“Mormons” 10%

WHAT is Tithing?

• The Bible indicates that God’s people followed the law of tithing anciently; through modern prophets, God restored this law once again to bless His children. To fulfill this commandment, Church members give one-tenth of their income to the Lord through His Church. These funds are used to build up the Church and further the work of the Lord throughout the world. More information…

What does the word Tithe mean?

• As located in the Bible Dictionary:

What does tithing pay for?

• Tithing is used by the Church for many purposes. Some of these are to—
• • 1. Build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings.
  • 2. Provide operating funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church. (These units use the funds to carry out the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and recreation and social activities.)
  • 3. Help the missionary program.
  • 4. Educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes.
  • 5. Print and distribute lesson materials.
  • 6. Help in family history and temple work.

WHAT do I pay tithing on (birthday money? Bank Interest? Dividends? Stocks? Bonds? My employer? Self-employment? Business Gross or Net?)?

• The law of tithing is simple: we pay one-tenth of our individual increase annually. 1 Increase has been interpreted by the First Presidency to mean income. 2 What amounts to 10 percent of our individual income is between each of us and our Maker. There are no legalistic rules. As a convert in Korea once said: “With tithing, it doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor. You pay 10 percent, and you don’t have to be ashamed if you haven’t earned very much. If you make lots of money, you pay 10 percent. If you make very little, you still pay 10 percent. Heavenly Father will love you for it. You can hold your head up proud.” 3

WHO pays tithing?

• As members of the Church, we give tithing and other offerings to the Lord in money, goods, and time.

The Lord promises to bless us as we faithfully pay our tithes and offerings. He said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith … if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).

The blessings we have been promised are both material and spiritual. If we give willingly, Heavenly Father will provide our daily needs for food, clothes, and shelter. He will also help us grow “in a knowledge of God, in a testimony, in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same” (Heber J. Grant, Gospel Standards, p. 58).

Those who pay their tithes and offerings are greatly blessed. They have a good feeling that they are helping to build the kingdom of God on earth.

WHEN was the law first given? When was the law restored in our day?

• Tithing is the basic contribution by which Latter-day Saints fund the activities of the Church. By revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord stated that members should pay “one-tenth of all their interest [increase] annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever” (D&C 119:4). The law of tithing has ancient origins. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, and tithing was a fundamental part of the law of Moses (Lev. 27:30–32; Num. 18:25–28). The collection of tithing is the responsibility of the bishop in each ward. As part of the latter-day restoration of the gospel, the law of tithing was reestablished. Joseph Smith initiated a precursor to the principle in 1834. In 1838 the Prophet inquired about tithing for the Church and received the law, now published as Section 119 of the Doctrine and Covenants. As with all commandments, there is a correlation between observance of the law of tithing and consequent blessings.

HOW is Tithing different from FAST Offerings and OTHER charitable donations?

• The law of tithing is more than a commandment from the Lord. Through it we have an opportunity to return to Him a part of all He has given us. Through it we can also help build His kingdom and show our faith in Him.The question is often asked, “What is a full, honest tithe?” A tithe is one-tenth of our increase (see D&C 119). This means that we give one-tenth of our income; or, if our increase is in flocks, herds, or crops rather than money, we give one-tenth of those things. (See Leviticus 27:30, 32.)
• We may contribute other money besides tithing to help build the Lord’s kingdom. These contributions are called offerings.On fast Sunday each month, members are encouraged to contribute fast offerings that are at least equal to the value of the two meals not eaten during the fast. Other offerings members may make include contributions to the Church missionary fund, the LDS Foundation, or Church humanitarian aid. Members may use the Tithing and Other Offerings form when making these and other contributions.

HOW are Tithing & Fast Offerings paid?

