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45-550: The project began in 2001, published its first printed volume in 2008 and released its final printed volume in 2023; as of 2024, the project continues to publish digital content. The Church History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) sponsored the project; the department's imprint, the Church Historian's Press , published the website and printed volumes. After Smith's death in 1844,

90-561: A church history. Oliver Cowdery , the first in this position, originally recorded meeting minutes, patriarchal blessings , membership information, priesthood ordinations, and a narrative church history. For a time, the callings of Church Historian and Church Recorder were separate, but in 1842 these callings were merged and now the Church Historian also acts as the Church Recorder. In 1972, the Church Historian's Office

135-552: A collection of his papers was carried west by Brigham Young and other church leaders. Some significant documents remained with Smith's widow, Emma , and others, such as John Whitmer . Many of these were not published until years later by the LDS Church, the Community of Christ , and independent researchers. The "roots" of the project began in the late 1960s when Truman G. Madsen invited Dean C. Jessee , then an employee of

180-465: A covenant on November 29, 1834, in which they promised to give a tenth of all that they received to the poor in the church. However, during the early history of the Church of Christ , most Latter Day Saints understood the scriptural word "tithing" as any amount of consecrated goods or money. For example, in 1837, Presiding Bishop Edward Partridge and his counselors defined "tithing" as two percent of

225-485: A household's annual net worth. While in Far West, Missouri , Smith stated he received a revelation commanding his followers to build up a holy city Zion and construct another temple . Faced with the future financial burden that this commandment would create, Smith gathered several church leaders on July 8, 1838, and prayed to know how much property God required for tithing. The answer that Smith stated he received

270-463: A written nature Joseph Smith generated, or over which he had oversight." Prior to publication of the documents, transcripts of the manuscripts were verified three times, and annotation was supplied to provide the historical context for each document. The first volume of The Joseph Smith Papers , entitled, The Joseph Smith Papers, Journals, Volume 1: 1832–1839 , was released in December 2008. Despite

315-415: Is based on both the biblical practice of paying tithes and modern revelation given to Joseph Smith and his accepted successors . For many of these churches, the law of tithing replaced or supplemented the law of consecration . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) emphasized tithing in the 1900s and 1960s to assist in paying church debts . Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery made

360-468: Is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants , which describes three types of tithing, including "all their surplus property", "all those who gather unto ... Zion shall be tithed", and "one tenth of all their interest annually." The revelation states that the original purpose of the surplus property was "For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for

405-555: Is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement, with membership estimated at 16.6 million as of December 31, 2020. The LDS Church was estimated to have received tithing donations totaling between $ 7 billion and $ 33 billion USD in the year 2012 (equivalent to $ 9.3 billion to $ 43.8 billion in 2023 ). Tithing is defined in LDS scripture as one-tenth of one's annual interest. According to Partridge, who

450-713: Is worthy of his hire" ( D&C 70:12 ). In April 1896, the First Presidency attempted to end salaries for "any one but the Twelve." Today, the LDS Church operates at the local level by an unpaid lay ministry. According to Gordon B. Hinckley , church general authorities today are given a "living allowance" taken from the church's business income. During the Utah period of church history, tithing settlement interviews were annually scheduled on December 31. Members would account their tithes to their bishop and tithing clerk. If

495-473: The Book of Commandments . The current and editorial board and project staff are as follows: Editorial Board National Advisory Board General Editors Managing Historian Associate Managing Historian Editorial Manager Assistant Editorial Managers Project Archivist Document Specialists Volume Co-editors Production Editors In 2008, Journals, Volume 1: 1832–1839 received

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540-546: The Nauvoo Temple period. As of 2023 the church's General Handbook requires bishops who interview members for temple recommends to ask members if they are currently full tithe payers, though provisions can be made if members promise to pay tithing at a later date. The Community of Christ (previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is the second-largest branch of

585-458: The $ 50 retail price, unexpectedly high demand caused the initial printing of 12,500 copies to sell out in two weeks, and the publishers to triple their projected second printing order to 16,500. Many Christmas purchasers bought gift certificates for the coming printing and some extant copies were resold for over twice the retail price. The final printed volume, number 15 of the Documents series,

630-481: The Church Historian's Office, to contribute documents relating to Joseph Smith and early Mormonism to issues of BYU Studies . In 1972, Leonard J. Arrington was appointed the Church Historian and he directed Jessee to continue to "locate, collect, and transcribe Smith's writings." This resulted in Jessee's 1984 publication, The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith , followed by the two volume Papers of Joseph Smith ,

675-528: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). This includes the Church History Museum , Church Historian’s Press, and various research and collection projects. Kyle S. McKay, an LDS general authority seventy , is the current Church Historian and Recorder (CHR). The position of CHR is based on revelations Joseph Smith said he received, which are included in the Doctrine and Covenants , calling for keeping records and preparing

