ERayR Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I still don't understand why a donation slip would need to be filled out for the tithing that I pay through my credit union's on-line bill pay service. I always include a memo designating that the entire amount is for tithing, and I always give my membership record number in the memo.Because at the local level those donation slips are used to check the deposit to the bank. Donation slip categories are totaled by catagory then checked to the MLS totals before submitting to church headquarters. Just helps to keep things from getting messy.
Scott Lloyd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Because at the local level those donation slips are used to check the deposit to the bank. Donation slip categories are totaled by catagory then checked to the MLS totals before submitting to church headquarters. Just helps to keep things from getting messy.But in doing the totaling, couldn't they just count my donation in the tithing category without filling out a slip for it? I guess I'm not getting an adequate mental image of the process, because it still seems like an unnecessary step to me.
Bernard Gui Posted February 19, 2013 Author Posted February 19, 2013 I did this for a couple of years, but it has been quite a while ago.I don't think the ward does get a record of your donations. After the end of the year, you get a statement directly from Church headquarters that you can use for preparing your income tax return itemization.At tithing settlement, you just report to the bishop that you've been paying the tithing directly to Church headquarters.One drawback is that your fast offerings go directly to the Church and are not available for use by your bishop for local needs. For that reason, I took to paying my fast offerings to the ward even while still paying tithing to headquarters.Thanks Scott. I've been ward clerk for 5 years and this has never happened in our ward.
Hamba Tuhan Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 But in doing the totaling, couldn't they just count my donation in the tithing category without filling out a slip for it? I guess I'm not getting an adequate mental image of the process, because it still seems like an unnecessary step to me.I clearly don't know how things work in America, but here we encourage our members to make donations electronically. Each member who wishes one is issued with a card with a personal payer ID number, and the Church has different codes for tithing, fast offering, etc. printed on the card as well. This makes zero work for us in the ward as the information is automatically downloaded to MLS. I wish every member of our ward chose this method because then all we'd have to process each week would be offerings from children who don't have bank accounts and then each month's fast offerings collected by the deacons. 1
Bernard Gui Posted February 19, 2013 Author Posted February 19, 2013 No, I think he's talking about authorizing a direct withdrawal from his checking account by the financial people at Church headquarters. It was my understanding the process completely circumvents the local bishopric and ward clerk. Maybe I'm wrong.These days, I pay my tithing via online bill pay through my credit union. I do this, because I had a chronic problem in the past of forgetting to give the envelope to a member of the bishopric while at Church or not being able to find a bishopric member when I did remember it. It was an inconvenience for me; not a major one, but an inconvenience nonetheless. Often I ended up carrying the tithing around in my coat pocket for weeks. Sometimes, in desperation, I would put a postage stamp on the tithing envelope and send it through the mail just to be done with the task.And I don't like writing checks.Are you telling me now that I create extra work for the clerk by paying my tithing through online bill pay?Why does a donation slip need to be filled out if you know it's for tithing? I thought the purpose of the donation slip was merely to communicate to the clerk how much of the donation is to go for tithing, how much for fast offering, how much for missionary fund, etc.All donation slips are saved along with other bank/deposit/electronic documents each week for audit purposes. If there are questions about donations, we can go back and look up the slips to verify our electronic records.
Bernard Gui Posted February 19, 2013 Author Posted February 19, 2013 I clearly don't know how things work in America, but here we encourage our members to make donations electronically. Each member who wishes one is issued with a card with a personal payer ID number, and the Church has different codes for tithing, fast offering, etc. printed on the card as well. This makes zero work for us in the ward as the information is automatically downloaded to MLS. I wish every member of our ward chose this method because then all we'd have to process each week would be offerings from children who don't have bank accounts and then each month's fast offerings collected by the deacons.Wow! This is news to me. Sounds like a great way to do things. Do you have access to information on the electronic donations? For example, Sister Romero wants to know how much they have paid into the Scout camp fund. How would you find that?
Hamba Tuhan Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Do you have access to information on the electronic donations? For example, Sister Romero wants to know how much they have paid into the Scout camp fund. How would you find that?Yes, it appears in MLS exactly as though I and the clerk had processed a cash donation.
Scott Lloyd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 All donation slips are saved along with other bank/deposit/electronic documents each week for audit purposes. If there are questions about donations, we can go back and look up the slips to verify our electronic records.OK, this helps explain things.
