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by Alatea on December 15th, 2005

Alatea

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Do Mormons believe it is acceptable to operate charity casinos even though their church opposes gambling?

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Answers. 4 helpful answers below.

  • by Mister IT is trying to Liahona outta here on February 20th, 2009

    Mister IT is trying to Liahona outta here

    Well I'm sure that the LDS Church finds the tithes get from Bill Marriott and the other LDS officers and employees of Marriott Casinos (now conveniently located all over the world - but never in the United States) QUITE acceptable! "Plundering the Egyptians" I suppose (and even LITERALLY in the case of the Aruba Casino I suspect) is the rationalization.

    ;-)

    However, this is interesting in light of this article from LDS Apologist W. John Walsh:

    Latter-day Saints reject all forms of gambling as a pernicious evil to society. The First Presidency has stated:

    “The Church has been and now is unalterably opposed to gambling in any form whatever. It is opposed to any game of chance, occupation, or so-called business, which takes money from the person who may be possessed of it without giving value received in return. It is opposed to all practices the tendency of which is to encourage the spirit of reckless speculation, and particularly to that which tends to degrade or weaken the high moral standard which the members of the Church, and our community at large, have always maintained. We therefore advise and urge all members of the Church to refrain from participation in any activity which is contrary to the view herein set forth.”[1]

    Latter-day Saint opposition to gambling is rooted in key theological principles. The ultimate purpose of life is for us to fulfill all the prerequisites which will enable us to enter into godhood—“having all divine attributes and doing as God does and being as God is”[2]—in the afterlife. To help us acquire these needed divine attributes, our Heavenly Father has constructed a plan of salvation which enables us to obtain them.

    One of the required divine attributes is the ability to work: “For behold, this is [the Lord’s] work and [his] glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”[3] The Lord works in eternity and we must develop this aptitude within ourselves. President Ezra Taft Benson taught:

    “One of the first principles revealed to father Adam when he was driven out of the Garden of Eden was this: ‘In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground’ (Genesis 3:19). All we obtain in life of a material nature comes as a product of labor and the providence of God. Work produces life's necessities.”[4]

    By learning to work in mortality, we develop a capacity which we will take with us in the afterlife.

    Since gambling is founded upon the “desire to get something of value for little or nothing,”[5] it cultivates within us a spirit which opposes the divine ability to work for that which we desire. Also, gambling is “destructive of the finer sensitivities of the soul”[6] in that it encourages us to manipulate and somehow vanquish our fellow man instead of showing love and compassion for him. Instead of a spirit of love, gambling cultivates a spirit of craftiness and contention. The prophets have taught that “every man should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention among them.”[7]

    In addition to the spiritual harm that occurs personally to the gambler, gambling also has broader negative effects to society at large. Gamblers, especially those with addictions, frequently squander family resources needed for other purposes thus depriving other family members of their own rights and privileges. Also, “[t]he underworld of gambling and vice are constantly and unrelentingly exploiting the innocent and unsuspecting.”[8] The First Presidency has noted:

    “There can be no question about the moral ramifications of gambling, including government-sponsored lotteries. Public lotteries are advocated as a means of relieving the burden of taxation. It has been demonstrated, however, that all too often lotteries only add to the problems of the financially disadvantaged by taking money from them and giving nothing of value in return. The poor and the elderly become victims of the inducements that are held out to purchase lottery tickets on the remote chance of winning a substantial prize. It is sad to see governments now promoting what they once enacted laws to forbid. We urge members of the Church to join with others with similar concerns in opposing the legalization of gambling and government-sponsorship of lotteries.”[9]

    (See Basic Beliefs home page; Doctrines of the Gospel home page)

    [1] Letter of the First Presidency issued on September 21, 1925 by Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, Charles W. Nibley. Quoted in James R. Clark, ed., Messages of the First Presidency, Vol. 5, p. 245.

    [2] "Godhood" K. Codell Carter, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992.

    [3] Moses 1:39, Pearl of Great Price, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

    [4] Benson, E., Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1988, p.474.

    [5] Smith, J. Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1919, p. 327.

    [6] McConkie, B., Mormon Doctrine, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1966, p. 302.

    [7] Mosiah 23:15, Book of Mormon, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1981.

    [8] Conference Report, Salt Lake City, Utah: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, October 1961, p. 22.

    [9] Church News, Oct. 5, 1986, p. 4.

    http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/doctrines/gambling_eom.htm

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  • by Glenn Blaylock on January 12th, 2006

    Glenn Blaylock

    *********
    Note, this answer was originally posted in response to an answer that was posted by another user claiming that the Church actually operated casinos in parts of Utah. That answer has since been deleted. However, I am leaving the answer up to inform anyone else who may come here with the same erroneous belief.

    *********
    I think that it is important to note something about Anonymous's answer to this question. She states no sources for her assertions. All she states is hearsay. She also states that these casinos were operated in Utah during the 1980's and 90's. However, gambling has been illegal in Utah for decades, at least. They don't even have a state lottery or any Indian casinos. Additionally, I actually lived in Utah for most of the 90's. I never heard anything about Church operated casinos during that time.

    So, you have to ask yourself, who are you going to believe on this? Someone who 1) has no evidence to back up her claims and 2) has shown that she will twist the Bible to say whatever she wants (http://tinyurl.com/dexl3) or people with first hand experience on the issue?

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  • by Anonymous on December 15th, 2005

    Anonymous

    The church is solidly opposed to gambling. There's no reason to think that there'd be any exception for “charitable” instances of this foolish practice.

    See: http://tinyurl.com/75pcs

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  • by TenLostTribes on February 19th, 2010

    TenLostTribes

    I'm going to say no--because donating-to-the-poor doesn't justify gambling.

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