MORMONISM AND WORTHINESS
INTRODUCTION
The LDS church maintains that in order to receive God's blessings (including the forgiveness of personal sins) we have to be worthy. And in their eyes worthiness consists of being a faithful, testimony-bearing member of the LDS church who has up to date tithing payments, regularly attends all their meetings, adheres to their Word of Wisdom, serves their church, obeys their laws and ordinances, participates in their temple ceremonies, and performs good works.
"Immortality is assured to all of us through the atonement of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But eternal life is a personal responsibility we must earn and be worthy of." (LDS Apostle Delbert L. Stapley, Member of the Quorum of the Twelve, The Path to Eternal Glory, Ensign, July 1973, page 99.) (Emphasis inserted by editor.)In her talk entitled, Look Toward Eternity, given at the October 2006 LDS Conference, Elaine S. Dalton, Second Counselor, Young Women's General Presidency stated:
"Thirty-eight years ago my husband and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple by President Gordon B. Hinckley ....... He said: 'There will come times in your life when you will need immediate blessings. You will need to live in such a way that they will be granted — not out of mercy but because you are worthy.' ..... These holy habits and righteous routines have helped steady us on the path that leads back into our Father's presence. And today I say, We thank thee, O God, for a prophet to guide us in these latter-days." (Emphasis inserted by editor.)
THE LDS'S WORTHINESS TEST
Only "worthy" Mormons are permitted to enter their temples. In order to prove their worthiness they have to produce a temple recommend, which is valid for a period of two years. And they obtain this by appearing before both their Bishop and their Stake President in separate, one on one interviews. The following questions are put to them:
1. Do you believe in God, the Eternal Father, in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost; and do you have a firm testimony of the restored gospel?
[Mormonism's "God, the Eternal Father" was not always a God. At one stage he existed as an ordinary mortal man, who then worked his way up to godhood through obedience to Mormon laws and ordinances. But the word "Father" is meant literally. They maintain that the whole of mankind was begotten by God and his goddess wife/wives in a prior spiritual existence, where we lived as a family. Unlike the biblical God, the LDS deity is not a spirit being but has a body of flesh and bone. So he can only be in one place at a time.] (See the article The Mormon Gods, Past and Present ).
[Their Christ is also an exclusively Mormon being who was not always deity and who bears little resemblance to the Christ of the Bible — for clarification see the the article The LDS Jesus Christ is Not the Saviour of the Bible ].
["Having a firm testimony of the restored gospel" means "knowing" through your feelings that Mormonism is the truth and that Joseph Smith is the true prophet of God. See the article, The Mormon Testimony and Brainwashing ]
2. Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator; and do you recognize him as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? [See the article The LDS Priesthood is Unbiblical.]
3. Do you sustain the other General Authorities and the local authorities of the Church?
4. Do you live the law of chastity? [i.e. no sex outside of marriage and no masturbation.]
5. Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church?
6. Do you affiliate with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to, or oppose those accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or do you sympathize with the precepts of any such group or individual?
[Those who leave the LDS church are generally ostracized by those who stay.]
7. Do you earnestly strive to do your duty in the Church; to attend your sacrament, priesthood, and other meetings; and to obey the rules, laws, and commandments of the [Mormon] gospel?
[Regular attendance of their meetings is necessary, as is full participation in all aspects of their religion. Mormons are also expected to serve their church both loyally and devotedly. A "worthy" Mormon generally has very little time left over for relaxation or private pursuits.]
8. Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen?
9. Are you a full-tithe payer? [This subject and the following one on the Word of Wisdom are both dealt with later in this article.]
10. Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?
11. Have you ever been divorced or are you now separated from your spouse under order of a civil court? If yes,
(a) Are you current in your support payments and other financial obligations for family members, as specified by court order or in other written, binding commitments?
(b) Were there any circumstances of transgression in connection with your divorce or separation that have not been previously resolved with your bishop?
12. If you have received your temple endowment
(a) Do you keep all the covenants that you made in the temple?
