Stargazer Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 1 hour ago, 2BizE said: Who do you pay more money to each month? The restaurant down the street or the church? You can't be serious. <rolls eyes> 4 Link to comment
Popular Post mgy401 Posted July 13, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) On 7/9/2021 at 6:00 PM, Hamba Tuhan said: As I noted in another thread recently, I am literally sick and weary of people intentionally misusing this quote by ripping it from context. Read the whole damn sermon it comes from. I have, several times, and provided quotes to restore the necessary context in this very forum, but it appears no one actually wants to know the truth. The whole point of Pres. Smith's sermon was the absolute necessity of tithing as the means of funding the Church's activities. In the infamous quotation, his point is that he is looking forward to the day when people will voluntarily pay their tithes at such a level that the Church will not need to ask for any additional money to keep the Church functioning. Wonderfully, we got very close to that point in the late 1980s when annual budget payments were eliminated. Since then, we've also been able to stop requiring members to help build chapels and temples. As I learnt directly from our former area president in a meeting with him, every single missionary on this planet is subsidised through tithing, with that subsidy reaching 90 per cent or more in many cases, so we're not quite there yet but closer than we've ever been. And so on. When I was a missionary, I bought every copy of the Book of Mormon I ever gave away. Same with pamphlets. There was a shop in the mission office for such purchases. We don't do that anymore, thankfully! I even paid monthly 'rent' to the Church for the use of a mission car, and then I paid to fuel the car and wash it every week. Do I need to go on? Seriously, read the whole sermon. In it he talks about being shocked that so many Saints were finding excuses not to tithe because that is the very mechanism the Lord will use to fund His Church in perpetuity, and when voluntary tithes become sufficient, the Church will be able to do what it needs to on the basis of tithing alone. To paraphrase your OP, yes, the current wealth of the Church is fabulous! It is also worth noting that in addition to the storied building fund assessments, there was a fundraising/donation aspect to practically every ward activity that was done in the first half of the 20th century. Green and Gold dinners, bake sales, ward bazaars, road shows, Scout and Girls Camp fundraisers . . . Additionally, D&C 119:4 states that tithing “shall be a standing law unto them forever”. Joseph F. Smith was aware of this verse, and had referenced it in the past. Given what the Church was actually doing in 1906-1907 in conjunction with the Church’s own scripture and the fact that Smith was not exactly a theological noob, it staggers the imagination to suggest that he actually intended (or was broadly interpreted) to promise the Church a future tithe holiday. As for the discussion on church cleaning: I just keep thinking of little Draco Malfoy in the first Harry Potter film—“You wait ‘til my father hears about this. This is servants’ stuff!!!” Edited July 13, 2021 by mgy401 5 Link to comment
Tacenda Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 10 hours ago, strappinglad said: As a Stake building specialist/PFR I will say that the cleaning agents we use are Hydrogen peroxide based . They come in 2 strengths, one for general purpose cleaning and the other ( twice the concentration ) only for toilets. As I have said before, our building is a designated emergency shelter. The gov't inspectors come by twice a year. They have told me personally that our cleaning agents are the top of the line ones and are recommended . Thanks for the verification, was thinking I needed to go to the church and see the ingredients. I was also trying to get on the discussion forum with LDS.org. Link to comment
randy Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 19 hours ago, Tacenda said: I didn't say not ever paying tithing did I? Nope...you didn't. Just paying it when it's convenient. 1 Link to comment
Popular Post Scott Lloyd Posted July 13, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) On 7/9/2021 at 11:14 AM, Teancum said: So how do you reconcile this comment from a prophet: "Furthermore, I want to say to you, we may not be able to reach it right away, but we expect to see the day when we will not have to ask you for one dollar of donation for any purpose, except that which you volunteer to give of your own accord, because we will have tithes sufficient in the storehouse of the Lord to pay everything that is needful for the advancement of the kingdom of God. I want to live to see that day, if the Lord will spare my life. It does not make any difference, though, so far as that is concerned, whether I live or not. That is the true policy, the true purpose of the Lord in the management of the affairs of His Church." --Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith (1907) I reconcile it by saying that from my standpoint we have pretty much reached that day already. Since Sunday, I have participated in