The real reason that they have to announce that the help is for everyone, whether they are Mormon or not, is because the Church began with a first vision in which Joseph Smith was told by Jesus Christ that every other religion was wrong and their creeds were an abomination in his sight and their professors were corrupt(false Prophets).
http://scriptures.lds.org/js_h/1/1-20#1
So, the Mormon Church just wanted to announce that it didn't matter if your were Mormon or part of one of the other "wrong or abominable Churches." Despite how they feel about you and your corrupt religion, they will help you. I think that's pretty nice of them to be helping others that belong to what they and Jesus consider to be abominations. Maybe they can convert them to the real truth that is approved of by God during the process of helping them?
They just wanted to clear up any confusion that may come from people that are familiar with the first vision and the beliefs that the Mormon Church was founded on, that's all. You have to admire them for helping out people, that according to Jesus and Joseph smith, belong to wrong, abominable Churches with corrupt False Prophets leading them.
I'm glad that they are doing what they are doing but in reality, if they wanted to, with the billions of dollars that they bring in from tithing and business ventures, they could be the new red cross of the planet. Like I said, I'm grateful for whatever anybody is doing to help these poor people that have been devastated, but if they really wanted to, they could send 5,000 trucks. If they were somehow short on funds, which we know they aren't, they could scale back their big mall reconstruction projects of a billion dollars, down to like $800 million. That would leave $200 million extra for humanitarian aid to these people. What's more important?
Also, they could postpone all temple and building construction for a year and divert all their funds to help these people. In other words, they could do anything that they want to do. Out of every other organization in the world, they should be able to do the most, especially since they consider themselves to be the one and only true Church of Jesus Christ on the entire planet. Shouldn't that make them the "leaders" at all times, not just during disasters, in taking care of the world?
I'll leave everyone with the Words of the beloved Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley to the survivors of hurricane Mitch, just so that we can see what the Church considers the answer, to someones troubles in these types of situations.
"President Gordon B. Hinckley was very concerned for the victims of this disaster, many of whom lost everything—food, clothing, and household goods. He visited the Saints in the cities of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Managua, Nicaragua. And like the words of the loving prophet Elijah to a starving widow, this modern prophet's message in each city was similar—to sacrifice and be OBEDIENT TO THE LAW OF TITHING.
But how can you ask someone so destitute to sacrifice? President Hinckley knew that the food and clothing shipments they received would help them survive the crisis, but his concern and love for them went far beyond that. As important as humanitarian aid is, he knew that the most important assistance comes from God, not from man. The prophet wanted to help them unlock the windows of heaven as promised by the Lord in the book of Malachi (see Malachi 3:10; Mosiah 2:24).
President Hinckley taught them that if they would PAY THEIR TITHING, they would always have food on their tables, they would always have clothing on their backs, and they would always have a roof over their heads."
http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-520-13,00.html
Samuel the Utahnite
I am not trying to bash you or anything you say, but do you get great joy out of trying to prove a church to be wrong? I could prove every church out there so maybe someone will fall away from the church. But isnt it more important to bring people closer to Christ? Instead of writing things that try to depict a church, why not right things that make a church so well? I am just curious.
ReplyDeleteWould you like some salsa for that huge chip on your shoulder?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take much of a mathematician to compute the costs incurred by a church to build and maintain thousands of meeting houses and nearly 200 temples. Untold numbers of articles have been written about the "wealth" of the LDS church and there has never been a single substantiated claim of an abuse of funds.
Ridiculing the invitation to the rich and poor alike to contribute of their substance, great or small, is nothing new. The ridicule betrays a lack of understanding as to the workings of God whose promised blessings are available to all, they are not held back for the rich only. If the invitation to contribute was extended only to the wealthy, it would be horribly unjust to the poor. You simply do not understand the principle, but have a very simple-minded view that is not especially clever.
So, you now find some way to spin the Church's charitable services into something evil. Unbelievable. You, once again, betray yourself with your ranker and hate.
ReplyDelete