Hello, never-Mormon here with an ignorant question! I understand Mormons must tithe (literally--most Christian denominations don't mean 10% when they talk about tithing) to get a temple recommend, which to my understanding allows you to attend services at the temple, including weddings. So the question is, how do they know you're really giving 10%? They must ask your income. Does anyone ever lie about that and get away with it? (Do they ask for your 1040?!) o.O

it's an honor system thing, so no 1040 required. We basically meet once a year w/ the Bishop and they hand us a paper w/ a record of tithing. Then, we say if we've paid 10%.

and yes, I have lied. ;)

Some Bishops do ask for a 1040 (AsK Ken Clark)

I was wondering because of all the talk about tithing on child support received, SNAPS, etc. How would they even know how much that is?

So how credulous are you? I would think they'd challenge it if you were a lawyer with 10 years experience and "tithed" $2000/yr. :D

I know plenty of mainstream pastors that think 10% is still literal today.

The difference is that they do not assign worthiness to an individual based on financial giving the way LDS does.

LDS goes as far as to withhold your right to access rites directly tied to your eternal salvation/exaltation based on your financial giving. Can you say cult?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2013 09:24PM by lily.

I was never asked to provide proof (although I've read experiences on this board where some people have). In my experience, the bishop simply asked whether or not I was a full tithe payer.

One year I said no, and I got lectured on the importance of paying the greedy corporation. I could have lied and said yes, but at the time I was afraid I would have been lying to God.

Like everything in Mormonism, it seems to all depend on the individual Bishop and how they interpret things. Some may take a person's word if they think it is "in the ballpark." Others, as one that Deenie the Dreaded Single Adult told about didn't think she tithed enough (her only income was from baby sitting while going to school as I recall). He demanded a total accounting, and when he found she ate a meal a week at her parent's house, demanded that she tithe on the value received for those weekly meals.

They will have a good idea you are lying if you go to tithing settlement and your tithe for the year is $1200. But then most people know not to go to tithing settlement if they know they haven't paid enough. You have to tithe a realistic and believable amount to get your recommend renewed. Then you just answer "yes" that represents 10 percent. You try not to give out too much information. But if you lie to get your recommend God may keep you out of the celestial kingdom so there is that to consider.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2013 07:34PM by snuckafoodberry.

What I earn is nobody else's business.
Therefore declaring that I paid a full tithe would be equal to disclosing my income to someone who had no right to that information!

A bishop may ask for tax forms. He will definitely not accept $100 a month from someone with full time employment. Why wouldn't he pry? He's allowed to ask questions about how you handle your genitals.

Even in my most TBM days I never thought our family HAD to go to a tithing settlement.

You could sign up for it if you wanted to go, sometimes the ward clerk would call to see if you wanted to declare yourself as full or partial tithe payers.
That was it.

Forcing people to come in is a fairly late development.
I don't know why members put up with it.

I was in a bishopric and in the temple recommend interview its a scripted yes/no question "do you pay a full tithe".
Additionally, every December or so members are asked to sign up for "tithing settlement", a 15 min appointment with the bishop in which he gives you a printout of your year's tithing and you attest that it was or wasnt a full tithe.
If you admit to paying less youre basically told to hand over your temple recommend.
Often theres some confusion about what constitutes a full tithe and the bishop typically says what would the lord say. This evasive ambiguous method in my observation leads to overpayment of tithing and I saw examples of people paying by stricter definitions than others and significant hardships.
But, I admit, I never saw my bishop ask, and I was never asked in 18+ years of tithe paying for any pay stubs or tax returns. Its vastly on-your-own-honor and Ive only heard remote stories of people lying about tithing or having to show pay records.

That sounds like a major benefit -- not having to travel to and from the temple to spend hours sitting in a seriously boring meeting. If they say you can't get into the celestial kingdom, then ask for proof that the CK actually exists.

18 years...took you a while to figure it out, huh?

You can tell them you pay it directly to salt lake. I did that for a long time. There is no record of it to your bishop and he can't check it. It's no ones business what you make and after living in CA and being called to a meeting to contribute my money because I was in the upper of tithe payers in my ward to Prop 8, I was pissed.

From my days as a ward clerk, seeing both tithing donations and temple recommend holders, I can say that most people must outright lie about paying a full tithing during their interview.