Tithing and the LDS Mall and City Creek Center Project

Since the unveiling of the LDS Church's plan for the downtown Salt Lake Crossroads Mall project (City Creek Center), there has been some vocal complaining. Some feel like the church shouldn't be involved in these kinds of projects. Others feel like the money for such extravagant projects could be put to better use helping the poor. Not that they have any idea how to help the poor, but this kind of thing ain't it, according to them. The LDS church should start a soup kitchen, women's shelter or have a van that passes out hygiene kits. That is helping the poor, not extravagant shopping mall with a retractable roof (nice touch; to bad Gateway didn't think of that). While shelters and soup kitchens are great ideas and Salt Lake has those programs, and I have personally participated in them, I think the complaints against the new City Creek Center are based on some unfortunate misunderstandings.

First off, no tithing dollars are being used for the City Creek Center. This Downtown revitalization project is being funded by Property Reserve which is the LDS church's commercial real-estate arm. This company functions like the LDS Foundation which gets its money from the profits from church associated companies like Bonneville Communications and Beneficial Life as well as dividends and interest from other investments. LDS subsidiaries like Property Reserve and the LDS Foundation are used to maintain the churches non-profit status by using earnings from investments to contribute to the local community.

Many donations are made to local charities by the LDS Foundation in addition to the Corporation of the First Presidency or Cooperation of the Presiding Bishopric which run the church's welfare and humanitarian aid programs. The problem with the LDS church is that it is managed well. The church invests its tithing money very conservatively. However, invested money earns interest. So, to maintain the church's tax-exempt status, subsidiaries like the LDS Foundation use those earnings to give to support local soup kitchens, women's shelters, and even in several instances has contributed to repair fire-damaged or time-worn churches of other denominations in the Salt Lake City area. LDS Foundation donations are not reported in conference. Like the LDS Foundation, Property Reserve uses earnings obtained by being major shareholders in several businesses. This money represents earnings from dividends and interest on investments but it is not the tithing itself. Also, the LDS church does not feel a need to set up competing programs in the community. If there is a program that works, the LDS church is happy to fund it and support it instead of competing against it.

The City Creek Center and other downtown revitalization projects are a great service to Salt Lake City. Crossroads mall was not built to any kind of seismic code. The entire mall and parking structure would have collapsed in even a moderate earthquake. Salt Lake couldn't find any investors or developers who were willing to touch this project with a 10-foot pole. So, the city does what it always does when it gets into a financial pinch and turns to the LDS church for a bail out. And the LDS church comes through in a spectacular way. Crossroads was such a disaster that the church just demolished the entire mall and parking deck and needed to start from scratch. However, because the church is doing such an excellent job, they were able to attract Taubman Centers, Inc. as a partner-owner in the project. Taubman Centers, Inc is the #1 upscale mall owner-development company in the United States. This mall project is a benevolent action on the part of the LDS church that will create jobs and improve the image of downtown Salt Lake and support increased commerce and tourism. The increased residential space downtown will also support those who wish to live and work in close proximity saving money on the increasing costs of gasoline and transportation.

That said, there is another major and even more fundamental misunderstanding at work here involving the purpose of tithing. The purpose of tithing is not to feed or assist the poor. Tithing is to be used to build the kingdom of God. It is wrong to think that just because you pay your tithing, that you no longer have responsibility to care for the poor and needy. Tithing is Gods money and is used specifically for building the Kingdom of God and is not to be "double-counted" as providing for the poor. Tithing is used to build temples and churches worldwide and maintain buildings and church programs. For this precise reason, the LDS church collects a fast offering, in addition to tithing, which is used to fund local, church-wide welfare and worldwide humanitarian aid programs. These programs are overseen by the Corporation of the First Presidency and the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop. Sometimes it can be easy to be generous with Gods money then your own money.

Above giving tithing and a generous fast offering, LDS members are encouraged to join local service organizations like their local Rotary or Kiwanis Clubs and donate money and time to local and worldwide service projects. The Rotary Club in Salt Lake operates an extensive child reading and tutoring program and worldwide they are building wells, and building grain mills so that young women don't have to spend all day grinding grain by hand. By employing such simple technology like a grain mill, it allows young women who used to spend all day grinding grain by hand, the time to attend school. The Rotary Club also sponsors a vaccination program with the goal to eradicate polio by 2010. Programs sponsored by private organizations like the Rotary Club are needed because many countries will allow programs sponsored by the Rotary organization while they do not allow government or religious group sponsored programs.

