Tithe the Poor

[TheChristian]

Giving a tenth in the Law of Moses was simply to teach in letters of stone a hard hearted and oft barbaric people to be generous.
When the Law of Moses was fullfilled, the law written in stone was replaced with the law written in our hearts by the Spirit........
The Born Again Christian no longer needs a law to command him to be generous and to give a portion of his wealth to the poor, for the holy ghost has made him a new creation, gone is the greed, the selfishness, the hard heartedness towards the poor, for the Spirit has filled the Christian with mercy, love and compassion for all his fellow men, wether they be friend or foe alike...........
We see this Christian Spirit working quietly in the background for instance in Homeless shelters, soup runs, the manifold christian charities, Christian prison fellowship, also the christian orphanages and hospitals that are abundant in lands and nations in abject poverty....
This countless body of Christians over the centuries did not need a commandment with a dire penalty to go forth and give of their time, talents and monies, oft sacrificing their own personal lives that they may give to others less fortunate than themselves...

No, they did it out of their pure love of Jesus Christ and their fellow men!

[Reluctant Watchman]

What the church is doing has little to no relationship to the parable of the talents.

How about the widow's mite? The state of the Jewish Church was in a degree of apostasy and yet the people's donations were still weighed.

The widow's might was about her intention to give, which aligns with the Law of Sacrifice. Both Nephi and Moroni condemn the LDS church for making it a requirement instead of a free offering, in addition to the poor expenditure of assets by creating fine sanctuaries.

why narrow your view so much? What you are saying does not exclude what I was saying.

1) that the church was taking payment even from the poor
2) that the Lord still accepted the widow's offering and weighed it as greater, despite the state of the church.

In my mind, it is quite simple and follows the counsel given in various places in the Book of Mormon. Those blessed with much, give much, those with little, give little, those with nothing are given. In the end, we should have hearts and minds that are consecrated and be willing to give our all. I'm just fighting a lot of battles with church members who can't divorce the idea of willingness to give with a requirement to give, especially when "saving" ordinances are at seemingly at play.

[ransomme]

How about the widow's mite? The state of the Jewish Church was in a degree of apostasy and yet the people's donations were still weighed.

The widow's might was about her intention to give, which aligns with the Law of Sacrifice. Both Nephi and Moroni condemn the LDS church for making it a requirement instead of a free offering, in addition to the poor expenditure of assets by creating fine sanctuaries.

why narrow your view so much? What you are saying does not exclude what I was saying.

1) that the church was taking payment even from the poor
2) that the Lord still accepted the widow's offering and weighed it as greater, despite the state of the church.

In my mind, it is quite simple and follows the counsel given in various places in the Book of Mormon. Those blessed with much, give much, those with little, give little, those with nothing are given. In the end, we should have hearts and minds that are consecrated and be willing to give our all. I'm just fighting a lot of battles with church members who can't divorce the idea of willingness to give with a requirement to give, especially when "saving" ordinances are at seemingly at play.

Understood. And I see two battles:

1) Understanding Willing Consecration, which is clear
1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Moroni 7:6,9 "...if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing...man, if he shall pray and not with areal intent of heart; yea, and it profiteth him nothing, for God receiveth none such."
DC 137:9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts

2) the standing of the Church and also that the Church requires being a full tithe payer for a temple recommend

[Reluctant Watchman]

I found D&C 105 very applicable to our situation today:

Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now. But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them. (D&C 105:2-3.)

Notice how this is directed to the church.

[Luke]

I found D&C 105 very applicable to our situation today:

Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now. But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them. (D&C 105:2-3.)

Notice how this is directed to the church.

No it’s obviously talking about the Catholic Church or some other group. Get with it.

[Robin Hood]

I found D&C 105 very applicable to our situation today:

Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now. But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them. (D&C 105:2-3.)

Notice how this is directed to the church.

No it’s obviously talking about the Catholic Church or some other group. Get with it.

Branch Davidians.... it's got to be.

