@'36 - What a stupid post. If the church builds a Temple then they suck for spending the money on a Temple and not helping the poor. Then when they help people in times of need they are grandstanding. Why dont you pick a side of the fence and stay there.

@'36 - It's amazing to me how much people hate God. His church can do nothing right in their eyes. They try to uphold marriage as between a man and woman, and they get reviled against. They give food, money, care, all sorts of aid around the world, and they get reviled against. Do you people have any sense at all?

@'36 - I would think that this is because it's a world-wide tragedy of what unfortunately has happpened in Chile. And I don't think it's so important that the LDS Church gets in the news about donating. I think it's more about indviduals donating to the LDS Church which are helping people around the world (along with many other churches and organizations around the world). I think it doess a lot of good to see people helping other people.

And I don't think you have to be a member of the LDS Church to donate your time or money to donate to the Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center.

@'36 - I dont think the church told the news to come film us and look at what we have done... Idiot! You just wanted to stand on a platform and try to get some attention because no one gives a rat about your stupid idiotic comment. Is that all you have to do in your day is wait for an article about the church and bash it? What a boring life you have.

@LivnRight - Tell me something... how do you keep 26+ tons of food going to the needy a secret? Media is all over the place covering these earthquakes.

Tell me this as well... given the history of the LDS Church's humanitarian efforts, how long after this quake do you think people were saying "how long before the LDS Church's humanitarian aid gets here?" People have come to expect the Church to step in and offer aid.

The Church's program is so large and so efficient and so giving, there is no way to hide something like that. Especially when it is almost expected because of the reliability of the program.

@LivnRight - I am not sure that the church went out and advertised this. It may be that they were asked by the press what they were doing for the earthquake victims in Chile. Or possibly they want to give an accounting to all of those who have donated to the cause.

@LivnRight - Why should they have to do it anonymously? Is it really that bad to send supplies and food to a country in need with your name on it? It's not like they are trying to recieve praise, they are trying to help out.
Did Jesus Christ Himself do everything anonymously? NOPE....
Be grateful the church is helping out and stop complaining. I'm sure if something ever happened here the church would do the same for all you ungrateful people and you would expect it. But then again...you would all find something else to complain about.

@LivnRight - Hardtail alludes to the reason.
Go read the book "tipping point".

Setting a visible example can lead others to follow.

Christ said, "let you light so shine...don't hide it under a bushel basket...by their fruits ye shall know them...in as much as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me..."

Even if it could hide itself, it would not because it is ordained to be a light on the hill that is not hid, a standard for the world to follow.

@LivnRight - You cant keep that a secrete.. On that note «removed»does it matter if its anonymously or not? At least they are doing more than you are.

@LivnRight - One of the reasons not to do it anonymously is that people are far more likely to donate to an organization that is known to be effective and efficient.

And it's kind of hard to fly gigantic six-engined Russian transport planes out of the Salt Lake airport without somebody noticing and asking questions.

@Stobbe - How dare they quote from the Bible, when the Book of Mormon it the most accurate book on the face of the earth! The Bible is to only be believed as far as it is translated correctly! Lol...

@Big-Beazy - Can I get an AMEN?

@Big-Beazy - Just trying to figure out what your point is with quoting scripture. Are you saying the LDS Church is looking for attention with regards to their humanitarian efforts or they are in-line with what you have quoted?

Such vague posts should not be allowed. This is the 'Community Comment Board,' not the "Quote scripture with no explanation' board. Please tell us what you are thinking or don't post.

Please shed some light on your thoughts.

Personally, my vote is for the first. The Church does not brag about what it has done because people's lives are more important than attention. It does not brag later about it either. It does however report on efforts and gives an accounting of where funds and resources have gone once a year at General Conference.

A Church with such resources would be hard-pressed to NOT offer aid and would be attacked if found in such a position. A Church of this size would also be hard-pressed to keep ANYTHING like humanitarian aid (especially in the quantity it gives) a secret. It just would not happen, especially when transporting goods across international boundaries.

First Haiti, then Chile, and now Taiwan.

TO EVERYBODY: We should all be glad for organizations (religious and not) that are devoted to providing relief to those in need. If you can't do better than what an organization does (whether they do it to be "seen of men" or not), then shut up. Otherwise praise whatever supreme being you worship (or none if the case may be) because human lives are being saved and affected by the generosity of others.

When taken into perspective, a saved human life is all that matters.

@Big-Beazy - Some large humanitarian projects are not able to be done without someone noticing. But since you brought it up, I challenge you to find a published list of those who donated the time, money, goods and effort to the LDS Church to make this possible.

@Slemaman - I don't think anyone was implying that one church did everything.

BTW, Do the meek tell others "to get over yourselves and come down off your soapbox"?
Just wondering.

