Mormons & Tithing

The Mormon Church follows the biblical law of tithing very seriously.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is also known as the Mormon Church because they believe in the Book of Mormon as Scripture. This church follows many scriptural commandments, among them the law of tithing. In this sense, a tithe is a portion of income that a believer pays to the church in order to further the mission and ministry of the church and its followers.

Origin

The law of tithing comes from the Bible; in early days, Christians would tithe by giving God or the church some of their money or goods, such as livestock. According to the Mormon Church's informational website, "tithing is an ancient, divine law wherein the lord has commanded us to give a 10th of our increase---which is understood to mean income---so we may build up his kingdom on the earth and be blessed" (mormon.org). Mormons still follow this law today and expect all members to give 10 percent of their income to the church.

Significance

The law of tithing is not part of the Ten Commandments in the Bible, but Mormon followers treat it just as seriously. The Mormon website says that, "when you pay an honest tithe, the Lord promises that He will 'open . . . the windows of heaven, and pour . . . out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it' (Malachi 3:10)." Mormons believe that these blessings might be literal or spiritual but that they will be guaranteed such blessings when they honestly and regularly pay their tithe. They believe that this is one of the few commandments with which God is explicitly clear of his expectations and the rewards for following those expectations.

Rationale

The Mormon Church members believe that tithing is a matter of faith. Though in difficult financial times it may be a challenge to pay 10 percent of your income in tithing, the members believe that their financial sacrifice is the result of their strong faith. "Paying tithing is an expression of your faith and an outward sign of your belief in God and his work. Those who do not pay tithing, those who keep for themselves something that rightfully belongs to him, rob God (Malachi 3:8)" (mormon.org). The Mormons believe that anyone who avoids paying tithing is going against his faith and his God; members who do not pay tithing are not considered to be in full good standing with the church for this reason.

Uses

The Mormon church does not have paid clergy at the local level; tithing is not used for their salaries since they do not earn a salary. Instead, according to the Mormon website, tithing pays for things like building new temples and chapels, providing operating funds, funding the missionary program of the church, preparing and printing church materials, performing temple work and fulfilling the church's educational goals (mormon.org).

Method

Church members pay their tithes privately. They obtain a tithing slip and envelope from a local church leader and return the envelope with their tithe to that leader. At the end of the year each member meets with his bishop in order to complete a tithing settlement where they receive tithing records for their tax or other personal information and they discuss the faithfulness of their regular tithe with the bishop at that time. The Mormon website assures members that "all financial information is kept strictly confidential."

References

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints: Live the Law of Tithing