The True Church and the Concept of Paid Clergy
LIVE! From the “Mecca of Mormonism” SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH! This is Heart of the Matter . . . “Where Mormonism meets Biblical Christianity face to face.” Show 23 Seventeen Points of the “True Church” – Part VII – “Paid Clergy”
And I’m Shawn McCraney, your host. We have a very special show for you tonight because after a brief message, we’re going to have my wife and two youngest daughters here to help me answer your questions and to take your calls!
Addressing the Claim of No Paid Clergy
Before we invite the family on set, let me briefly cover one of the most absurd and even contradictory charges unthinking LDS people make as a requisite sign for being “the true Church.”
Ready? Number six of Seventeen: “The true church must have no paid clergy.” And they use Bible passages from Isaiah and 1st Peter to support this not-just unbiblical claim, but this anti-biblical claim which they are hypocritically guilty of breaking!
You know, this is a MAJOR theme of derision for LDS missionaries and defenders of the LDS church. They LOVE to pull the “your only doing this for money” card, and they think themselves justified in using it because their local level leadership – at the Stake level and below – serve on a voluntary basis. We’ll talk about this in more depth in a minute.
Examining Biblical Passages
So first, let’s take a look at these passages that come along with their claim that the “true Church must have no paid clergy.”
Isaiah 45:13 Listen to this one: “I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.”
What does this have to do with paid clergy – either directly or indirectly – nothing at all. Nothing. This passage refers to Cyrus, and what he did for the Jews – as a type of Christ.
The second verse they use, which is at least applicable to the topic in question says 1st Peter 5:2: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;”
But again, what is the context of this verse? Pastors are without a doubt called to feed the flock of God. This is wisdom and the desire of God’s heart. And what do pastor feed the flock with? THE WORD OF THE LORD. Not by constraint, but willingly. Not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind.”
No problem. Whatever pastor would get into the ministry FOR filthy lucre should get out – this is all it is saying. The warning has no bearing on whether pastors or ministers of the gospel are permitted to receive financial support for their labors.
So while the LDS love to infer that this passage means that a pastor or minister cannot receive pay for his work in the ministry, the BIBLE teaches the opposite!
Paul wrote in 1Ti 5:17 “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.”
What does this mean? It means that pastors – especially those who labor in the Word and Doctrine – could and should receive compensation for their labors.
Jesus said the same thing to His apostles in Matthew 10:10 “Take no scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.”
Not enough to convince you? David wrote in the Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.
In making a case for the right of ministers of the Gospel to actually be compensated, Paul said in 1st Corinthians 9 –
1st Corinthians 9:7 “Who serves as a soldier at his own wages at any time? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock and does not partake of the milk of the flock? Do I say these things according to man? Or does not the Law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox treading out grain." Does God take care for oxen? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? It was written for us, so that he
Pastoral Support in Biblical Context
"Who plows should plow in hope, and so that he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" He ends with “Even so, the Lord ordained those announcing the gospel to live from the gospel.” Funny that the LDS omit these passages when promoting their claim that nobody in the ministry should be paid.
Now, if God – as the scriptures teach – allows people to be supported by those who are being fed, God must know that this is the best system all things considered for a minister of the gospel. Taking all the other expectations into account – that they are humble, have one wife, are hospitable, are not drunkards, etc. – it seems like a very reasonable and fair way to care for God’s teachers. After all, the Levitical priests lived off the offerings in the Old Covenant, right?
Shepherds' Role in the Church
So what, then, does it mean to have shepherds who are not paid leading the flock? I have given this a lot of thought over the years. If a congregationally supported pastor’s job is to feed the sheep the Word of God week in and week out, and to counsel them using the word, and to oversee them relative to the Word, what would the duties of a non-paid local-level clergy be? I mean, many of these so-called lay “leaders” in the LDS church are called up from out of the pews and have never even read the Bible through!