(b) Do you wear the authorized garments [i.e. official temple underwear] both day and night?
13. Has there been any sin or misdeed in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but has not?
14. Do you consider yourself worthy in every way to enter the temple and participate in temple ordinances?
TITHING
In order to be worthy one has to be a full tithe payer. A duplicate donation slip is obtained from the bishopric for both tithes and other offerings. The Mormon keeps one copy and hands in the other in an envelope. An account is kept of all "donations" and once a year members declare their tithing faithfulness at a tithing settlement with their Bishop.
Should a Mormon relocate to another area, his new branch of the church has to be supplied with a clearance certificate to show that his tithing is up to date. (Tithing is one of the works that enables a Mormon to gain eternal life.)
However, the church falls under the New Covenant, not the Old. And there is no mention of tithing under the New Covenant. Instead, Paul instructs members of the church of Jesus Christ to give as the Lord has blessed us (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). In Christian churches donations are generally both anonymous and voluntary, and have nothing whatever to do with earning the right to the forgiveness of our personal sins, or with gaining eternal life.
Christ paid the full price for the forgiveness of the sins of those who trust in Him, and they are freely granted eternal life as a consequence; quite apart from membership of any church organization, participation in ordinances of any kind, or of any good works they may do. (Good works automatically follow salvation, but they do not earn the right to salvation.)
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24, NASB)According to the Bible "eternal life," means exactly what it says and it has nothing whatever to do with the exclusive Mormon definition of being able to reproduce eternally in the normal manner of men. Eternal means lasting forever, always existing, perpetual, ceaseless and endless; and life means actual existence, not the ability to reproduce seed. So eternal life means a life that will last forever, and not what Joseph Smith would have liked it to have meant. Nowhere does the Bible teach that marriage in a temple for time and eternity is necessary in order to gain eternal life. Only faith in Christ can do that, and then eternal life is a free gift. See the link provided at the end of this page, to an article entitled, Mormonism's Deceptive Teaching on Eternal Life.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7 KJV)
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15, KJV)
THE WORD OF WISDOM
The Word of Wisdom is the LDS's health code, and has to be strictly adhered to, if one is to be considered worthy. It prohibits the drinking of alcohol, tea or coffee and smoking, and recommends eating meat sparingly. (At one stage the drinking of Coca Cola was forbidden, but that ban has since been lifted.)
This is what the Tenth LDS President and Prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith had to say about the necessity of keeping the Word of Wisdom:
'Oh, a cup of tea is such a little thing. It is so little; surely it doesn't amount to much; surely the Lord will forgive me if I drink a cup of tea.' If you drink coffee or tea, or take tobacco, are you letting a cup of tea, or a little tobacco stand in the road and bar you from the celestial kingdom of God, where you might otherwise have received a fullness of glory? (Doctrines of Salvation 2:16)Although it is common sense that we should try to live a healthy lifestyle; firstly it is unlikely that drinking tea in moderation would have any effect whatsoever on our health, our physical or our spiritual well being. And secondly, the Lord Jesus Christ very clearly pointed out that it is not what goes in our mouths or down into our stomachs that defiles us or makes us unworthy, but what comes out of our hearts. According to Christ's own teaching, keeping the LDS's Word of Wisdom would not contribute one iota towards our worthiness. And on the other hand, not keeping the Word of Wisdom would not defile us.
And He said, "Are you still lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." (Matthew 15:16-18, NASB)Then too, Paul pointed out that we should not judge one another concerning what we eat or drink, because the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:13-18)
We also need to remember that the Lord Jesus's first miracle recorded in the Bible, was to fill the water jars with wine at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1-11). God's ideas of sin and worthiness have never changed. He never moves the goalposts, because truth is eternal. And the Bible tells us that His word is truth (John 17:17). What stood for truth in Christ's time still stands for truth today. If it changes, then it isn't truth. Christ was the only perfect man who ever lived, and He embodies truth. He said, I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). And the Pharisees of His time (there are plenty of those hanging around today) called Him a winebibber (Matthew 11:19, Luke 7:34). Please note that the writer is not recommending drunkenness. Although Christ partook of wine, He was never drunk and drunkenness is heartily condemned in the Bible (1 Corinthians 6:10).
