(posted by Steve Benson, RfM, 18 April 2012, http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,478258,478258#msg-478258)

Some time ago, I did a calculation on how much tithing I had turned over to the Mormon Church, covering a period of several years.

I paid on my gross income and, to the best of my recollection, the tithing total came to about $150,000.

That would maybe buy one of those "700 Club"-type of LDS temple Celestial Room chandeliers--or perhaps cover a fraction of Monson's downtown condo.

What I could have done with that money, stolen from me through the lies of a cult founded by a convicted conman. Oh, well . . .

How about with you folks?

I got off easy, getting out before I made any real money right after my mission.
So all they got from me was tithing on my paper route, and my 3 years of working at Jack-in-the-Box as a teen.
Probably around $250 or so.

That might have covered Monson's Pepsi bill for a week. Maybe two. :)

I got out right after my mission as well. They still made a couple of thousand off of me pre-mission.

Same here. Left before I had any substantial earnings. Wasn't really scammed for all that much.

I went from full TBM to full inactive ... cold turkey ... when I moved from Colorado to Oregon back in 1980.

Curiously, for about 9 months after moving, I mailed tithing checks to the local bishop ... whom I never met.

In other words, even though I had decided to quit the Church, I was so programmed to pay, pay and pay, that I continued paying for 9 months before I came to my senses and stopped.

Go figure on that.

Tithing was always a source of guilt for me, I was always behind and had a real hard time paying it. I probably didn't ever pay more than $50,000, a decent amount of money, but not as bad as it could have been. One time I had to turn down a state calling because I was too far behind on tithing. I felt like a piece of shit loser for having to say no because I wasn't worthy. My wife was upset with me.

Now we just laugh about it and are grateful that I couldn't get my crap together and pay the lord first.

I'll tell you though, I was a ward clerk for a little while though and did tithing reconciliation. There were weeks were we took in $30,000 or more.

My High Priest TBM dad regularly borrowed money at the end of the year to pay his tithing. Then he spent the next year paying off his tithing loan from the previous year.

One of his legendary admonitions to his offspring: "Don't shortchange the Lord."

You've heard of Delayed Gratification?

OK. How do you spell D-e-l-a-y-e-d - - S-e-l-f-u-c-u-l-a-t-i-o-n?

"I could selfuculate myself at the end of each month, but instead I think I'll selfuculate myself at the end of the year right before tithing settlement."

He and my mom begat seven TBM children, four of whom eventually came to our senses and became XTBMs.

Now I no longer have any problems with selfuculation.

Sounds like Progress to me!

Crystal shaped acrylic doesn't grow on trees! It takes big money to mold and glaze it before it's churned out on conveyor belts.

No doubt temple chandeliers are just as fake as everything else Mormon.

Impressing gullibles with deception was Joseph Smith's favorite pastime, and his legacy lives on ... and on ... and on.

Great job, Joe! You're incredible!

Cleaned temple chandeliers piece by piece in the LA temple. I can assure you, they are not cheap plastic. I think I would be more okay with them being plastic, but they really are crustal. :(

For you haters..The LDS Church is about love and not money.. forget we have a required audit of your GROSS charitable contributions each December and remind you tirelessly in our sacrament meeting talks to payupsuckah.

You can read it here.. its not us but all the others.. quit persecuting us.. WE ARE NOT HYPOCRITES... uhh thats what I'm told to think anyway.

THE BOOK OF MORMON
CHAPTER 8
32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.



Mormon 8:37

37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

Geez, the Nephites sound like they had their shit together!

What ever happened to them?

Think of the tax deductions religion receives to build their buildings with fancy windows and chandeliers. You know, because, it's a charitable expense.

It is time to tax these houses of fraud, IMO.

The first time I ever earned money babysitting - $10 - I sneaked into the bishop's office and put it on his desk. I felt I needed to pay it for all my "sins." I was 12. But then in sacrament meeting the bishop stood up and asked who had put it there. He admonished the ward that the money had to be accounted for. I was mortified and silent. I thought the money just went straight to the lord. No clue about tax deductions and tithing settlement.

That's awful, Marilee!

First that they brainwash innocent 12 year olds that the church needs their money was bad enough. Then to call out someone for not following their stupid rules is even worse.

Jesus needs his army of accountants, don't you know. Sheesh.