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Old 06-23-2009, 06:58 AM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
27,914 posts, read 29,755,437 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamborgotti View Post
Some people choose to give monthly donations called fast-offerings, which are used by the individual ward and often go towards the building.
Fast Offerings are used solely for the support of the poor and needy within the Church. There is also a Building Fund, though. Don't you think that's what you're thinking of?

 
Old 06-23-2009, 07:02 AM
 
Location: Cody, WY
10,420 posts, read 14,536,804 times
Reputation: 22016
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katzpur View Post
It was not until some fifty years after the Word of Wisdom was first given to Joseph Smith that the Lord revealed to John Taylor that from that time forth, the Word of Wisdom was to be considered a commandment and not until 1919, at which time Heber J. Grant was the President of the Church, and 86 years after the revelation was first given to Joseph Smith, that obedience to the Word of Wisdom was made a prerequisite for receiving a temple recommend.

For those who don't know, the LDS canon is comprised of four books, all of which we believe to be scriptural in nature: The Holy Bible (we generally use the KJV), The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price. Of these, The Doctrine and Covenants is the only one subject to change, as it is a compilation of modern-day revelations given to men we believe to be living prophets. Most of those revelations were given to Joseph Smith, but a few were given more recently. Any time a new doctrine is established, it is included in The Doctrine and Covenants. The World of Wisdom is found in Section 89 of The Doctrine and Covenants.
Thank you very much for that most complete and lucid explanation
 
Old 06-24-2009, 12:03 AM
 
Location: USA
498 posts, read 1,450,291 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katzpur View Post
Fast Offerings are used solely for the support of the poor and needy within the Church. There is also a Building Fund, though. Don't you think that's what you're thinking of?
Not exactly. I did a little bit of research, and as it turns out, when a ward collects substantially more money than it needs for its disadvantaged members, it can request permission to put it towards the ward budget, in addition to the tithing money used for bills and maintenance. It's up to the ward to decide what that money is used for, as long as it is to the benefit of those in the ward.
 
Old 06-24-2009, 09:46 AM
 
6,297 posts, read 16,055,504 times
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I have found and briefly connected with relatives via genealogy who are now Mormon and live in Utah. Very nice people.

Two questions:

Are they going to baptize me into LDS after I'm dead?

Are Mormons told not to associate with non-LDS? If not, why does it seem that way to so many non-LDS?

Thanks.
 
Old 06-24-2009, 05:11 PM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
27,914 posts, read 29,755,437 times
Reputation: 13064
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamborgotti View Post
Not exactly. I did a little bit of research, and as it turns out, when a ward collects substantially more money than it needs for its disadvantaged members, it can request permission to put it towards the ward budget, in addition to the tithing money used for bills and maintenance. It's up to the ward to decide what that money is used for, as long as it is to the benefit of those in the ward.
Hmmm. I didn't know that, and I've got to admit that surprises me. But thanks for the info!
 
Old 06-24-2009, 05:24 PM
 
8 posts, read 43,865 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lovebrentwood View Post
I have found and briefly connected with relatives via genealogy who are now Mormon and live in Utah. Very nice people.

Two questions:

Are they going to baptize me into LDS after I'm dead?

Are Mormons told not to associate with non-LDS? If not, why does it seem that way to so many non-LDS?

Thanks.
Hey good questions. I am a 18 year old teen in my LDS ward and am preparing to become a missionary for the Mormon church soon. First Question, Baptism for the dead is a sacred ordinance where family members or close friends do genealogy for their ancestors. If the ordinance is performed in the temple, we believe that in the next life you can choose whether or not to accept these baptisms and acts performed for you. The care and concern for the people of the world is rooted deep. Some people may be offended that someone was baptized for the dead but if you really believe it counts, they will accept it or not in the next life. It is your or their choice. Second Question Mormons are not perfect. Our doctrine teaches us to always love our neighbors and be true perfect Christians. If someone has ignored you, it is because they are scared, shy, or prideful. Just as in other religiouns you may have people who do not live what they are taught, so are some people in the mormon religion. I love my friends who are non-lds. They have been childhood friends and we have supported each other. We respect each other and our friendship is strong.
 
Old 06-24-2009, 05:48 PM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
27,914 posts, read 29,755,437 times
Reputation: 13064
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovebrentwood View Post
I have found and briefly connected with relatives via genealogy who are now Mormon and live in Utah. Very nice people.
Thank you! I'm going to take that personally, if you don't mind!

Quote:
Two questions:

Are they going to baptize me into LDS after I'm dead?
Absolutely! We're chomping at the bit!

No, though, this is a question that requires that's going to require more than a simple yes or no answer. This may be a more in-depth answer than you're looking for, but I can't think opf any other way. I'll do my best to put it as briefly as possible. Short answer: Eventually, if you end up having descendants two or three generations in the future who are Mormons, "Probably." We are supposed to be performing this vicarious work for our own relatives, so unless you have Mormon relatives, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Here's the reason behind the practice: We do not believe that when a person dies, he immediately goes to either Heaven or Hell. Instead, we believe that his spirit leaves his body but does not cease to exist. It continues, as a fully cognizant entity, to reside in what is known as the "Spirit World" until the Second Coming of Christ, the resurrection of mankind and the Last Judgement. The Spirit World is comprised of two parts (states of existance): Paradise (the place where Jesus told the thief on the cross next to Him that He'd see him that same day) and Prison, a.k.a. Hell (the place Jesus visited in spirit form during the three days His body lay in the tomb after His crucifixion). Immediately upon death, the righteous will find themselves in Paradise -- a place of happiness, peace and rest -- while the wicked will find themselves in Prison -- a place of anguish, mental torment and grief.

