Ask a Mormon! (Part Two)

[jonny]

How much money is being spent on building new temples each year?

How much has been spent in, say, the last 10 years?

No clue. The church doesn't publish those figures.

I think I already know where this may be going. Members of the church divide their donations between funds that go towards welfare projects and funds that support the church. Money that is donated for welfare purposes doesn't go to support building temples. Some temples are funded entirely through private donations of local members (the Nauvoo temple and the Newport Beach Temple come to mind).

This is what a tithing slip looks like. I know it may be hard to read, but these are the categories for donations:

• Tithing
• Fast Offering
• Ward Missionary
• General Missionary
• Book of Mormon
• Humanitarian Aid
• Temple Construction
• Perpetual Education
• Other

 

[Bishka]

How much money is being spent on building new temples each year?

How much has been spent in, say, the last 10 years?

Honestly, I'm not quite sure what is exactly spent on temples. It is paid for by the Church, totally and completley, and the Church will not build a building (of any sort) unless they can fully pay for it. There has probably been quite a bit spent on the temples, but we put equal if not more into other aid.

The LDS Church also contributes millions each year to humanitarian aid around the world. This aid is to everyone, and not just Christians because we believe everyone is God's children and deserve to be treated like that.

Some articles

LDS Charities Restores Fishing Boat, Returning Fishermen to the Seas

Church Aid to Sudanese Refugees

Mormons Continue Rebuilding in Katrina-Hit Areas

 

[FFH]

How much money is being spent on building new temples each year?

How much has been spent in, say, the last 10 years?

Without looking up the actual stats on this I would estimate 6 million a temple (from what I've heard), at around a hundred temples, built in the last 10 years, and one would come up with a figure of 600 million dollars..

From what I understand the LDS church is now operating on an interest only basis. In other words they have enough in their tithing accounts, from past tithes paid, that they don't have to use the actual tithes LDS members have paid into that fund, to pay for any of the churches expenses, because the interest off the money in the LDS church's tithing fund pays for all their operating expenses.....

This information was told to my wife after she called that particular department of the LDS church (we were interested in finding out why the church had in it's porfolio about 1 million in stocks, most of which was in Pacific Ethanol, a California based ethanol production company), and she ended up finding out a lot about the tithing funds of the church and what they were used for. We had assumed they had purchased stock in this ethanol company, using tithing money, but in reality someone had paid their tithing by donating almost a million dollars in PEIX (Pacific Ethanol) stock.

 

[Searching]

I think I already know where this may be going.

Really? Go ahead and take it there, then.

 

[Searching]

Without looking up the actual stats on this I would estimate 6 million a temple (from what I've heard), at around a hundred temples, built in the last 10 years, and one would come up with a figure of 600 million dollars..

Wow! That's impressive! Also impressive that they are paid for just from the interest from investments. Are the maintenance costs paid for from the interest accounts as well?

How many LDS temples are there? I'd guess most are in the US, but are there some in other countries as well?

I've read that temple ceremonies are restricted, with even some mormons not being allowed in and no non-mormons allowed. Is this true?

 

[FFH]

Wow! That's impressive! Also impressive that they are paid for just from the interest from investments. Are the maintenance costs paid for from the interest accounts as well?

Yes, it's all taken care of by the interest on the churches tithing fund accounts.

How many LDS temples are there? I'd guess most are in the US, but are there some in other countries as well?

I haven't checked lately but last time I checked it was over 120 throughout the world....At one time I could have told you how many temples were in each state and each part of the world...That paper I put together is about 5 years outdated...let me get something together...maybe based on that paper or maybe I can find the locations again...there is a simple dot map which just shows the locations and nothing more...very simple map...I'll find it an post it.

I've read that temple ceremonies are restricted, with even some mormons not being allowed in and no non-mormons allowed. Is this true?

Yeah, if you don't meet the requirements, such as being a full tithe payer, living the Word of Wisdom (LDS health code), etc. then you will not be allowed in the temple, even if you are a member of the LDS church....

