Let's Talk About Tithing

I recently did a podcast highlighting the lawsuit a former member brought against the church. He is suing the church because he says he felt defrauded by how the church paid for the City Creek Center project (the church said no tithing funds would be used, he claims they used tithing funds).

I won’t go into all the details about the lawsuit here if you’re interested to learn more, click HERE to watch my podcast, where I go into more detail.

What I really want to focus on is the current mindset and understanding surrounding tithing, particularly in our church.

There have been an increasing number of individuals, in and out of the church, who have voiced their opposition to tithing in the church because it is seeking to get gain and that it is not doing enough to help the poor and the needy.

The prevalence of this criticism has exploded in recent years as more information has become public about the church’s extremely large investment portfolio.

But these critics are fundamentally misunderstanding or plainly ignoring the doctrine of tithing, as revealed in scripture.

The Lord has been crystal clear on His expectations of his people, this law and principle.

“Those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever …” - Doctrine and Covenants 119:4

There are two main parts of this scripture verse; first that we are to pay 1/10 of our annual increase. And secondly, this commandment is a standing law to the church forever.

Forever.

Not until the church is debt free, or until it has a little surplus, or even until it has a $100 billion investment fund.

While one of the purposes of tithing is certainly to help finance the church’s operations and help build the kingdom, there is also a much deeper, more personal, and more important aspect to paying tithing.

The law of tithing is about us and our relationship with God, and more particularly, our prioritization between God and mammon.