So what is their purpose of this local level lay leadership? To ensure obedience. To maintain the status quo. To counsel, using the prescribed LDS guides. And to advance their members up in the Church – which includes helping them to pay tithes.
LDS Lay Leadership System
How is a person placed in this local level lay leadership? Through worthiness interviews and by proving themselves in previous callings. In the end, where the burden of supporting a single pastor (who is well-studied in the Word and willing to teach the Sheep), the LDS get as many of their members PAYING for the opportunity to possibly become a clergyman and they advance those who will be most effective at getting others to do the same!
If all we are talking about is money, which scenario is more dastardly: A single standing church that has a pastor who loves the Lord, studies His Word and teaches it to His congregation for a fair and reasonable salary which is obtained by the free gifts of the people OR a multi-national institutionalized corporation where everyone must pay 10% of their income to both enter into a temple in order to get to heaven and to have a shot at “managing” a group of member-peers, but never truly teaching God’s Word.
The Lord knew what He was doing when He set His church up. Yes, there are many instances where men have taken advantage of the set up and served themselves. But this happens in all churches lay clergy or not. Of all the seventeen points the LDS use as signs of the “true Church” this is one of the most misrepresented and misapplied. But this is only part of the problem with the claim.
The second half of the issue comes from the Latter-day Saints themselves – HAVE A PAID CLERGY! A big one. All of their Church Educational System teachers are paid – and what is a pastor if nothing more than Church Education! All of the Churches Apostles are paid – why because they are full-time. We’ll so are pastors full time – more than full time – believe me. All of the SLC hierarchy are paid. I would be willing to bet that Thomas S. Monson, who started as a very very young leader in the LDS Church is a multi-millionaire! How did this happen since almost all of His working adult life he has been in the employ of the Church?
Bottom-line to all this? The Bible – meaning God – Old and New Testament fully supports the idea of pastors being paid for their labors in the Lord’s vineyard. It doesn’t mean they HAVE to be paid, but it is well within the pervue of God. Mormonism has a more taxing (no pun intended) approach to money and religion and implements it mandatorily upon all of its members seeking to get to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom AND those wishing to be placed in a voluntary leadership position. Finally, Mormonism hypocritically pays wages to the higher echelon of full-time leaders, contrary to the claim that the “true Church.”
Introduction of Family Members
Let’s open up our phone lines!
(801) 973-TV20
(801) 973-8820
And while the operators are taking your calls, let me introduce to you – for the first time ever, my wife, Mary, my youngest daughter Delaney, and my middle daughter Cassidy – who has been on the show before.
Hello, girls!
(Brief introductions)
Questions from Our Mail
Mrs. McCraney
“I am confused as I have heard you are LDS and I have heard that your not – which is it? And what about your children?”Daughters
“Would you ever marry a Mormon boy? What would your Dad think about this?”
Delaney? Cassidy?
To Shawn’s Shorty
“Why have you remained with this fruitcake when you could have a real man like me? – THE MAN”To Shawn’s wife:
“What about your family? How do they react to Shawn’s ministry?”To the McCraney girls
“I met you at the park last summer. Do your LDS friends know who your Dad is and what he says about the Church? How have your LDS friends that do know what he does treated you? Are you embarrassed to talk about him with them?”To Family
“What do you like about being Mormon and what do you like about the Christianity you have found. And then the reverse.”
Views on Hell and Religion
To girls
“Do you think your LDS friends or family are going to hell? What about you? Do you believe in hell?”Where do you all go to church now? What are the most obvious differences between the two religions?
Miscellaneous Questions
To girls
9) Who were you voting for – David Cook or David Achelleto? Why?
To Mary
10) Many people say your husband is doing what he is doing because he is evil or he is out for money or he is deceived. What do you think is driving him?
We’ll we’ve three minutes left . . . what a great time to have the three of you on the show.
Any parting thoughts?
Delaney:
Cassidy:
Maria:
