JAHS Posted July 12, 2016 Posted July 12, 2016 1 hour ago, Tacenda said: Just as other faiths have ministers, I guess we as members better cut them some slack and not get all up in the air that our church doesn't have a paid ministry. There ministers do it full time just as they mention in the D & C that our members did back then. I wish I had this post for all those members that are proud of the fact we don't pay our bishops and ward members. I use to be in the same mind frame until I thought about it, and thought about ministers of other faiths and the time they devoted. I don't know that they can delegate as much as LDS bishops can, but don't know much about other faiths' leaders really, just a guess. This idea of the impropriety of paid ministry I think comes from the scripture where Paul warned, "Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake" (Titus 1:11). This of course does not to suggest that all paid ministers fall into this category. There are many who have faithfully dedicated their lives to their ministry and accept a salary to take care of their needs as they serve. Any member of any church who dedicates his life to serving in the church to the degree that they have no time to earn a living in some kind of profession, should be granted some kind of living allowance to provide for their needs if it is required. This has been called the law of remuneration. Joseph Smith said: “The Twelve and the Seventy have particularly to depend upon their ministry for their support, and that of their families; and they have a right, by virtue of their offices, to call upon the churches to assist them.” (TPJS 75) What has turned people off over the centuries about professional clergy are those very few unscrupulous local ministers who have taken advantage of their position and influence over people and have gotten rich off their position in their church. Even though this difference between our church and other churches exists, it is certainly improper for anyone to condemn other Christian churches for compensating their ministers who dedicate their entire lives (like our General Authorities) to serving their local congregations. It all comes down to what is in a person's heart and his attitude about the work he does. Is he only doing it as just a job that earns him a salary and live the life of luxury and the praise of man (ie "filthy lucre"), or is he doing it to give unselfish service to God and those he ministers to? 2
thesometimesaint Posted July 13, 2016 Posted July 13, 2016 The price of mine is far more than I imagined.
CMZ Posted July 13, 2016 Posted July 13, 2016 19 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said: Pretty sure Joseph Smith Sr. charged to give a Patriarchal blessing when he was church patriarch. Was it $2.00? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriarchal_blessing 19 hours ago, Johnnie Cake said: See posts above yours for the answer.
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