posted January 11, 2005 05:47 PM         

It is wise to be sincerely skeptical until you can feel sure. While I was raised LDS, I am a follower of the teachings, not of the Church. The organization has chosen to follow a path of popularity to ensure maximum worldly success and converts, but each individual devotee has the responsibility to choose for himself what is right and true.

Someone asked about living without depending upon money, and some scriptural references. First I would like to point out that some scriptures are given as commandments, and others are given as advise with a warning. These we can choose to follow or not.

Perhaps my favorite scripture is the New Testament one where the Saviour Himself explains that we cannot serve God while we work for money. Then He explains that we have no need for money, as He will provide for all of our needs if we will only live for His kingdom. This is found in Matt. 6:24-34. I include this scripture below:

24"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31"Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' 32For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
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That advice and the promise seems simple and straightforward to me. The following scriptures are not from the Bible, but are from books of scripture revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith:

Book of Mormon - 2Nephi 26:31 ...But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish.

Doctrine and Covenants - 38:39 ...And if ye seek the riches which it is the will of the Father to give unto you, ye shall be the richest of all people, for ye shall have the riches of eternity; and it must needs be that the riches of the earth are mine to give; but beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old.

Doctrine and Covenants - 78:19 ...And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.
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Those are the promises by which I live without depending on money, and the Saviour has kept His promises with me.

Feel free to ask whatever else occurs to you, and I will try to answer soon.

posted January 12, 2005 01:05 AM         

In the quote from bible, mammoth means money (IMO). It could also mean the God of Old testament. Or God of the material world.

I think, we must satisfy our basic needs and not hoard wealth. That is Jesus's message. I somehow have a feeling that Jesus was very empathetic towards the need of human. Not sexual, but hunger, clothing, pain.

I believe Jesus came from beyond the skies , beyond the three worlds , send by the true God/dess for us to show a way out of this miserable world.

Also do you remember Jesus cursing a Fig tree. It implies, that the Fig tree is always supposed to bear fruit. But of all the Fig tree that particular one, declined to bear fruit.

We must not aim to be like the fig tree. But bear fruit, and share it with people. Not to hoard(collect) our wealth. But to spend it. Where the treasure is there the heart is. And Jesus does not want us to set our heart on treasures which would perish in time.

I believe there is only one truth. The absolute. For spiritual people its known as the divine truth. Everything else is relative. I pray God to show me the truth and only the divine truth would set me free.

Also I was pondering over Buddha. When he went in search of truth. He used to beg for food from door to door. Even after he was enlightened. I think I know the answer but not ready to answer it myself.

Thanks for hearing my view point

Please do continue to let us know your thought process.