A Question About Youth Tithing

[RickJ]

I am hoping that you all might be able to clarify a question I have about tithing...

Currently I am the only one in the house working and we pay our tithes on my gross income each fortnight. We give our children a small amount of pocket money each week - they do not have to do anything for it and it is only $2.00.

As the money has already had the tithes paid on it and our children do not "earn" the money - it is given to them by us as a gift - do they have to pay tithing on this?

When they do small jobs for other people and they are paid for it (they earn the money) then we get them to pay tithing.

The question has raised its head as our 13 year old daughter was denied a temple recommend recently because she had not paid tithing and she received pocket money.

Just wondering what others thoughts are on it and if there is anywhere I can go to get clarification on it.

[rampion]

I remember my uncle giving me twenty pennies or nickles, with the point being to count how much tithing to pay and to remember to pay tithing on that income. My kids pay tithing on birthday money, etc., as well as on any earnings that they have (well, unless they forget or choose not to - nobody is perfect). My understanding is that we pay tithing, not because we earned money, but because it is a commandment, and so that we will remember that all that we have comes from the Lord, whether we worked to get it or not. It seems like it would have been easier when people tithed on what their lands produced, because maybe it would have been easier to see that all of that grain or fruit or whatever grew because God caused it to, rather than I go to work and my employer deposits money in my bank account.

But I digress. I would tend to feel that the purpose of youth paying tithing is so that they will learn that all that they receive is the Lord's, irregardless of why they receive it. But maybe the purpose of the pocket money would make a difference. For example, if I gave my children money that was to pay for their lunch or school fees or some other specific purpose, then I would not expect that they would pay tithing on that money. If it is their discretionary money that they can spend as they choose, then I would think that the decision to pay tithing would come into play.

[Wingnut]

I would say yes they ought to pay tithing on it, so that they have opportunity to learn the concept of tithing first hand, and gain a testimony of it. Do they "have" to? Probably not, since as you said, you've already paid tithing on it.

My parents never gave me an allowance, but they did help me learn financial concepts with birthday/Christmas money. Ten percent to tithing, 50% to savings, and the rest to spending. I will probably do the same with my children, so that they can learn what they need to, even though personally I don't necessarily consider gifts as tithe-able.

For such a black and white issue, tithing sure has a lot of gray.

[john doe]

I would say yes. The amount may be small, but it is an 'increase' to them personally.
Tithing is for each person (or married couple, if they choose to do it that way) who receives an increase.

[RickJ]

Hi folks, thanks for your replies but can I throw another curly one at you...

What about gift certificates? If I receive a $50 gift certificate should I pay a $5 tithe on it?

[Palerider]

Originally Posted by RickJ

Hi folks, thanks for your replies but can I throw another curly one at you...

What about gift certificates? If I receive a $50 gift certificate should I pay a $5 tithe on it?

if its for a store....I would say no to that....on the other hand if you feel you should then do it....

[skylercollins]

Originally Posted by RickJ

Hi folks, thanks for your replies but can I throw another curly one at you...

What about gift certificates? If I receive a $50 gift certificate should I pay a $5 tithe on it?

I do. I also pay tithes on such things as tuition reimbursement.

[MarginOfError]

This could so easily spiral out of control. The basic question we are trying to answer is on what should we be paying tithing? If we go with the scriptural answer, then we say we pay tithing on our increase. But go asking around the Church what 'increase' means and you'll get bombarded with explanations, all of which have some sort of inconsistency.

If we consider increase to be any form of compensation, then things like gift cards should be tithed. But on the other hand, gift cards are a restricted commodity in that we may only use them in places where they are accepted. I can't pay tithing on my gift card with my gift card. So I have to deduct funds from somewhere else in my accounts to pay the tithing on my gift card. Ideally, I could then use the gift card to buy whatever I would have bought with the cash deducted from my account, but that really only works if it's something I would have bought anyway. But if my brother buys me a $50 gift card to Olive Garden, I could pay $5 tithing on it, but then I can't use the gift card to buy the gallon of milk I would otherwise have used the cash for.

Come to think of it, what if my brother paid his tithing before he bought the gift card? Isn't it already tithed then? Is it tithed with respect to him, but not with respect to me and needs to be tithed again? What if I pay a tithe on the gift card and then give the gift card to someone else? Should I only pay tithing on a gift card if the person giving it to me has not paid their tithing?

When trying to determine if you should or shouldn't pay tithing on something, I find it best to focus on what tithing is intended to teach us. Tithing is in place so that we may contribute to the building of the Kingdom of God. It is in place to help us remember what blessings we have received from the Lord, and to help us express gratitude for what we have received. Ultimately, the Law of Tithing is to the Law of Consecration what the Aaronic Priesthood is to the Melchizedek Priesthood--a preparatory commitment. If the ultimate goal is to be willing to give anything you possess to God's Kingdom, then the definition of 'increase' is much less important than the willingness and sincerity with which you give whatever tithe you give.

Also, let's not forget the Fast Offering. If you feel you have a lot of gray area items that you aren't sure if you should tithe or not, then perhaps that's a time when you can give a more generous fast offering. Tithing may be what determines one's worthiness for the temple, but it's the willingness and generosity (relative to one's ability to give) of the Fast Offering that really determines the quality of the individual.

So I'm with Palerider...give what you feel is right to give. If you feel good about the tithe you pay, then hold your head high when you declare yourself a full-tithe payer. If you're not so sure, talk it over with your Bishop and get his counsel. But don't sweat the small stuff. There are plenty of noble pursuits in the world that are in greater need of that sweat than tithing on gift cards.

As for the $2.00 for your children, again, it's what you feel is right. If it were my children, I would opt to have them pay tithing for no other reason than to help them develop a familiarity, to take the opportunity to explain why we pay tithing, where the money goes, and to give them the opportunity to talk with the Bishop each year about tithing and to make their own declaration of their tithing status. But this is based in my belief that they won't gain a testimony of tithing if they don't pay tithing. Just my take, and I won't be offended if you disagree.

[applepansy]

I would say yes. . . it is an "increase" for them personally. And the goal is to teach them that the law of tithing is important.

applepansy

[Alana]

I pay tithing on cash gifts. This is regardless of if the giver is LDS and paid tithing on it first, or not. I would expect children to do the same. Any monetary gain, earned or received as a gift, or found, or whatever the circumstance, if it's gain, I pay tithing on it. The way my bishop explained it was any monetary gain should be tithed. This includes money earned from work, gifts, selling something for a profit, etc. If I was to walk outside and have money raining down from the sky, I would, with out a doubt, pay tithing on that!