Tithing is the practice of giving one-tenth, or 10 percent, of one's income to the church. Though other religions believe in the law of tithing, members the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) are among the strictest tithe-payers of any religious group.
Blessings of Paying Tithing from the Bible
Mormons believe that tithing is a commandment of the Lord, and as such, obedience to the law of tithing results in blessings. Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring ye all the tithes... [and the Lord will] open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
In addition to the spiritual blessings of obeying God, church leader Lynn G. Robbins promises that church members who pay tithing will "always have food on their tables, they would always have clothing on their backs, and they would always have a roof over their heads." Any tithe-paying member of the LDS church is entitled to financial assistance with food, clothing, and shelter if they need it.
Procedure for Collecting LDS Tithes
Rather than circulating a collection plate at church on Sunday, Mormons pay their tithing discreetly and privately. Members seal their tithing in an envelope with a tithing slip (see picture below) and give it to a member of the bishopric, who then counts it and forwards it to church headquarters in Utah.
Uses of Latter-day Saint Tithing Money
The Council on the Disposition of the Tithes - composed of the LDS prophet and his counselors, the 12 apostles, and presiding bishopric - prayerfully makes decisions about where and how tithing money is to be spent. Some uses for tithing dollars are:
- Humanitarian efforts
- Building and maintaining temples and church buildings around the world
- Printing and distributing religious study materials used in Sunday School and other religious education programs
- Funding locally-based programs for Latter-day Saint youth and adults
- Operating LDS colleges and universities
- Subsidizing the manufacturing cost of LDS temple garments
LDS tithing money does not go to support Mormon ecclesiastical leaders, who are all unpaid lay ministers. General authorities who give full-time church service receive living allowances from the church's commercial holdings, not from tithing.
Mormon Attitudes about the Importance of the 10% Tithe
Although tithing funds necessary LDS buildings and programs, Mormons really give for much weightier reasons.
- Mormons pay tithing as an acknowledgment that all good gifts come from God. The scriptures explain that God requires a tithe of His followers, and Mormons believe that they cannot deny giving back 10% of the monetary blessings He has already given them.
- Mormons pay tithing as a way to develop unselfish attitudes and to demonstrate to themselves that money and worldly wealth is not the aim of their existence.
- Mormons believe that blessings are promised to those who faithfully pay an honest tithe.
Tithing addresses logistical concerns like church operating costs, but the law of the tithe concerns more than just money. It is about a willingness to sacrifice when the Lord asks it.
Is Paying Tithing Necessary to Be a Mormon?
Only a person's local ecclesiastical leader knows whether he or she pays tithing, and those who choose not to pay tithing may continue attending the LDS church.
However, paying a full tithe is a requirement for entering the temple or receiving financial assistance from the LDS church. Prior to baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a person must understand and be willing to obey the law of tithing.
LDS Fast Offering and Additional Offerings
In addition to tithing, all able-bodied members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are asked to fast for two consecutive meals once a month and contribute the dollar value of those meals as a "fast offering." Fast offerings go to help needy people who require church assistance in obtaining food, shelter, clothing, or other basic necessities.
An LDS tithing slip also includes room for other voluntary contributions to missionary or humanitarian funds, local programs, or helping people to obtain higher education through the perpetual education fund.
Tithing money in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints goes to funding church operations and providing humanitarian aid, but it is believed to be more important than that. The LDS church teaches that the law of tithing is a commandment from God, and that members will be blessed by obedience to it.
Readers who want to know more about LDS doctrine can find more information at the Mormon Beliefs Main Page.
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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