The only time a person, not meeting these requirements, can view the inside of a temple is just after construction on the temple has been completed and before it is dedicated. During this time, for maybe a couple of weeks, they have an "open house" in which ALL, both members and visitors alike, can enter and view the inside of the temple....

 

[Searching]

Yeah, if you don't meet the requirements, such as being a full tithe payer, living the Word of Wisdom (LDS health code), etc. then you will not be allowed in the temple, even if you are a member of the LDS chuch....

Who decides if a person's been good enough to worship?
Are there worship alternatives to the temples for those who aren't allowed?

 

[FFH]

How many LDS temples are there? I'd guess most are in the US, but are there some in other countries as well?

Here's a simple dot map showing the locations of LDS temples, I'm not sure how old this map is...I have no info to go along with this...will look for something more accurate...

LDS temple locations

 

[Searching]

Thank you, FFH.
Though there are a lotta dots, I actually expected a lot more than that, especially in the USofA - but like you said, the map may be a bit dated.

 

[FFH]

Who decides if a person's been good enough to worship?
Are there worship alternatives to the temples for those who aren't allowed?

Temples are mainly built and maintained for the purpose of redeeming the dead...vicarious work for the dead goes on from around 5-6 in the morning to around 10 at night...

Basically all the LDS saving ordinances, like baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost are performed on behalf of the dead.

The living also go there to make sacred covenants and perform sacred necessary saving ordinances for themselves...

A temple marriage is one of our necessary saving ordinances performed in temples throughout the world.

We worship in regular church meeting houses on a weekly basis, this is a seperate activity not associated with the temples....

In other words we worship in regualar meeting houses not the temple...

 

[FFH]

Thank you, FFH.
Though there are a lotta dots, I actually expected a lot more than that, especially in the USofA - but like you said, the map may be a bit dated.

Yeah, up until the early 90's we only had a handful of temples.

Our current President of the church, President Hinckley, has really pushed the construction of temples to an unheard of rate. He has, within the last 10 years or so, personally announced and completed around a hundred or so temples....

Temple construction is going at an unusual rate now....but the growth rate was even higher in the late 90''s I think.

Edit: Up until now there were only 2 LDS temples in the Salt Lake and surrounding areas, now there are two more under construction and 1 more soon to start construction..

 

[XAAX]

I have a question for ya, What is the mormon belief about revelations in the bible? Kat confused me the other day...

 

[Searching]

Temples are mainly built and maintained for the purpose of redeeming the dead...Vicarious work for the dead goes on from around 5-6 in the morning to around 10 at night...

Basically all the LDS saving ordinances, like baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost are performed in behalf of the dead.

Really??

I had no idea one could (or would) baptize a dead person
My understanding of baptism is that it's a conscious, public profession of faith... so how does that work for dead people?

If the dead person's been dead and buried awhile, how does the laying on of hands work? They don't actually dig up the dead person, do they?

The living also go there to make sacred covenants and perform sacred necessary saving ordinances for themselves...

A temple marriage is one of our necessary saving ordinances performed in temples throughout the world.

?? Am I understanding correctly that one must be married in a temple to be saved??

If so, how does a dead single person who died without being granted temple entrance while alive get married in a temple?

We worship in regular church meeting houses on a weekly basis, this is a seperate activity not associated with the temples....

In ohter words we worship in regualar meeting houses not the temple...

OK. So worship happens in the meeting houses and saving ordinance ceremonies are performed in the temple - right?

 

[FFH]

I had no idea one could (or would) baptize a dead person
My understanding of baptism is that it's a conscious, public profession of faith... so how does that work for dead people?

Yes, it is a conscious choice, which we all need to make, so why keep that choice away from the dead, who may not have had that opportunity ???

The deceased are in what is called the spirit world, which I understand to be all around us on this earth, they can observe and make professions of faith and accept the necessary ordinances, which we perform for them.

