Question about Tithing and what amount should be paid.

[paracaidista508]

Here is how I do it. May be right, may be wrong, but it works for me.

 

Take home pay is what I pay the 10% from. I used to save a significant portion of my pay at one time when I was very well compensated (in my opinion) and it went into my military 401K equivalent. My wife and I both decided that since we would be drawing from it in retirement the math would be very easy to do then rather than trying to figure out exactly how much of each withdrawal actually needed to be tithed-esp since we were not using the money for anything at the time. Additionally, the investments would likely grow significantly over the next 30 years or so due to compounding and there would be that much more to pay tithing from and the church would benefit even more from it. Also, we could potentially afford to go on a senior mission with those funds. Anyway- that’s how we do it.

 

As for blessings from it??? Personally I don’t know for sure, but this is what we have seen as a result of how we determine income and what amt of tithing should be paid.

 

While in the Army a few years ago I was injured fairly badly and went through about three years of treatment to get me stabilized and back to functioning order. I had permanent damage done to my brain, some organs, bones and nerves. The end result is while I may be functioning, I have been permanently injured and the end result was that I lost my job with the military as a reward for doing my job as I was not fit for duty anymore. I’m lucky to be alive I suppose. At least I get to see my kids grow up.

 

So how does this relate to the method I chose to tithe?
 

Due to the fact I was losing my employment from the Military, I was faced with having to get my family in a secure situation and start over. The injuries do not prevent me from working, but they prevent me from getting employment in my degree field and/or the field in which I worked in the military. I am able to get employment which commands about a third, maybe half if of what I usually make. Back to starting over- in order to get my family situated it cost me a significant amount of money which came from the retirement plan we had been saving in for nearly two decades and it depleted most of it. I paid the 10% early withdrawal penalty and tithing too. Llong story short we are ok and will be fine. If I would have tithed that amount before we put it in savings we would not have had the money available to take care of my family. I know this because I did the math. The money would not have been there. The time I had to do this was after the 2009 market crash so 50% of my money wasn’t even there anymore.

Were we blessed for it or not? Beats me, but I’d like to think so. 

Edited October 18, 2015 by paracaidista508

[Guest]

We now have the background and the result.  But expound a bit more on this last sentence.  And how is this a "testimony of tithing"?

 

My testimony is usually rooted on a spiritual witness, not just a "I turned left instead of right and found out later I was saved from a horrid car accident" type thing, know what I mean?

 

So, I pay tithing because when I prayed about the truth of the principle, I had a clear answer that it is true.

 

Now, applying that principle is not as easy.  Yes, I know I should do it because of that spiritual witness.  It would have been awesome if the Spirit would sit me down and tell me like a normal person would, if you do this, then you'll get this, etc. etc.  No.  The spiritual witness is simply that the commandment to tithe is from God.

 

So, I apply faith on the truth of the principle and do a Nike "just do it" on it.  The result of such an application of faith is that I tend to spend the rest of the money wisely when I faithfully set apart a tenth of it to God as the first act on that money.

 

Another result of this application of faith is that when I fail to tithe, it sets the tone for the rest of my testimony of the gospel and I start to slide down the slope.

 

It is true that sometimes, even as I have a spiritual witness of a principle of the gospel, I fail to apply it in my life according to God's will.  This must be how the 3 witnesses of the Book of Mormon fell out of favor even after they have a powerful spiritual experience of a visit from an angel.

[Guest]

... when I prayed about the truth of the principle, I had a clear answer that it is true.

 

...The spiritual witness is simply that the commandment to tithe is from God.

 

...

 

Another result of this application of faith is that when I fail to tithe, it sets the tone for the rest of my testimony of the gospel and I start to slide down the slope.

This answered my question.  I'm not certain if I've ever had it.  I guess I should look for it.  

 

I've just considered it payment for services rendered, treating the Church as a business from which I obtain services such as a comfortable building to worship in, activities to send my kids to, etc.  And from a temporal aspect I believe that is all it is.  But I'm having trouble with understanding or feeling the spiritual aspects of it.

[Capitalist_Oinker]

Personally, I pay tithing on my gross income.

 

I'm with Pam, here. I'll have to look it up when I get time, but I believe it was Joseph Fielding Smith who said that members of the Church should not justify themselves in not paying tithing on taxes that are withheld from their paychecks. I believe he said that tithing should be paid on GROSS income, but I also believe he was speaking for himself rather than the Church. 

 

Frankly, I don't worry too much about it. If it turns out that by paying on my gross income I am paying more than I am required to----so what? I'm confident I cannot possibly pay so much that God will be in my debt. 

If I overpay, I suspect  that He will overbless. 

[wonderingabouttithing]

I'll give two responses:

 

First, the counsel from general authorities.

 

The only counsel the GAs have provided is "1/10th of your interest annually".  But as of the last decade or two nearly every speech I've heard adds "which is understood to mean income".

 

"Anything more or less than this is not of God."  Then they proceed to tell inspiring stories of having paid tithing. Sometimes it is being blessed with a greater return financially.  Other times it is not.

But they were always blessed spiritually.

 

 

Second, common practices.

 

1) I've really never heard of anyone deducting living expenses like you would from income tax.  I don't believe this is a common practice.  I hope this is not a common practice.  I personally don't believe this to be right in the vast majority of circumstances.