[Reluctant Watchman]

I found D&C 105 very applicable to our situation today:

Behold, I say unto you, were it not for the transgressions of my people, speaking concerning the church and not individuals, they might have been redeemed even now. But behold, they have not learned to be obedient to the things which I required at their hands, but are full of all manner of evil, and do not impart of their substance, as becometh saints, to the poor and afflicted among them. (D&C 105:2-3.)

Notice how this is directed to the church.

No it’s obviously talking about the Catholic Church or some other group. Get with it.

As obvious as this may appear, this is exactly what the emeritus 70 told me when I quoted 2 Nephi 28:13:

13 They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up.

He said this verse was talking about the Catholic Church and not the LDS church.

[creator]

While granted the government in general is a burden on all of us, due to evil, corruption, out of control spending, taxes on food, gas, inflation, etc, it's interesting to note that the income tax is NOT a burden on the poor. The poor don't typically owe an income tax (and often get a refund).

But due to the incorrect doctrine of tithing being taught and practiced in the Church, it becomes a great burden on the poor. If the Church practiced tithing correctly it would not be a burden on the poor. Most poor wouldn't owe any tithing, but the rich would still be paying enough to keep the Church operating just fine.

[Reluctant Watchman]

While granted the government in general is a burden on all of us, due to evil, corruption, out of control spending, taxes on food, gas, inflation, etc, it's interesting to note that the income tax is NOT a burden on the poor. The poor don't typically owe an income tax (and often get a refund).

Potentially to buy votes.

But due to the incorrect doctrine of tithing being taught and practiced in the Church, it becomes a great burden on the poor. If the Church practiced tithing correctly it would not be a burden on the poor. Most poor wouldn't owe any tithing, but the rich would still be paying enough to keep the Church operating just fine.

Very much agree. The correct manner of tithing would follow the BoM precedent. Have a lot, give a lot. Have a little, give a little. Have none, know that your heart is pure and you are given to.

[Thinker]

1) I'm curious, what do people think of the church requiring payment of tithes to enter the temple in order to receive "saving" ordinances?
…
2) I had an interesting experience going back/forth with a lady on Facebook. We were discussing how the church spares no expense on temples and requires the most destitute to pay tithing for salvation. I used examples from the Book of Mormon to back up those claims. Simply by quoting scripture I was accused of... wait for it... "priestcraft." That's right, priestcraft. For trying to manipulate the words of the Q15. I'm a little beside myself as to how such an accusation can be made when quoting the BoM.
…
3) Tithing is a stepping stone…

1) In the beginning of Mormonism, nonmembers were allowed to come to celestial sealings & tithing was not required. It is a form of priestcraft charging $$$$$$ for worthiness & using temples to make money.



2) Psychological projection - she’s blaming you for what she struggles with inside her. She goes along with paying $$$$$ for worthiness (priestcraft), but it’s subconsciously & so she projects that outwardly when threatened.



3) Yes - tithing is a stepping stone. Growing up, I had those cans with 3 slots - for Saving, Spending & Tithing. This was a way to teach me to keep the greatest commandments - love God, love others & self. It took many years to understand that the lds church does NOT equal God.

• ”God has no need of your money, but the poor have. You give it to the poor, & God receives it.” - St. Augustine

Sometimes I have given more than 10% of my income to those in need - when I sensed it was right. Other times I didn’t have increase - lived on food storage. God gave us brains to use to do what’s right in the situation.

Another stepping stone or way of viewing this… Maybe tithing has nothing to do with US dollars, Euros etc, but is symbolically pointing to even more priceless commodity. It is suggested (though debatable) that our brains have so much untapped potential & that we only use about 10%. Or it may be that 90% is involuntary & 10% is free agency - God wants that 10%. That’s the only thing that is ours to give God.

