Tithing Settlement
 

Went to tithing settlement yesterday, and strangely the Bishop never asked if I was a full tithe payer.

He chatted with us, filled out the forms, and sent us on our way.

I can only guess that he assumed we were.

Last year, I was surprised to find out that I paid more tithing than the entire discretionary budget of our ward. Not that I am that rich or pay that much tithing.

Kind of pissed me off, but I got over it. (the pissed part was about our crappy activities, variations of pot luck dinners).

It's amazing to see how many people completely ignore the tithing settlement thing. I was calling people last week, urging them to attend. only a few extra people signed up.

Interesting that you'd be temporarily pissed off. It's not as though you pay tithing so that you can have amazing ward parties at La Caille or something.

I remember learning somewhere that tithing goes to other purposes besides helping members in the U.S. have a good time.

Whoever said that the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree sure knew what they were talking about.

well, when people sit around and wonder why no one in the ward knows or really cares about each other, why people don't attend any activies, why the youth are asking to join non-LDS scout troops, maybe we will wonder if our meager budget has anything to do with it.

It's like things can really SUCK and we will all do our duty, attend, and suffer.

American members are all spoiled, they really don't get to live the law of sacrifice. The worst thing for them is to go a sucky dinner or activity.

I grew up in a very wealthy Ward in SLC. My family was not wealthy. The single biggest reason I hated scouts and most youth activities was cost :wink: If I went it was on someone elses dollar. Oh gee, brother so and so can you pay for me again, my Dad only worked 60 hours this week.

The single biggest reason for the budget as it now exists is to level the 'playing field' if you will. I know of one wealthy Ward on the east bench in SLC that purchased several 7 foot christmas tress for the Christmas social ... only to throw them away or have some members take them home as the children's tree for the second floor of their 'home' :? And you wonder why the brethren are worried about how much we spend on activities!

I can't imagine the brethren concerned about the expense of activities in our ward.

we are talking cents per head.

In our ward, scouts only meet bimonthly. though I don't think that has anything to do with budget.

If church is a social hub, then make it a social hub. If not, then don't complain when I don't bother to attend any of the activities, other than sunday church meetings.

titihing settlement...
 

I realize this post may be a little off theme for this particular tread, but I wanted your opinions.

I've always hated tithing settlement, I think it's ridiculous. I hate it even more now, though, because of an experience that I had last year about this time.

Last year my wife and I went to tithing settlement like good little sheep. Our bishop chatted us up for like ten minutes then transitioned seemlessly into the settlement questions. We informed him that we were indeed full tithe payers and he told us that the lord was very grateful for our generosity.

I assusmed that the meeting was over, and I began to rise a little in my seat. Instead of being finished, however, the bishop launched into a very scriptural reminder that despite our obedience, the law of tithing was actually the lesser law, and that we should truly aspire to live the law of consecration.

If he had stopped there it wouldn't have been too bizarre. We've all covenanted to consecrate our time, posessions, energy, etc. to the building of the kingdom, right?

He then proceeds to tell my wife and I that our house is far too large for a young couple without children, and that under the united order our home would likely be given to a family with several children. Moreover, he would assign us a place more in keeping with our needs. Probably a two bedroom apartment.

At this point I'm more than just a little bugged. I've spent many thousands of dollars, and countless hours renovating/rebuilding my house. It's finally the home we've always wanted. I keep my cool though, and attempt to inject a little humor by saying something like "hey, a two bedroom apartment would save me a wad of cash."

He replies "Oh no, you would probably still be asked to pay your mortgage. A family with 5 or 6 kids probably couldn't make the payments."

I'm visibly irritated now, and I think he senses it. So does my wife, because she's sinking her fingernails into my hand in a vain attempt to keep me from going off.

I say something like like "so, the church thinks it could just evict me from my own house?", in an openly challenging tone.

The bishop looks a little scared at this point (I'm 6'4" 240 and he's not much more than half my size, and he' only ever seen me in my placid church mode)"

In some attempt to diffuse the situation he says precisely the wrong thing "Oh, under the united order you would have already signed your property over to the church."

I stood up and said "over my dead body." I'm not sure precisely what I said next, but it ammounted to "I will never live under the united order, and neither will my family while I draw breath."

I looked down at my wife and she is positively mortified. To make a long story short, she has never really forgiven me for going off (though I don't think there is anything to forgive). Moreover, she saw nothing wrong with what the bishop said. She is perfectly fine with signing over ALL our posessions if the bishop asked us to.

Needless to say I paid a little visit to our credit union the next day and took her name off the loan.

Was I wrong in thinking our bishop stepped way over the line? Was I wrong in saying what I did? Would any of you sign your property over to the church if your local authority asked you to?

If the order was coming from the prophet...without question. but then again, I'm a "good little sheep."

Re: titihing settlement...
 

Your bishop did step way over the line. He may have been correct in what he stated (though I have some doubts) if we actually were living under the united order currently. However, in what apparently would be a newsflash to your bishop, no such law is in effect at this time. I find what he said to you to be absolutely inappropriate and quite frankly, very strange. It doesn't make any sense at all.

The only place I think you may have gone overboard was in taking your wife's name off of the loan.