TV's Frink said:
Q: What's with the mandatory 10% donation thingy*?
Ah, tithing: a mandatory tax on Church members that if not paid, back payments will be collected through our collection agency, as well as heavy fines. Oh wait, that's not it.
Tithing is a voluntary payment of 10% with quite a lot of biblical precedent. Though one is expected to pay in order to be permitted to enter the temple, one will not be punished for not paying or be required to catch up if he/she goes through a phase without paying. Tithing is a matter of blessings. We pay it because it indeed tries our faith, but the Lord promises blessings. See Malachi 3:8-10 as a support for our belief in its benefits. This is also something I can attest to personally.
When my wife and I were first married, we did not have much money. We lived in a crappy apartment in a dangerous part of Tucson while I was attending the U of A, and unexpectedly early on, my wife got pregnant. We felt unprepared for this, and could not afford anything larger than our two bedroom apartment. It was hard to have the faith to pay our tithing, but we did so anyway. Shortly after, a job opportunity managing apartments opened up. The owner preferred to hire Mormons, though he was not one himself. We received free rent in a two bedroom apartment and free utilities, plus $800 a month on top, which was a huge step up for us. It also had well-priced benefits. We felt extremely blessed, and shortly after about three weeks working there and five months into our pregnancy, our OB/GYN performed the ultrasound to determine the baby's sex, and was surprised when she had to determine the babies' (yes, plural) sex. She had somehow not noticed for 5 months that my wife was carrying twins. We could never have supported both children in our dinky apartment, and with only me working, since my wife would have to stay home. I was able to continue to go to school and work while my wife stayed home working and watching the kids. You may call this blessing coincidental or karma, but we see it as a blessing for obedience to the law of tithing. We sacrificed for the Lord, and he was happy to give more in return.
Speaking of the twins, I've got to put them to bed right now, but later I will try to address the use of tithing, as we have lay clergy.