Mormonism and the Prosperity Gospel

 

 

 

 

Mette Ivie Harrison is a well-known mystery and young-adult novelist and frequent guest here. She is the author of The Book of Laman, published by BCC Press.

Most Mormons have no idea what the “prosperity gospel” is, and if you point them to typical TV evangelicals, they insist that Mormonism is nothing like that. Yet, there are far too frequent occasions when I find myself biting my tongue about something a fellow Mormon says, either casually, at a wedding or other social event, or on the stand during a talk, that translates into precisely that: prosperity gospel.

For the sake of clarity, let me give a useful definition of “prosperity gospel:” a modern version of the gospel in which those who follow God in strict obedience are given blessings of wealth, health, and power.

Lesson 17: The Law of Tithing #DandC2017

Learning Outcomes

At the end of class, students will be able to

1. Describe the roots of tithing in the Hebrew Bible and in American Protestantism.
2. Assess how scriptural text relates to contemporary practice in Mormonism.
3. Explain how the blessings from tithing compare to Prosperity Gospel ideas.

Please Preserve Minerva Teichert’s Priceless Treasure—The Manti Temple Murals