Charity is value (money, goods) Given to someone without any expectation of something in return, no quid pro quo...


Money / goods from 'fast offerings' isn't charity, it isn't generally available to non-mormons, it isn't dispensed without any expectation of something in return.

I was shocked by how the bishop reacted. He was new, but he knew me and my situation. He was in a bishopric with my "husband."

I had never thought of going to the bishop for help, but I found out my husband's nonmormon boyfriend was getting his rent paid by none other than through our singles' ward bishop who worked with us to end up married (jerk). Then I found out my brother's alcoholic MIL, who was baptized mormon, but never went to church and was in jail for beating up her boyfriend, let alone blowing through a $100,000 inheritance in no time flat, was also getting her house payment paid for by the church.

I told some of the single mothers I worked with to ask for help. They were active mormon and I was not. They were all turned down.

I think they use FO as a missionary tool quite often.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/2019 07:54PM by cl2.

All I can say is that, as a teacher, I hated hitting up little old widows for money once a month.

I went out to collect fast offerings once. I found it so reprehensible to have to ask poor seniors for money that I refused the next month. Repercussions be damned.

Taken FROM the poor Mormons.
To be used BY the rich Mormons!

When I was 14, 1950, I went fast offering collecting. Even then it was a horrendous experience. but we were intimidated into doing it.

whatever it is at "welfare square" some years back, they had a big media announcement with a big group of media there and they gave out a bag of groceries to every person who attended.

HUH? The media people needed the groceries from the fast offerings of members? And they turned down the single mothers I worked with who were having a difficult time making it.

One woman, her bishop told her she needed to budget better. Then at church the next Sunday, he gave a talk about how much they had available.

And even though a lot of people say the food is not that great, I will at least give them that. The food was wonderful. My kids loved it. I loved it. The spaghetti sauce and picante sauce were wonderful. Good cottage cheese and cheese, any kind of meat I could have wanted and it tasted good. Brooms, toilet paper. It was all quality stuff. I still have the broom I got and I got it 20 years ago.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2019 11:56AM by cl2.

DW and I are moving to Phoenix and we were down there last week looking at houses. We were staying with my sister and her husband who are TBM. They were out of the house on Sunday afternoon. The door bell rings. I answer it. A teenager in a brown suit is at the door. He says nothing and I’m wondering “what do you want?” After an uncomfortable silence he says, “fast offering,”

No “hello” “how are you?” or even “my name is so and so and I’m here to collect fast offerings.” He was told that the desired parties weren’t home. He turned around and left. It was easy to see he was not super pleased about doing the “Lord’s work” that Sunday afternoon.

Of course if I had to spend my afternoon in 110 degree heat doing that I would probably not be at my best either.

I'm trying to remember if they disabled the food vending machines at Hicks in the 60's when Ron & I were there (same dorm).

As an adult, I don't recall my children being roped into this bc we lived mostly in rural / sparsely populated branches & wards, no adults wanted to travel (gas) for distances for 'peanuts', pretty sure they hit the members up at church or not at all.

Collecting fast offerings AND trusting other without responsibility/accountability for their uses/dispersal?


PIA, just like most other ChurchCo 'duties'