[Amonhi]

I recently published an essay that explores the nature of tithing within LDS culture. Due to the length of the article, I'll simply include a link below and the first few paragraphs. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

"Tithe the Poor"

"I’m not sure exactly how long ago this happened, but I remember finding myself reading D&C 119 in an attempt to understand the Law of Tithing better. During that process, there was one word that struck me and I continued to ponder upon it for some time. The word was “interest.” Now, I had always been told that tithing was on your “income”, not your interest. For all I knew these two words were synonymous, but just the fact that they were different lead me on a journey of understanding and enlightenment, as well as great sorrow and heartache. Here is D&C 119 for context:

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

I was unaware that tithing, as outlined by the church, had changed many times since its inception. This was actually a bit shocking to me. In the modern church, it seemed so simple: 10%. How hard is that? The only thing most members would squabble over is whether you paid on “net” vs “gross” income. And my family had always been in a position to pay tithing without too much hardship.

Where things really hit home for me is when I began to see parallel witnesses of Nephi and Moroni condemning future generations in the last days for the inappropriate use of money..."

Tithing changed most when the church was broke. The government took the SLC temple and seized its bank accounts and revoked its status as a church as a result of polygamy. Then When the church denounced polygamy and reorganized the church they changed the organization structure, but didn't change tithing yet. The government recognized the church and returned the temple, but kept the money from the bank accounts. The church barely stayed afloat and was going to go bankrupt until President Snow had the revelation that the church needed to pay tithing to stop the drought in UT. THEN they told everyone to pay 10% of their income and the debate regarding gross or net was started.

I and others I know pay tithing based on what the Lord said in the D&C. It is the Lords financial education program. If you pay according to the Lord's instructions, then you learn how to become wealthy. The more tithing you pay, the better because it means that you increased your net worth and were prosperous.

Peace,
Amonhi

[Reluctant Watchman]

Here's a great video from Rebekah Griffin. The church is in need of repentance. These men are not ignorant, they prey upon the poor:

[Amonhi]

I recently published an essay that explores the nature of tithing within LDS culture. Due to the length of the article, I'll simply include a link below and the first few paragraphs. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

"Tithe the Poor"

"I’m not sure exactly how long ago this happened, but I remember finding myself reading D&C 119 in an attempt to understand the Law of Tithing better. During that process, there was one word that struck me and I continued to ponder upon it for some time. The word was “interest.” Now, I had always been told that tithing was on your “income”, not your interest. For all I knew these two words were synonymous, but just the fact that they were different lead me on a journey of understanding and enlightenment, as well as great sorrow and heartache. Here is D&C 119 for context:

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

I was unaware that tithing, as outlined by the church, had changed many times since its inception. This was actually a bit shocking to me. In the modern church, it seemed so simple: 10%. How hard is that? The only thing most members would squabble over is whether you paid on “net” vs “gross” income. And my family had always been in a position to pay tithing without too much hardship.

Where things really hit home for me is when I began to see parallel witnesses of Nephi and Moroni condemning future generations in the last days for the inappropriate use of money..."

The principal of tithing as spelled out in the D&C is the Lord’s financial education system designed to help you learn how to become financially wealthy both the spiritual and physical principles of wealth.

Once each year you take accounting of your finances. You start the class by giving 10% of everything you own as tithing. His gets you started and gives you a baseline. Then at the end of the following year, you take another accounting of your finances, a snapshot. You compare the previous year with the current year and assess whether or not you increased and by how much. You pay 10% on the increase only. If you invested your money and received interest, then 100% of your interest is considered increase because as an investor, you know that your capital is still invested and making you increase. We call it ROI.

The goal is to pay as much tithing as you can which means you make as much increase or interest as you can. Realizing that you are financial partners with the lord who guides your use of the money throughout the year. When you succeed, the Lord has blessed you and gets His cut of the profits. If there are no profits, then the Lord doesn't demand you pay Him from your losses. If you are not increasing, then you shouldn't pay tithing, even if you are a multi-millionaire.

Offerings are different from tithing. It's important to understand the difference because misunderstanding means that you are not learning the lessons of prosperity that tithing is intended to teach you.