At any rate, we believe that during the time a person's spirit is in the Spirit World, he can continue to learn, grow spiritually, repent of his past sins and make decisions that will -- even after death -- affect his eternal destiny. In other words, the final curtain does not fall at death. Since billions of people lived their entire lives without ever having heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, and since God is a loving Father in Heaven who is no respecter of persons, we believe He has provided them with a way to hear, understand, and either accept or reject the Atonement of Christ during the period of time after their death but before they are resurrected. Because we believe that baptism by immersion, performed by one holding the proper authority, is a requirement for entrance into the presence of God, and because a spirit is incorporeal and can therefore not be baptized, we perform proxy baptisms for our deceased relatives who may not have had the opportunity to have received this ordinance during their lifetimes.

Here is the caveat: In order for the baptism to have any effect at all, the spirit of the person who has died must accept it. In other words, if I were to be baptized for my great, great, great grandmother, and if she, having lived her life as a non-Mormon and now waiting in the Spirit World for the resurrection, accepted the message of the restored gospel as it was presented to her after her death and the baptism performed with me as a proxy for her, it would be as if she had been baptized into the Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a child growing up in England several hundred years earlier. If, on the other hand, she rejected the message taught to her in the Spirit World, it would be as if the baptism had never been performed. In other words, I would have wasted my time and my good intentions would be for naught.

Quote:
Are Mormons told not to associate with non-LDS?
Absolutely not! If we didn't associate with you, how could we convert you? (Man, I am really feeling sarcastic tonight!)

Quote:
If not, why does it seem that way to so many non-LDS?
I don't know. That's probably a question for you to ask them. We are probably more involved with church-related activities on a daily basis than a lot of other people. Plus, we get to know our LDS neighbors because we associate with them at church every week. I honestly don't think it's because we don't want to associate with those outside of our faith. I just think that birds of a feather flock together, as the old saying says. It works both way, too. I think there's some hesitancy on the part of both the LDS and the non-LDS to be suspicious of the other group, to wonder if they really do have anything in common and to be a little bit afraid of trying to initiate a friendship. I've known LDS people who have been afraid to take a plate of brownies over to a new non-LDS neighbor after hearing second-hand that the last time they did, the non-LDS person thought they were just trying to get their foot in the door so that they could try to convert them. What has happened to all of us that we're afraid to be neighborly or that attempts to be neighborly are misinterpreted? I don't know, but it's really sad.
 
Old 06-24-2009, 08:18 PM
 
15 posts, read 47,700 times
Reputation: 12
Going back to the coffee/tea/soft drinks issue:

This has always confused me. Mormons typically will drink hot chocolate or eat a candy bar, right? Both of these contain caffeine, and the candy bar has approximately the same amount as a soft drink or cup of tea, so why are they treated differently?

Do Mormons drink decaf coffee?
 
Old 06-24-2009, 09:16 PM
 
Location: Salt Lake City
27,914 posts, read 29,755,437 times
Reputation: 13064
Quote:
Originally Posted by utah4grad View Post
Going back to the coffee/tea/soft drinks issue:

This has always confused me. Mormons typically will drink hot chocolate or eat a candy bar, right? Both of these contain caffeine, and the candy bar has approximately the same amount as a soft drink or cup of tea, so why are they treated differently?
Right from the start, Joseph Smith clarified that "hot drinks" meant tea and coffee. Those were the only "hot drinks" of that time period (1838). Neither he nor any of the LDS Church leadership since then has ever said that it was because tea and coffee contain caffeine and that we should therefore abstain from all substances containing caffeine. There are quite a few Mormons who don't drink caffeinated soda pop, but that's just because they've made the same assumption you have -- that caffeine is the "culprit." I don't personally know any Mormons who don't drink hot chocolate or eat chocolate candy, not even those who don't drink caffeinated soda pop. Since there is no official ruling on chocolate or caffeinated soda pop, it's left up to the individual. That's about all I can really tell you.

Quote:
Do Mormons drink decaf coffee?
There may be some who do, but most don't. I think it would be more likely that converts to the Church who gave up regular coffee when they were baptized would be the ones who like the taste of coffee and have gone to decaffeinated coffee and I honestly have no idea what their bishops or stake presidents would say. Personally, I absolutely hate the taste of both coffee and tea. On the other hand, if I could enjoy a glass of wine with my dinner occasionally, I'd really like that!
 
Old 06-24-2009, 10:52 PM
 
Location: East Millcreek
550 posts, read 2,162,997 times
Reputation: 143
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovebrentwood View Post
Are Mormons told not to associate with non-LDS? If not, why does it seem that way to so many non-LDS?

Thanks.
I'm probably repeating what Katzpur has said, but I'd like to reply just because I have first-hand experience

As a non-LDS living in Utah, I can tell you this is 100% false. I've always had many, many close friends who were Latter-day Saints, and it's never seemed to me that they were ever taught that way.
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