Welfare and inability to not knit-pick

I guess the purpose of the thread was to find a way to be more positive and less critical though, right? I think that’s especially tough where money is involved because money is so easily quantifiable. Numbers are easy to nitpick because our brains do it automatically.

In my more orthodox days I had the line of reasoning that I paid 10% on gross and I paid a fast offering. When other humanitarian opportunities presented themselves I told myself that I had already donated a goodly percentage of what I made, plus with all the volunteers in the church we surely have a lower overhead, more of my money makes it to the people that need it. I couldn’t afford to give more so the church would have to be it for my humanitarian donations.

If I have that mindset going in it’s understandable to reach a conclusion like… wait a sec, I donated all that and it only translated to $5 or $8 towards the humanitarian effort for the whole year!?!?! It was a big sacrifice on my end that translated to something that wasn’t as big as I imagined it would be on the other end. Completely understandable.

(of course there are a myriad of other things, electric bills need to be paid, etc.)

Why can’t I just give the complement and leave it at that?

Probably because you’d like to see them make changes.

Am I just an angry person (I really don’t think I am).

Not from what I’ve seen. Not even close.

It shows you care. Is it anger or love that prompts us to ask “can we be doing more” when we have the resources to do more?

The SDA donated $290 million in 2014.

To outside organizations, the church is reported to give about half of what the Lutheran church does. This was based on research found in Mormon America, written by a couple journalists. It seemed very credible and objective, and not at all anti-Mormon, just research based. The figures were a bit old in the edition I read a few years ago…but they did say it was about half of the Lutheran church, which they said was a similar size to the Mormons.

Richard Ostling and Joan K. Ostling

As far as the amount of in-kind donations made through the storehouse, I can’t comment. I did have a lot to do with administration of church welfare in our Ward, and saw good and bad decisions from our Bishop. Good decisions were being patient with people who were slow to progress in their self-reliance. Bad decisions were asking people with almost nothing to cut small expenses like their Netflix account. I also saw people who had paid tithing their whole life in need asked to do flips for help when they were sick and unable to work. That bothered me.

As far as BYU subsidizing tuition goes — yes, the tuition is cheap compared to other private schools. At the same time, there is all this hype to go there and get married. My daughter is going, when she could have stayed at home and done courses locally, saving us all the cost of living in a different state. At least they don’t expect the parents to be full tithe payers for their children to go…

It was a mixed bag really, as far as helping local members goes. It’s a tough balance too — the resources are for short term need, so it was merciful to help this one woman who refused to make changes to her life over a period of years. I was actually ready to cut her off but our Bishop made the call to keep helping her. Looking back, he was kind to this woman who had never had decent employment and didn’t want to quit the only job she was ever good at, even if low paying. And there were people who were clearly out to abuse the help when they were perfectly capable of working. Doling out the help is a tough job to make the right call.

I didn’t see much motivation to help non-members though. Activity seemed to be considered when deciding whether to give help, and for how long.

[Admin Note]: I deleted a link to Amazon for the book SD mentioned. The book itself isn’t classically anti-Mormon, even though it was written from an obvious bias of disbelief, but the other suggested books on the page nearly all were strongly anti-Mormon.

This was a tough call, frankly, but it felt like leaving the link would have violated our policy of not linking to anti-Mormon materials and sites – again, even though the actual book and site (Amazon.com) aren’t anti-Mormon.

The challenge with comparing Lutheran and LDS is the way the donations come in. LDS come mainly from members. The Lutheran Social Services nets from the general populace as well. This shifts the comparison’s deeply. I am not saying we are better. I believe we have a lot we could/should do better. I just know that my local Lutheran Social Services collects money, supplies, etc from the community at large. It improves their piggy-bank. And I have donated with no regret to their efforts.

Regarding the hours donated by the “Mormon Helping Hands”. It has always bothered me that the leaders dress up everybody in bright shirts or jackets that says “Mormon helping hands”. This way everybody know it’s the Mormons that are helping.

I see this a direct violation of Matthew 6:1

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

It is even more direct World English Bible translation:

“Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

I refuse to wear the shirts.

Sheldon wrote

Regarding the hours donated by the “Mormon Helping Hands”. It has always bothered me that the leaders dress up everybody in bright shirts or jackets that says “Mormon helping hands”. This way everybody know it’s the Mormons that are helping.

I too am annoyed with Helping Hands Vests on regular projects. Likewise I subscribe to the Matthew injunction of doing alms in secret.

Ray wrote

but in many cases with natural disasters, police and other groups want to be able to identify those who are there as part of an organized relief effort. Wearing the shirts allows members access to critical need areas they might be stopped from entering otherwise.

In my stake that is the vest policy. I served with a ward RS Pres. who was insistent on the vest wearing. I told her multiple times about our Stake policy. She refused to believe it and took up with the Stake. They stood by their guns. The SP’s reasoning fits Ray’s comment.