 

2) A businessman will deduct business expenses to determine profit.  Then he does not deduct living expenses from his profits to determine tithing.

 

3) Some people will pay tithing on take-home pay (salary minus taxes) and others will pay tithing on gross earnings (salary before taxes are taken out).

 

My personal practices:

 

When I ran my own business, I really had very few "real" business expenses and thus paid on my gross revenues because it was simpler than trying to figure out exactly what I owed the Lord.

 

Now that I'm employed and have a W2 income, I pay on gross income.  It's just a lot simpler because I have all sorts of deductions.

 

I figure with these methods, I know I'm square with the Lord.  If I try any of these other methods or try to deduct living expenses and so on, I know I'd have this uncertainty of whether the Lord "really meant" something else.

 

The point is, don't try to be a lawyer about it.  And don't try to be an accountant about it.  Just ask the Lord what you need to do.  Then be prepared to do what you are prompted to do and you know to be right.

Can someone with experience in tithing tell me if I should pay tithing on my Social Security Income? I already paid on my gross income through many years.  Thank you

[zil]

IMO, if you paid tithing on the gross, and your SS income is no more than what you paid in*, then, no, there's no reason to pay tithing on the SS income, because you're just getting your own money back.  (It would be kind of like paying tithing again when you take money out of the bank.)

 

*Now if your SS income is more than you paid in, then you should pay tithing on the increase.

 

(I have no idea how this works, but I believe the SSA will tell you how much you've paid in, if you don't have your own records of that.)

 

FWIW

[LeSellers]

Can someone with experience in tithing tell me if I should pay tithing on my Social Security Income? I already paid on my gross income through many years.  Thank you

Unfortunately, I'm right there with you in wondering about this.

I pay on the gross amount of my military pension. I also pay on the gross amount of my antiSocial inSecurity check. But it's out of an abundance of caution, because the FICA tax was taken forcibly and the income from it is also taxed (unlike a "traditional" IRA compared to a Roth IRA) because of my "too high" income.

In fact, the only reason I accept antiSocial inSecurity at all is because we have seven children, all paying FICA tax to support the "program". I'm just getting their money back.

People say that they have a right to the checks because they paid in all their lives. But the money is gone: the government spent it already, there is no money in the imaginary antiSocial inSecurity "lock box". aSiS is not an 'investment" or "insurance" product. It's a legal (although still immoral) Ponzi scheme.

So, as I said, I pay on the gross, but I understand fully, and respect completely, the arguments for paying on some lesser value, to include nothing at all. I just do not and cannot recommend that route.

Lehi

[Vort]

Can someone with experience in tithing tell me if I should pay tithing on my Social Security Income? I already paid on my gross income through many years.  Thank you

 

This is why I do not tithe FICA withholdings. (I do tithe on the gross, but if someone agrees to pay me $100 for a job, then pays me $90 when the job is over with the promise that he will pay me more later on to make up for the missing $10, I only tithe the $90.) When I collect social security payments, then I will tithe them, as well.

[Guest MormonGator]

This is why I do not tithe FICA withholdings. (I do tithe on the gross, but if someone agrees to pay me $100 for a job, then pays me $90 when the job is over with the promise that he will pay me more later on to make up for the missing $10, I only tithe the $90.) When I collect social security payments, then I will tithe them, as well.

Don't make me audit you Vort!

 

Edited December 29, 2015 by MormonGator

[NeuroTypical]

I have a very interesting gentleman buddy in my ward.  He's mad we went off the gold standard in the '70's, big on rejecting FIAT currency.  He's got one of those cool sniper rifles that shoot a supersonic bullet over a mile, for when the zombies attack.

 

Anyway, he converts all his earnings into gold.   So if he makes $60,000 in a year, he figures that's around 50 gold coins.  And not just any gold coins, but American Gold Liberty coins.  These:

 

See how it says "$50 dollars" on the back?  When he does his tithing math, he didn't earn $60 grand, he earned fifty coins worth $50 each - he only made $2500 in 'gold coin' dollars.    So after doing his math, his tithing is $250.  He pays in normal FIAT paper currency and walks away whistling and happy.  Ain't his problem that the church accepts worthless FIAT currency. 

 

Yep - he's an interesting guy.  I helped him move earlier this year after the bank seized his house.

[Vort]

I'd say he has his reward.

[The Folk Prophet]

Ain't it great pulling one over on the Lord...

 

...oh...wait.....

[Guest]

About "pulling one over..."

 

In my house, we have a policy that we don't play "violent" games on Sunday.  This includes computer games.  We also make them "earn" computer time for recreational activities.  Sometimes they do so, but logistics get in the way and they don't get on the computer that day.

 

So, my son comes to me on Sunday asking if he can have "yesterday's" computer time now.  I listened to his justification and allowed it.

 

Then the other kids started complaining that he was playing a violent game.  It is interesting what my kids consider a "violent" game (quite tame).  His justification was that it was "yesterday's" computer time.  So he should be able to play a violent game.

 

So, I told him he had to get off the computer for violating the rule.  Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.  After he cooled down enough to listen, I told him (what the Lord was essentially telling that friend) that he knew better.  He knew he was trying to be sneaky.  He knew the rule.  And because he knew all that, he knew it was wrong.

 

The pouting continued.  Sent him to his room until dinner time.

 

So, is the house being taken away equivalent to or opposite of being restricted to quarters?

Edited December 29, 2015 by Guest