A TESTIMONY OF THE "RESTORED GOSPEL"
In order to be considered worthy of a temple recommend, Mormons are required to have a firm testimony of "the restored gospel." We need to bear in mind here that the LDS's "restored gospel" bears no resemblance at all to the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ that was preached by the primitive church. It is "another gospel," i.e. the gospel of Joseph Smith, and includes belief in a pre-existence. (See the article, The LDS Gospel Contrasted With That of the Bible .) The full LDS gospel doesn't only consist of another Jesus and another way of salvation; it also embodies their law of eternal progression (see Mormonism's Law of Eternal Progression .)
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galations 1:8, KJV)And when the LDS talks of having a firm testimony of the restored gospel, they mean that the person concerned must know through their feelings that Joseph Smith was the true prophet of God, and that his restored gospel is the truth. (Smith's restored gospel is completely unbiblical. It was unknown prior to the advent of the LDS church, and was not the gospel of Jesus Christ that the martyrs of the primitive church gave their lives to defend.)
THE EFFECTS OF THE FALL
In order to understand that fallen man can never be worthy in God's sight (in spite of the LDS's ideas), we need to take a look at the effects of the fall.
The Bible reveals that the effects of the fall were catastrophic. Although mankind had been created in the image of God, once sin had been introduced into our lives, that image was marred. (See the article Sin and the Fall, Mormon and Biblical Teachings Contrasted .) Instead of God being central in our lives, "self" became the pivot of our existence. And no matter how sincere we are, or how hard we try, because of this bias to self, sooner or later we sin in word, thought and deed. Our subconscious habit of justifying our selves may lead us to imagine that we are worthy, but a pure and holy God does not see us that way. This is how He puts it in the Bible:
For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. (Ecclesiastes 7:20, KJV)
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, KJV).
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8, KJV)
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? (Proverbs 20:9, KJV)
What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:9-10, KJV)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ..... (Isaiah 64:6, KJV)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9, KJV)
WORTHINESS AND REALISM
The Pharisees came into being during a period of spiritual decline in Israel. Their aim was to bring holiness back into the life of the nation. And so they were sticklers for obeying all their laws and ordinances. In this respect they could not be faulted. They fasted and prayed, donated money to the temple, gave to the poor, and tithed religiously. They even tithed on the herbs in their gardens. Many of them devoted themselves to serving their fellow countrymen. On the other hand, the tax collectors, sometimes called publicans, were considered to be the lowest of the low. They collaborated with the Roman troops who were occupying Israel. And in collecting taxes for the enemy, they extorted far beyond the required amount from their fellow countrymen, in order to enrich themselves. They were looked upon as traitors, robbers and the grossest of sinners. And to illustrate a principle, Jesus tells this story:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:10-14, KJV)The first thing we notice is that this gross sinner, a publican, was permitted to go to the temple. And he didn't need a "temple recommend." In biblical times the temple was where sinners went to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness. But the LDS uses their temples for purposes for which they were never intended. (See the link at the end of the page to an article entitled, LDS Temples Compared with those of Biblical Times).
The second thing we notice is that the publican had the right idea. He knew he was a sinner in need of God's mercy. It was the Pharisee who had a problem. He was blind to his own inherent sinfulness. He thought he was worthy.
The third thing we notice is that Christ said that the sinful publican was justified. His sins were forgiven because he confessed his unworthiness and asked God for mercy, whereas the Pharisee, who was under the false impression that adherence to his religion and his own works made him worthy, was not justified. (In other words, he had an inflated opinion of himself and his standing before a holy God.)
