Not Sure How To Word This.

I live in Salt Lake City now. Perhaps SLC is best known for being the home to the Chuch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As home to the LDS church, SLC is home to many, many, many members of the LDS church.

I'm just a good ole Baptist girl and I certainly don't fit in here. Most of the people in the Baptist churches we've visited are former Mormons or have family who are Mormons. When the news is on, I have to listen carefully so that I can decipher the Mormon-speak in the news.

Mormon-speak is terminology that those within the LDS church would understand, but that outsiders wouldn't. Kinda like when a Baptist says "saved" we all know what that means.

Anyway... I've been reading on the beliefs of the LDS church. Don't worry, I'm not converting. I just like to know about other faiths and what they teach. If anything, reading about the LDS church has convinced me that I should stay Baptist (not that I was thinking of jumping ship).

I've only just scratched the surface in my reading and I have to say that I just get even more and more sad the more I read. While I've been assured that Mormons do believe in a literal Hell, I've also been assured that everyone makes it to at least the first level of Heaven. The more you do within the church, the more chance you have to be in the third level of Heaven with God. Not only that, but after you die, your family members can be baptized for you and can have you "sealed."

I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect, but I cannot, for the life of me, see how that jives with Scripture. When I mention Scripture, I mean the Bible, not the book of Mormon. The book of Revelation tells us that we are not to add one jot or one tittle to the Word of God, so I can't see how the Book of Mormon can be considered Scripture.

If salvation is by grace, then why would we need to do temple work or be sealed into the temple? If God is gracious and loving and kind, then why be legalistic about tithes? (It's my understanding that only those who are in good standing can enter the Temple, and to be in good standing, you have to pay a tithe.)

I'd hate to think that there were people out there trying to work for their salvation when really it's absolutely free. Working to earn salvation is fruitless.

Last night the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints passed away. How sad. Truly.