Archive for July, 2020

The Mormon Chameleon: The Ever-changing Gospel of the LDS Church (Part One)

Posted: July 19, 2020 in Matthew Eklund, Mormon Studies
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by Matthew Eklund
I was a member of “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (a.k.a the LDS or Mormon church) from the age of 10 until 30 when I officially resigned in 2017. I served a faithful two-year evangelistic and service mission to Belgium and France between 2007 and 2009. Since God showered grace upon me to learn the truth of the LDS church, that it does not follow the gospel and it does not worship the God as written in the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Scriptures, I have come to receive a knowledge of the true Lord Jesus Christ, God from all eternity to all eternity who took upon flesh to die for my sins, and to exercise saving faith in Him.

In the time since I resigned from the church, I have communicated with those who are still members of the LDS church and attempted to have respectful, loving dialogues with them. I know most of them are moral people who claim to seek truth and follow Jesus. However, they have been blinded by a system that does not accurately teach the Christ that Christianity has worshiped for nearly 2000 years. Their view of who He is, what He actually accomplished on the cross, and how to be in a right relationship with Him has been distorted by teachings given by the first president and “prophet” of their church, Joseph Smith, Jr. He emphatically denied the God from the Bible which says that He is God “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2) when Smith said this at a sermon for a funeral ceremony:

“For I am going to tell you how God came to be God and what sort of a being He is. For we have imagined that God was God from the beginning of all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil so you may see… He once was a man like one of us and that God Himself, the Father of us all, once dwelled on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did in the flesh and like us.”
(Joseph Smith, Jr., King Follett funeral discourse, April 7, 1844, emphasis mine)

At this moment of time, Joseph Smith eternally severed “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” from biblical and true Christianity and declared war upon those who do believe and follow the Bible. When I evangelize Latter-day Saints and tell them they are not actually Christians, I do so out of love for them and their salvation and not out of spite. However, I do so in acknowledging that we do not have fellowship and they are not yet my brothers in Christ as long as they continue teaching and believing what the LDS church has to say about Christ and the gospel.

When I speak with Latter-day Saints, I try to touch on the most important points of sharing the gospel. They must understand:

1. Who God is.
2. Who Christ is and what He accomplished during His incarnation.
3. What the “good news” of the gospel is.

What makes these tasks difficult is that, in interacting with Latter-day Saints, each has their own description of what the gospel is, how we have a right relationship with our Creator, and how we return to live with God after this life. I’ve heard many different descriptions when speaking with them. The following are some examples of things I’ve heard.

I have heard from various Latter-day Saints that the gospel is:

1. Becoming more like their Heavenly Father.
2. Becoming more like Christ.
3. Receiving eternal life by obedience to the “laws and ordinances of the restored gospel”.
4. The plan of happiness.
5. What Jesus did for us that we couldn’t do ourselves.
6. The way to return to heaven with our families forever.
7. Receiving forgiveness of sins.
8. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

And the way to receive the “restored gospel” is, according to the “Preach My Gospel” handbook that is given to every single missionary:

“Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”
(Preach My Gospel, Chapter 1: “What is My Purpose as a Missionary?”)

Yet I hear from Latter-day Saints that the purpose of the gospel or the way to return to live with Heavenly Father differs. Some say:

1. We have to humble ourselves and accept Christ.
2. We are only saved by grace, but we have to receive ordinances and keep the commandments and our covenants to receive them.
3. The gospel is meant to transform us to be more like God; it isn’t a set of rules or “dos” and “don’ts”.
4. We are to prove our faithfulness to God by keeping our “second estate” [the “first estate” being the “pre-mortal life” where Latter-day Saints believe we all lived in heaven with God before coming to earth, and since we came to earth, it shows we were faithful and “kept” our “first estate” faithfully].
5. We are to love God and our neighbor and if we have loved enough, then God will allow us into heaven.
6. We have to love Jesus and keep the commandments as best as we can, we don’t have to be perfect, and Jesus will make up for the rest.

