Tithing

God promises to provide powerful blessings when we live the law of tithing. But the fruits of obeying this commandment aren't always what we expect.

Have you ever anticipated or hoped for a certain blessing, only to realize that God's gifts often come in unexpected packages?

We saw plenty of changes in 2022! A new “For the Strength of Youth” pamphlet, new Primary and Relief Society General Presidencies, and an entire African nation dedicated for missionary work to name a few!

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced changes to the end-of-year gathering of local leaders and members about tithing.

For anyone who submits tithing and fast offering donations online, some of the donation categories and options may look a little different now.

“By paying tithing, Church members ... help further the work of the Lord in the earth.” But what does that mean?

Published in 1899, the first Church handbook was small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. The world has changed greatly since then, and so has the handbook.

By the end of March 2019, members will be able to receive reimbursements for expenses incurred as a result of their calling as an electronic funds transfer to their bank accounts, according to a new notification on ChurchofJesusChrist.org/donations.

Recently, the Church removed options to donate to the Temple Patron Assistance Fund and Perpetual Education Fund from the online tithing forms.

During his global tour, President Russell M. Nelson became the second prophet to visit the country of Kenya. During his stay in the African nation, he told the Latter-day Saints, many who traveled for hours or days to see him, that tithing breaks the cycle of poverty. Elder Holland encouraged the African Saints to prepare for the temple. "Nothing will bless you more," he said, "nothing will unite your family more, nothing will bless your children more, nothing will bless your ancestors more."

Tax season is no one's favorite time of the year, but the Church has provided new online resources to make this year's process a little simpler.

Whether you're a member of the Church or not, anyone can create an account on lds.org and access its many resources. From tithing to family history to temples, there are lots of things you can do online with this account to keep you inspired and informed. Here are just a few.

It's so inspiring seeing people living their faith and remaining vocal about it, despite fame or fortune.

Take a look at 3 Nephi 24 and 25. The Lord quoted two chapters from Malachi to the Nephites so that they could be included in the Nephite scriptures for the sake of future generations:

John Podhoretz with the New York Post is by no means a Romney supporter. It's hard to imagine this reporter with a Romney bumper sticker considering he recently gave some criticism of the former presidential candidate that caused radio host Mark Levin to call him a "trash-mouther" who was "giving aid and comfort to Obama."

Last year, Money Magazine ranked BYU as the 15th best university in the United States. Such a high ranking was a source of pride for the LDS-owned school, which subsidizes its tuition with tithing funds. Money's rankings are based on educational quality, affordability, and alumni success.

This article explains how to pay your tithing online—including with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

Though the Romney and Trump political battle continues, one surprisingly positive thing did surface from this tussle: that Donald Trump loves Mormons and admires their work ethic, industry, and generosity.

We love those stories of members who pay their tithing and receive miraculous financial help. But what about those members who've never had such an experience? What about those who are faithful to this commandment but always struggle to make ends meet? What about those who don't yet have a testimony of this commandment?

Michelle Singletary, a nationally syndicated author for The Washington Post, has been publishing a series of videos to accompany her new book, The 21 Day Financial Fast. Though not a member of the Church, Singletary devoted day four of her series to the topic of giving and tithing.

In 1985, a special fast for the famine victims of Ethiopia sparked a flood of donations that far exceeded the Church’s expectations. This act of generosity by Latter-day Saints marked the beginning of what would become Latter-day Saint Charities—the Church’s humanitarian organization—which has been spreading hope and healing throughout the world ever since.

MR says: This is simply incredible! A movie newsreel from the Great Depression touting Mormons, the Church's Welfare Plan, and how "its members [are] the wealthiest churchgoers in the world."

A lot has happened in the world and within the Church since last general conference—from the US Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage to the death of three Apostles to the dedication of four new temples. It's incredible to think just how much can change over six short months. Take a look!

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made online tithing donations available to all wards and branches in the United States, though you can still choose to give donations or tithing to your bishop or branch president.

MR says: How and when you pay your tithing is a personal decision for all of us. But find out why this Church member chooses to avoid paying tithing online.

The First Presidency announced today that a new online donations website will be released this year. "Donating online is an alternate method to contribute to the Church, similar to giving the donation to your bishop or branch president," shares a new "Online Donations" page in the Help Center on LDS.org.

"Sometimes, even when a miracle happens in your life, when time passes, sometimes we forget what happened," Napoleon Barillas Lopez, of Nicaragua, says. A miracle did happen for Lopez and his family, one he says, is "something for which I will be grateful all my life."

The Science

Last night, Mitt Romney spoke to a full house at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. Discussing everything from terrorism to global warming, he also shared a few bits of wisdom to help people improve their financial situation.