Just because one passes into the next life does not mean we do not have a chance to accept Christ's gospel or his necessary saving ordinances, especially if we have not had a chance to hear his gospel or receive his necessary saving ordinances...

?? Am I understanding correctly that one must be married in a temple to be saved??

No, just if you want to enter into the highest level of God's highest kingdom.

If so, how does a dead single person who died without being granted temple entrance while alive get married in a temple?

Good question, never thought of that. God will provide a way for that man or woman who did not marry, or did not have the chance to marry, while in this life. God will do what we cannot do on this earth, but of us it is required to do all we can to save our ancestors and all other deceased individuals we can obtain records of who have ever lived and died on this earth, which is a daunting task, and will never be complete while we live in this mortal realm. God will provide a way for all to be saved who want to be saved and all to be married who want to be married in LDS temples, whether they were married or not while on this earth.

OK. So worship happens in the meeting houses and saving ordinance ceremonies are performed in the temple - right?

Yes

 

[FFH]

I have a question for ya, What is the mormon belief about revelations in the bible? Kat confused me the other day...

The book of Revelation is accepted as valid scripture as long as it has been translated correctly, which it has mostly, but there are a few passages here and there which are missing from the King James version of Revelation, which Joseph Smith has restored and recorded.

I have a copy of these inspired additions and changes written next to the King James, which I refer to whenever there is a discrpency in the King James, which cause many to misunderstand what the Lord was trying to say, because portions of that particular scripture were lost or mistranslated over time...

Edit: Any particular question you had in mind conserning the book of Revelation ???

 

[XAAX]

The book of Revelation is accepted as valid scripture as long as it has been translated correctly, which it has mostly, but there are a few passages here and there which are missing from the King James version of Revelation, which Joseph Smith has restored and recorded.

I have a copy of these inspired additions and changes written next to the King James, which I refer to whenever there is a discrpency in the King James, which cause many to misunderstand what the Lord was trying to say, because portions of that particular scripture were lost or mistranslated over time...

Edit: Any particular question you had in mind conserning the book of Revelation ???

So what you are saying is that Joseph Smith, re-interpreted Revelations?

 

[FFH]

So what you are saying is that Joseph Smith, re-interpreted Revelations?

No, rather he was inspired to add and/or correct a few minor things, but nothing really that significant to the average person looking at it who doesn't really care, but to me there are somewhat significant changes here and there which I readily take notice of.

In other words you would have to read it very slowly and carefully to see most of the changes...

Edit: I'd say 99.9% of all LDS members use an LDS edition of the King James, in which the only thing different from a regular King James edition is that occasionally some of the Joseph Smith inspired version corrections to the King James are added as footnotes....Most don't even pay attention to these, although I've noticed many more are including these footnotes in their Sunday School/other auxiliary lassons lately.

 

[FFH]

How many LDS temples are there? I'd guess most are in the US, but are there some in other countries as well?

Here's a link to the LDS.org page concerning the temples, which gives the current count and various locations.

LDS Temples

This current list will correct or clarify anything I've said previously concerning the number of temples built..

First time I've been to this page myself...

Current list of LDS temples

Looks like the most active year for temples completed was the year 2000...

 

[XAAX]

No, rather he was inspired to add and/or correct a few minor things, but nothing really that significant to the average person looking at it who doesn't really care, but to me there are somewhat significant changes here and there which I readily take notice of.

In other words you would have to read it very slowly and carefully to see most of the changes...

Edit: I'd say 99.9% of all LDS members use an LDS edition of the King James, in which the only thing different from a regular King James edition is that occasionally some of the Joseph Smith inspired version corrections to the King James are added as footnotes....Most don't even pay attention to these, although I've noticed many more are including these footnotes in their Sunday School/other auxiliary lassons lately.

So, these new interpretations were translated at the same time he found the plates with the stones?

 

[Comprehend]

I have a question for ya, What is the mormon belief about revelations in the bible? Kat confused me the other day...

I am not sure what you mean. could you be more specific?