However, if you look at all those various definitions, some of them seem to be theologically shallow (focused more on emotions or not getting into the heart of the matter) and some are even mutually exclusive (meaning they all cannot be simultaneously true). We are either saved by God’s grace, or we must keep the commandments. One is the gift of the gospel, and one is salvation by works [even if God is helping us to keep the commandments, it is still up to us to get to heaven]. Salvation is either entirely a gift, or it is something you work for. According to the Bible, salvation is entirely a gift and not something we receive by any measure of our works:

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9, New International Version)

When discussing what the gospel is according to Latter-day Saints, I will usually be given different requirements for attaining eternal life from them than from what previous leaders of the LDS church have provided. In a BYU devotional address titled “Be Ye Therefore Perfect” given on September 17, 1974, LDS President Spencer W. Kimball said:

“Let me say, then, that perfection is still our goal. It is reached by climbing steadily upward, controlling all our desires, impulses, and urges. It is possible. Remember that the Lord gave us Abraham as an example and quoted him often: “Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by revelation and commandment, by my word, saith the Lord, and hath entered into his exaltation and sitteth upon his throne” (D&C 132:29). This is not a promise; it is a reality. “Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law and ye shall be saved” (D&C 132:32)…

“Perfection is a long, hard journey with many pitfalls. It’s not attainable overnight. Eternal vigilance is the price of victory. Eternal vigilance is required in the subduing of enemies and in becoming the master of oneself. It cannot be accomplished in little spurts and disconnected efforts. There must be constant and valiant, purposeful living—righteous living. The glory of the Lord can be had only through correct and worthy marriage and living a clean, worthy life.”
(emphasis mine)

In a book titled “The Miracle of Forgiveness”, written by future LDS President Spencer W. Kimball*, he writes that perfection is not only a commandment, but it is an attainable goal for Latter-day Saints:

Eternal life hangs in the balance awaiting the works of men. This progress toward eternal life is a matter of achieving perfection. Living all the commandments guarantees total forgiveness of sins and assures one of exaltation through that perfection which comes by complying with the formula the Lord gave us. In his Sermon on the Mount he made the command to all men: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48.) being perfect means to triumph over sin. This is a mandate from the Lord. He is just and wise and kind. He would never require anything from his children which was not for their benefit and which was not attainable. Perfection therefore is an achievable goal.
(Spencer W. Kimball, Miracle of Forgiveness, chapter 15, “Keeping God’s Commandments Bring Forgiveness”, pages 208-209, emphasis mine)

Kimball adds, on page 210 of the aforementioned book, “only as we overcome shall we become perfect and move toward godhood. As I have indicated previously, the time to do this is now, in mortality.” (emphasis mine)

Here, President Kimball states that you actually can attain perfection according to your obedience and that the time to reach for perfection by your own obedience is now. This is done by climbing the ladder of obedience, and that obedience and submission to the law is how Abraham received his inheritance (quoting the “Doctrine and Covenants”, a.k.a. D&C, a book of scripture used by the LDS church). Doesn’t this go against what other Latter-day Saints have said personally where they say it isn’t about being perfect, but about doing our best? Or those who say our works actually don’t give us eternal life, but we are saved by grace?

To quote another LDS leader, Apostle (now President) Russell M. Nelson said the following:

“If I were to ask which of the Lord’s commandments is most difficult to keep, many of us might cite Matt. 5:48: ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’…

“Keeping this commandment can be a concern because each of us is far from perfect, both spiritually and temporally…

“When comparing one’s personal performance with the supreme standard of the Lord’s expectation, the reality of imperfection can at times be depressing. My heart goes out to conscientious Saints who, because of their shortcomings, allow feelings of depression to rob them of happiness in life…

“Mortal perfection can be achieved as we try to perform every duty, keep every law, and strive to be as perfect in our sphere as our Heavenly Father is in his. If we do the best we can, the Lord will bless us according to our deeds and the desires of our hearts.”
(Russell M. Nelson, “Perfection Pending”, October 1995 Semi-Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, text in parentheses added by speaker, emphasis mine)

Here, Nelson paints a slightly less grim picture than Kimball does of what it requires to attain perfection as a Latter-day Saint, but I think he does so inconsistently. He recognizes that Jesus commands perfection in Matthew 5:48 and that we are capable of being perfect in “our sphere as our Heavenly Father is in his” and that we need only “do the best we can”. But you cannot be “keeping the commandments”, including the command to maintain perfection, and fulfill this requirement by simply doing “the best [you] can”. That is not good enough. Perfection is perfection. Even if you were capable of keeping all of the law (which isn’t possible) but sin in one area, you are found guilty. James wrote in his epistle, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” (James 2:10, English Standard Version). It is not about doing what we can and having Jesus “make up the rest” (as many Latter-day Saints will say).

If you say your eternal life hinges on perfection, and keeping all of the commandments, as the LDS scriptures and leaders have said, you must keep all of them perfectly. Just as a college student will mourn over that single “A-” grade which ruins their perfect GPA, only one sin is required to break the law. Even repentance cannot simply undo that mistake. This is why salvation cannot be based on our keeping the commandments. Even if this were possible, and the Atonement undoes all of our previous sins, this would mean our salvation is still dependent on ourselves and none of our future sins would be covered. We would be completely dependent on our ability to keep the commandments for our salvation. We would have no assurance. We could be doing well for our entire lives and all it takes is one sin for which we have not repented sin to keep us out of heaven.

If our eternal life depends on us and on how well we keep the commandments, how can we believe the Bible that says that we are saved by grace? How can both of these propositions be true simultaneously when they are so completely irreconcilable? The Bible says that if salvation has anything to do with us and our works, it is not grace, but it is a payment (even if the payment is much higher than what we did to earn it, that doesn’t make it grace). In speaking of a remnant of people in Israel saved by God, Paul describes them being chosen not by what they did, but according to the grace of God alone:

“In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise, grace is no longer grace.”
(Romans 11:5-6, New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition, emphasis mine)

Many times when showing a Latter-day Saint a quote from a President of their church (who they sustain as a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and speaks directly with God) with which they disagree, they often say that he was “speaking as a man”, made a mistake, or employ some other explanation to avoid the fact he disagrees with what they say or what they believe. But President Kimball quoted their own scriptures in the D&C as justification for what he said. Is the D&C wrong in this case, also?

Elsewhere in the D&C, it teaches that every blessing received is through obedience:

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated – “And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”
(D&C 130:20-21, emphasis mine)

Here, we see that LDS scripture teaches that any blessing from heaven, which would certainly include the blessing of eternal life, is attained by obedience to that law. This is further reiterated in the LDS “Gospel Topics” manual under the entry of “Eternal Life” (which can be accessed at the LDS church’s website), where it says this:

“Eternal life is the phrase used in scripture to define the quality of life that our Eternal Father lives. The Lord declared, “This is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Immortality is to live forever as a resurrected being. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everyone will receive this gift. Eternal life, or exaltation, is to live in God’s presence and to continue as families (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-4). Like immortality, this gift is made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. However, to inherit eternal life requires our “obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel” (Articles of Faith 1:3).

When we are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, we enter the path that leads to eternal life…

After we are baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, much of our progress toward eternal life depends on our receiving other ordinances of salvation: for men, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood; for men and women, the temple endowment and marriage sealing. When we receive these ordinances and keep the covenants that accompany them, we prepare ourselves to inherit eternal life.”

What is clear here is that God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ and His finished work on the cross alone (as taught and believed by orthodox Biblical Christianity) are insufficient to bring man to a right relationship with God. You must receive ordinances, keep the associated covenants by obedience, and keep other commandments given by God through obedience to receive eternal life according to LDS doctrine.

In the Book of Mormon, another book of scripture for the Latter-day Saints and the namesake of the common moniker “Mormon”, it reiterates that faith alone is insufficient to reach eternal life. It says:

“The gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

“And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

“After ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life”
(2 Nephi 31:17-20)

The Book of Mormon reiterates that God’s grace alone is insufficient. You need, at a minimum, faith, repentance, baptism by water, and the “gift of the Holy Ghost” to even enter the path to eternal life. But it doesn’t end there, either. You aren’t saved yet (in the sense that Biblical Christians understand the word “saved”, being sealed up unto eternal life and having an assurance of salvation from sins, death, and hell by the blood of Jesus). If you also don’t obey God and “endure to the end”, which includes receiving the ordinances of priesthood for men, temple endowment, and celestial marriage/temple sealing for husband and wife, you will not receive eternal life and exaltation in God, but you will receive a lesser glory. Thus, you must continue in faithfulness and add to your salvation by your own works. Even if God is helping you out, it still depends on you.