setting up and taking down chairs for the funeral of a dear sister in our ward who perished last week in a horrific murder. A week prior to that, I took part in a massive ward and community grid search after she was reported missing. We hoped to find her alive but were heartsick when the police located her body that night. The family has repeatedly expressed how much the effort meant to them. A couple of weeks ago, I was involved with my brethren of the elders quorum in cleaning and fixing up the yard of a sister who was beset with hardship. A few weeks ago, I spent time at the Church’s Deseret Dairy helping to slice and pack cheese for the benefit of the needy. It was for a four-hour shift, but we accomplished the work in about an hour. In each of the above instances, my labor was given voluntarily, of my own accord. Had I not signed up to participate in these services, there would have been no reprisals, no withholding of privileges. Not a word would have been said to me about it. Furthermore, had I chosen not to participate, the work would have gotten done nevertheless. There were enough willing hearts and hands. So it is consistent with what Brother Smith foresaw. Beyond the payment of tithes (which is a perpetual law and commandment stemming back to the days of Abraham, who paid tithes of all he possessed to the high priest Melchizedek) everything I do to further the advancement of God’s kingdom is voluntary and of my own accord. It matters not one whit to me how much the Church has in its coffers. The Church could have a hundred times that much and my attitude would be the same. I contribute because I love God and I want to be an instrument in His hands to bless His children. Edited July 13, 2021 by Scott Lloyd 7 Link to comment
Tacenda Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 11 minutes ago, Scott Lloyd said: I reconcile it by saying that from my standpoint we have pretty much reached that day already. Since Sunday, I have participated in setting up and taking down chairs for the funeral of a dear sister in our ward who perished last week in a horrific murder. A week prior to that, I took part in a massive ward and community grid search after she was reported missing. We hoped to find her alive but were heartsick when the police located her body that night, but the family has repeatedly expressed how much the effort meant to them. A couple of weeks ago, I was involved with my brethren of the elders quorum in cleaning and fixing up the yard of a sister who was beset with hardship. A few weeks ago, I spent time at the Church’s Deseret Dairy helping to slice and process cheese for the benefit of the needy. It was for a four-hour shift, but we accomplished the work in about an hour. In each of the above instances, my labor was given voluntarily, of my own accord. Had I not signed up to participate in these services, there would have been no reprisals, no withholding of privileges. Not a word would have been said to me about it. Furthermore, had I chosen not to participate, the work would have gotten done nevertheless. There were enough willing hearts and hands. So it is consistent with what BrotherSmith foresaw. Beyond the payment of tithes (which is a law and a commandment stemming back to the days of Abraham, who paid tithes of all he possessed to the high priest) everything I do to further the advancement of God’s kingdom is voluntary and of my own accord. It matters not one whit to me how much the Church has in its coffers. The Church could have a hundred times that much and my attitude would be the same. I contribute because I love God and I want to be an instrument in His hands. I'm not here to brag. I just thought I'd share that I donated to the lady you speak of's go fund account. That's what I now do with my tithes. I hope it's okay with the Lord how I do tithing now. I often wonder about the scriptures and don't have a clue, but wonder how many are helping the poor and needy vs. paying tithing. I am all for paying something to help a congregation if you attend, such as a full time minister that isn't employed and takes care of the flock, or building maintenance etc. Nothing against donating to the church you belong to. But wondering what the scriptures really mean as far as tithes go. I guess I need to get reading them to understand them or google some more. Link to comment
Scott Lloyd Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Tacenda said: I'm not here to brag. I just thought I'd share that I donated to the lady you speak of's go fund account. That's what I now do with my tithes. I hope it's okay with the Lord how I do tithing now. I often wonder about the scriptures and don't have a clue, but wonder how many are helping the poor and needy vs. paying tithing. I am all for paying something to help a congregation if you attend, such as a full time minister that isn't employed and takes care of the flock, or building maintenance etc. Nothing against donating to the church you belong to. But wondering what the scriptures really mean as far as tithes go. I guess I need to get reading them to understand them or google some more. Thank you, and bless you, for your donation. At the funeral and the visitation the prior evening, I saw firsthand the fruits of that collective outpouring of sympathy and charity. With that resource they were able to bring loved ones from Japan for the funeral on short notice. I don’t intend to pass judgment on whether and how you pay tithing or what you consider tithing to be. That is between you and the Lord. I will just mention for my own part that I too contributed to the defraying of the family’s expenses, not through the GoFundMe, but through a Venmo account set up by a member of our ward. I place such a thing in a separate category from tithing, which I pay mainly in obedience to a law and commandment from God. Edited July 13, 2021 by Scott Lloyd 4 Link to comment