Bernard Gui Posted February 19, 2013 Author Posted February 19, 2013 When I first joined, a member mentioned to me that this used to be the practice - pass with the left, take the bread or water with the right - and that increasingly it wasn't observed. For a while, I thought it was the rule! Then I learnt more, in particular from reading the Handbook and realised that it was just a tradition! Probably to do with the old views on the left hand being the Devil's hand. Being right handed, I still generally take the Sacrament with my right and use my left to pass the tray along, but that's because its more natural to do so and thus makes it easier and quicker!Again, I've no idea if there is a reason, other than being taught to do it that way in Primary, but I generally fold my arms because it feels more comfortable and I feel like I have to do something with my hands/arms! Before I joined the LDS, I would clasp my hands, as that is how I was taught and how those around me did it, but it was never comfortable or natural (which may be the point) so I'm happy LDS tend to fold arms! It may be tradition, it may be because its different from everyone else, it may be to ensure hands don't stray and do things they shouldn't or there could be another reason!I have a standard wording I use for blessing food, similar to above and basically learned from hearing the blessings said by others! It is easier, though probably lazier - to say a similar thing every time and what blessing are we asking for other than strength and nourishment?Little things like these are learnt and passed on generation by generation as habits. I guess the thing is to ensure that we don't get hung up on them and that we allow that others may feel comfortable doing something a bit differently - eg using their left hand or clasping hands - so long as the reverence of the event is maintained as much as possible.Most faiths have a set prayer for meals such as God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.This is a bit disrespectful, but I like Rubadubdub, Thanks for the Grub! My all-time favorite grace is Jimmy Stewart's in the movie Shenandoah:
sheilauk Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 That's a pretty interesting Grace! A standard Grace I used to hear in other churches is "for what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly thankful". A blessing should include thanks as well and those i' ve heard always do as well as the nourish and sustain part, which I've only heard from LDS, as far as I can remember. The basic wording is learnt or copied from others I guess but is there any scripture behind giving thanks and asking for nourishment and strength? Must remember to add it to my list of study subjects!
sheilauk Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Another question - why don't we stand to sing hymns, except at Conference? Every other church I've been to stands to sing. I'm not suggesting we do, from a purely personal point of view I'd rather remain seated! I don't like getting up and down or standing, it aggravates my back.
Scott Lloyd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Another question - why don't we stand to sing hymns, except at Conference? Every other church I've been to stands to sing. I'm not suggesting we do, from a purely personal point of view I'd rather remain seated! I don't like getting up and down or standing, it aggravates my back.We used to do it in sacrament meeting. Now, it seems it only happens in general and stake conferences.I'm chagrined to say that I've been so inattentive, I thought we still did it occasionally in sacrament meeting. Not long after I was called as ward music director a couple of years ago, I had the congregation stand for the intermediate hymn. Later, I was informed in no uncertain terms (I won't say by whom) that this sort of thing just isn't done in sacrament meeting any longer.I notice that the explanatory material in the current (1985) edition of the hymnbook says that a congregation may occasionally stand to sing during a meeting. And it doesn't rule it out for sacrament meetings.
Hamba Tuhan Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 We stood to sing the opening hymn a few weeks back, but that was because it was the National Anthem. I'm the counsellor in charge of music; maybe we should start standing for the intermediate hymn?
Scott Lloyd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 We stood to sing the opening hymn a few weeks back, but that was because it was the National Anthem. I'm the counsellor in charge of music; maybe we should start standing for the intermediate hymn?Now that I think about it, if memory serves me, the practice of doing it during sacrament meeting seems to have faded out after sacrament meeting was cut back from 90 minutes to 70 minutes as part of the institution of the three-hour block meeting schedule. Less need to stand in the middle of a shorter meeting, I suppose.
Hamba Tuhan Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 That makes sense. Most weeks, our sacrament meeting time seems to fly by. Could still be good for the children, perhaps, though?
blackstrap Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 Standing to sing MIGHT encourage more enthusiastic participation.
Hamba Tuhan Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 Standing to sing MIGHT encourage more enthusiastic participation.Thankfully, we don't seem to have an issue with that.
wayfarer Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 our ward always stands for intermediate hymns...but these only happen once a month. we have a stellar choir director (bow) who makes sure the choir sings two sundays, and then there is fast sunday.
Hamba Tuhan Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 I almost always feel gypped when the choir sings instead of the congregation. And before you tell me that I should just join the choir, let me point out that I've been asked by more than one choir director not to bring my particular 'talents' to such an enterprise. 1
Moon Quaker Posted February 21, 2013 Posted February 21, 2013 (edited) 3. Why do we fold our arms when we pray in church?While a missionary, my companion and I had a prayer with a gentleman whose door we knocked on. He was really nice (probably wouldn't have converted, but was very open to talking with us.) Just as the guy offered out his hands for us to hold while praying, my companion said, "[Oh, we fold our arms when we pray.]" Then he immediately folded his arms. I couldn't believe it! I always figured "When in Rome ..." Holding the gentleman's hands in a 3-person prayer circle would have been just fine. My companion's reaction made it come across that we were "too good" to pray while holding hands and that folding arms was the "correct" way to pray.This companion was one of the most scripture-smart, straight-arrow missionaries there was, so I knew he wasn't intentionally snubbing this guy's customs. I attribute his less-than-tactful reaction to the fact that he was very socially inept and that he was a very "letter of the law" type of guy (so there was no giving-in to anything, be it doctrinal or cultural [as is the case of folding arms for prayer.]) Ahh! There were so many times I just wanted to knock him side of the head for being stupid. Edited February 21, 2013 by Moon Quaker 1
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