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cWald — how can the church send you a bill for Friends of Scouting? Sounds unusual that the church would be invoicing its members. I’m interested in understanding the hows and whys. SilentDawning wrote:cWald — how can the church send you a bill for Friends of Scouting? Sounds unusual that the church would be invoicing its members. I’m interested in understanding the hows and whys.
Same way and how they made me an EQP I suppose…small branch. We do things differently out here…just to make things work
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A couple of things I have found interesting in my study of tithing using the scriptures are Paul’s explanation of what Abraham tithed on as well as Joseph Smith’s description in D&C 119:4. In Hebrews Paul explains that Abraham paid tithes on the “spoils” from his victorious war. Spoils to me is different than income. This seems more in line with D&C 119 where members were to be tithed of their surplus properties. I suppose it is word parsing, but I have pondered it often since I read it. To me tithing is more a thank you note. I have never begrudged paying it I just wonder if maybe it is the act of faith more than the where it comes from gross/net, etc. that matters, especially if spoils and surplus were acceptable before hand. Just off the top of my head – thinking about a historical perspective: “Interest” was commonly used where we would say “increase” and the general understanding was basically an increase in net worth. Today that would exempt most members from paying much if any tithing simply because saving/consumption habits have changed so greatly (and our modern “disposable” economy makes almost no possession an asset). Times, interpretations, and practices change. I could be completely off but that is my impression.
Orson wrote:Just off the top of my head – thinking about a historical perspective: “Interest” was commonly used where we would say “increase” and the general understanding was basically an increase in net worth. Today that would exempt most members from paying much if any tithing simply because saving/consumption habits have changed so greatly (and our modern “disposable” economy makes almost no possession an asset). Times, interpretations, and practices change.
I could be completely off but that is my impression.
That’s my understanding. That “increase” at the time of the D&C revelation on what tithing means refers to surplus. If you consult a dictionary from that era, that is how increase was defined. And if you hold fast to the definition of doctrine as the scriptures, the 1970/71 letter from the FP taking “increase” to mean “income” is not doctrine.
However, there are some who will say that it only matters what is widely believed at the time, not what is in the scriptures. Each person must decide for themself.
I answered no, because I do not pay anything currently to the Corporation of the President… or the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop. I tithe my time and talents. I tithe a part of my monetary “increase” toward building the metaphorical Church of Christ (or Kingdom of God) on this earth.
This is my second of 3 issues why I choose not to hold a TR, as I mentioned in the Word of Wisdom thread. My third reason is that not having a TR puts me in a position of being held to a lesser standard when it comes to the LDS Church coming after me for my online activity (if they chose to do so). They pay less attention to folks like me, because it easier for them to deal with.
Brian Johnston wrote:My third reason is that not having a TR puts me in a position of being held to a lesser standard when it comes to the LDS Church coming after me for my online activity (if they chose to do so). They pay less attention to folks like me, because it easier for them to deal with.
Ah. Plausible deniability. heavenly principle.
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