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Thank you for taking the time to explain! Well, if they like psilocybin and kava, that's putting you guys ahead of the pack. But what LSD, MDMA or ketamine? Serious question.
How big of a deal Is it to get one of those?
I seem to recall that Mormons pay tithes to the Church. How does that work?
LSD is more of a gray area. Psilocybin is legal and sold commercially in the Netherlands and several Californian cities. It's not addictive, not known to cause any long-term cognitive impairment the way cannabis does, and doesn't cause you to lose your judgment the way one can with a high dose of alcohol. In the case of LSD, the duration is significantly longer, there's more psychological strain and it is probably more difficult to navigate if things go south. I'm at an age where my prefrontal cortex hasn't fully matured, but I've entertained taking LSD at some point when I'm less vulnerable to first-episode psychosis and schizophrenia onset. The prodrugs for it are legal, and the legislation against it exists largely to disincentivize its consumption rather than to actively prosecute somebody who does it privately without advertising it, with the negative externalities being low, so in my book it's fine.
MDMA and ket are fundamentally different beasts; they activate dopamine pathways, cause neurotoxicity, and destroy your kidneys in the case of ketamine. The Church counsels against illegal substances and we abide by a principle known as the law of the land, sustaining the law irrespective of our personal disagreements to maintain peace and stability.
It's largely part of a linear progression. Obtaining a temple recommend requires undergoing an interview where one is asked if they are honoring the same standards they have promised to follow upon their baptism, e.g. the Word of Wisdom, the law of tithing, the law of chastity, etc. It valorizes the experience as we must actively choose to qualify for it. If anyone was free to stop by, it'd lose its meaning. The exclusiveness and difficulty of being admitted into Harvard is what gives the institution its merit, even if some comparable education could be obtained outside of it. Because temple worthiness is difficult to achieve, it gives it great value, ipso facto great joy. It's a high standard, but one that we encourage every member to strive for.
We pay 10% of our annual income to the Church, which is used to fund the logistics of constructing and operating new Church infrastructure, as well as supporting various humanitarian efforts globally. Whether we want to pay gross or net is left to our own discretion. Personally, gross is more intuitive as the entire purpose of tithing is to inculcate selflessness and take upon us the willingness to make sacrifices for the Lord. Giving away 10% of our income incentivizes us to manage our finances more responsibly, and by paying gross income, it reminds me that the Lord takes precedence before all else, even the revenue agency.
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