When I was taking lessons with the missionaries before I joined the Church one of the things we went over was Tithing.  I did not then nor do have a problem with tithing.  From what I have heard, some investigators do not join the Church because they don’t want to give up tea and alcohol.  Some do not want to tithe their money. 

 Let’s make this clear - your money is not your money.  All that you have has been given to you by Heavenly Father, and that includes any money you earn.  All He asks is a little percentage.  Why wound’s we want to give what already belongs to Heavenly Father? 

 Tithing is not a punishment or a burden.  It is a blessing.  We are commanded to pray, repent, have faith in our Lord, read the scriptures, attend services, forgive, ask forgiveness, and show charity towards one another.  All of these things are righteous attributes and it's hard to say they are wrong.  They are not wrong; they are all correct and right.  We know that if we pray daily and read the scriptures, we will be blessed some time, some way on Heavenly Fathers own time schedule.  The same holds true for thing.  As President Gordon B. Hinckley said: 

How grateful I am for the law of tithing. It is the Lord’s law of finance. It is set forth in a few words in the 119th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It comes of His wisdom. To every man and woman, to every boy and girl, to every child in this Church who pays an honest tithing, be it large or small, I express gratitude for the faith that is in your hearts. I remind you, and those who do not pay tithing but who should, that the Lord has promised marvelous blessings (see Mal. 3:10–12). He has also promised that “he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming” (D&C 64:23). 

I express appreciation to those who pay a fast offering. This costs the giver nothing other than going without two meals a month. It becomes the backbone of our welfare program, designed to assist those in distress. 

 When the missionaries and I were going over tithing, one of them said - It may be hard at times to keep the other covenants but tithing is easy.  It's one of the easiest covenants we can keep.  

Yes, tithing is not only easy but quick.  There are no hard calculations about it.  10% of your increase and I can admit, as I try to forgive others, including myself, tithing is far, far easier to do.  

  One of the discussions that pop up on lds.net from time to time is about tithing and it usually involves some one not wanting to tithe because they are in financial hardship, have bills to pay, and have a family (many times young children) to feed.  It's hard to read these discussions when they say something like "I don't even have money to buy my kids new shoes for school.  If I have to tithe that means no money for dinner and my kids go hungry.  I can't do it." 

 It does break my heart when I read something like the above.  I know many of those do want to pay their tithing but are in a bad situation.  So, when it comes down to it - do you pay your tithe when money is tight and finances are not good?  Well, let me ask you - do you pray during bad financial times?  Do you read the scriptures in bad financial times?  Do you attend services in bad financial times?  If you do all those, then why not tithe also?  Tithing is part of the covenants we have made.  Tithing is not in a separate category all by itself, it belongs with faith, repentance, prayer, baptism, scripture study, etc...   

 Let us recall Mary Fielding Smith after her husband was murdered in the martyrdom at Nauvoo. 

 ...and made her way west with five fatherless children, Mary Fielding Smith continued in her poverty to pay tithing. When someone at the tithing office inappropriately suggested one day that she should not contribute a tenth of the only potatoes she had been able to raise that year, she cried out to the man, “William, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. [I need a blessing.] By keeping this and other laws, I expect to … be able to provide for my family.” 

  What a powerful testimony from Mary Fielding Smith. It is not a testimony about tithing; this is a testimony on her love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  As she said, tithing is a law of God and we are blessed when we do it.  We also show our love for Father and Jesus when we tithe. 

  A few weeks ago I celebrated my one year anniversary of praying to Heavenly Father.  I have prayed almost every day since the middle of December 2008.   I know Father is happy when I pray.  I know Jesus is happy when I pray thru Him.  I know that I will be blessed.  I forgot tho - I have been paying tithes since I was baptized the first week of March 2008.  And just as I have and will receive blessings from prayer, I will receive them from tithing also.  

So as we head into 2009, with many uncertainties all around us, lets try to keep with the basics - pray, repent, read the scriptures, attend services, love, forgive, and tithe that little ten percent.  When we do all these things - we will receive so much more in return. 

Tags: Tithing Blessings Law