@Slemaman - I hardly see how Latter-Day Saints are not noticing the good efforts being done by other organizations. We praise their efforts, and hope people contribute to them. We hope they succeed and increase. I contributed to a non-LDS charity myself for Haiti.

And, I seriously doubt very many Latter-Day Saints, if any at all, are visiting the web sites of those other organizations, or the news postings on the web of those other organizations and posting negative comments on their efforts. At least I hope not.

@Slemaman - The LDS Church runs one of the world's largest private charities. The Church owns millions of acres of farmland around the world that is dedicated to producing food for the needy.

The fact that you are unaware of that fact proves that the Church is either "meek", or that you are simply clueless.

Now....how much have YOU donated, personally?

That's what I thought.

@Chica Azteca - I don't Chile needs the LDS Church to send them microfiche film and old documents.

@Chica Azteca - And what did you send?

@You were saying? - No one:)

@The Utah Republican - Chile is one of my favorite countries...next to Turkey and Hungry.

@The Utah Republican - I think you're selling them short. Santiago is a modern and fairly affluent city, compared to most.

They just had one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, and in a city with MILLIONS of people the death toll is about 700. We're not talking about a third world country here.

Haiti's earthquake, while strong, was nothing out of the ordinary. A quarter million people died.

Most of those people in Chili, at least in the populous parts, already have modern kitchens and bathrooms.

@Blahblah - I sinse some jelousy...

@Blahblah - Possibly. How much have you donated?

That's what I thought.

@mbitsko2 - Sorry for the rampant typos. My kid spilled Carnation Instant Breakfast in my keyboard, and it's a bit confused.

@mbitsko2 - haaaaa stick a fork in it... no one cares!

@vikingwixard - "some things that are true, are just not useful" and "information is not true if not faith promoting"

Those quotes may not be exact, but you get the point...

@vikingwixard - "All" the symbols are not masonic. Few are, actually.

Joseph Smith was a Freemason. He said so in his journals. He became a Third Degree Master Mason shortly before the "revelation" on temple worship. His family had been Freemasons for at least a couple of generations. When he was shot to death in the Carthage Jail he raised both arms to the square and shouted "Oh Lord, my God...." and then expired. The "distress cry" of the Freemason is to raise both arms to the square and shout, "Oh Lord, my God, is there no help for the widow's son?" Any Masons present are then oath-bound to render assistance.

The similarities between certain temple ordinances and the Masonic ceremonies are striking. Even more so if you look farther back in LDS history, since the temple ceremonies have changed quite a bit. Some parts were almost word-for-word like the Masonic ones.

Why is this so? Depends on who you ask. Both organizations claim that their ceremonies derive from the ones in Solomon's Temple. The LDS Church has taken various stands in regards to Freemasonry. Many early Church leaders were Masons, as prominent businessmen and farmers tended to be back then. Later, the Church has gone so far as to deny temple recommends to Freemasons. (And some Masonic temples have denied their rites to Mormons, even though that's strictly a no-no and most of them have never had a problem with Mormons. It's mostly the Utah Masons who have had issues with Mormons.)

Currently, the Church's position regarding Freemasonry is "who cares." You can be a Mormon and a Mason. And the Salt Lake Freemasons have apparently buried the hatchet, too.

Other people (including some prominent Church leaders over the years) have suggested that Joseph Smith DID crib some of the Masonic ceremonies. The "revealed" parts of the LDS temple ceremonies, they say, are a separate matter. But Smith saw the value in the use of metaphor and allegory in the Masonic ceremonies in teaching complex concepts in a simple, understandable way. So he used them.

Still other Mormons shout "blasphemy" and won't even admit Smith's Freemasonry affiliation or obvious similarities in the ceremonies. (Because they haven't read the Masonic ones, or they'd definitely be asking questions.)

Non-Mormons, of course, say that the whole thing was ripped off from the Masons.

Which story you choose to believe is up to you. I can't deny the similarities between the two. I'm probably not the best person to ask about "revelations", since I doubt the existence of invisible spacemen in the first place. There is obviously a relationship, but exactly what it is is open to opinion. One thing I think is obvious: The fact that Masonic ceremonies and LDS temple ceremonies obviously share some similar origins, in some parts, does not prove or disprove anything. If you're basing your religious decisions on THAT sort of trivia you're on fairly shaky ground. My own beliefs, or lack thereof, I keep to myself. I don't consider it to be my business to try to erode anyone's faith. Nor do I see any benefit to humanity in doing so. The LDS Church does good for vast numbers of people, as do many other religions, and in many intangible ways. (Not just food, clothing and shelter.) If I was somehow able to convince everybody that God doesn't exist, would I have done the world a favor? Would it be a better place? On balance, I think not.

@stiffler1 - Stop reading it.

@stiffler1 - They don't post a fraction of all the church does. It is just that they do so much some of it does get posted

@vikingwixard - I might "arised" to the occasion.

@vikingwixard - I did. Pay attention.