Tithing and Tithing Settlement

[The_Tick]

So that starts for us here this week...

Things that always amaze me:

1. We had a member of the Stake Presidency ask if he could teach Priest Quorum this last week. Fine by me...my advisor got the day off...he taught on tithing and mentioned to the YM that only 30% of the membership pays a full tithe. That low?

So I started thinking....

13 million members...say 50% are active....6.5 million. Does that mean almost half of those are kids? That just seems like a really low number.

2. My oldest is terrible at "paying" tithing. She has an envelope in her room. Each year for the last 3 years she brings it with her to tithing settlement and pays. She says that it is A. Easier, and B. she forgets.

3. This is the same time each year that the Bishop does ask my family to double our fast offerings. I am not the greatest at paying it, but this doesn't really provide me great motivation. If I paid 1k a year in F.O. he is going to ask me to double it the next year. I am not falling for that trick.

I do like getting it out of the way the first week of December though. Don't like it when folks start calling me to chase me down.

[Surfah]

So that starts for us here this week...

Things that always amaze me:

1. We had a member of the Stake Presidency ask if he could teach Priest Quorum this last week. Fine by me...my advisor got the day off...he taught on tithing and mentioned to the YM that only 30% of the membership pays a full tithe. That low?

So I started thinking....

13 million members...say 50% are active....6.5 million. Does that mean almost half of those are kids? That just seems like a really low number.

2. My oldest is terrible at "paying" tithing. She has an envelope in her room. Each year for the last 3 years she brings it with her to tithing settlement and pays. She says that it is A. Easier, and B. she forgets.

3. This is the same time each year that the Bishop does ask my family to double our fast offerings. I am not the greatest at paying it, but this doesn't really provide me great motivation. If I paid 1k a year in F.O. he is going to ask me to double it the next year. I am not falling for that trick.

I do like getting it out of the way the first week of December though. Don't like it when folks start calling me to chase me down.

I hated tithing settlement as a ward clerk. You'd be surprised by the number of members who do what your daughter does. Many bring a blank check to tithing settlement with them. There are also some that write out a check at the first of the year for the entire year's salary.

[Pheidippides]

So that starts for us here this week...

Things that always amaze me:

1. We had a member of the Stake Presidency ask if he could teach Priest Quorum this last week. Fine by me...my advisor got the day off...he taught on tithing and mentioned to the YM that only 30% of the membership pays a full tithe. That low?

So I started thinking....

13 million members...say 50% are active....6.5 million. Does that mean almost half of those are kids? That just seems like a really low number.

I'd give that figure no credibility unless he is talking about those in his own stake. He would actually know for the stake, as he will see the sheet that says full, part, etc. I doubt he knows for the entire church.

[TripletDaddy]

My Bishop is very practical, which I appreciate.

Yesterday, after the word started spreading that Bishop was open to alternate approaches to the traditional sit-down, our family did our tithing settlement.

It consistent of my telling the Bishop in the hallway after the block that we were full tithe payers and that we would also be out of town for the final 2 sundays of the year, so no need to try to schedule some inconvenient formal 10 minute meeting. He said "sounds good, no problem." I asked him to mail me my settlement summary.

Finito!

[Surfah]

My Bishop is very practical, which I appreciate.

Yesterday, after the word started spreading that Bishop was open to alternate approaches to the traditional sit-down, our family did our tithing settlement.

It consistent of my telling the Bishop in the hallway after the block that we were full tithe payers and that we would also be out of town for the final 2 sundays of the year, so no need to try to schedule some inconvenient formal 10 minute meeting. He said "sounds good, no problem." I asked him to mail me my settlement summary.

Finito!

My dad just wrote in his own time on the bishop's door. The bishop laughed and shook his head when he saw that. But he was there for the appointment.

[cougarobgon]

So that starts for us here this week...

Things that always amaze me:

1. We had a member of the Stake Presidency ask if he could teach Priest Quorum this last week. Fine by me...my advisor got the day off...he taught on tithing and mentioned to the YM that only 30% of the membership pays a full tithe. That low?

So I started thinking....

13 million members...say 50% are active....6.5 million. Does that mean almost half of those are kids? That just seems like a really low number.

2. My oldest is terrible at "paying" tithing. She has an envelope in her room. Each year for the last 3 years she brings it with her to tithing settlement and pays. She says that it is A. Easier, and B. she forgets.

3. This is the same time each year that the Bishop does ask my family to double our fast offerings. I am not the greatest at paying it, but this doesn't really provide me great motivation. If I paid 1k a year in F.O. he is going to ask me to double it the next year. I am not falling for that trick.

I do like getting it out of the way the first week of December though. Don't like it when folks start calling me to chase me down.

I don't think the 30% number is way off. My ward's contributions hovered around 30-35% during the six years I conducted tithing settlement. Sad but true.

When you pay tithing has no bearing on whether or not you are a full tithe payer as long it is paid right before or at the time you come before the bishop to declare your tithing status. I had members come in and submit stock certificates, cash, checks, etc...during tithing settlement interviews. However, I always cautioned members that they may want to reconsider their approach because of unexpected events that might affect their ability to pay tithing in December.

[UteStar]

I pay tithing, the entire year, at tithing settlement. I bring in a check and hand it to the bishop, everyone is happy and we leave. I think he is always shocked when I come in with a check for $179,000 or more every year.

[pelagius]

I pay tithing, the entire year, at tithing settlement. I bring in a check and hand it to the bishop, everyone is happy and we leave. I think he is always shocked when I come in with a check for $179,000 or more every year.

I'm only impressed if your paying on net income.

[BlueHair]

When I paid tithing, I always paid the entire amount the last Sunday of the year. I didn't want to have to keep track of all the receipts and I wanted to be sure I was a full tithe payer. It was just easier. The last year I was active, my bishop actually pulled me out of Sunday School to inquire why I hadn't paid any tithing yet this year. He was really snotty about it. I debated between telling him to lick my balls or keeping quiet and paying. I decided to calmly explain that I paid once a year. He told me that technically there was no rule against that, but he thought it was wrong. He then accused me of avoiding tithing settlement because I never signed up. He was right.

[ERCougar]

When I paid tithing, I always paid the entire amount the last Sunday of the year. I didn't want to have to keep track of all the receipts and I wanted to be sure I was a full tithe payer. It was just easier. The last year I was active, my bishop actually pulled me out of Sunday School to inquire why I hadn't paid any tithing yet this year. He was really snotty about it. I debated between telling him to lick my balls or keeping quiet and paying. I decided to calmly explain that I paid once a year. He told me that technically there was no rule against that, but he thought it was wrong. He then accused me of avoiding tithing settlement because I never signed up. He was right.

I pay once a year at tax time. I think it's wrong to pay it monthly because you don't feel the pinch quite as badly. All of you who pay each month don't really know the meaning of sacrifice.

Where do bishops get off with stuff like this?

[il Padrino Ute]

I don't do tithing settlement because I don't declare charitable contributions.

[Mormon Red Death]

I don't do tithing settlement because I don't declare charitable contributions.

Ok Cali Coug

[Surfah]

Ok Cali Coug

Uh oh. You're on the list now pal.

[creekster]

I pay once a year at tax time. I think it's wrong to pay it monthly because you don't feel the pinch quite as badly. All of you who pay each month don't really know the meaning of sacrifice.

Where do bishops get off with stuff like this?

We pay once a year. I have never had a bishop quesiton me about this practice.

[ERCougar]

We pay once a year. I have never had a bishop quesiton me about this practice.

Neither have I. I just love these stories of bishops trying to get people to live some sort of self-perceived "higher law".