People who imagine that they can earn the right to receive God's blessings through righteous living forget that it is our duty to serve our Creator and to live the way He wants us to live. So even if we do His will to the best of our ability, we aren't notching up points for future blessings or earning the right to forgiveness of sins. We are merely doing our duty. Christ puts it like this:
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:7-10, KJV) (Editor's emphasis.)Because of their misleading and unbiblical teachings, Mormons have a problem in recognizing their own innate sinfulness. They have been indoctrinated into having an inflated idea of man's origins and his abilities, as well as a wrong idea about who God is. So they don't understand the implications of the absolute uniqueness and holiness of God. Joseph Smith's man-centred doctrine of eternal progression leads them to disregard or not even notice that, contrary to the Mormon teaching that we were sired by God in a prior existence and are his biological children; we are only created beings (and a fallen race at that). So we have no rights.
The LDS teaching that the human race was bred by God and his wives in a prior existence was invented by Joseph Smith. And it gives Mormons a completely false impression about who man really is, in his relationship to God. The truth is that the human race was brought into existence through a creative act of God, and prior to that we had never even existed. Eternal progression was Joseph Smith's idea, and it isn't biblical. And as He had created us, God has every right to do with us whatever He wills. It is only because of His undeserved kindness, grace and mercy that we receive any blessings at all. The scriptures put it this way:
For though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."This same Creator God has decreed that He will have mercy on and grant forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross, for their salvation. He tells us in His Word, the Bible, that there is no other way (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). So what gives Joseph Smith the right to contradict what his Creator has decreed, and insist that only those who are members of his LDS church qualify for salvation through obedience to their laws and ordinances, including tithing?
What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth."
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?" On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy (Romans 9:11-23, NASB) (Emphasis inserted by editor.)
CONCLUSION
In Mormonism, worthiness, forgiveness of personal sins and eternal life are all irrevocably tied up with the LDS church. This creates the illusion amongst their adherents, that the entire universe is subject to their temple ceremonies and the so-called "authority" of the LDS priesthood. (See the article, The LDS Authority Teaching Has No Basis .)
"Redemption from personal sins can only be obtained through obedience to the requirements of the [Mormon] gospel, and a life of good works ....." (LDS Apostle James Talmage, Articles of Faith, pages 478-479).In order to gain entrance into the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom, signifying eternal life, the LDS teaches one must also have been sealed in the priesthood order of marriage for time and eternity in an earthly LDS temple (Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3).
There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, page 670).
There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet of God, (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, page 188.)
"If one is going to be ..... where God dwells in all his glory, one will be there as a husband or a wife and not otherwise. Regardless of his virtues, the single person, or the one married for this life only, cannot be exalted." (LDS President S. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, page 245). (In Mormonism exaltation implies eternal life.)But that is not the case. The Bible directly opposes Mormon teachings, assuring us that forgiveness of sins and eternal life are granted purely by the grace and mercy of God through faith in Christ, and not because of any merit of our own. or because we have been married for life and eternity in an LDS temple:
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (Psalm 103:11-14, KJV)To sum it up, the Mormon owes his worthiness to his association with the LDS church, their ceremonies, and his own works, whereas the Christian owes his all to Christ, the Saviour.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:5-7, KJV)
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (Romans 4:5-7, KJV) (Emphasis inserted by editor)
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved [Christ]. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace Ephesians 1:6-7, KJV) (Emphasis inserted by editor)
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:14-15, KJV) (Emphasis inserted by editor)
There is only one hero, the Lord Jesus Christ. And He alone is worthy.
The following links lead to an article that discusses how the LDS's idea of salvation falls woefully short of genuine salvation by Christ, and to other articles relevant to the above:
Mormonism's Individual Salvation Falls Short
Mormonism's Deceptive Teaching on Eternal Life
LDS Temples Compared with those of Biblical Times
By clicking on the "home" button at the bottom of this page you will arrive at a comprehensive index of fully referenced articles, comparing various aspects of Mormonism with what the Bible teaches.
You are welcome to write to the editor at response@bibtruth.com
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