Tech Forum

In the training material for tithing settlement, it says that (1:10 in to the video):

About one month before tithing settlement appointments begin, the clerk should print and distribute a "Tithing and other offerings" statement for each donor from MLS [...] This information is confidential, and steps should be taken to safeguard it. These reports should only be distributed to the donor or to their legal guardians.

My question is how to interpret that. Do I take a more strict interpretation and say that a husband or a wife should not be given the statement for their spouse? Or is it allowable to take perhaps a slightly more lose definition and in a traditional nuclear family, just put the entire family's statements in one envelope and give it to either parent?

And related to this, am I to interpret this to mean that if I'm knocking on someone's door to deliver the statements and a child (younger or older) answers the door, I can't give the statements to them in an envelope to give to their parents if the parents are not home? [Or would this be allowable since it would be essentially like mailing it...]

I don't want to be pharisaical, but I don't want to do something I'm not supposed to either. Just trying to get an idea for what the right balance here is.

Thanks all.

In my opinion, I think at minimum, I'd put each donor's statement in it's own sealed envelope with their name on it. Minor children could be combined into the parent's folder, but I think it would be a nice gesture for them to have their own envelope.

As for who you can hand it to: I can see that going either way. As you say, the mail service may not be any more secure, but on the other hand, you are knowingly handing the envelope to someone else. You have no idea what kinds of security measures they might have in place for the mailbox.

You may want to discuss this with your stake clerk (who is charge of your training), or with the bishop on how he wants it to be handled. The bishop should have a good feel for the sensitivities of the ward.

I would usually hand out the statement the same way the tithing came in. If the husband or wife contributed together, I would hand out the statements together. If they gave separately, I handed out the statements separately.

We had a separated couple with some children living with each parent. I was always careful to get the right child with the right parent on that one.

And we never delivered to the door. If we didn't see them at Church and hand them out directly, we mailed the statements.