Catlick Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hello all! I am currently investigating the church and am on the fence over several issues. One of the things I think about is tithing. My situation is this: While I am considering conversion, my husband is and has always been agnostic and would not be joining me. I haven't yet told him about tithing, and although he is very supportive of my decisions, I don't know what he'll say. I am a stay at home mom so have no income of my own, and I don't know that he'll feel the same way that I do about tithing. Are there any interreligious marriages that you've heard of in which the husband (also the breadwinner) refuses to pay tithing to a church to which he doesn't belong? I'm just anticipating the worst case scenario here--for all I know, he'll be okay with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 (edited) Tithing is a personal covenant. As a stay-at-home mom, your personal increase is 0. 10% of zero is 0. So your tithing commitment is 0. When your husband converts, your increase will be what both he and you make together and so both of you get to figure out 10% of that as your tithing commitment. Of course, if he wants to donate 10% of his increase to the church even if he did not make the covenant, that's just simply awesome! Now, let's say you convert, then you end up having a job and start having an income. But, your husband forbids you to pay tithing on your income. As a Church that highly supports successful marriages, you can go talk to your bishop about your situation and he can advice you on how to proceed - which may include paying 0 tithes and still be considered fulfilling all righteousness, if that's what you and the bishop comes up with. Edited June 25, 2015 by anatess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catlick Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 That is so helpful to know, anatess! Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane_Doe Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 (edited) Well, speaking as a Mormon married to a non-Mormon-- It is a commandment from the Lord to pay tithing. The purpose of it is to A) encourage us to humble and put God before riches, and B) financially support the earthly church (buildings and all do cost money). Now, can you be a Mormon and not pay tithing (or pay just partial)? Of course! Many Mormons are in that boat. But, we are encouraged to manage finances responsibly so that we are able to obey the Lord's commandment. A person cannot enter the temple to make high promises with God without first keeping the lesser promises (like tithing). Now, in regards to a split religious marriages and tithing, there is no "official" way of doing it (we don't have Cannon Law or anything really like that). Ultimately its something you discuss with the your local bishop. A couple of "folk" ways I've heard people do it--* The Mormon spouse gives 10% of their wages as tithing.* The couple talks about it, and gives 5% of their total earnings as tithing.* If the couple decides to give 10% of their total earnings (this is not expected) Talk with your bishop and with your husband about it. Personally, my non-Mormon husband is completely against tithing, so I do not pay (all money decisions are made 100% jointly in our marriage). This does disqualify me from going to the temple, but I still participate at the local church, pray and enjoy a wonderful relationship with my Heavenly Father. Edited June 25, 2015 by Jane_Doe Backroads, Just_A_Guy and Catlick 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 (edited) A couple of other possibilities to think about where one spouse is not a church member:--Agreeing, with a spouse, to donate 10% of your income to some charity, even if it isn't necessarily the LDS Church.--Agreeing, with spouse, that each spouse gets 5% of family income to use at their sole discretion with a promise that each spouse's use of that money will not be questioned, no matter how frivolous it may appear to the other spouse. (Mormon spouse can give it all to her church; non-Mormon spouse can--I dunno--blow it all on guns and ammo, or tools, or football tickets, or a boat, or . . . something.) Edited June 25, 2015 by Just_A_Guy Jane_Doe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 --Agreeing, with spouse, that each spouse gets 5% of family income to use at their sole discretion with a promise that each spouse's use of that money will not be questioned, no matter how frivolous it may appear to the other spouse. (Mormon spouse can give it all to her church; non-Mormon spouse can--I dunno--blow it all on guns and ammo, or tools, or football tickets, or a boat, or . . . something.) Why not make it 10% each? :) beefche, Vort and Just_A_Guy 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 To answer the question directly: Tithing is vital. It is a part of the law of consecration, without which exaltation is impossible. lonetree 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkstpaul Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 I believe Anatess's interpretation to be the most accepted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Is it possible to pay in time? (Just a question)IE-If you are broke, donate ten percent of your time to the church. You'd be amazed how much that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Is it possible to pay in time? (Just a question)IE-If you are broke, donate ten percent of your time to the church. You'd be amazed how much that helps. I have never heard of any such thing, though I have no real authority to proclaim that the answer is no. But as far as I have ever heard, the answer is no. Tithing is a donation of our substance, not of our time. That, too, is consecrated to God, but it's not what the word tithing refers to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane_Doe Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Is it possible to pay in time? (Just a question)IE-If you are broke, donate ten percent of your time to the church. You'd be amazed how much that helps. It was practiced back in Nauvoo days, but not nowadays. OP should just talk to her bishop :) Josiah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I have never heard of any such thing, though I have no real authority to proclaim that the answer is no. But as far as I have ever heard, the answer is no. Tithing is a donation of our substance, not of our time. That, too, is consecrated to God, but it's not what the word tithing refers to. Oh I never heard of it either, I was just asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I never had anyone talk with me about donating their time in regards to tithing ...... I did assign those who received assistance work to do in or around building or at a members home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palerider Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I should also say I never heard of it either. I know they did things like that back in the early days when building the Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Folk Prophet Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 The time dedicated to working on the temple in Nauvoo (1 in every 10 days) never substituted for tithing (1/10th of increase). Jane_Doe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I never had anyone talk with me about donating their time in regards to tithing ...... It's an interesting question I think. Eventually I guess it's between you, God and the Bishop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backroads Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I want to say a donation of increase in other material substance (here's 10% of my crop) was once accepted in lieu of money, but please don't quote me. Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 I want to say a donation of increase in other material substance (here's 10% of my crop) was once accepted in lieu of money, but please don't quote me. You are right. In its original form, tithing involved "in-kind" donations, not money. We associate money with tithing only because we have abstacted our economy to the point that everything is counted in monetary terms now, and "in-kind" bartering is considered a non-standard way of doing business. Backroads 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askandanswer Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Many years ago when I was serving as a ward clerk, someone donated 10% of their home garden crop. They had a small garden so It only amounted to about 4 vegetables. This entry was not recorded on MLS, although I guess we could have approximated the value of the donation and entered that amount. We didn't know what to do with the veggies, and I think that eventually the bishop nominated a needy person they could go to. Jane_Doe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Many years ago when I was serving as a ward clerk, someone donated 10% of their home garden crop. They had a small garden so It only amounted to about 4 vegetables. This entry was not recorded on MLS, although I guess we could have approximated the value of the donation and entered that amount. We didn't know what to do with the veggies, and I think that eventually the bishop nominated a needy person they could go to. Stories like that are beautiful. Isn't there a story in the new testament about a widow who didn't have much but still gave what she could when the Pharisees gave nothing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
askandanswer Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Stories like that are beautiful. Isn't there a story in the new testament about a widow who didn't have much but still gave what she could when the Pharisees gave nothing? A widow might know of the story you are referring to. :) Vort 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmarch Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I want to say a donation of increase in other material substance (here's 10% of my crop) was once accepted in lieu of money, but please don't quote me.I'm pretty sure that alternative substances other than standard currency is accepted when an individual does not have that as an income.paraphrasing a part of a talk that i recall (I think from Elder Uchdorf) from one of the conferencesthere was a poor member who did not have an income asked what he should do about tithing, to which he was asked a question; did he have any chickens that he raised? The poor man's answer was that he did. The poor man was then asked what if the chickens laid ten eggs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MormonGator Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm pretty sure that alternative substances other than standard currency is accepted when an individual does not have that as an income. I don't know why it shouldn't be, to be honest. Some people really have to watch every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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