Gordon B. Hinckley, prior President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said: “Our major source of revenue is the ancient law of the tithe. Our people are expected to pay 10 percent of their income to move forward the work of the Church. The remarkable and wonderful thing is that they do it. Tithing is not so much a matter of dollars as it is a matter of faith. It becomes a privilege and an opportunity, not a burden. Our people believe in the word of God as set forth in the book of Malachi, that the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings that there will not be room enough to receive them (Malachi 3:8-10). Moving and touching is the testimony of Latter-day Saints throughout the world concerning this, the Lord’s law for the financing of His work.”
The Church finances its operations primarily through voluntary donations from its members, generally referred to as Tithing. The Lord commanded his people in the Old Testament to bring their tithes to his servants. Many Church members today voluntarily donate a portion of their income help the Church bless the lives of millions of individuals through providing meetinghouses for worship, schools for education, supplies for humanitarian aid, food and housing assistance to the poor, etc. In addition, the Church owns and operates taxable for-profit business enterprises that generate income to help fund Church initiatives. The Church invests a portion of its gross receipts to maintain a financial reserve, and income from these investments provide an additional source of funds.
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The Church is moved forward by putting in practice the ancient law of tithing. The commandment of the tithe is to give 10% of one's total income as a tithe offering. When the church was restored the true law of the tithe was restored with it. This commandment is several thousand years old and was established to strengthen the faith of and bless the Lord's children here in the earth and to move forward the Lord's work. When put into practice it functions perfectly and the blessings are promised to all members of the Lord's church who faithfully live it. The commitment to pay tithing is between the individual and the Lord and no one else. When someone gains a testimony of the law of tithing by living it, it is no longer a burden or requirement. The law of tithing becomes a privelege for those who understand the meaning of it and live it. (Malachi 3:8-10)
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The church finances most of its operations through the law of tithing that was set forth by the Lord. This law has been in place anciently, as talked of in Malachi. The members are expected to pay 10 percent of our income to help the work of the Church move forward. Some people misunderstand, and think the blessings come by how much money you give, but this is not so. Tithing is an act of faith. Remember the story of the widow and mite? She only gave a tiny portion, but it was all she had. The Lord praised her above the rich men, who gave much gold and precious things. It is a wonderful joy to be able to contribute to building the kingdom of God in this way, for it allows us to bless not only the church, but the world, in so many ways.
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Members of the Church live the law of tithing. By giving 1/10 of all our income we make it possible to build church buildings, temples, print books of mormon, videos, etc. Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the Church for those just learning, none of the bishops, stake presidents, teachers, or any other leader in the entire church is paid for their services. It is all true service! Tithing truly goes to the building of the kingdom, not anyone's personal bank accounts!
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Being a bishop, my friends who are not of our faith are amazed to hear that I make no money in exchange for the 30 or so hours I spend per week serving. I believe this is one of the signs that the church is true. Tithing is 10%. It doesn't matter how much one makes, if one is rich or poor, it is 10% for everyone. But this money does not make the church leadership rich, men and women like me serve without compensation. The money builds up the church and supports its growth throughout the world building temples and chapels.
I have always felt the blessings that come from paying tithing. One year at Christmas time both my wife and I needed trips to the hospital and there was only enough money for some presents or to pay tithing, not both. My wife and I talked about it and both of us quickly agreed to be faithful and pay it that Sunday. Monday morning I went to get into my truck and there was an envelope under the wiper with a check in it for the same amount of tithing I had paid the day before. The Lord knew and someone followed His direction to bless our family. I'll always be grateful for the kindness of the person who followed the Lord's direction and I'll always be grateful that I put the Lord first in regards to the payment of tithing.
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The Church finances its operations through the members of the Church paying their tithing. As far as running the organization of the Church, there is no paid clergy. Every member gives of their service voluntarily.
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The Mormon Church does not have a paid clergy, but has a lay ministry. Local congregational leaders, "Bishops", serve alongside Sunday school teachers, youth advisors, musicians, and others who perform the work of the local congregation as volunteers without pay or salary.
As members, we contribute 10% of our income to the church as tithing. These funds are used to build chapels and Temples and pay for their upkeep and maintenance. These funds also are used to create and print church materials and to send the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.
In addition to tithing contributions, we abstain from eating two meals on the first Sunday of each month in a spirit of fasting and prayer. These funds, known as “Fast Offerings”, are contributed to local Bishops who use the funds to care for those in need.
Young men and young women who serve for 18-24 months as full-time missionaries receive no compensation. Most work after school and during summers to earn money to finance their own missions. Many retired couples also serve the church on a full;-time basis and receive no financial compensation. Some receive financial help from their families or from members of their local congregations.
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All funding for the church operations comes from the tithing our members pay. We believe that everything we have (money, jobs, shelter, etc.) is due to the faith we have in Jesus Christ. And one of the ways we thank him for all of this is to give his church 10% of all money we earn.
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My parents joined the church when I was a young boy. One major influence in their decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was that it did not have a paid clergy. My mother and father witnessed a lot of dissention among the congregation of their previous faith, most of which centered on money. As a bishop, I don't receive any financial remuneration at all. But I do receive the blessings that come from consecrating my time, talents and efforts to the members of the Church whom I serve. Sometimes it is difficult to work long hours as a lawyer and devote another 20 hours during the week to being a bishop. But I love the fact that my tithing and fast offerings that I pay to the Church--and which faithful members give to me as donations to deposit in church accounts--all go toward helping the needy throughout the world and building the Kingdom of God here upon the earth.
I don’t believe that I should be paid to practice what I preach.
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