It is, again, April 15, Tax Day in the United States (except in Maine and Massachusetts, where Tax Day will be Wednesday, April 17). As happens most years (at least when I remember and am not too busy), I like to post something Mormon-and-tax related, and I will this year too.
But before I do: if you’re a US taxpayer and you haven’t yet filed your returns or obtained an extension, may I recommend that you do that before reading on?
With that: this year’s installment is going to be a little different from usual, because I’m not actually going to write anything about the church’s or church members’ engagement with taxes. Rather, I’m going to post an excerpt from a newspaper article by Amos Morehead Stack. According to the biographical note I’ve linked (which seems to correspond with his writing), Mr. Stack visited Egypt and the Holy Land in the early 20th century, and he wrote and published a series of reflections on his experience. One of those was on tax collection in the Middle East. I’m not going to copy the full section (you can read it here if you’re interested).
He describes how tax collection happens: essentially, would-be tax collectors bid for a contract to collect taxes. If they won the bid, they put up a bond and collected from people. They were responsible for returning a specific amount, and they could keep any additional amount they raised. In describing this collection system, Stack writes:
It is easy to see how readily a Publican can become also a sinner. The tax collector’s execution is also a Winchester rifle. Tax collectors, like Mormon elders, generally go two together. You may see these tax gatherers galloping about the country any day.
Now frankly, I don’t know how accurate Stack’s report here is. To some extent, I’m skeptical that an American attorney who took a brief visit to the Middle East could really learn much, if anything, about the tax collection procedures in that country.
But his accuracy or not isn’t what stood out to me here; rather, by 1906, the image of Mormon missionaries proselyting in pairs was common enough that a random North Carolinian used it to illustrate others going two-by-two.
And with that, happy Tax Day!
Photo of Mormon missionaries Rudger Clawson and Joseph Standing.