crystalb

My concern isn't so much with intention. If I had a source of income I would gladly tithe the full 10% every month. And it's not really about guilt. I don't feel guilty about not tithing because financially I'm not able to. My check, technically, is Social Security Disability Insurance and is not considered a source of income by the government (and not by me either since it's barely 5% of what my income was before I got sick). It's not taxable, hence the question remains of tithability, if that's a word. And my situation isn't going to turn around anytime soon. My disability isn't going to go away or get better and the best my doctors can say is that for the foreseeable future I will not be able to work.

Wouldn't paying the 10% and then needing assistance from the church to make sure I have enough to eat and can pay my bills work against each other?

I'm preparing for my first temple recommend interview and I want to make sure that I fully understand what tithing is and isn't. I don't have a typical source of income. I became disabled many years ago, before joining the church, and have only recently started receiving monthly disability checks. I know that tithing should come first, that it should be 10% of my income, but what I don't know is how this would/should apply to disability benefits. I've heard the stories about how even in the toughest of times when someone makes the sacrifice of paying tithing that the benefits will come. For me, personally writing a check for 10% of my disability check every month would be devastating and could many times mean the difference between having enough food for the month and going hungry, between being able to meet my legal obligations (car payment, insurance, medical bills, etc) and to have to risk my car being repossessed or losing my insurance. I want to be worthy of the recommend that I am seeking but I'm worried that my situation won't allow me to be. I've researched and studied the scriptures and prayed and I just can't seem to satisfy this question. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any advice?

Hi. My name is Crystal and I am joined the Church 3 1/2 years ago (at age 27). I live in Richmond VA and love the singles ward.