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.".

1 comments:

Godhead November 7, 2010 at 2:53 PM  

This leads me to something that I have been thinking about. Any cult relies heavily on its members for their contributions and donations for its survival. Also many men and women I suppose make a good living from whatever cult they are associated with whether it be Mormonism. The fact is that there are some in these cults who have a lot to loose and much to gain by keeping their high position in the cult. The ones with the most to loose will be also the ones who will fight the most to keep the cult alive and full of members. Yet no one person owes these profiteers any loyalty. Its no ones fault if they cannot get a real job in society, and are probably unskilled or unqualified to do so. But these profiteers are the ones who keep the church alive. They are the only ones who have anything to loose. Its the members who loose out by being a member of a cult, by giving their time, their money and their lives, for a cause that is based solely on a fabrication of one man, in the case of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. I pray to God in the Name of Jesus that you work, Handmaiden will do much to hurt these profiteers in the Mormon Church, and do much to free its members who are being used as human fodder. Amen! This is a work worth being a part of and supporting.

About Me

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Michigan, United States
I spent a lot of time deciding if I should write this blog or not. I'm not a great writer and I'm not going to pretend to be. I need to share what I have learned and I might not make some people happy with what I am saying. This blog is a way for me to release the thoughts and feelings that come with knowing I grew up in the wrong religion. A healing process if you will.

How To Read This Blog

Please start with the month of February 2007 and read backwards. This is the most effective way to understand, in order, why I say what I do.

Handmaidens Creed

1.I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God without beginning or end.
2.I believe the Bible to be the Holy Inspired word of God with full truth and righteousness. No other writing is.
3.I believe that the work of the Lord comes first. Before any temporal thing or person.
4.I believe that grace is a gift and Christ gives that gift freely to all who believe.
5.I believe that the beauty of a woman is contained inside of her and not by what she looks like on the outside.
6.I believe that marriage is sacred and represents the Godhead on earth; two are one just as three are one.
7.I believe that love is more powerful than any other power. Remember, God is love.
8.I believe that tithing is not a part of God's new covenant, free will offerings are. And that doesn't mean just money.
9.I believe that the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods are abolished and Christs Holy Priesthood whom Christ is the "Great High Priest" is eternal.
10.I believe that every believer is a priest in the "Priesthood of Believers".
11.I believe that when two are one, nobody is to separate the one.
12.I believe that Christ is the only way to heaven.
13.I believe that our bodies are temples, not man made buildings.
14.I believe that liars make fools out of others and the liar hates the fool.
15.I believe that all believers are in authority to preach the gospel.
16.I believe that the word 'organization' to describe Christs body is evil and has no place with God.
17.I believe the Americas are not the land of Zion and Christ will return to His origonal land-Israel in the Middle East.
18.I believe that God has set out correct ways of worshiping Him, not man.
19.I believe in holding to the truths of the Bible and not mans understanding of it.
20.I believe that the world is full of evil and Satan can easily gain control over the minds of those who do not profess Christ of the Bible to be their only Messiah.
21.I believe that Saints are those who know the real Savior, Jesus Christ, of whom the Bible speaks of; not the jesus of a cult.