I was still TBM when my sister's family hit on some severe economic difficulties, many years ago. With reservations (they are proud, self-sufficient people), they went to the bishop for assistance. They didn't know what else to do, and figured that in extreme circumstances the church would be there to help. After all, isnt that what tithing and fast offerings are for, to aid the needy and take care of the flock?

They were basically told to go back to their families for help. I think in the end they were given some Deseret Industries food and maybe a couple months of rent assistance, but it was way less than they or I considered that the church would be able to help with, given that it is a multi billion dollar company.

What I wonder is, out of all the billions of dollars the church takes in, where does it go? Only a teesny wee little bit is used to help people.

of course, i do understand that the church is not a welfare center, and that if they didn't draw the line somewhere then people would be lining up for handouts and abusing the system, but having said that, it seems to me that the amount of aid they give out relative to their income too little.

Back in the early days of the church, tithes were usually paid in farm goods and then redistributed to those in need. But the church ran up a huge debt building the SLC temple and the banks needed to be repaid. Snow's "Windows of Heaven" speech marked the change from goods-based tithing to cash-based tithing -- cash with which the church could pay its debts and then build the kingdom. The majority of modern tithes go to operating the church.

Tithing money goes to building temples, fast offerings go to helping families. Temples Shmemples

Great and Spacious temples, advertisements, investments, and General Authorities' "living stipends."

Malls, failed insurance companies and a flat-out shitty newspaper. Does the morg still own the Hotel Utah, right across from the temple? I used to drink in there back in the day when in town on business.

Ron