They pay for it themselves is my understanding.
Correct, each area has a set price per month (ie: last I heard it was $1200ish if you were from the US, $300 from South America, etc), that all goes into a big pot and gets assigned to each mission according to what it costs to live there.
Still waiting on
aczlan to answer some Q's I had above... until then here's some historical tidbits. Happy reading!
<ashke>Sorry to disappoint you Sir, it won't happen again Sir</ashke>
I had things much higher on my todo list while the sun was shining than arguing about religion with my imaginary internet friends.
Today I was playing
Add and taking down the pool so I can put another up (high on the wife's to-do list, I was also working on a gravely walk behind tractor (getting rid of "intresting" repairs made by the PO), grilling some steaks and hanging out with my kids and some family who were over for a visit.
Beyond that, I am happy to discuss religion with people of other faiths and beliefs who have questions and/or want to have a honest discussion but you obviously already know the answers to what you are asking and all you seem to want to do is argue about why members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are all horrible nasty people who are going straight to Hell and "score points" somehow.
Your wording and slang remind me a lot of the "protesters" who used to come out in July for the Hill Cumorah Pageant (and who still go to protest at the General Conference twice a year in Salt Lake). They seemed to get their rocks off yelling at little kids about how they and their parents were all going to hell (literally pointing at a 5 year old and yelling about how they and their whole family were going to go to hell).
Same slang, pushing same "issues", same lack of interest in talking about what they felt was the church that would best lead one back to God, or who (besides the local Baptist Church that put them up) was paying them to be there for weeks on end.
Same "fruits" of hatred, bickering and unhappiness.
I dont know if that is how you intended it, but that is how it comes across.
Either way, we could quote scripture that we interpret as supporting our cause until we are blue in the face and its not going to change what you or I believe.
Ultimately one has to test the promise of Moroni or James and pray sincerely asking to know if the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, the Bible, etc are true and you are promised an answer.
From Moroni 10:4-6
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/moro/10?lang=eng&id=4-6#p4 said:
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
From James 1:5
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/james/1?lang=eng&id=5#p5= said:
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
I was raised Mormon. One thing I remember church leaders and teachers saying pretty regularly is that there are more than one true religion. ANY religion that gets people closer to God than they would have been otherwise has at least some degree of truth. Mormons do not believe that only Mormons can go to heaven. They would of course add that Mormonism is the most true and gets people the closest.
Cant disagree with that, I can find points of commonality with most any religion which encourages people to better themselves and become closer to God.
When Grandma was still around, we would take her to Mass every time we visited that she was up to it. IMO it was good for the kids to see something different, it raised a bunch of questions for them and Grandma enjoyed showing off her Great-Grandkids to her friends there.
Ultimately, I believe that God isn't going to put you in "Heaven" someplace for eternity where you are uncomfortable.
If you don't want to be in an angelic choir singing and playing a harp, but would rather be fixing golden chariots or something else, he will have you do that, the work to be done won't end just because we are dead.
I believe that any of the 3 "Kingdoms of Glory" will be many times better than what we have here on this earth now, but each one is better as you get closer to God.
Aaron Z
