Policy and Principles
The companionship principle requires two priesthood holders to be actively involved in opening the donation envelopes, counting the money, recording the amounts in the Church financial software, and making the deposit in the bank. Having one person open envelopes and count money while the other person does something else is inadequate.
“Two persons—a member of the bishopric and a clerk, or two members of the bishopric—open each envelope together to verify that the funds enclosed are the same as the amount written on the Tithing and Other Offerings form. If the funds and the written amount differ, the contributor should be contacted as soon as possible to resolve the difference” (“Verifying Tithing and Other Offerings,” General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 34.6.2).
STEP 1
The companionship principle requires two priesthood holders to be actively involved in opening the donation envelopes, counting the money, recording the amounts in the Church financial software, and making the deposit in the bank. Having one person open envelopes and count money while the other person does something else is not adequate.
STEP 2
Two persons—a member of the bishopric and a clerk, or two members of the bishopric—open each envelope together to verify that the funds enclosed are the same as the amount written on the Tithing and Other Offerings form. If the funds and the written amount differ, the contributor should be contacted as soon as possible to resolve the difference.
STEP 3
From the time they begin opening donation envelopes to the time the money is deposited at the bank, the donated funds should be handled by two priesthood holders working together. This principle of companionship protects the Church and the individuals who handle the funds. If one person is left alone with the funds, he puts himself at risk and unnecessarily takes upon himself the entire responsibility for the funds.
STEP 4
The two brethren should work together from the time they open and verify the donations until they have deposited the money at the bank.
Procedures
From the time the bishopric member and clerk begin opening donation envelopes to the time the money is deposited at the bank, the donated funds should be handled by two priesthood holders working together. This principle of companionship protects the Church and the individuals who handle the funds. If one person is left alone with the funds, he puts himself at risk and unnecessarily takes upon himself the entire responsibility for the funds.
Follow these procedures each week:
- Receive tithing and other offerings. “Only the bishop and his counselors may receive tithes and other offerings. Under no circumstances should their wives, other members of their families, clerks, or other ward members receive these contributions. The only exception is when Aaronic Priesthood holders are assigned to collect fast offerings” (General Handbook, 34.6.1; see also General Handbook, 34.4.2).
- Verify tithing and other offerings. “Contribution envelopes should be opened and verified on Sunday, except during Tithing Declaration, when they are opened and verified on the day they are received. Two persons—a member of the bishopric and a clerk, or two members of the bishopric—open each envelope together to verify that the funds enclosed are the same as the amount written on the Tithing and Other Offerings form. If the funds and the written amount differ, the contributor should be contacted as soon as possible to resolve the difference” (General Handbook, 34.6.2).
- Record the donations. The clerk, together with the bishopric member, carefully records the information from each Tithing and Other Offerings form in Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) or in Member and Leader Services (MLS). The clerk and bishopric member make sure the amounts written on each slip match the amounts they have recorded.
- Verify, authorize, and send the donation information to the administration office. After the clerk and bishopric member have recorded all of the donations, they verify that the total amount equals the total of all cash and checks they received that day. Once they have verified that the totals match, they each approve the transactions to send the information to Church headquarters. In units not using LCR or MLS, the clerk and bishopric member sign the reports and send them to the administration office according to local procedures. It is important that deposit information be sent promptly to the area administrative office.
- Prepare the bank deposit. “Those who deposit funds should use, where available, (1) deposit bags that are locked when funds are inserted and are opened only by the bank or (2) other tamper-resistant deposit bags” (“Depositing Tithing and Other Offerings,” General Handbook, 34.6.3).
- File donation documents. Deposit documents and donation slips for each deposit must be kept and filed together in a folder each week according to local procedures. During the financial audit, the stake auditor will need to see these documents.
- Deposit the money at the bank. “Where a 24-hour bank depository is available, the bishopric member, accompanied by the other priesthood holder, deposits the funds in the bank on the same day the funds are opened and verified. Where a 24-hour bank depository is not available and the bank is closed on Sunday, the bishop designates a Melchizedek Priesthood holder, normally a member of the bishopric, to make the deposit at the bank the next business day. The person who makes the deposit is accountable for these funds. He should:
- Ensure that the funds are kept secure until they are deposited at the bank.
- Obtain a bank-certified deposit receipt showing the date and the amount of the deposit.
Furthermore, a bishopric member and a clerk should complete the following procedure on the next Sunday before processing any donations for that day:
- Compare the bank-certified deposit receipt to the previous week’s deposit records to verify that the correct amount was deposited.
- Sign the bank-certified deposit receipt and file it with the previous week’s donation information” (“Depositing Tithing and Other Offerings,” General Handbook, 34.6.3).