At a time when concerns about family finances are widely believed to be a leading cause of marital discord and divorce, our efforts to manage our finances wisely are perhaps more important than ever. During my adult life in the Church, I have observed a number of common financial mistakes individuals and families make that, if avoided, will lead to greater peace and financial security. Below, I summarize seven of these mistakes:

When it became clear that my aunt – the Sister Missionary of this series – would not recover sufficiently from her stroke to live independently again, a cousin and I cleared out her house in preparation to sell it and its contents to support our aunt in whatever time she had left. I learned a lot about this woman I had known all my life, through sorting through her belongings – that she watched late-night television and bought too many useless wonders from pitchmen; that she had cared enough about her multitudinous church service missions to save the certificates, but not enough to keep them neatly in one place; that although she did have a vast collection of margarine tubs, she had done better than many elderly people and had not hoarded plastic bags or string or rubber bands.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a global faith that receives funds and other donations from a variety of donors. The Church uses these charitable donations to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, to care for the poor, and to strengthen members’ faith and commitment to Jesus Christ. But the details of exactly how tithing funds are used and how other donations are handled are often misconstrued. Here are five misconceptions about tithing and the truth behind them.

After 25 years on the job, steelworker Lec Holmes is an expert in his field. But as he helps construct The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ second temple in Provo, Utah, he admits it’s “not like a typical [construction] job.” Not typical because of its steep pitched roofs (he’s used to square buildings with flat roofs). Not typical because of the unity among the various parties involved in construction (he says “everybody gets along”). Not typical because Mormon temples are built to the highest standards (he notes that workers at the Provo site are “more conscious on the quality of work that's done here”).

With the fairly recent announcement lowering the missionary age to 19 for sisters, there has been a sharp increase in the number of young women signing up to serve missions. This is wonderful and exciting! If you are one of those young women considering serving a mission I can tell you from experience that it’s hard work and also one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever have.

When the multimillion-dollar Teton Dam disaster struck Idaho in 1976, a force of 45,000 Latter-day Saints was deployed almost overnight to provide emergency relief. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Mormon relief trucks arrived before the National Guard was even allowing relief through. Massive oil spills in South Korea in late 2007 found hundreds of volunteers handling the disaster with plans, supplies and manpower within days. The 2010 Haitian earthquake catastrophe was met immediately with 160,000 pounds of food and emergency resources, and a month later, when a devastating earthquake hit Chile, an airlift of tents, tarps, supplies and even diapers was quickly deployed.The Church is interested in helping those in need become self-sufficient in the long term as well as meeting immediate needs. After the 2004 tsunami devastated Southeast Asia, LDS Humanitarian Services personnel were still working with community-based organizations to provide longer-term aid and development three years later.

Nearly 90 percent of Mormons reported tithing regularly, new research shows. Researchers who presented their findings on the charitable habits of members of the Church of Jesus Church of Latter-day Saints are confident in the reliability of the responses from Mormons surveyed. Ram Cnaan, director of the Program for Religion and Social Policy Research for the University of Pennsylvania, told The Christian Post that although his research did not verify the responses from Mormons surveyed, other studies indicated that the data could be trusted.

Many religious traditions stress the importance of charity. But Mormons are remarkable for the amount and the precision with which they give to their church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that each Mormon in good standing should tithe 10 percent of his or her income. The money goes right to church headquarters in Salt Lake City and then is distributed back to congregations around the world.

MITT ROMNEY’S 2010 tax return, along with an estimated version of his 2011 filing, was released on Tuesday and attracted attention for a number of reasons — chief among them his high income and low tax rate. But the disclosure also called attention to his high level of charitable giving — much in the form of donations to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — in a nation where most donate far less.

Michael R. Otterson, managing director of public affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), dedicated his On Faith blog post this week to addressing the Latter-day Saint practice of tithing. “Tithing and other financial offerings are less about finances and more about personal attitude and commitment,” Otterson said.

Mitt Romney gave a lot of money away to charity. Phil Klein explains Typically, liberal rhetoric on taxes makes it seem as if the wealthy are getting a free ride on the backs of middle and lower-income Americans who are doing all the work and are really paying the taxes. But to put things on perspective, here’s what $3.2 million in federal taxes — Romney’s estimated 2011 burden — pays for:

With the release of Mitt Romney's tax records on Tuesday, the world now knows what was previously known only by a select few: Mitt and Ann Romney pay 10 percent of their income in tithing to their faith. Traditionally, tithing records are viewed as a confidential matter between members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the lay leader of their church congregation, but for the Romneys in the midst of a presidential campaign, those donations are now a matter of public record.

This article is part of a series in which HuffPost is taking a close look at the charitable giving of Republican presidential candidates. How much and to whom did they give? How does their giving compare with their fellow Americans? And what impact did their contributions ultimately have? WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney can afford to be charitable.

Conference Talk: For more information on this topic read “The Lord’s Richest Blessings,” by Carl B. Pratt, Ensign, May 2011, 101.

Manual 3; Supplement from "Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts Unceasingly" by President Gordon B. Hinckley