Thus, you can’t really ever have an assurance of salvation as a Latter-day Saint because it depends on you and your works. If a Latter-day Saint were to say they do have an absolute assurance of their salvation, I would ask, “And if you commit a sin tomorrow and are excommunicated from the LDS church? Did you lose your salvation, or was your assurance of salvation unfounded to begin with?”

About the Author
Matthew Eklund is a graduate student in nuclear engineering and a Utah native who converted to the LDS faith at the age of 10. He served a faithful two-year mission to Belgium and France and served in various teaching callings prior to being saved by God’s grace through faith in the Biblical Christ in 2016. He is now an active member of a Reformed Baptist Christian congregation in Albany, New York and is passionate about defending and sharing the truth of God’s saving grace to friends and family.

NOTES
* I say “future President” because Spencer W. Kimball was an Apostle when he wrote and published, “The Miracle of Forgiveness”. That said, and for those who say we shouldn’t quote “The Miracle of Forgiveness” because it isn’t in the LDS Standard Works (the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price) and that it doesn’t represent orthodox/accepted LDS doctrine, the book has been recommended by several LDS General Authorities in recent years to be read and followed by LDS members, including Prophets Thomas S. Monson and Ezra Taft Benson, Apostles Richard L. Evans in 1970, Richard G. Scott in 1995 and in the October 2000 General Conference, Boyd K. Packer, and more. “The Miracle of Forgiveness” is also quoted in many LDS church manuals that you can find on the LDS church website today. For a thorough examination of “The Miracle of Forgiveness” and how it teaches forgiveness of sins only comes through obedience to all the commandments, I recommend reading the article by Eric Johnson at the “Mormonism Research Ministry” website at http://www.mrm.org/the-miracle-of-forgiveness which outlines the broad and wide-reaching influence of this book on modern Latter-day Saint soteriology and theology.

 

 

The Didache v. Mormonism

Posted: July 5, 2020 in Christian History, Fred Anson, Mormon Studies
Tags: ,
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Fred W. Anson
For those unfamiliar with the Didache, here is a brief description and overview by Evangelical Theologian, Matt Slick:

The Didache” (also called the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles”) was written around 65 – 80 A.D. and is supposed to be what the twelve apostles taught to the Gentiles concerning life and death, church order, fasting, baptism, prayer, etc. There is debate as to its authenticity. The work is cited by Eusebius who lived from 260 – 341 and Athanasius 293-373. It seems to be referenced by Origen who lived from 185-254. In the Didache, 16:2-3 is quoted in the Epistle of Barnabas in 4:9, or vice versa. The Epistle of Barnabas was written in 130-131 A.D. The Didache is not inspired, but is valuable as an early church document.
(from “The Didache” by Matt Slick; lightly edited for this format)

With that established, let’s consider the following from an official, correlated LdS Church manual:

According to Jude, he had originally intended to write about “the common salvation” (Jude 1:3), meaning the idea that “salvation is available to all men, not just a select few” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:416). However, Jude instead found it needful to exhort his readers to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). Here Jude was referring to the faith that was taught originally by Christ Himself and then by His Apostles. The same faith that we read about in the New Testament has been restored in our day and is found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
(“New Testament Student Manual” (2014), Chapter 52: 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude)

Then if this is the case why is there no trace of Mormonism – past or present – found in the earliest Christian Church History? To illustrate my point let’s look at some specifics of the Didache and compare and contrast them to the modern LdS Church. After all, it was most likely written while at least some of Christ’s original Apostles were still alive (if we assume that John the Beloved died around 100AD as tradition claims) so if Mormonism’s restorationist claims are true, then it should be reflective of LdS Church doctrine and practices, right?

DIDACHE: Teachers, Apostles, and Prophets Must Teach What Has Been Said Before
“Concerning Teachers, Apostles, and Prophets. Whosoever, therefore, comes and teaches you all these things that have been said before, receive him. But if the teacher himself turns and teaches another doctrine to the destruction of this, hear him not.” (Didache, Chapter 11) 

LDS CHURCH: What Was Taught Before Can Be Replaced With And Sub-Ordinated to New Revelation
Mormonism teaches another Jesus and another gospel than what’s taught in the Bible. As a result, it rejects historic Christian orthodoxy – including the very core orthodoxy that was taught during the Apostolic era that the Didache was written in. One need only consider the fact that the polytheism taught in Joseph Smith’s King Follett Discourse, The Sermon in the Grove, The Book of Abraham (see Chapter 4),  and elsewhere – and that is still echoed in today’s Church literature and manuals – flies in the face of the key distinctive of normative, historic, Judeo-Christian orthodoxy: Monotheism.

