I know that their parents have to fund their missions (correct?), but does tithing they've paid count toward that? Or do parents have to fund their kids' missions as an additional expense? Just curious.

It's an additional expense. I think it's around 400-450 dollars a month and that's totally separate from whatever tithing the parents pay, and it's separate from fast offerings and any other "donations" the parents make.

No it is not paid out of tithing. The parents pay for it and on the tithing slip is a section called "missionary funds".

Parents or their kids pay for their own expenses. Some are paid by the LDS Church. In our case, the checks were sent to the LDS Church, I can't recall whether it was the bishop, stake president or the general offices. Probably the Bishop. They made sure the checks went to where the missionary was serving. It was not done electronically in those days.
I worked part time to cover those costs, plus extra college costs.

In our case, we had our records of everything we paid for our missionaries (2 out at the same time - overlapped a few months), which was part of our deductions when we itemized our tax returns, and went a long ways to getting much of our money we paid in taxes, back.

I used to call those refunds: Tithing Refunds!

I never lost my sense of humor!

SusieQ#1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>... went a long ways to getting much of our money we
> paid in taxes, back.
>
> I used to call those refunds: Tithing Refunds!
>
> I never lost my sense of humor!

Did you tithe on your tax refunds?

caffiend as guest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SusieQ#1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Did you tithe on your tax refunds?

NO. Of course not!
The problem with tithing is how to figure what is a tithe.

There is the expectation and some teaching on the matter... some teach that it must be paid on the gross when receiving a salary.
Others don't.
I was in charge of the finances, so I changed from gross (early on) to net. Hubby liked to be exact. He was an engineer and his thinking went along those lines.
I didn't! :-)

My dear father paid for numerous missions. He knew some poor folks in the ward that had a tough time paying for their son's missions...so he did...anonymously. But not mine or my brothers'...'cause we didn't go.

Ron Burr



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2013 12:26PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.

Everyone pays the same thing as well. My parents paid ~$9K for my mission, even though we only got ~$30 a month for food and bus fare. My share of rent and utilities was also less than $50. Almost every elder came back rail thin, while US elders used the balance of my parents money to eat out and come home 50 lbs heavier.

I served a few months stateside (waiting for a visa) and the remainder of my time in Mexico. I understood not getting much money in MX and making the budget work (although at times I supplemented with some money sent from home), but I was very upset about the disparity between living allowances in the US and MX. In the US I had more than enough money, and heard stories of some elders saving and pocketing as much as $2K throughout the course of their mission.

Let me make a footnote here...

I know for a fact that my relatives donate $ for many nephews' and nieces' and cousins' and grandkids' missions.

It ain't just the 'parents' footing the bill.

They can donate as much as they like, it won't go to their family member necessarily. All Missionaries are given a specific set amount so that they all receive the same, avoiding rich/poor missionaries. If you family donates an amount more than that, 'your' missionary ain't gonna get the excess.

More, more, always more. No such thing as enough.

Missions are funded from at least three sources:

Source #1 - Donations from the missionary, family members, or friends. This is $400 per month right now for the young missionaries. Not senior missionaries.

Source #2 - Members donate to the general missionary fund to help defray any deficits. The current cost per missionary in the U.S. for the church is actually about $500 per missionary. So they have an inherent deficit for each missinoary over and above the missionaries own donations.

Source #3 - General fund is tapped when these two funds are insufficient. Tithing is the soruce of the general fund.

So yes. Tithing can be used to fund the missionary effort. Think about all of the missionary costs. MTCs, mission homes, mission president living costs, airfair and transportation.

If anyone tells you tithing funds are not used in some fashion, they are lying to you.

But does it really matter. The church has already put the disclaimer on the donation receipt that they can use funds in any way they want regardless of your wishes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2013 11:35AM by 8thgeneration.