In 1991, then Church President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “The tithes of the Church are sacred. They are appropriated in the manner set forth by the Lord Himself. We have become a very large and complex organization. We carry on many extensive and costly programs.” He continued, “But I can assure you that we will not exceed our income. We will not place the Church in debt. We will tailor what we do to the resources that are available” (October General Conference, 2001).
As the Church has grown, the financial needs of the Church have accelerated. This has meant billions of dollars spent each year in support of facilities and activities, including the cost of building and operating places of worship, such as chapels and temples for congregations of more than 16 million members; sharing the message of Jesus Christ through its global missionary program; undertaking welfare and humanitarian efforts that bless God’s children around the globe; educating hundreds of thousands of students at various colleges and universities, seminaries and institutes; and providing world-class family history resources to anyone, without regard for their religious beliefs. The Church does all these things and much more.
The Church teaches its members to live within their means and set aside money for life’s unexpected obstacles. And the Church practices this principle. It sets aside a portion of the sacred funds received from its faithful members. No matter how strong or weak the global economy, the Church needs to carry on its divinely appointed mission, even in difficult times.
The faithfulness of the members of the Church who live God’s Law of Tithing and other financial donations reflect the selfless love and sacrifice Jesus Christ asks of all His followers. Thus, the Church considers every cent it receives from Latter-day Saints as sacred. Church leaders know that these funds are God’s, not their own. That’s why they handle tithes and donations with the care, prudence and wisdom such offerings require.
The Church recently granted an interview to the Deseret News and Church News to provide further insight into these principles and the use of the Lord’s sacred funds.