Furthermore, Mormonism isn’t even internally consistent – with Mormon Prophets from one age contradicting those from an earlier age and claiming that it’s new “revelation”. This even includes Mormon scripture – the classic case study being how the Book of Mormon discredits and contradicts both modern Mormonism and the LdS Standard Works that followed it. And recently we have even seen the Mormon Prophet change gospel ordinances claiming new revelation. Stated plainly the only constant in Mormon teachings (aka “doctrine”) is change.

DIDACHE: Apostles Shall Not Remain More Than Two Days
“Let every apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain more than one day; or two days, if there’s a need. But if he remains three days, he is a false prophet. ” (Didache, Chapter 11) 

LDS CHURCH: Apostles Have Remained For More Than Two Days
The word Koine Greek word “apostlos” means, “a messenger, one sent on a mission, apostle” (see Strong’s Greek 652). Strong’s concordance goes on to explain:

Usage: a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle. (ibid) 

The Didache here not only reflects the very meaning of the word but the application given to it by Christ Himself:

Jesus came and spake unto them [the Apostles], saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20 KJV) 

Christ’s Apostles weren’t supposed to be settlers, they were supposed to constantly in motion, out fulfilling their mission of bringing the message of the Good News to the nations. And two days in any one place before moving on to the next place, according to the Didache, was enough.

And this is a pattern that we see in Church History as well with the Apostles of the Lamb moving from place to place and eventually dying miles – even several entire countries – away from where they were originally called. Paul (the former “Saul of Tarsus”) died in Rome after a lifetime of travel. Ditto for Peter the fisherman from Bethsaida. John the Beloved, who was also from Bethsaida, died in Ephesus (now in Turkey). The Apostle Thomas, originally from Gailee, died in India. Etc., etc., etc. the pattern is the same through across twelve Apostles. They lived constantly in motion, constantly carrying the message, and all eventally dying on the move as pilgrim and wanderers throughout their apostolic mission until the very end.

Yet Mormon Apostles have most certainly remained in one place – Salt Lake City – for more than two days, haven’t they? And we only see them moving from place to place sporadically, intermittently and occasionally, don’t we? And then it’s right back to Salt Lake City. Just to cite one case in point, former Mormon President, Thomas S. Monson’s stay in Salt Lake City as a Church Apostle was so extensive – a lifetime to be exact – that he had amassed multiple real estate holdings in Utah by the time of his death:

LDS Prophet and Mega-Corporate-Sole President Thomas S Monson is aged. Rumors abound that he may suffer from severe health limitations in his capacity as “prophet”. He may even be convalescing in his many residences—by my count now standing at 4 addresses.

That’s a lot of property for a man whose 60-year career spent most of its time, since his 30th birthday, employed as a “clergy” of the LDS Church (starting as a mission president). The four residences total in value just under $2 million by most recent assessments. Most of you already know about his primary home in Salt Lake City at 4125 S Carter Cir, Salt Lake City, UT 84124. (Parcel 22-04-202-080-0000). Many know about his latest vacation home at 140 W Farm Rd. Midway, UT 84049. (Parcel 00-0001-3776 ). And his old family property up Provo Canyon at 6742 North Fairfax Dr (Parcel 540370053007 ).

However, as most do not know, the LDS Church apparently also granted Tommy a condo worth upwards of $600K at Gateway Condos, on 40 North State Street in Salt Lake. Now, he doesn’t outright own this penthouse, but he’s lived there for many years rent free and does as he wishes there.
(David Twede, “Tommy’s Big Move”, Mormon Disclosures website; retrieved 2019-02-24) 

If one was snarky, one might be tempted to ask what the Apostle Paul’s real estate holdings were at the the time of his death. Peter’s? John’s? Thomas’? But I digress…

And, finally, to drive this point to its final conclusion we need only compare and contrast the end state of Mormon Apostles to the original Biblical Apostles – the guys whose shoes Mormon Apostles claim to be standing in: The latter died scattered all over the world like seed scattered to the wind within the first hundred years of the movement. But where do we overwhelmingly see Mormon Apostles dying within the first hundred years of the Mormon Restorationist movement? Answer: One place, Salt Lake City. One set of Apostles reflect constant movement and risk, the other reflects constant settlement and power consolidation. The contrast is telling, isn’t it?