Tithing is always paid on increase and interest, without regard to income, gross or net. The poor who rely on others should never pay tithing. Also, the rich who decreased should not pay tithing even though they are self sufficient and rely on no one but the Lord.

Peace,
Amonhi

[endlessQuestions]

I recently published an essay that explores the nature of tithing within LDS culture. Due to the length of the article, I'll simply include a link below and the first few paragraphs. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

"Tithe the Poor"

"I’m not sure exactly how long ago this happened, but I remember finding myself reading D&C 119 in an attempt to understand the Law of Tithing better. During that process, there was one word that struck me and I continued to ponder upon it for some time. The word was “interest.” Now, I had always been told that tithing was on your “income”, not your interest. For all I knew these two words were synonymous, but just the fact that they were different lead me on a journey of understanding and enlightenment, as well as great sorrow and heartache. Here is D&C 119 for context:

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

I was unaware that tithing, as outlined by the church, had changed many times since its inception. This was actually a bit shocking to me. In the modern church, it seemed so simple: 10%. How hard is that? The only thing most members would squabble over is whether you paid on “net” vs “gross” income. And my family had always been in a position to pay tithing without too much hardship.

Where things really hit home for me is when I began to see parallel witnesses of Nephi and Moroni condemning future generations in the last days for the inappropriate use of money..."

The principal of tithing as spelled out in the D&C is the Lord’s financial education system designed to help you learn how to become financially wealthy both the spiritual and physical principles of wealth.

Once each year you take accounting of your finances. You start the class by giving 10% of everything you own as tithing. His gets you started and gives you a baseline. Then at the end of the following year, you take another accounting of your finances, a snapshot. You compare the previous year with the current year and assess whether or not you increased and by how much. You pay 10% on the increase only. If you invested your money and received interest, then 100% of your interest is considered increase because as an investor, you know that your capital is still invested and making you increase. We call it ROI.

The goal is to pay as much tithing as you can which means you make as much increase or interest as you can. Realizing that you are financial partners with the lord who guides your use of the money throughout the year. When you succeed, the Lord has blessed you and gets His cut of the profits. If there are no profits, then the Lord doesn't demand you pay Him from your losses. If you are not increasing, then you shouldn't pay tithing, even if you are a multi-millionaire.

Offerings are different from tithing. It's important to understand the difference because misunderstanding means that you are not learning the lessons of prosperity that tithing is intended to teach you.

Tithing is always paid on increase and interest, without regard to income, gross or net. The poor who rely on others should never pay tithing. Also, the rich who decreased should not pay tithing even though they are self sufficient and rely on no one but the Lord.

Peace,
Amonhi

Over the years I have come to the following conclusion regarding tithes and offerings:

I simply wish to give the poor and the Lord as much as I can while still meeting my obligations as a provider.

That’s seemed to work out pretty well.

[Amonhi]

I recently published an essay that explores the nature of tithing within LDS culture. Due to the length of the article, I'll simply include a link below and the first few paragraphs. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

"Tithe the Poor"

"I’m not sure exactly how long ago this happened, but I remember finding myself reading D&C 119 in an attempt to understand the Law of Tithing better. During that process, there was one word that struck me and I continued to ponder upon it for some time. The word was “interest.” Now, I had always been told that tithing was on your “income”, not your interest. For all I knew these two words were synonymous, but just the fact that they were different lead me on a journey of understanding and enlightenment, as well as great sorrow and heartache. Here is D&C 119 for context:

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

I was unaware that tithing, as outlined by the church, had changed many times since its inception. This was actually a bit shocking to me. In the modern church, it seemed so simple: 10%. How hard is that? The only thing most members would squabble over is whether you paid on “net” vs “gross” income. And my family had always been in a position to pay tithing without too much hardship.

Where things really hit home for me is when I began to see parallel witnesses of Nephi and Moroni condemning future generations in the last days for the inappropriate use of money..."

The principal of tithing as spelled out in the D&C is the Lord’s financial education system designed to help you learn how to become financially wealthy both the spiritual and physical principles of wealth.