720-538: The Joseph Smith Papers website. Contains Smith's financial records, including tithing books. The documents from this series are available only online. Contains Smith's manuscript history, which he began in 1838, and continued by clerks after his death in 1844. Contains the ten journals kept by Smith and his scribes from 1832 to 1844. Contains records of cases in which Smith was a plaintiff, defendant, witness, or judge. Also contains records related to

765-480: The LDS Church marked a shift from the earlier communal period of the law of consecration to a system designed for economic stability. During the early Utah period of church history, tithing could be paid in various forms. "Property tithing" included all property that one owned upon time of conversion. This form of tithing was renewed in the September 1851 conference because of unsatisfactory returns. "Labor tithing"

810-409: The Latter Day Saint movement, with membership estimated at 250,000 as of 2008. New converts are expected to prepare an inventory to establish their net worth. Their initial tithing entails a tenth of this net worth, which can be paid at any time. Members then pay their tithing annually, calculated by taking their gross income, subtracting their "basic living needs" and turning over to the church 10% of

855-815: The Special Award in Textual Criticism and Bibliography from the Association for Mormon Letters , and the Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award from the Mormon History Association in 2009. From 2017 through 2023, the project sponsored an annual "Joseph Smith Papers Conference" in Salt Lake City. Beginning in 2020 and ending in 2023, the project released a five-series podcast , which focused on certain themes from

900-464: The United States generally stay within their country of origin to avoid long shipping times and foreign exchange fees. In 2015, the church approved an online method for members in the United States to submit tithes and other offerings. Early church officers were paid from tithing money; the scriptural basis for this practice being, "He who is appointed to administer spiritual things, the same

945-669: The church and its activities. The CHR gathers history sources and preserves records, ordinances, minutes, revelations, procedures, and other documents. On April 10, 2019 LeGrand R. Curtis, Jr., who had been serving as an Assistant Executive Director of the CHD, was announced to replace Steven E. Snow as the CHR. A museum of church history was planned as early as 1843 in Nauvoo, Illinois. The current Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah

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990-603: The church would one day no longer have the need to ask for tithing donations as it built its wealth. In 1908, the First Presidency and the Presiding Bishopric reformed the tithing process by deprecating the use of the church-issued scrip currency and shifting entirely to a cash-based system. During the early 1950s, the LDS Church launched a building program and soon entered another financial crisis, deficit spending an annual amount of $ 32 million by

1035-431: The church's history. In December 2016, the project released a study aid titled Joseph Smith’s Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers . Published only as an ebook, the study aid was produced to provide original text and historical context for those studying the Doctrine and Covenants . The project released an updated version of this book in 2020. Although not an official part of

1080-444: The church's money problems. With tithing donations declining, Snow traveled to southern Utah in 1899 and urged members to pay tithing. He returned to Salt Lake City and continued preaching its importance to church leaders, causing tithing revenues to increase. Snow's successor in the presidency, Joseph F. Smith , continued emphasis on tithing. The LDS Church paid off all its debts by the end of 1906. In 1907, Joseph F. Smith taught that

1125-530: The debts of the Presidency of my Church." Additionally, it warned that "if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy ... behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you." After Smith received this revelation on tithing, he assigned Brigham Young to collect the Latter Day Saints' "surplus property". Smith did not define the phrase "surplus property", instead allowing

1170-622: The donation process and reduced the workload of local lay leaders. The LDS Church uses tithing funds for building and maintaining temples and meetinghouses. It is also used to fund the church's missionary and education efforts. All expenditures are authorized by the Council on the Disposition of the Tithes . Tithing donations collected within the United States are sent to the LDS Church's headquarters in Salt Lake City. Funds collected outside

1215-459: The early Latter Day Saint church. Cutlerites do not believe that Joseph Smith ever authored the section of the Doctrine and Covenants that mandates tithing, claiming that it was never presented to the membership until after Smith's death. The Church of Zion ( Godbeites , active circa 1870 to 1890) sought to reform Mormon tithing practices by basing it on one's annual accumulated income. When

1260-407: The end of 1962. Apostle N. Eldon Tanner halted the church's building program in 1963 to build up a financial "buffer reserve". At this time, church leaders worked to re-emphasize the principle of tithing. In 2015, the LDS Church announced a new system to allow members to pay their tithing and other donations online. This change was met with gratitude from local church members as it streamlined

1305-471: The first in 1989 and the second in 1992. This preliminary publication of Smith's documents was important to the creation of the landmark biography, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling , which Richard Bushman published in 2005. In 2001, Jessee's project became a joint venture between Brigham Young University's (BYU) Joseph Fielding Smith Institute and the LDS Church Archives . The project

1350-478: The following seven series: The Administrative records series published records relating to the "institutions that were established under Smith's directions" as well as minutes for meetings Smith attended. Contains correspondence, sermons and other addresses, official declarations and pronouncements, editorials and articles from periodicals, early versions of revelations, and "selected minutes and proceedings." Several hundred documents from this series are available on

1395-431: The leader records this on the church records. In order to qualify for temple ordinances necessary for exaltation, paying a full tithe is a requirement, regardless of one's temporal circumstances. Tithes play a role in the eligibility interviews for a temple temple recommend which is a required document to participate in temple rites. One's status as a tithe payer has been listed as a standard of temple worthiness since

