Tithing Settlement

I remember back when I was able to hold my first job. What excitement, anticipation and self accomplishment it brought. I got the opportunity to do something I already knew a lot about. There was nothing to taking food orders from hungry customers while they were still in their cars. Getting pop, fries, ice cream, candy, burgers, hot dogs, etc., were duties I could easily do in my sleep. The experience with my grandparents drive-in joint made me an instant expert in the field of "car hop," for the most part. I worked with the flirty-girl classmates, as well as the most popular ones; I myself, was not one or the other.
What is so memorable about the whole experience of car hopping was that I now got payed. I'll never forget that first piece of ledger that had my name on it. It was validation and proof of my hard work. I took it home and proudly displayed it in front of my parents. They enthusiastically shared in the joy of my accomplishment, but in the same breath, they announced my responsibility to the church...
The sudden awareness of my duty to pay 10% on the gross amount of my first payday, gave me the confidence of knowing I must do what was expected of me by God and the LDS church, first and foremost. I heeded to the instruction given me and on the very next Sunday I went to the church foyer where the bishops office door stood. Beside the dark door on the wall hung a small wooden container that safe-kept the important tithing slips and accompanying envelopes. After taking one slip and one envelope out of the box, I sat down on a near by chair and made the appropriate marks and signature, then neatly tucked the front copy into the envelope addressed to the presiding bishop. Before sealing the slim jacket up, I placed the money, or tithe, in along side the slip. After licking the gummy flaps edge, I slid the very small token into the cutout slot in the door that was in front of me.
I did this ritual every two weeks. Then at a certain time of the year, around tax time, I had to make an appointment for another ritual known as "tithing settlement." Tithing settlement is where those who pay tithing for the previous year, go into the bishop's office and discuss with him the amount of money that had been payed out to the church. When it was my turn to go see the bishop, I felt as though I had 'butterflies' in my stomach and was very nervous. It was my first experience with someone deciding if I gave enough money to the church. I meekly knocked on the door and went into his office after a verbal, "Come in." I sat down on a wooden office chair facing a rather very bulky wooden desk. Behind that large piece of furniture sat the bishop. He looked at his paperwork while he spoke a few kind words to me. He went on to tell me that his records had shown that I was behind in my obligation to pay 10% and I didn't pay into any of the fast offerings or missionary fund. He said that he didn't expect me to pay into the bishops storehouse, just yet.
The whole session lasted about ten minutes. I walked out of my 'tithing settlement' with a bill to pay. Before leaving the presence of the bishop, I was handed a small piece of white paper inscribed with the tender due. I was bewildered and confused. I didn't understand how I freely gave 10% of my money to the Mormon church, but the church demanded more.
I stood in the middle of the foyer after exiting the bishops office and just stared at the powder blue walls. "Something isn't right here," I thought to myself. "This doesn't add up." "How could this be?" I took a deep sigh and tucked the slip into my clutch, went to my car and drove home. I payed the amount that was written on the paper, plus I gave more for feeling as though I let God down.
In all the years I payed my tithes to the Mormon church, that first encounter with the bishop cut me to my very soul. Now that I am out of the LDS church, I see that God had given me my first warning sign into the deceitfulness of the Mormon cult practice known as, "Tithing Settlement.".