Once each year you take accounting of your finances. You start the class by giving 10% of everything you own as tithing. His gets you started and gives you a baseline. Then at the end of the following year, you take another accounting of your finances, a snapshot. You compare the previous year with the current year and assess whether or not you increased and by how much. You pay 10% on the increase only. If you invested your money and received interest, then 100% of your interest is considered increase because as an investor, you know that your capital is still invested and making you increase. We call it ROI.

The goal is to pay as much tithing as you can which means you make as much increase or interest as you can. Realizing that you are financial partners with the lord who guides your use of the money throughout the year. When you succeed, the Lord has blessed you and gets His cut of the profits. If there are no profits, then the Lord doesn't demand you pay Him from your losses. If you are not increasing, then you shouldn't pay tithing, even if you are a multi-millionaire.

Offerings are different from tithing. It's important to understand the difference because misunderstanding means that you are not learning the lessons of prosperity that tithing is intended to teach you.

Tithing is always paid on increase and interest, without regard to income, gross or net. The poor who rely on others should never pay tithing. Also, the rich who decreased should not pay tithing even though they are self sufficient and rely on no one but the Lord.

Peace,
Amonhi

Over the years I have come to the following conclusion regarding tithes and offerings:

I simply wish to give the poor and the Lord as much as I can while still meeting my obligations as a provider.

That’s seemed to work out pretty well.

Offerings are gifts that are not tied to the concept of 10% or based on increase at all. There is a need for both tithes and offerings. Like I said, they aren't intended to be mixed. If you are giving a tithe, then do it the way the Lord instructed. If you give a tithe in a way not instructed then it is an offering. We can given both, but if you are calculating your tithing and not using 10% or increase or interest, then you aren't paying tithing the way the Lord instructed and you won't get the blessings associated with tithing. You will get the blessings associated with offerings which are still valid and wonderful, but not the blessings associated with tithing.

Try it. It takes a few years to see the results, but it is life changing.

Don't stop offering charity, but pay as much tithing as you can the way the Lord instructed and the windows of heaven will be opened so much that there will not be room enough to receive the blessings.

Peace,
Amonhi

[AugustoBR]

I recently published an essay that explores the nature of tithing within LDS culture. Due to the length of the article, I'll simply include a link below and the first few paragraphs. Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

"Tithe the Poor"

"I’m not sure exactly how long ago this happened, but I remember finding myself reading D&C 119 in an attempt to understand the Law of Tithing better. During that process, there was one word that struck me and I continued to ponder upon it for some time. The word was “interest.” Now, I had always been told that tithing was on your “income”, not your interest. For all I knew these two words were synonymous, but just the fact that they were different lead me on a journey of understanding and enlightenment, as well as great sorrow and heartache. Here is D&C 119 for context:

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

I was unaware that tithing, as outlined by the church, had changed many times since its inception. This was actually a bit shocking to me. In the modern church, it seemed so simple: 10%. How hard is that? The only thing most members would squabble over is whether you paid on “net” vs “gross” income. And my family had always been in a position to pay tithing without too much hardship.

Where things really hit home for me is when I began to see parallel witnesses of Nephi and Moroni condemning future generations in the last days for the inappropriate use of money..."

The principal of tithing as spelled out in the D&C is the Lord’s financial education system designed to help you learn how to become financially wealthy both the spiritual and physical principles of wealth.

Once each year you take accounting of your finances. You start the class by giving 10% of everything you own as tithing. His gets you started and gives you a baseline. Then at the end of the following year, you take another accounting of your finances, a snapshot. You compare the previous year with the current year and assess whether or not you increased and by how much. You pay 10% on the increase only. If you invested your money and received interest, then 100% of your interest is considered increase because as an investor, you know that your capital is still invested and making you increase. We call it ROI.