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1440-609: The leadership of Marlin K. Jensen , who served as CHR from 2005 to 2012, the CHD embarked on a number of projects including The Joseph Smith Papers , construction of the CHL, the Family and Church History Department dividing into the Family History Department and the CHD, and numerous additional changes. The CHR is a priesthood calling in LDS Church, with its role being to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of

1485-468: The people to judge for themselves. In November 1841, the Quorum of the Twelve stated that "surplus property" would mean "one-tenth." Modern scholars disagree on whether this original provision was only applicable under the law of consecration. After Smith's death and the resulting succession crisis , various factions of the Latter Day Saint movement developed their own tithing practices. The LDS Church

1530-576: The project, a documentary TV series also called The Joseph Smith Papers was aired in the late 2000s. The two-season series documented the creation of and work involved in the Joseph Smith Papers Project. It was produced by KJZZ-TV in cooperation with the Church History Department. Church History Department The Church History Department (CHD) manages the historical and publishing activities of

1575-495: The remainder. The Community of Christ defines tithing as "offerings to support local, mission center, and worldwide church ministries." Such offerings may include 10% or more of one's income, though poorer members can give any desired amount. Cutlerites , a small sect with less than 20 members as of 2010, do not practice the law of tithing. They instead practice the United Order , the ideal of "all things common" taught in

1620-438: The tithing donation amount was less than the expected amount, they were expected to explain how they would make up the deficit. An overpayment in tithing was carried over and deducted from the following year's expected amount. Today, the bishop or branch president schedules an annual tithing declaration meeting with each member of his ward or branch. In the interview, church members declare their status as tithe-payers, and

1665-401: The trial of his accused assassins and his estate's disposition. While an ebook study aid was published in 2024, the documents from this series are available only online, with minimal annotation. Contains the earliest known manuscripts text of revelations received by Smith and published in his lifetime including the printer's manuscript of the Book of Mormon , the published Book of Mormon, and

1710-414: Was a donation of every tenth day devoted for working on church projects. Tithing could be paid in its original form, such as in livestock, produce, or slaves. Donations in the form of United States currency, local scrip currency, or gold dust were also accepted. The LDS Church entered a debt crisis following the panic of 1893 . Lorenzo Snow became the church's president in 1898 and worked to solve

1755-682: Was announced in 2008 by the Church History Department. The Joseph Smith Papers was the first publication to bear the imprint. The press publishes works of Latter-day Saint history, documentary editing projects—which offer direct access to primary documents—narrative histories, and topical studies. Tithing in Mormonism Tithing is a commandment accepted by various churches in the Latter Day Saint movement . In practicing tithing, adherents make willing tithe donations, usually ten percent of their income, to their church. It

1800-503: Was moved to Salt Lake City in 2005, when BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute dissolved. In February 2008, the Church Historian's Press, was established "for publishing works related to the Church's origin and growth." The publication of The Joseph Smith Papers was the press's initial project. Marlin K. Jensen , Church Historian and Recorder at the time of the press' establishment, said the papers project would include "journals, diaries, correspondence, articles and notices. Everything of

1845-580: Was opened in April 1984. A major proponent of the creation of the church museum was Florence S. Jacobsen , a church curator and a former Young Women General President. The Museum underwent a major renovation in 2015 and since its opening 30 year prior had welcomed more than 7.5 million visitors, hosted more than 100 different exhibits, and sponsored nine editions of the International Art Competition. The Church Historian’s Press

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1890-450: Was published on June 27, 2023. Even though the print volumes are completed, new content will continue to come and the website will see "substantial work" beyond 2023. Initially, the project anticipated that it would publish around two dozen print volumes, as well as online publication of additional documents not included in the print editions. After the release of the final volume, the printed volumes numbered 27. The papers are divided into

1935-600: Was renamed The Joseph Smith Papers and expanded with added funding from Larry H. and Gail Miller . (The Millers provided a donation of $ 10 million in bonds and additional cash contributions.) In June 2004, the project received endorsement by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a division of the US National Archives , ensuring research was conducted according to the highest scholarly standards. The project

1980-767: Was renamed as the Historical Department . In 2000, this department was merged with the Family History Department to become the Family and Church History Department . On March 12, 2008, the Church Historian separated again from the Family History Department to become the CHD. A new Church History Library (CHL) was constructed in 2009 and it holds a collection that includes 600,000 photos, 270,000 books, pamphlets, magazines and newspapers, 240,000 collections of original, unpublished records, journals, diaries, correspondence and minutes, 23,000 audio-visual items, 4,000 oral histories and millions of digitized pages. Under

2025-399: Was with Joseph Smith when he received the revelation for tithing, the amount is to be calculated as one tenth of the interest you would have received on your net worth. The LDS Church today teaches that tithing is ten percent of one's annual income. It is left to each member to determine what constitutes "income". The adoption of tithing and fast offerings as the economic foundation of

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