The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced last week an online option for members to pay tithing and contribute other donations. For a church that compels charity, figuratively and literally, this is a welcome option that brings about a semblance of parity among members with otherwise disparate incomes.
The subject of tithing is undeniably a central tenet to numerous LDS adherents, especially for those who wish to be considered in "good standing." In fact, our ability to answer the question, "Are you a full-tithe payer?" — in either a temple recommend interview or in annual tithing settlements — could affect one's ability to perform ordinances (at least for male members) or enter one of the church's temples.
But a very real negative externality of the pressure to pay tithing is the extreme anxiety it can cause among members, especially those in lower income brackets. Since the introduction of sections 119 and 120 in the Doctrine and Covenants in 1838, church leaders have couched the law of tithing in a variety of ways, ranging from direct orders to allegorical anecdotes employed to oblige members to pay.
In the December 2012 issue of the Ensign, a story was recounted wherein a bishop in El Salvador reportedly told a new convert, "Even if paying tithing means that you don't have enough money to feed your family, pay tithing." In the October 1980 General Conference, then President Spencer W. Kimball said, "To fail to meet this obligation is to fail in a very weighty matter." This was made apparent to me as an impressionable young convert to the church when the bishop of my local ward withheld my advancement in the priesthood because he'd yet to receive any tithes from me. As I was only 14 at the time, I cited my lack of any real income. He explained that tithing was owed on any increase, and was explicit in saying that the church was indeed in need of 50 cents from the five dollar bill my grandmother included in my birthday card. After making a few contributions, I was eventually advanced and was able to avoid any social stigma typical of situations like that, especially in predominantly Mormon small towns.
Coincidentally, it was from that grandmother that I first learned of tithing. On the occasions I attended Catholic mass with her previous to my conversion to the LDS faith, there was never a time that she didn't contribute financially to the collection basket passed among the pews. Like most Mormons, she put her donation in a small envelope. When I asked why she didn't just place cash in the basket like other congregants, she replied, "It's nobody's business but mine and God's." Her devotion was inspiring, but it was somewhat ironic that I eventually found my way into a faith where tithing was nobody's business but mine, my bishop's, and of course, God's.
The church's news release noted that tithing is "paid on the honor system. No one asks to see income statements or pay slips." Discussion of any honor system, however, is one that applies to multiple parties, including those who are entrusted with these funds. While handing one's tithing over to a member of the bishopric is the most common way to pay, members have had the option for quite some time to utilize a bill-pay system that sends funds straight to church headquarters, with the option to keep amounts confidential. Unfortunately, and curiously, this mechanism has never been widely publicized, thus potentially increasing the likelihood of the aforementioned tithing anxiety.
While it's commendable that the church operates at a zero deficit, the relative lack of transparency in terms of how and where tithing money is spent leads me to believe that any amount given to the church should be treated with utmost confidentiality, especially if there is truth to the so-called "honor system." With the ability to pay tithing online, members should have the opportunity to allay any concerns about their standing. By updating to a 21st century standard, and making better the confidentiality of amounts paid as so many other faiths and charitable organizations have done, the LDS Church may very well see an overall increase in tithes and charitable contributions.
John C. Ronquillo is an assistant professor of nonprofit and public management at the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs.