The goal is to pay as much tithing as you can which means you make as much increase or interest as you can. Realizing that you are financial partners with the lord who guides your use of the money throughout the year. When you succeed, the Lord has blessed you and gets His cut of the profits. If there are no profits, then the Lord doesn't demand you pay Him from your losses. If you are not increasing, then you shouldn't pay tithing, even if you are a multi-millionaire.

Offerings are different from tithing. It's important to understand the difference because misunderstanding means that you are not learning the lessons of prosperity that tithing is intended to teach you.

Tithing is always paid on increase and interest, without regard to income, gross or net. The poor who rely on others should never pay tithing. Also, the rich who decreased should not pay tithing even though they are self sufficient and rely on no one but the Lord.

Peace,
Amonhi

Over the years I have come to the following conclusion regarding tithes and offerings:

I simply wish to give the poor and the Lord as much as I can while still meeting my obligations as a provider.

That’s seemed to work out pretty well.

Offerings are gifts that are not tied to the concept of 10% or based on increase at all. There is a need for both tithes and offerings. Like I said, they aren't intended to be mixed. If you are giving a tithe, then do it the way the Lord instructed. If you give a tithe in a way not instructed then it is an offering. We can given both, but if you are calculating your tithing and not using 10% or increase or interest, then you aren't paying tithing the way the Lord instructed and you won't get the blessings associated with tithing. You will get the blessings associated with offerings which are still valid and wonderful, but not the blessings associated with tithing.

Try it. It takes a few years to see the results, but it is life changing.

Don't stop offering charity, but pay as much tithing as you can the way the Lord instructed and the windows of heaven will be opened so much that there will not be room enough to receive the blessings.

Peace,
Amonhi

Do you pay tithing to the LDS Church?

[Amonhi]

The principal of tithing as spelled out in the D&C is the Lord’s financial education system designed to help you learn how to become financially wealthy both the spiritual and physical principles of wealth.

Once each year you take accounting of your finances. You start the class by giving 10% of everything you own as tithing. His gets you started and gives you a baseline. Then at the end of the following year, you take another accounting of your finances, a snapshot. You compare the previous year with the current year and assess whether or not you increased and by how much. You pay 10% on the increase only. If you invested your money and received interest, then 100% of your interest is considered increase because as an investor, you know that your capital is still invested and making you increase. We call it ROI.

The goal is to pay as much tithing as you can which means you make as much increase or interest as you can. Realizing that you are financial partners with the lord who guides your use of the money throughout the year. When you succeed, the Lord has blessed you and gets His cut of the profits. If there are no profits, then the Lord doesn't demand you pay Him from your losses. If you are not increasing, then you shouldn't pay tithing, even if you are a multi-millionaire.

Offerings are different from tithing. It's important to understand the difference because misunderstanding means that you are not learning the lessons of prosperity that tithing is intended to teach you.

Tithing is always paid on increase and interest, without regard to income, gross or net. The poor who rely on others should never pay tithing. Also, the rich who decreased should not pay tithing even though they are self sufficient and rely on no one but the Lord.

Peace,
Amonhi

Over the years I have come to the following conclusion regarding tithes and offerings:

I simply wish to give the poor and the Lord as much as I can while still meeting my obligations as a provider.

That’s seemed to work out pretty well.

Offerings are gifts that are not tied to the concept of 10% or based on increase at all. There is a need for both tithes and offerings. Like I said, they aren't intended to be mixed. If you are giving a tithe, then do it the way the Lord instructed. If you give a tithe in a way not instructed then it is an offering. We can given both, but if you are calculating your tithing and not using 10% or increase or interest, then you aren't paying tithing the way the Lord instructed and you won't get the blessings associated with tithing. You will get the blessings associated with offerings which are still valid and wonderful, but not the blessings associated with tithing.

Try it. It takes a few years to see the results, but it is life changing.

Don't stop offering charity, but pay as much tithing as you can the way the Lord instructed and the windows of heaven will be opened so much that there will not be room enough to receive the blessings.

Peace,
Amonhi

Do you pay tithing to the LDS Church?

