priesthood and keys; indeed, why the need for the Savior himself and a strait and narrow way?  The doctrine of one true church is as offensive to much of the Christian world today as was the testimony of Christ anciently that he was “the way, the truth, and the life”” (John 14:6).

    Joseph McConkie and Robert Millet

    Part of my agonizing over this post was the fear of offending all my friends of other faiths. I would never want to disparage other churches and especially any church that leads to God and faith in Jesus Christ. That said, I will not apologize for claiming Christ has ONE church.

    “There is only one true way to eternal life and that is by obedience to valid covenants.  That is what the Book of Mormon testifies.  When one comes to an understanding of the Lord’s covenant process of salvation, what great things the Lord did with our fathers in bringing them to a knowledge of this covenant process, and that this message is being sent forth to all the world, then one can not help but become convinced that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations.”

    Alan C. Miner

    I can’t agree with Brother Miner’s words more because that is what I have experienced.  My baptism, the priesthood, my temple covenants draw me to Jesus Christ in a way that would not be possible otherwise.  I know others can come to Christ and be devoted to Him without these covenants. What shall be bound on earth shall be sealed in heaven. We aren’t here for worldy things but for eternal. I am grateful for my covenants. They draw me closer to my Heavenly Father, my Savior, and eternity.

    “For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.”

    1 Nephi 22:23

    I will not talk down on other churches. But does that scripture strike a chord with anyone else? Sound familiar. These are the churches of our day. They draw near to God with their lips but deny the power thereof (Joseph Smith History 1:19, 2 Timothy 3:5).

    This will continue to be a theme of my writing.  My greatest desire is for others to experience the love of Jesus Christ as I have felt it.  This comes through covenants.  This comes from knowing who we follow.  This comes from knowing what He has done for us. 

    I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ’s church on the earth today.  There are many churches that do much good.  But there is one way.  Covenants are only binding if they are initiated by God.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the establishment by which Christ initiates his covenants with man.  This is my testimony.  In His name.