DIDACHE: Itinerate Apostles Are To Take Nothing But Bread
“And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread until he lodges. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet.” (Didache, Chapter 11) 

LDS CHURCH: Itinerate Apostles Receive A Stipend And Other Forms Of Compensation
All Mormon Apostles receive a generous stipend from the membership worldwide that’s certainly more than “nothing but bread” isn’t it? The following is a from a Salt Lake Tribune article that was written after the pay stub of a Mormon Apostle and a letter regarding a Mormon General Authority’s increase in pay was leaked to the public by MormonLeaks:

Mormons and others who wonder about the salaries of top LDS leaders got a possible peek at those numbers Monday, when purported pay stubs for a high-ranking church official emerged online.

Copies of the biweekly stubs for Henry B. Eyring — then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles — report that he earned $83,132.75 from the start of 2000 until the first week of December. Two more pay periods at $3,096.15 each would have put Eyring’s salary at $89,325.05 for the year.

The 16-year-old records were posted by MormonLeaks and show Eyring’s biweekly salary broken down into a living allowance ($2,192.31), parsonage or clergy housing, ($826.92) and a child allowance ($76.92).

A second newly leaked document, from a more recent year, is a 2014 memo from the church’s Presiding Bishopric (which handles all financial issues for the faith), noting that the “base living allowance” for all Mormon general authorities was being raised from $116,400 to $120,000.

It is unclear from the leaked documents what additional income or perks these men might make, including health care benefits, free cars or book royalties.
(Peggy Fletcher Stack, “How much do top Mormon leaders make? Leaked pay stubs may surprise you.”, Salt Lake Tribune, January 26, 2017; retrieved 2019-02-24) 

The Pay Stub of Mormon Apostle Henry B. Eyring that was leaked by MormonLeaks in January 2017.


DIDACHE: The Local Church Is Obligated To Pay Local, Resident Prophets
“But every true prophet who wants to live among you is worthy of his support. So also a true teacher is himself worthy, as the workman, of his support. Every first-fruit, therefore, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and of sheep, you shall take and give to the prophets, for they are your high priests. But if you have no prophet, give it to the poor. If you make a batch of dough, take the first-fruit and give according to the commandment. So also when you open a jar of wine or of oil, take the first-fruit and give it to the prophets; and of money (silver) and clothing and every possession, take the first-fruit, as it may seem good to you, and give according to the commandment.” (Didache, Chapter 13) 

LDS CHURCH: Claims That Local, Resident Paid Clergy Is A Sign Of Apostasy
While earlier the LdS Church was criticized for paying what should be itinerant clergy (that is, Apostles) the Didache also stipulates that having paid, local, resident professional clergy (that is, prophets) is not only not a problem, but is a good thing, a responsibility under God.

Herein lies the irony: Despite the fact that the Bible (see First Timothy 5:17–18), the Didache, and even scripture unique to Mormonism (see D&C 42:71-73) demand that local, resident, clergy are to be paid, the LdS Church is not only disobedient to them, it actually teaches publicly that such compensation is a sign of apostasy, corruption, and worse:

Wherever creeds are found one can also expect to find a paid clergy, the simple truths of the gospel cloaked in the dark robes of mystery, religious intolerance, and a history of bloodshed.
(Joseph Fielding McConkie and Craig Ostler, “Revelations of the Restoration”, p. 964, published 2000)

In short, the Mormon Church has it “topsy turvy”: They don’t pay local, resident clergy, while they do pay remote itinerant clergy. And then, to add insult to injury, they hypocritically condemn other churches for being obedient to the very scripture that they, themselves, ignore.