No, the church is well funded and only uses 1% of its income for the poor. And very little for other services I might use. I also don't appreciate the little trick they pulled in CA a few years ago where they used tithing records to tell members how much they expected each member to donate to the anti-gay marriage campaign, promising that they would see the donations and know if the members paid what they were told to pay.

I pay it to the Lord as instructed by the spirit, giving as the spirit directs. Could be giving money to an organization, a church or a bum on the street. When where and how much the Lord tells me it’s needed.

Peace
Amonhi

[Reluctant Watchman]

I just wanted to post an update to this thread. Recently we've been able to use the money that we would have donated to the church to help people in need in our area. I can honestly say that I've never felt heaven's approval more by caring for those in need directly, rather than giving money to the church. Few of these opportunities would have been possible had I donated to the church.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Let's put this in perspective just a little. Take a round income number as an example, say $100k. Your base expenses total $50k, which leaves you with 10% of the remaining $50k (let's just call that "interest" for doctrinal clarity), or $5,000. How could $5k be used to bless and care for those in need in your community...? I think you could do a lot of good.

[blitzinstripes]

I just wanted to post an update to this thread. Recently we've been able to use the money that we would have donated to the church to help people in need in our area. I can honestly say that I've never felt heaven's approval more by caring for those in need directly, rather than giving money to the church. Few of these opportunities would have been possible had I donated to the church.

How dare you be led by the Spirit? Some suit in SLC is supposed to determine where that investment, er, donation goes.

[Reluctant Watchman]

I just wanted to post an update to this thread. Recently we've been able to use the money that we would have donated to the church to help people in need in our area. I can honestly say that I've never felt heaven's approval more by caring for those in need directly, rather than giving money to the church. Few of these opportunities would have been possible had I donated to the church.

How dare you be led by the Spirit? Some suit in SLC is supposed to determine where that investment, er, donation goes.

When you wake up to the reality of what Joseph actually taught, and how the principle has become corrupted, it's hard to look at the church and its leaders with any degree of compassion.

[moving2zion]

This principal is one that will have both sides of the argument going back and forth for generations to come. I can see the fraud, waste, and abuse that comes with investments in worldly things like City Creek Mall, er I mean the great and spacious Tower of Salt Lake City. There are many in the church that could truly use a hand up. However there are eternal principles that come with paying a healthy tithe. We all know the story of the widows mite. This story tells us more than this woman was learning how to budget, which many of us need(myself included), it is truly telling us to put the Lord first and he will open the windows of heaven in his time. What constitutes your tithe I don't believe is going to come down to you and your bishop or you and your general authority. It will be between you and the Lord when you stand before the pleasing judgment bar. Paying 10%+ on everything you bring in won't matter if you are a pedophile and support the LGBTQ agenda. What's in your heart and your intent will be what matters most. Your actions will speak loudest of all. I pulled up to a stop sign the other day with my oldest son sitting next to me in the car. Two homeless men were out in the cold. I had my son fish around to see if there was anything we could give them. The light turned green before we could find anything usefull to give them. At this point I am just trying to teach my kids that the intent is what matters the most. Tithing is paid, but our hearts intent and what we put our hands to is what will carry the day. Those up above us will be held accountable for how they use sacred funds.

[endlessQuestions]

I’m tired of tithing.

I want to live the law of consecration.

Am I the only one?

[Lizzy60]

I’m tired of tithing.

I want to live the law of consecration.

Am I the only one?

You’re not alone. I have had that fervent desire since 2010.

[endlessQuestions]

I’m tired of tithing.

I want to live the law of consecration.

Am I the only one?

You’re not alone. I have had that fervent desire since 2010.

When I was newly married I made an inventory of all our possessions, skills, talents, etc.

I made an appointment with a member of the stake presidency. I explained my desire.

He didn’t even look at the paper. Just handed it back to me and told me it wouldn’t be necessary.

I already knew that. I don’t really care if it’s necessary. I’m ready. Is there any people on earth that is also ready? I would really like to know.