• Tithes are presented confidentially to Bishop’s or their counselors. They forward the tithes collected locally to Church headquarters. These funds are used for such purposes as the building and maintenance of meetinghouses, temples, and other facilities, as well as for the partial support of the missionary, educational, and welfare programs of the Church. The common mode of tithing payment is by cash. However, when income has been received in some other form, as it was frequently in the early days of the Church, the member may pay accordingly.
• Members are encouraged to pay their tithes and offerings willingly. The scriptures tell us to give “not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). The scriptures also say that if a man “doeth it grudgingly … it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift” (Moroni 7:8).

HOW does the money support the church? leaders? members? members of other faiths?

• Some of the ways our tithes and offerings are used are to help:
• • 1. Operate the missionary program.
  • 2. Build and maintain chapels, temples, and other buildings.
  • 3. Educate people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes.
  • 4. Create, print, and distribute the scriptures, lesson manuals, and other Church materials.
  • 5. Further family history work.
  • 6. Provide for those in need.
  • 7. Meet the expenses of general conferences.

WHERE does the “Mormons” 10% Tithe & Fast Offerings go to? Well, it goes towards supporting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as to The Church of Jesus Christ Welfare system as follows:

• The objective of the welfare program of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to care for the needy while teaching principles that will allow needy persons to become self-reliant and retain their self-respect. The program also provides opportunities to all other members of the Church to serve — fulfilling the commandment Jesus Christ gave to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked and visit the sick.
• Soon after the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, its leaders established bishops’ storehouses, places where grains and other commodities donated by members as free-will offerings were stored and distributed to help needy members. In April 1936, the Church formally organized a welfare program to help Church members suffering from the devastating effects of the Great Depression. Today, that welfare program has expanded to all corners of the globe and assists people of all faiths.

• Funding for the welfare program is provided by donations from Church members. One Sunday a month, members of the Church go without two meals and give the money they would have spent on food to the Church.
• Needy people are identified by the leader (bishop) of the local congregation, with the assistance of the president of the Relief Society — a woman from the congregation who serves as the leader of the women’s organization. Congregation sizes are kept to within a few hundred people so local leaders can know their people.
• In some locations with high concentrations of Church members, welfare facilities may be substantial. Welfare Square near Church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the largest concentration of such facilities. Buildings on the square include a cannery, a milk-processing plant, a bishops’ storehouse, a thrift store, an employment center and silos where wheat and other grains are stored.
• Bishops’ storehouses have often been compared to supermarkets without tills. Food and household items are provided to those who cannot afford them and who bring a written requisition signed by their local bishop. Recipients of commodities are given opportunities to work for what they receive, to the extent of their ability. There are 129 bishops’ storehouses located around the world.
• Employment resource service centers provide a place where people can receive job training, learn to enhance their résumé and find job opportunities. There are 259 centers around the world.
• Deseret Industries is a nonprofit organization that both serves as an employment training facility and operates thrift stores. The thrift stores are open to the public.
• LDS Family Services is a private, nonprofit organization that provides counseling, adoption services, addiction recovery support groups and resources for social, emotional and spiritual challenges.

More Information…

As well as to Humanitarian Services:

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides relief and development projects for humanitarian purposes in countries all over the world. Projects operate without regard to the nationality or religion of the recipients.
• Humanitarian service may include emergency response to natural disasters, such as an earthquake or a tsunami, or man-made disasters, such as the effects of war and famine. It may also be part of a longer-term effort to meet serious and more entrenched human needs, such as the need to alleviate disease.

• Within hours of a disaster, the Church works with local government officials to determine what supplies and food are needed. Materials are then immediately sent to the area.
• After urgent needs are met, the Church looks for additional ways to help with the long-term needs of the community. The Church’s approach is to help people become self-reliant by teaching skills and providing resources for a self-sustained life.
• Donations, principally from Church members but also from people around the world, are used to make relief projects possible. One hundred percent of the donations given to the Church’s humanitarian services are used for relief efforts. The Church absorbs its own overhead costs.
• The humanitarian services arm of the Church sponsors five ongoing global projects to help people become more self-reliant. Initiatives include neonatal resuscitation training, clean water projects, wheelchair distribution, vision treatment and measles vaccinations.

More Information…

More information on Tithing by Elder James E. Faust