Thank God for the LDS Church....

[Timmy]

I once had a Mormon tell me that if I quit working for God, God would kill me.

Oh. Wait. That wasn't a Mormon. Never mind.

[WyoPastor]

I have lots of experience with LDS and I can guarantee if they don't join in a few months they will be cut off.

I will also say the have several LDS friends and they are good people, but they are deceived.

As a pastor I have always helped when I can, but if someone always keep coming back I would want to sit down with them and work on a budget. I don't know the full story of these people, but I would not be surprised that they have asked for help before if the pastor wanted to work on a budget.

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by whoami

I did quite a bit of research on the LDS church at one point and their religious beliefs are really out there (IMO) but the actual members are some of the kindest, moral people I have ever met. It appeared that many of them don't actually believe some of the more outlandish aspects of their founding theology and choose to focus on their family oriented social structure instead.

There were Mormon missionary's coming to my house for awhile, they'd stay and talk thinking that they were making headway with converting me when actually I just found their theology interesting, like reading a science fiction novel. I told them up front that I wasn't interested in joining but wasn't opposed to discussion. Sometimes they'd stop by while I was working in the garden and they'd just immediately jump in and start pulling weeds and planting with me and offered to help paint my daughter's room. They're seriously nice people. They do have an agenda of recruitment, but if you politely say no they will not (in my experience) ever get nasty about it.

Its awesome that they're helping out your friend.

Just because someone is LDS doesn't mean they believe in all the "religion" that the church teaches any more than someone that goes to a UPCI or similar Org church does. You are right. Some of the theology is way out there, but to someone that isn't an Apostolic tongue-talker the Apostolic doctrine is way out there too.

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I think what the LDS has done for people is wonderful. I think their teaching is a bit flaky, but that's my opinion.

I do think Pentecostal churches should help people more.

I know from a first hand account, some that works at the Bishop's store house, that people from the Federal Government has gone to the warehouses in Utah were most of the products in the store house comes from and began to learn from them on how to manufacture foods at such a low cost. Apparently the government is or was trying to put something together similar to what they have. Again this is what I was told, but it was pretty much first hand.

[SRM]

I was once in a church who had more concern on who could make a pledge for the building fund rather than help the brother who did not have a job to help make ends meet

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by WyoPastor

I have lots of experience with LDS and I can guarantee if they don't join in a few months they will be cut off.

I will also say the have several LDS friends and they are good people, but they are deceived.

As a pastor I have always helped when I can, but if someone always keep coming back I would want to sit down with them and work on a budget. I don't know the full story of these people, but I would not be surprised that they have asked for help before if the pastor wanted to work on a budget.

I have heard several pastors talk about setting a budget with their saints that are asking for assistance. It is not all purely a budget issue. These people that are getting help have literally 2 bills outside of their rent and bills tied to the home like utilities, water, trash, etc. They also have 1 vehicle and have insurance for that. Outside of those the 2 debts they obtained years ago and are nearly paid off.

So just trying to set a budget with someone doesn't always help. You nor anyone would expect someone to not pay utilities and be without in order to pay tithe or offering. If a person makes $2,500 net a month and with rent, utilities, insurance, water, gas, trash, and food come to almost a break even point there is not much else to do. I know all of this because my friends and us are so close that we know everything. They have showed us all of their stuff. Also their rent is the lowest for the size home they need to house their family.

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by SRM

I was once in a church who had more concern on who could make a pledge for the building fund rather than help the brother who did not have a job to help make ends meet

I think most of us have been in a place like this. I onced lived in IL and the church I attended was almost the best Pentecostal Church I have seen with helping those in need with in their doors. We took up offerings for a family to keep them in their home when one of the adults lost their job. We raised enough to keep them in and give them almost 5 months surplus. The church helped me when my car broke down and I didn't have the money to fix it. I paid them back, but it was a fight for them to accept the money in return. These churches in our movement are far, few and inbetween it seems.