Tithing settlement now a thing of the past

Thanks for the breaking news heads up Nibbler! (Seriously )

I have not been to tithing settlement in many years although I am a full tithe payer. I believe this change to tithing declaration allows some latitude in that respect – it’s pretty simple to declare oneself (or one’s family) as full tithe payers in an email or text as I have done in the past. The letter does not seem to specify that as an option though still referring to the interview. I will continue my past practice, I see no point is wasting my time (or the bishop’s time) with something that can be done with an email or text. “I am a full tither payer.” Baby steps I suppose.

I see they’ve made this part of the whole “covenant path” buzzword so favored of late.

The focus should be on the member’s covenant relationship with Heavenly Father and on teaching the spiritual nature of tithing, especially to children and youth.

The last phrase is especially poignant – drill it into the kids (AKA indoctrinate).

The letter doesn’t give news writers much to work with, hence the added info. However the Church Newsroom is a church entity so they can take some liberty is spouting “doctrine.”

Calling it “tithing settlement” was a major tax write-off for Satan.

😆 😆 😆

“This change emphasizes that the primary purpose of this interview is to provide members with an opportunity to declare their tithing faithfulness, not to ‘settle’ an account,”

I like the idea of this change. I hope that the change also leads to changes in how the meeting is performed and not just a change in name only. For example, it would be nice if there was no expectation that individuals would try to catch up and make a final in arears payment at the meeting.

I like the name change. The “settlement” terminology sounded a bit too legal and like it was like a debt that was owed, rather than a free-will offering — like it should be.

Yes, here is hoping that we can move in that direction.

My faith crisis was precipitated by the idea that tithing compliance would bring blessings of health and safety for my family. I was naively unprepared when tragedy struck. (To be totally fair to the church, I latched on to the promises of blessings because of my own fears and anxieties and used tithing as an alternative to mentally dealing with/preparing for a reality with vicissitudes and without guarantees.)

By keeping this law, Church members receive spiritual and temporal blessings in their lives and help further the Church’s divine mission on earth.

Maybe 5 years ago, I had some conversations with a good and caring bishop about my faith transition. He was very sympathetic and suggested that lots of members draw connections to blessings and might even make promises that they really are not authorized to make. I brought up that it is not just members being overexuberant, the recent church published manual promises tangible blessings in return for paying tithing. At this point my bishop changed position and said that tangible blessing “CAN” happen. I agree, they “CAN” happen but then again tangible blessings “CAN” also happen without tithing payment. For me it was clear that my bishop had reached a limit in his ability to sympathize with my experience. It was just a bridge to far to expect him to travel it with me. I felt that this realization was illuminating for me. (I then brought the conversation to a soft landing)

By keeping this law, Church members receive spiritual and temporal blessings in their lives and help further the Church’s divine mission on earth.

Here again, this quote clearly states that there is a connection between tithing as temporal blessings. There are no qualifiers like “can receive” or “may receive” or “increase their odds of receiving.”

In the announcement published Thursday, Aug. 11, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé said: “What a great blessing to have a time dedicated to discussing the divine law of the tithe.

Sure… I guess… but not exactly the type of tangible blessing I was expecting. 🙄

The other apologetic is that it’s an opportunity for the bishop to meet with everyone in the ward. I still see value in that. It’s a shame that the occasion has to be tithing of all things. Why not a simple meeting with no agenda other than to touch base?

In such a meeting the bishop could receive all kinds of inspiration.

“What’s that? You’ve been languishing as a ward missionary for the last five years and you’ve been waiting on the Lord’s timetable for a release?” (aka “We forgot about you.”)

I think this is the rhetoric I’ve most often heard. It’s even been used on my in the past as an encouragement to come to tithing settlement (a Jedi mind trick that didn’t work). Usually it’s the executive secretary or clerk making these kinds of calls, and they’re just doing what they’re told and/or feel some duty to get everyone to tithing settlement. I believe it was a clerk I once told something like “If the bishop wants to meet with me, why doesn’t he just make an appointment to meet when he’s not so busy?” No response that I can recall (and no appointment with the bishop) – it was a long time ago.

So why don’t we just have an annual meeting with the bishop instead of tithing settlement? They could be spread out over the whole year instead of crammed into a couple months. That’s a carrot they put out there for ministering interviews – they’re quarterly and can be done any time in the quarter so most EQP & RSP members would only have to do 3 or 4 per month, and they’re meant to be short – less than 15 minutes. I suspect the main reason is that scripturally (D&C) bishops have always been responsible for tithing, even before they headed wards (which were originally government subdivisions that doubled as congregation areas in Nauvoo and later Salt Lake City and environs). When the change came eliminating YMP I recall one of the GAs saying something like bishops have always been responsible for youth, which is not correct but they have “always” been responsible for tithes and welfare. The youth thing came later and was more associated with the Aaronic Priesthood which sometime in the mid-1900s became composed of mostly youth.

It’s pretty easy to make an appointment with me as long as I know what it’s about and I don’t feel like it’s wasting my time (or theirs).

The fallback position is what your bishop alluded to – the blessings may not be tangible and may not be in this life. I can buy that to some extent because I generally don’t think we get blessed (or cursed) in this life. On other hand, I’m not sure blessings or curses happen in whatever comes next either. Of course my whole tune might change if the fire insurance thing comes to pass.

I would be more understanding if they just kept it at “blessings” because that could literally mean anything. I have a problem when the church says church members receive spiritual AND temporal blessings. I also understand that the “windows of heaven” verses in Malachi also seem to indicate tangible blessings. Therefore, in promising tangible blessings, the church is merely restating the same promises that have been made for thousands of years. The prosperity gospel has a very long life.

“Tithing settlement” was coined back when many members contributed in kind or with money from annual sale of livestock, produce, etc. It literally was a settlement of an on-going account. The term should have ditched long ago when the general payment structure changed.