Again, feeding the poor is not the purpose of tithing. Tithing is to build the kingdom. It is our responsibility to feed the poor with our own money and not Gods money. Sounds like some are generous with Gods money which they hope will cover their responsibility for the poor. That is just like many liberals who when asked if they help the poor say they pay taxes and think that that should suffice and that It is the governments job to help the poor. Yes, the government has an obligation to alleviate suffering, and churches generally are more efficient than the government at helping the poor. But, that is what fast offering is for and not tithing. However, no one does a better job at helping the poor than families, neighbors, and individuals.

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house.

Some critics quote Malachi to support the idea that tithing is to be used to feed the poor. However, they do not understand that God does not need literal food in His house which is the Temple. The food spoken of in Malachi 3 is not edible food. This verse is speaking figuratively for resources for Gods temples to be built. And that is why LDS church members pay offerings on top of a full tithing. Tithing does not get us out of our responsibility to care for the poor. I know many would like to "double dip" and use tithing and taxes to satisfy their "rich guilt." This is why on top of paying tithing the Early Christians lived "with all things in common." That is, they lived the law of consecration. Tithing alone was not enough to care for the poor. Tithing is to build the kingdom. Everything else you have is to care for the poor. Remember that Christ told the the rich young man to sell everything he had, not just 10% and give it to the poor and come and follow Him.

Matt. 19: 21 (Mark 10: 21) Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Finally, in accordance with Malachi 3, tithing money is used precisely to build and support the house of God. "My house" in Malachi 3 is referring to the temple. And the LDS church uses its tithing to build temples all over the world making the everlasting temple covenants and sealings available to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. The temple more than any other program serves to empower people to pull themselves out of poverty. The temple breaks the poverty cycle. To be worthy to enter the temple one must forsake the destructive societal plagues of promiscuity, substance abuse, and dishonesty.

Are Christians Getting the Most For Their Tithing?

I am worried that many of my fellow Christians are not getting the most for their tithing dollar. At 10% income, tithing represents a significant expense. So, I think a devout Christian should demand the most from their church. Unfortunately, I feel that many fellow Christians are just not getting the value they deserve from their current churches in comparison to what I get as a member of the LDS Church. I thought it would be fun just to list some of the benefits I get from my faith:

1. High Expectations: LDS believe that salvation only is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, but that doesn't mean the church doesn't expect it's members to repent and keep the Law of Christ. The LDS church expects its members to live an honest, chaste, virtuous, charitable, un-materialistic, Christ-centered life. It is wonderful to associate with other people who are not superficial but live deep, righteous, Christ-like lives. There is no better feeling of peace to your soul than when you feel you are living your life the way God desires.
2. Optimal Congregation Size: The LDS church divides it's congregations after they reach a certain size. The result is a church family that isn't so big that individuals fall through the cracks. Everyone benefits, knows, and serves each other.
3. Diverse Congregations: Congregations are geographically defined so they consist of all members of whatever race or ethnicity within the defined area. Consequently, LDS congregations are some of the most integrated and diverse.
4. Culture of Caring: Taking care of a congregation is too much work for any Bishop or Pastor alone. The LDS church has a system of Home and Visiting teachers which assigns 2 men and 2 women to visit you each month as well as assigns you, with a companion, to visit 2-4 other families each month. If you are married, between those that visit you and those you visit, that is like 9 assigned friends who you can call in time of need. LDS members make you dinners, bring you cookies, plan baby showers, etc. A LDS member feels taken care of from birth to burial and crib to coffin.
5. Additional Scripture: The LDS Church has been given the Book or Mormon, Another Testament that Jesus is the Christ. The Book of Mormon contains beautiful passages that teach that Christ is the only way to salvation, how to repent, and clarifies many doctrines that are unclear in the Bible alone such as infant baptism, literal resurrection, etc.
6. Continued Revelation and Counsel from a Living Prophet: It has been invaluable to have a living prophet who can receive direction from God concerning current modern issues that the Bible prophets didn't comment on. Modern prophets have counseled us to stay away from pornography, to keep out of debt, to be prepared for emergencies, for youth not to start dating before 16 and "going steady" before college, and to not smoke, and drink alcohol. Following the prophet has saved me from the plagues and sins of this generation.
7. Forever Family and Eternal Marriage: The LDS Church has the keys and authority restored through Joseph Smith to seal husbands and wives and parents to children both in this life and in the next. When I got married, I got married for "Time and All Eternity" and not just "Until death do you part" or "For as long as you both shall live." I have many people I have spoken with who have have near-death experiences and many have confirmed to me that they saw that the relationships of friends and family continue in the next life.
8. Promise of Eternal Life: What good is religion if it can't assure you of an eternal reward in the next life. The LDS church provides all the necessary ordinances performed by the appropriate priesthood authority, such as the baptism of water and fire that Jesus Christ himself said was necessary to enter into the Kingdom of God.
9. Help Dealing with Death: Having delt with the death of my brother, 2 grandfathers, and a still-birth child I can attest that the LDS perspective makes all the difference and does bring peace to the soul during these difficult times. This is apparent at any LDS funeral as there are rarely shows of inconsolable grief. A recent PBS/NOVA documentary attested, no other Christian church does a better j0b at helping its people deal with death than the LDS Church.
10. Priesthood Ordination: Like Mike Huckabee, I am an Ordained [LDS] Minister. So is Mitt Romney. I received years of formal religious training and I have been authorized to baptize and confirm my own children and to give blessings and anointing to the sick for my family and others at any time. My wife considers having an ordained minister in the house to be a huge benefit and consolation. All worthy LDS males are ordained into the priesthood.
11. Missionary Program: The LDS Church provides its members with many opportunities to engage in missionary work. We are a missionary church. All 19-year-old males are encouraged to serve 2-year, full-time missions. LDS members are encouraged to assist their local full-time missionaries. Also, retired couples are encouraged to serve missions and can be selected to be mission presidents to oversee the work of 200+ young men and women.
12. Welfare Program: The LDS church does a better job than any other Christian church at taking care of its own. It has one of the most sophisticated and thorough programs for taking care of the needs of its poor and transitioning out of poverty. Also, the church is engaged in numerous high-impact, low-profile humanitarian programs which make a big difference but don't get much media coverage. The LDS church operates a program called the "Perpetual Education Fund" with allows foreign LDS members to take out low-interest education loans like the ones available in the US that can be paid back later on.
13. LDS Worldwide Network: When you are LDS, you are instantly networked with millions of other LDS worldwide. When you are moving into a new area the world over, you are expected to call the other LDS in the new area and they are ready to assist you in relocating, providing information on the best schools, places to live, and employment. When I moved to Georgia, an LDS family helped us purchase our first home all over the phone. The church membership even helped us unload the moving truck.
14. Youth Program: The LDS church operates a junior priesthood (Aaronic Priesthood) program which prepares all young men to be future ordained Christian ministers and full-time missionaries. The LDS church utilizes the Boy Scouts of America program for its young men and has a higher proportion of boys that reach Eagle Scout. The church also has an outstanding young women's program and seminary program which provides formal scriptural/religious study before school every day. Studying the scriptures every day with your peers works wonders to help kids resist the pressures and pitfalls during the high school years.
15. Relief Society: My wife is a member of a worldwide women's organization that helps her develop intellectually and socially. The Relief Society meet weekly and monthly to develop and share domestic and homemaking skills, perform humanitarian service activities, and develop their spiritual devotion to Jesus Christ.
16. Answers to the Great Questions of the Soul: I feel that the LDS Church does a better job than any other church at answering the tough questions. (e.g. What is the purpose of Life, Why am I here, What happens in the next life). I feel like I can answer these difficult question when my own children ask them which makes them feel comforted when confronted with difficult times.
17. Family Home Evening Program: The LDS Church teaches that it is the primary responsibility of Parents to teach their own children the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they reserve Monday nights as the night for families to stay home and pray, read and discuss the scriptures, and have fun together.
18. Support for Traditional Family Values: No other church that I know of does a better job to support the ideals of the traditional family. I got married at 23 and had the courage to start my family early and feel confident that if I stuck to the LDS program I would be able to raise and enjoy a happy, healthy, peaceful, Christian family. So far the LDS church has delivered. 19. Leadership Opportunities: There is no professional or paid clergy in the LDS Church. Therefore, there are always numerous opportunities to serve as Sunday School Teacher, Boy Scout Leader, or even as Bishop. No other Christian church provides more opportunity for leadership and participation for its membership.
20. Modern Day Temple Worship: According to the Book of Acts, temple worship (in addition to worship in the synagogue or church) continued to be an important part of Christian devotion. Isaiah foretold that the Temple ("mountain of the Lords house") would be restored in the last days ("top of the mountain"). LDS members are blessed that the purpose and ordinances of the temple have been re-revealed, and restored to the Earth through the prophet Joseph Smith.