You LIED, I went through your entire posting history, which predates mine, which only started in 2005.
This is the first time that you have ever posted to me.
Are you Mormon? Meat before Milk, Taqiyya, and all that?
Hold your horses. I didn’t lie as much as I made a mistake. If you look at my post, it was at 1:00 in the morning. Although I briefly thought I should search your posting history to make sure that you were the right person, I decided to go to bed instead.
Having said that, this topic has been discussed at length, and when you went through my posting history you surely saw posts in a thread entitled something like “Tithing settlement ...- Mormon (Open)”. An early poster asserted that Bishops ask for tax returns to which I replied saying that the only question I am asked is whether I am a full tithe payer.
Seeing that you are so familiar with the LDS church, I image that you know that the LDS Handbook of Church Instructions doesn’t say anything about asking for tax returns.
As for your comment that lots of people have said that bishops can ask for a tax return, if you take a church of 14 million people you can find a group of people who will say almost anything. Further, when you have a lay priesthood that is also very large and very minimally trained, you will have some members of the group that will do almost anything. Just because some people say some things, and some people do some things does not mean that that is standard practice for the church.
And this is the point with which I take issue with your comments and the comments of others. Regardless what I say, it is assumed that I am either lying, or am not familiar with my own doctrine.
To the first, why would I lie to someone who I have never met? There is no upside for me or for the LDS church if I were to lie. Its not like I would confuse a lot of people. Honestly, if there isany written reference in any LDS scripture or manual to any issue that I comment on, you and others try to beat me over the head with it. So, even if I were to lie, I wouldn’t make any headway and my lie would be apparent. (I should note that in many instances people attacking the LDS church do not understand the doctrine and therefore improperly apply the scriptures).
As for not knowing my own doctrine. If the LDS church really has layers of secret doctrine, why do you think that you or other non-LDS members would be in a better position to know that information than me?