candyprpl Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 (edited) When I first joined the church 3.5 yrs ago the only income I had was my disability check that barely got me through the month. I received foodstamps as well and often by the last week of the month the cupboards were quite bare. The month after my baptism I had somehow mismanaged my money and I was very short and wasn't sure how I was going to pay my rent that was coming due. I was terribly worried and wasn't sure what to do. Being a new member I wasn't sure how to ask for help or if the church could help me. I had a relationship with the Relief Society President -- I called her up and crying in desperation told her what was going on. She called the Bishop and then went with me (as moral support) to meet with him. He first said that the church would pay my rent and asked the RS President to go shopping and buy me groceries and asked if I had any other bills that were late or unpaid. Then he talked to me about tithing. He told me that if I paid a full tithe I would be blessed. He told me how the church used tithing and fast offerings. He asked if I would pay tithing so that I could receive blessings. I said I would. The next month when I received my disability check I wrote out my tithe of 10%. It was hard to do....I didn't know how I would do without that littleamount of money. A couple of weeks later I received a letter from my case worker telling me that they had made a mistake on how much I should receive in food stamps. They increased my food stamps from $35 to $135 and I received back pay in food stamps. I no longer had to worry about money and I continue to be a full tithe payer. Other blessings have been...marriage to a wonderful priesthood holder who has a good job and a Patriarchal Blessing that says I will never have to want for temporal things. Ragnar you're right! Heavenly Father doesn't need the money, I needed the blessings! Edited June 21, 2008 by candyprpl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost_one Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 (edited) Ok, well I've heard that if you don't tithe, you can't get married in the temple or be endowed. Now, I'm not a member yet, but I do plan on becoming one and I do want to get married in the temple, but I have almost no money because I'm in school (and will be for quite a few more years). How does that factor into it? I mean, I probably have $100 spare each month... Is tithing the 10% really worth it at that point?Hi CliffieDuckie,I can only tell you my experience of tithing. Hope it helps. When i first joined the church, i was unemployed, in fact, ive only been working for the last few years. I had a mental health problem that stopped me working.When i first joined the church, i thought tithing was just a way for the church to get money for the leaders, so they could live the good life at my expence. I was very angry at the world at the time, the church was just another thing trying to screw me, i felt.However, after a chat with my Bishop at the time, i decided that when i had got baptized, i made the promise to tithe, so i did. This is going to sound nuts, but dispite the fact that i had no money, i never once struggled to pay it. If anything, my money management got better. I always felt that it was Heavenly Father blessing me for paying my tithes.I stopped paying it when i went less-active and really felt the differance in my life. One of the reasons i cant wait to get re-baptized, is so i can start paying my tithing again. It was never hard and always was a blessing to me, even when that blessing wasnt that plain to see at the time. I always saw it in retrospect.Heavenly Father doesnt care if you pay 1pence or a million bucks. Its whats in your heart that counts. 10% is 10% regardless of how much that is. In Heavenly Fathers eyes, we all pay the same.@Ragnar: Where did you get your username? I know a Space Wolf of that name. Just wondering. Edited June 21, 2008 by Lost_one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candyprpl Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Hi CliffieDuckie, This is going to sound nuts, but dispite the fact that i had no money, i never once struggled to pay it. If anything, my money management got better. I always felt that it was Heavenly Father blessing me for paying my tithes.Heavenly Father doesnt care if you pay 1pence or a million bucks. Its whats in your heart that counts. 10% is 10% regardless of how much that is. In Heavenly Fathers eyes, we all pay the same.Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!!!! And it doesn't sound nuts, it's exactly what happened to me as I said in my post and I've heard countless stories like this. Tithing is a commandment and we are blessed beyond comprehension when we obey the commandments. Had others not been paying their tithings and fast offerings the Bishop wouldn't have had the means to help me in my time of need. We wouldn't have all the beautiful temples and meeting houses, etc. where we receive so many blessings. Thanks for sharing your experience, lost_one. Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Girl Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Might I remind you all of one thing... The ONLY instruction the Church gives is that we are supposed to pay 10% of our increase... It does not define what "increase" means... It is up to each of us to determine what that means, with the assistance of our wise and loving HF... ANY other interpretation is simply that, and interpretation... Silver Girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candyprpl Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 No argument here. It is between Heavenly Father and the individual. Being a new member I appreciated my Bishop helping me understand tithing and I know that when I received my Temple Recommend I was able (without caution) to say I was a full tithe payer AND worthy to enter the Holy House of God and receive the blessings that are there. Candace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.