Missionary Funds and Tithing--Separate?

[_Ray A]

I just got put on a major guilt-trip in Elder's Quorum today about missionary funds. I was told that tithing funds only cover building expenses, not missionary work. But I know for a fact that tithing money is also used to fund church schools (or at least it was). Is it really true that tithing money do not help fund missionary work?

Dave's Mormon Inquiry is a fairly objective blog: http://mormoninquiry.typepad.com/Mormon ... t_tit.html

Do you pay tithing on gross, or net income?

[_asbestosman]

Criticizing the church - It's a slippery slope to apostasy. Enjoy the ride. :)

for what it's worth, I'm not blaming the church, nor am I blaming GA's or whatnot. I'm blaming my EQ pres for giving me a guilt-trip. My previous ward was not like this. I'm also blaming the irresponsible missionary who went out without trying to line up how to pay for his mission.

[_Trinity]

Maybe you could offer to pay more if it is purchase into stock for the new mall downtown?

I was watching a television documentary yesterday about Brigham Young in early Utah days. He had offered jobs to a great number of men for the building of the railroad with the contractual understanding the Union Pacific would pay up at the completion of the job. With over a million dollars due to these men for labor, the railroad refused to pay up, and the financial hardship caused by the situation nearly broke the back of these good workers. In an effort to ease the hardship, BY suspended tithe paying. He suspended it! I had never known this before.

I think that is what the church should do for the month of December as a Christmas present to all of the members.

[_asbestosman]

I think that is what the church should do for the month of December as a Christmas present to all of the members.

I just make a gentleman's agreement with my family to keep the gifts cheap. Most expensive thing for me during Christmas are plane tickets, and this will be the last year of that--at least that's the plan.

[_harmony]

I just got put on a major guilt-trip in Elder's Quorum today about missionary funds. I was told that tithing funds only cover building expenses, not missionary work. But I know for a fact that tithing money is also used to fund church schools (or at least it was). Is it really true that tithing money do not help fund missionary work?

Dave's Mormon Inquiry is a fairly objective blog: http://mormoninquiry.typepad.com/Mormon ... t_tit.html

Do you pay tithing on gross, or net income?

No, we are to pay tithing on our increase.

[_asbestosman]

Dave's Mormon Inquiry is a fairly objective blog: http://mormoninquiry.typepad.com/Mormon ... t_tit.html

Do you pay tithing on gross, or net income?

I'm not sure I agree with his blog. As long as the church expects me to pay tithing as a commandment, I don't care what they do with the money. But if some EQ pres says that I'm not doing enough, I'll get pretty pissed without PROOF that tithing isn't sufficient (for reasons the blog mentions).

As to whether I pay on gross or net, the only answer I will give is the intentionally ambiguous, "yes". We are paying what we as a family have decided constitutes a full tithe on our increase.

[_Ray A]

I'm not sure I agree with his blog. As long as the church expects me to pay tithing as a commandment, I don't care what they do with the money. But if some EQ pres says that I'm not doing enough, I'll get pretty pissed without PROOF that tithing isn't sufficient (for reasons the blog mentions).

Dave (of Dave's Inquiry) is a Mormon, by the way. Perhaps you could raise some of the points from Dave's website, then ask your EQ Pres. to justify why he's asking you to pay more. Something like "come, let us reason together". But, he may not be interested in reasoning.

As to whether I pay on gross or net, the only answer I will give is the intentionally ambiguous, "yes". We are paying what we as a family have decided constitutes a full tithe on our increase.

You don't have to pay on gross income, by the way, it's your personal decision - right from the mouth of President Faust some years ago. But of course, anything is open to change.

[_Mister Scratch]

You don't have to pay on gross income, by the way, it's your personal decision - right from the mouth of President Faust some years ago. But of course, anything is open to change.

Then again, Pres. Faust was the one who praised those South American LDS for tearing the fillings clean out of their heads in order to fund the Porto Allegre Temple.

[_Ray A]

Then again, Pres. Faust was the one who praised those South American LDS for tearing the fillings clean out of their heads in order to fund the Porto Allegre Temple.

Thanks for that "relevant" insight to the discussion. I'm sure abestos will consider this.

[_asbestosman]

Dave (of Dave's Inquiry) is a Mormon, by the way. Perhaps you could raise some of the points from Dave's website, then ask your EQ Pres. to justify why he's asking you to pay more. Something like "come, let us reason together". But, he may not be interested in reasoning.

Maybe it was the circumstances. I might get along better with him if I could voice my concerns privately. I wouldn't have felt bad if he suggested we all donate $10 / month for ward missionaries, so if that's all he meant I would feel completely happy. If not, I probably would bring up many points on Dave's website.

The only thing I disagree with David on is that I don't think the leaders necessarily should show us how tithing is spent. However, if they do not, then I think it wrong for them to give us guilt-trips about needing to pay more offerings. Well, maybe it isn't wrong, but sure is unconvincing given everything else they've told me about tithing.

You don't have to pay on gross income, by the way, it's your personal decision - right from the mouth of President Faust some years ago. But of course, anything is open to change.

I agree completely. I may even chnage my mind about how precisely what counts as increase. I mean, it is ambiguous and I for one can appreciate that to a degree.