2BizE Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 12 hours ago, Stargazer said: You can't be serious. <rolls eyes> Very serious. Isn’t there an expectation that there will be a return on investment for your tithing donation? I think there is. I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. Link to comment
rodheadlee Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 10 minutes ago, 2BizE said: Very serious. Isn’t there an expectation that there will be a return on investment for your tithing donation? I think there is. I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. And just exactly how are you building up Zion? 2 Link to comment
Amulek Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 22 minutes ago, 2BizE said: I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. And one might also think that if Jesus Christ was willing to pay the ultimate price then maybe someone else could manage the menial task of washing the disciples' feet. Only, I'm pretty sure that's not how the story goes. And while not expressly stated, I think we can safely assume that he accomplished the task without the benefit of anti-bacterial cleaning supplies or nitrile gloves. Shocking, I know. 2 Link to comment
Scott Lloyd Posted July 13, 2021 Share Posted July 13, 2021 (edited) 14 hours ago, Stargazer said: You can't be serious. <rolls eyes> 1 hour ago, 2BizE said: Very serious. Isn’t there an expectation that there will be a return on investment for your tithing donation? I think there is. I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. https://www.google.com/amp/s/roperfamilypoems.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/father-where-shall-i-work-today/amp/ Father, where shall I work today? And my love flowed warm and free. Then He pointed out a tiny spot And said, “Tend that for me.” I answered quickly, “Oh no; not that! Why, no one would ever see, No matter how well my work was done; Not that little place for me.” And the word He spoke, it was not stern; He answered me tenderly: “Ah, little one, search that heart of thine. Art thou working for them or for me? Nazareth was a little place, And so was Galilee.” — Meade McGuire Edited July 13, 2021 by Scott Lloyd 4 Link to comment
Kenngo1969 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) 19 hours ago, 2BizE said: Very serious. And don't call you "Shirley," right? 19 hours ago, 2BizE said: Isn’t there an expectation that there will be a return on investment for your tithing donation? I think there is. I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. Yes, yes! We're all aware that you have more important things to do! Bully for you! Edited July 14, 2021 by Kenngo1969 Link to comment
Kenngo1969 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 19 hours ago, rodheadlee said: And just exactly how are you building up Zion? Yes, pray, do tell! Inquiring minds want to know! Link to comment
Teancum Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 (edited) On 7/13/2021 at 1:34 PM, Scott Lloyd said: I reconcile it by saying that from my standpoint we have pretty much reached that day already. Since Sunday, I have participated in setting up and taking down chairs for the funeral of a dear sister in our ward who perished last week in a horrific murder. A week prior to that, I took part in a massive ward and community grid search after she was reported missing. We hoped to find her alive but were heartsick when the police located her body that night. The family has repeatedly expressed how much the effort meant to them. A couple of weeks ago, I was involved with my brethren of the elders quorum in cleaning and fixing up the yard of a sister who was beset with hardship. A few weeks ago, I spent time at the Church’s Deseret Dairy helping to slice and pack cheese for the benefit of the needy. It was for a four-hour shift, but we accomplished the work in about an hour. In each of the above instances, my labor was given voluntarily, of my own accord. Had I not signed up to participate in these services, there would have been no reprisals, no withholding of privileges. Not a word would have been said to me about it. Furthermore, had I chosen not to participate, the work would have gotten done nevertheless. There were enough willing hearts and hands. So it is consistent with what Brother Smith foresaw. Beyond the payment of tithes (which is a perpetual law and commandment stemming back to the days of Abraham, who paid tithes of all he possessed to the high priest Melchizedek) everything I do to further the advancement of God’s kingdom is voluntary and of my own accord. It matters not one whit to me how much the Church has in its coffers. The Church could have a hundred times that much and my attitude would be the same. I contribute because I love God and I want to be an instrument in His hands to bless His children. I decided to remove my snarky rude post. I apologize to Scott. I was out of line. Edited July 19, 2021 by Teancum Link to comment
