Comments on: Can someone engaged in a liquor selling business pay tithes?

By: the question

the question — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 05:34:00 +0000

I guarantee there are thousands of members of the Church indirectly employed by the sex industry. Do you work for a cable company? An ISP? A media/entertainment conglomerate? If you work in hospitality, you’ve probably assisted several sex workers in their line of work. If you work in municipal government, does your municipality collect taxes from adult-oriented business? If you work to help cure sexual addictions, how many hours per week would you work if the sex industry were decimated tomorrow?

There is no real clear line about “filthy lucre”. Spencer W. Kimball struggled to define this and no General Authority in recent times has attempted to resolve this issue. Many saw Kimball’s definitions as having several shortcomings but realized how impossible it was to draw a finite line. I still applaud Kimball for making an effort, even if some of us snicker at his choice of both words and silence.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:34:00 +0000

It’s a sunk cost. Once one has sold the liquor, the decision is in the past and the fact is that now he has some money. Once in this position what is the best thing to do? Pay tithing, or not pay tithing? Of course the Lord would want tithing to be paid, regardless of how the money was obtained. Two wrongs doesn’t make a right.

By: trailblazer02

trailblazer02 — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 22:33:00 +0000

Interesting question. I know a person who was a branch president. He
owned two fast food restaurants. These type of restaurants, as well as
all restaurants, serve coffee and tea at least. We are not supposed to consume
those. So, as an employee, you have to serve to a customer who orders
the coffee or tea. I also know others who work or have worked at a
convenience store, or even grocery store. Beer, coffee, tea and
cigarettes and sometimes liquor are sold at those places. If you are
working the register, you have to sell to those who are purchasing those forbidden items. If
not at the register, you are likely stocking those forbidden items. There are those in our church who insist that all soft drinks, because of the caffeine (to include caffeine free drinks which really have caffeine), are against the Word of Wisdom, so that could be a problem for those people. Hot chocolate with caffeine is okay though. In summary,
most retail places serving food items also include in their inventory
items we as LDS Saints are not to consume, so this is somewhat difficult
to answer. Not everyone is able to get a job working away from those
items we are told not to consume and just have to grin and bear it. I’ve
been there and have sold cigarettes and cigars and beer and made coffee
for customers at a convenience store. As to the tithing, it would be difficult to separate out the bad stuff from your income. It all boils down to how faithful you are in your personal use of the forbidden items.

By: Arnie

Arnie — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 18:38:00 +0000

Gramps gives an answer which focuses the individual inward. It’s a good answer. The question also lacks lots of details. Is the primary source of funding alcohol? The individual can be a bartender, a bar owner, an alcohol distributor, or grocery clerk, a waiter/waitress, a flight attendant, a hotel manager, or one of a whole slew of occupations where alcohol is at least one part of the expected duties. From a church policy standpoint, there is no prohibition from paying tithing on the income from such jobs. Everyone should look to improve their lot if they are not comfortable with their employment, and counseling with one’s bishop is a good place to start if one is questioning their ability to fully come unto Christ in their current occupation.

By: Deborah Crow

Deborah Crow — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 03:08:00 +0000

We have to tread lightly here. Stripping, pornographic and sex trade jobs provide a substantial living to those who engage in this line of work and is legal (there’s a brothel in Nevada) in some places, yet, wouldn’t it be fair to say that it flies in the face of the church’s standards?

By: Concerned

Concerned — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 22:42:00 +0000

Funny how you instantly assumed he was asking about someone else when he could have been asking for himself.

By: Silhouette

Silhouette — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 14:35:00 +0000

There is also a commandment about tithing with ill-gotten gains. Something about “filthy lucre”.