On tithes and edible blessings

A friend of mine posted this link on facebook with the following commentary:

"Tithing to your church so you get your own planet in the afterlife does not count as charity. Thats a retail purchase. I know I know, they're not planets they're 'celestial bodies.' Whatever you happen to call the real estate, Romney bought it fair and square."

This was my response:

"Of course, I don't claim to know all the internal motivations behind Romney's contributions to the church, but I think what most Mormons expect as a return on the investment of tithing is far more boring than planets or celestial bodies. On a most basic level, I think what they expect is electricity, air conditioning, and maintenance for their meetinghouses. The most common scripture quoted in Mormondom in the context of tithing comes from the Old Testament (Malachi 3:10) and cites a "blessing" as the consequence of tithing observance. A "blessing" in Mormon theology is a vague term that can mean anything from peace of mind to a Ted Drewes concrete (personally, my favorite form a blessing can take). The celestial calculus that leads from tithing to custard is generally not derived or understood. I think most Mormons just figure that the enjoyment of such a delicious treat could not have come to them unless there was a God somewhere who at the very least had impeccable taste in frozen desserts. For Mormons, even small enjoyments can be part of a larger religious experience."