ksfisher Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 42 minutes ago, Teancum said: Good for you. Maybe you would be even happier of you also gave the rest of your personal assets to add to the substantial amounts the LDS Church has in its coffers. More blessings to God's children right? https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/ether/12.26?lang=eng&clang=eng#p26 2 Link to comment
Teancum Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 3 minutes ago, ksfisher said: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/ether/12.26?lang=eng&clang=eng#p26 We are foolish to some extent. I see a lot of foolishness on this board. 1 Link to comment
Scott Lloyd Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 (edited) On 7/16/2021 at 6:44 AM, Teancum said: Good for you. Maybe you would be even happier of you also gave the rest of your personal assets to add to the substantial amounts the LDS Church has in its coffers. More blessings to God's children right? I would willingly give up all I possess, including my life, if necessary, to the advancement of God’s kingdom and the establishment of Zion. So far, I haven’t been called upon to go that far. I think this is in part attributable to the position of financial strength due to prudent money management (and collective sacrifice by the membership) that the Church of Jesus Christ* enjoys just now — which prosperity, ironically, is a thing that makes the Church’s antagonistic critics so angry. *I use the name Church of Jesus Christ, a shortened form of the Church’s proper name, advisedly. You don’t have to correct me and tell me I mean “LDS Church,” which is a nickname I elect not to use. Edited July 17, 2021 by Scott Lloyd 1 Link to comment
Kenngo1969 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 On 7/13/2021 at 12:00 AM, Stargazer said: You can't be serious. <rolls eyes> He is serious. And don't call him Shirley. 1 Link to comment
Teancum Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 2 hours ago, Scott Lloyd said: *I use the name Church of Jesus Christ, a shortened form of the Church’s proper name, advisedly. You don’t have to correct me and tell me I mean “LDS Church,” which is a nickname I elect not to use. Ok. I think using Mormon Church is still quite fine. -4 Link to comment
Kenngo1969 Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 9 hours ago, Teancum said: Ok. I think using Mormon Church is still quite fine. I don't have to agree with any organization in every particular to accord it the respect of referring to it in the manner in which those in charge of it have asked me to do. I think that's simply common courtesy, and I wouldn't think it beyond you, but perhaps I am mistaken. 2 Link to comment
Scott Lloyd Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 42 minutes ago, Kenngo1969 said: I don't have to agree with any organization in every particular to accord it the respect of referring to it in the manner in which those in charge of it have asked me to do. Or at least to refrain from poking those who DO refer to it by its proper name. Link to comment
Bernard Gui Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 (edited) On 7/13/2021 at 2:49 PM, 2BizE said: Very serious. Isn’t there an expectation that there will be a return on investment for your tithing donation? I think there is. I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. No. It’s not mine to begin with. Edited July 18, 2021 by Bernard Gui 4 Link to comment
Popular Post The Nehor Posted July 18, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted July 18, 2021 On 7/13/2021 at 1:49 PM, 2BizE said: Very serious. Isn’t there an expectation that there will be a return on investment for your tithing donation? I think there is. I think that if I am paying 10% of my income, the church can mange these menial tasks, so I can apply my efforts to important aspects of building Zion….not cleaning Zion. I am sorry to report that there are currently no open positions in the ranks of the aristocracy of Zion. There is a long waiting list of applicants but sadly no positions have ever opened up. If you want a position without any form of menial labor I hear Babylon has occasional openings. 5 Link to comment
OGHoosier Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 On 7/16/2021 at 7:32 AM, Teancum said: We are foolish to some extent. I see a lot of foolishness on this board. What a pristine word to choose! You appear to be fulfilling 1 Corinthians 1 to the maximal extent. 4 Link to comment
Teancum Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 18 hours ago, OGHoosier said: What a pristine word to choose! You appear to be fulfilling 1 Corinthians 1 to the maximal extent. Do you feel like you just scored some points? Link to comment
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