DIDACHE: Prophets Must Do In Private What They Teach In Public
“And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets.” (Didache, Chapter 11) 

LDS CHURCH: Prophets Have Done in Private The Exact Opposite Of What They Teach In Public
Joseph Smith and other Mormon Prophets have taught one thing in public and practiced the exact opposite in private, haven’t they? The most blatant example is how they lied about and denied practicing polygamy publicly after 1890 while still practicing it privately until 1904 – a fact that was acknowledged in the 2014 “The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage” Gospel Topics essay on the official LdS Church website.

And in terms of post-polygamy Mormonism, we can talk about how until recently Mormon Prophets have publicly denied that they were paid clergy until they were forced to come clean thanks to the information being leaking to the Internet (as previously mentioned). Yet, given all this, consider what they were teaching at the time:

“I explained also that our Church has no paid ministry…”
(Thomas S. Monson, “Our Sacred Priesthood Trust”, April 2006, General Conference; retrieved 2017-01-29)

“We have no professional clergy…”
(Henry B. Eyring, “Watch Over and Strengthen” Liahona Magazine, July 2000; retrieved 2017-01-29)

“All of the work in the Church is voluntary. No one is paid for such service.”
(“Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service” (Official LDS Missionary Manual) Lesson 5: Laws and Ordinances; retrieved 2019-02-24)

“Personal sacrifice is vital to the religious faith of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members volunteer their time to serve in various positions in tens of thousands of congregations throughout the world. Their service is critical at the local level because the Church has no full-time paid clergy.”
(LDS Church Newsroom, “The Church’s Unpaid Clergy”, retrieved 2017-01-29)

“One of the important and distinguishing features of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that its affairs are administered by the lay members of the Church rather than by paid clergy.
(Franklin D. Richards, “Conference Reports”, October 1968, p.113)

“‘Did they also tell you that we have no professional clergy? All of us contribute our time, our talents, our means, and travel—all to help the work. And we’re not paid for it in money.’”
(From a story told by Boyd K. Packer, found in “Duties and Blessings of the Priesthood: Basic Manual for Priesthood Holders”, Part B, Lesson 30: Tithes and Offerings, pp.251-256, published 2000; retrieved 2019-02-24) 

“Out of this body of priesthood, now great, were drawn, and are drawn the administrative workers of the Church: the First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve Apostles, the Council of the First Quorum of the Seventy; the Presiding Bishopric; the stake and ward officers, and the many others needed, but only for such time as they are needed. The Church has carried on successfully with such a voluntary, unpaid body of officers and teachers.”
(John A. Widtsoe, “Joseph Smith: Seeker after Truth, Prophet of God”, 1951, p.128)

DIDACHE: True Prophets Hold The Ways Of The Lord
“But not every one who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known.” (Didache, Chapter 11) 

LDS CHURCH: Mormon Prophets Have Not Held The Ways Of The Lord
Joseph Smith most certainly did NOT “hold the ways of the Lord” did he? Neither have many of his successors, have they?

For the former, one need only consider the fact that Joseph Smith publicly lied about practicing polygamy. We know this because he denied that he was practicing polygamy in a sermon on Sunday, May 26, 1844. Specifically, he said, “What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one.” And he said this while at least sixteen (16) of his polygamous wives were still members of his church and most likely in attendance. (see History of the Church Vol. 6, p. 408-412, or Millennial Star No. 42 Vol. 23 pp. 672-674, also see Utah Lighthouse Ministry website “Joseph Smith’s Boasting and Polygamy Denial Sermon”)

And for the latter, one need only point to that fact that LdS Church leaders are so corrupt that they will brazenly violate their own canonized scripture – as, again, they have illustrated by ignoring the scriptural injunction to pay local clergy.

Another example is the November 2015 policy that barred the children of homosexual parents from receiving baptism into the LdS Church until they are 18-years old – and even then only after they have formally renounced their parent’s homosexual behavior. In other words, in direct violation of the first clause of the canonized Article of Faith 2 (“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins”), the LdS Church now punishes the child of homosexuals for their parent’s sin. (see official LdS Church website, “Articles of Faith” and LA Times, “New Mormon policy bans acceptance of children of same-sex couples”, November 06, 2015) 

And to make things even worse, Mormon Leadership declared this policy change a “revelation” thus validating yet again the fact that they do not teach members all the things that have been said before. (see Peggy Fletcher Stack, “Mormon gay policy is ‘will of the Lord’ through his prophet, senior apostle says”; Salt Lake Tribune, February 3, 2016)

An early 20th Century Postcard of the Baptismal in the Salt Lake City Temple.

