Minutes of December 7, 1837

Mormon History 1830-1844

Minutes of December 7, 1837

Bishop Edward Partridge and his counselors submit to the high council a plan to raise funds for the church based on an annual contribution of 2% of a man's net worth.
Date	December 7, 1837
Location	Far West, Missouri.
Description	Council met pursuant to adjournment …	Minutes of December 6, 1837
Clerk	Oliver Cowdery
Open	Prayer by John Whitmer.
Minutes	Clerk reads the minutes of yesterday's meeting.
Fiancial report	Bishop Edward Partridge reads report of the "committe on Church revinue," then clerk reads it, "then engrossed for a third reading."	engross: make a fair copy of a legal document.
Report	Committee was appointed yesterday by:	committee: the bishop and his two counselors
Tithing plan	a general council in the Land of Zion for the purpose of adopting a plan whereby the church of Latter Day Saints may voluntarily raise means by tithing themselves to be a fund ready at all times to assist the poor with. and also to compensate the Servents of the Lord for their services in attending to the business of the church. and for other necessary purposes. …	committee: the bishop and his two counselors
Annual freewill offering	First. We believe that a voluntary freewill offering from year to year will not only be pleasing in the sight of the Lord but will be in some degree fullfilling of the law of consecration.
Percentage of worth is fairer	Secondly. We believe that a per centage on what a man is worth, is a more equal mode of raising funds than the tithing of what a man raises or his income from year to year.
Widows and poor should not be tithed	Thirdly. We believe that widows generally and all other families not worth over seventy five dollars each, shoul not be require to tithe themselves and yet retain an honorable standing in the church
Annual statement of worth	Resolution 1: Every man provide the bishop an annual statement of his worth after deducting his "honest debts."
Determine percentage needed Pay to Keeper of Lord's Storehouse	Resolution 2: At the beginning of each year, the high council with the bishop and his council will decide the percentage needed for the coming year and report it to the church. The amounts to be paid to John Corrill or his successor, subject to the order of the bishop.	John was named kKeeper of the storehouse in May and approved by the general assembly in November. ¶ Minutes of May 22, 1837 ¶ Minutes of November 7, 1837
Payment method	Resolution 3: Every man pay with gift of deed or by signing a subscription form like the one attached.
Recommendation	Because this year is nearly over, the committee recommends that this report be read at meetings of elders throughout the region, and the brethren pay five mills per per dollar as soon as they can, in commodities.
2% on net worth for 1838 Circulate form for all to see generosity	The committee believes a 2% assessment on net worth will suffice for 1838. The subscription paper is to be circulated "so that all who are willing to tithe themselves may have an opportunity of manifesting their generosity."
Those unwilling	Those unwilling to comply with this plan until a better one is suggested, should:
Weak in the faith Covetous No part in kingdom	be considered weak in the faith and also under the influence of covetousness to that degree that their case must be considered hopeless until they repent: for the scripture informs us that a covetous man who is an idolator hath [not] any part in the kingdom of God.
	The subscription paper should not be circulated outside the stake.
Committee members	Isaac Morley Edward Partridge John Corrill
Pledge	The Subscription paper
Church funds depends on donations	We the undersigned subscribers feeling a deep interest in the prosperity of the Church of Latterday Saints and believing that the prosperity of the Church in some degree depends upon our providing a fund for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the church:
To help poor, pay officers	In assisting the poor, in remunerating the officers of the church for the time which they are necessarily employed in doing the business of the same:
Build meeting houses, etc.	in building houses of publick worship and all such other expenses as shall be deemed necessary by the authorities of the church for the good of the same,
Voluntary is better than forced	And believing that voluntary tithing is better than Forced taxes;
Pay church agent	we therefore each of us agree to pay {to} into the hand of the agent of the church John Corrill or his successor in office.
Subject to bishop	Subject to the order of Edward Partridge the Bishop or his successor in office:
2% of net worth	to be expended for any or all of the above named purposes: two cents on the dollar or one fiftieth of what we are worth after deducting what we owe.
Give bishop property inventory in 1838	We further agree that we will furnish the Bishop with {furnish} a scedule or inventory of our property at or before the time we pay to the agent of the church the above named percentage which we agree shall be done in the course of the year eighteen hundred and thirty eight.
	Far West Dec 1837.
Resolutions pass	Resolutions 1 and 2 pass. Thomas B. Marsh (h) and others offer an ammendment to #3, then withdraw it, and the resolution passes.
More discussion Reconsider next week	Much discussion ensues, "and the Item of church revinue dismissed till one week from Saturday next."	The plan was never implemented. Not mentioned again in the Far West Record.
Stake presidency and Oliver join committee	David Whitmer and John Whitmer, W. W. Phelps, and Oliver Cowdery are added to the committee.
Intermission	Adjourn until candlelight.
Discussion of northern land	Oliver and David W. Patten (h) report their exploration of the north country. Report is accepted. The subject laid over until bills of surveys are complete. Frederick G. Williams is added to committee which now consists of these three and Lyman Wight.
George Grant	Council agrees to give George Grant a lot for his aged father near his "in consideration of past services rendered the expedition in staying behind to bring in the camp utensils with the teams."
Services of subscription committee	The bishop and his counselors are appointed a commitee to study the services of the committeee appointed to obtain subscriptions and build a house for worship, and report.	In other words, report their own hours, expenses.
Adjourn	Adjourn to Saturday, December 16.
Close	Prayer by the clerk, Oliver Cowdery.
	Minutes of December 23, 1837 Minutes of December 6, 1837 Ohio Minutes