DIDACHE: Full Immersion Baptism Is Preferred, But Pouring Is Also Acceptable
“Concerning Baptism. And concerning baptism, baptize this way: Having first said all these things, baptize into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, in living water. But if you have no living water, baptize into other water; and if you cannot do so in cold water, do so in warm. But if you have neither, pour out water three times upon the head into the name of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.” (Didache, Chapter 7) 

LDS CHURCH: Only Full And Complete Immersion Baptism Is Acceptable
From the official LdS Church website:

The Savior revealed the true method of baptism to the Prophet Joseph Smith, making clear that the ordinance must be performed by one having priesthood authority and that it must be done by immersion:

“The person who is called of God and has authority from Jesus Christ to baptize, shall go down into the water with the person who has presented himself or herself for baptism, and shall say, calling him or her by name: Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

“Then shall he immerse him or her in the water, and come forth again out of the water” (D&C 20:73–74).
(“Baptism”, LdS Church website article; retrieved 2019-02-24) 

And the LdS Church takes the full immersion requirement so literally that the Church’s Handbook of Instruction even stipulates that the entirety of the person – including their clothing – must be fully immersed:

[The presiding Mormon Priesthood holding authority,] Has the person hold his or her nose with the right hand (for convenience); then the priesthood holder places his right hand high on the person’s back and immerses the person completely, including the person’s clothing.
(LdS Church, “Handbook 2: Administering the Church”, section 20.3.8; retrieved 2019-02-24)

They even go so far as to have a spotter monitoring the baptism to make sure that every piece of the person (including every strand of hair for those with long hair) and every thread of clothing is immersed. And if anything is missed then they must redo the baptism in order for it to be legitimate.

DIDACHE: Priesthood Authority Is Not Required To Speak Or Act For God
Finally, please consider the following analysis by Didache expert Wyatt North in light of Mormon Priesthood authority dogma – especially as it relates to the authority to baptize.

“Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being baptized must fast, and any others who can. And you must tell the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand.” (Didache 7:4)

Very importantly, the text does not identify who is to perform the baptism. It specifically does not indicate anyone with an official office, such as a deacon or bishop. This absence of an official functionary indicates a very primitive time in the life of the Church. The reference to “any others who can” appears to indicate the communal nature of baptism: it occurred with the participation of the community. Those participants were also to try to fast. It is not entirely clear if this is an indication of the community celebrating the neophyte or the need for witnesses to the act of baptism. Rabbinic conversion in Judaism requires legal witnesses, although information about how Jewish conversion would have been conducted at the time of the Didache is limited.
(Wyatt North, “Christian Writing Decoded: The Didache”, Kindle Locations 447-455, Wyatt North Publishing, LLC.)

LDS CHURCH: Priesthood Authority Required In Order To Speak or Act For God
The following is from the official, correlated LdS Church manual entitled, “Gospel Principles”, though similar language can found across many Church publications and curriculum:

We must have priesthood authority to act in the name of God when performing the sacred ordinances of the gospel, such as baptism, confirmation, administration of the sacrament, and temple marriage. If a man does not have the priesthood, even though he may be sincere, the Lord will not recognize ordinances he performs (see Matthew 7:21–23; Articles of Faith 1:5). These important ordinances must be performed on the earth by men holding the priesthood.
(Gospel Principles (2011 edition), Chapter 13: The Priesthood, p.67)

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The hard fact of the matter is this: No trace of the unique distinctives that Mormonism declares as “restored” can be found in Church History prior to the advent of Joseph Smith. Further, those distinctives contradict what we find in recorded Early Church History up to and including the Didache.

(all Didache selections from — Didache 11-13, Roberts-Donaldson English Translation)

The Living Allowance increase letter sent to Mormon General Authority Bruce D. Porter in 2014 and leaked by MormonLeaks in 2017 that clearly shows that Mormon Apostles and Prophets are, in fact, professional, paid, full-time clergy despite what they publicly teach and declare.

Banner Art: Icon Painting of Christ and the Early Church Fathers