Stephenson Family Ties

**this a talk that my Builder gave in Church about a month ago. I just had to share it with you! I have a wise and wonderful husband-for whom I am so grateful every day of my life! Enjoy!!

Tithing


As with all laws and blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ., the law of tithing falls within the 3 fold mission of the church, specifically to 'perfect the saints'. Obedience to the law of tithing brings spiritual as well as temporal blessings. (Stephen L. Richards quote) “Observance of tithing brings spiritual power, and to me, that is the main thing. Religion is more than mere repose or relaxation. It is positive spiritual exercise. It makes for the growth of the soul. It cultivates all virtues.”
Pres. Kimball reminds us that “tithing is a spiritual as well as an economic law, that when fully obeyed, will bring promised blessings so great that there will not be room enough to receive”, as stated in Malachi 3:10-11 and 3 Nephi 3:10.
Lets first review what tithing is, how and when it is to be paid, then discuss why we pay tithing, and the blessings that are promised to those who obey to this law.
First, tithing is defined as 1/10th of our increase, or our income, interest or wages that we earn each year, as clarified by modern day prophets. Whether employed, self-employed, or unemployed, the law of tithing applies to all and is not measured by the quantity of dollars paid. A full tithe of pennies and nickles paid by the youngest primary child is the same as a full tithe paid in millions by the wealthy of the Church. It is all the same in the eyes of the Lord and the blessings to each will be full and complete. We remember the Lords lesson in the New Testament of the widows mite, although meager, this was a full offering and more than what those who were wealthy had given that day. By this example alone, we can see what is meant by the saying that 'tithing is paid with faith, not with money', as Elder Tuttle and others have taught.
Ultimately, how and when we pay our tithing is a private matter between us and the Lord. Whether we pay on the 'gross' or on the 'net' check amount is up to each of us and the Lord, but suffice it to say that gross blessings are much better than net blessings. Maybe better to give just a bit more, than to give a bit less. We can never have the Lord in our debt.
We understand that tithing funds are the Lords, and are used for a variety of sacred purposes; temples are built, chapels are constructed, missions and schools are run, and many other programs that are inspired and blessed by the Lord. I am not sure if part of these funds go to support the Lords football team, but this can be discussed further in priesthood meeting. lol
Concerning tithing settlement, I will put in a plug here for the Bishop...tithing settlement can be done in early or mid December, and is just as valid as if it was conducted that last week of the month, or on the last day of the month. It is a declaration that we are full tithe payers for the year up to that point. I remember a brother in a ward in Salt Lake that would insist on waiting until nearly the last day of December to come in and declare his tithing status. This was hard on the Bishops schedule and unnecessary to wait.
Now let's get into the fun part of this law...
Tithing is a law and commandment, that when followed will give more to the giver than to the receiver, which is always the case with God laws. Blessings of both a temporal and spiritual nature are promised. We read in Gospel Doctrine...”both temporal and spiritual blessings are poured out upon the honest tithe payer as a result of his obedience to that law. By such obedience he gains the spirit of inspiration in temporal and spiritual pursuits so that in the end he is ahead financially and temporally, to say nothing of the spiritual growth that always attends such a course.”
The Lord uses very clear and descriptive words to help us understand this more fully. Lets look in more detail at the scripture referred to often regarding tithing. In Malachi 3:10-11 we read that the Lord wants us to 'prove' him and to take him at his word that he will bless us by 'opening' the windows of Heaven and 'pouring' out a blessing, so much so that we will not have the room to contain all the blessing. (read Mal. 3:10) Let me give you an example of what 'pouring' is to me...
As a youth, I lived in upstate New York, and had the privilege of seeing what 'pouring' really is when it relates to rain. I saw many times at the Hill Cumorah Pageant how the Lord was able to divert a storm or turn off a storm, then turn it back on when the music ended. The saints who lived here in St. George in the spring of 1899 understood as well what the Lord meant by the word 'pour'. St. George had been experiencing a drought for nearly 35 years and had not seen any rain at all for 2 years. We have all heard the story of Pres. Snow visiting the area, and promising the members of the church that if they were obedient in observing the law of tithing, that they would be able to plant their crops that year and see an abundant harvest in the Fall. It was not until 8 or 9 weeks later that the rains came, and the promise fulfilled that blessings would be 'poured' out upon them, in this case very literally, in a temporal sense and also in a spiritual sense. Many grew spiritually from the lessons that were learned.
Why did they have to wait about 2 months for the rains to come? We may not know for sure the exact reasons, but we do know that as Moroni stated in the 12th chapter of Ether, the blessings do not usually come until after the trial of our faith. Possibly, to some extent, St. George and many areas of our country are in a 'spiritual drought' which could be relieved by obeying this law and others more fully. Pres. Faust also said that 'Tithing is a principle of sacrifice and a key to the opening of the windows of Heaven'.
We are reminded by the Lord in D&C 130:20-21 that each blessing we receive is based on obedience to a commandment.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated- And when ye obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

This is also confirmed in the 82nd section of the D&C, where the Lord states again that he is bound by laws as well, and that we can be assured that if we obey a commandment, that he will keep his end of the bargain.

"I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
D&C 82:10

So it raises the question, that if the Lord is bound and will bless our lives fully, if we keep this and other commandments, then why would anyone deny these blessings to ourselves and our families?
Back to Malachi 3. Lets read verse 11, where the Lord continues his promise of blessings, by stating that those who observe the law of tithing will have our work, and our livelihoods and all that we work for be protected and preserved to ours and our families benefit. "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of Hosts." The 'devourer' can take many forms in our lives and affect us in many ways.
Now this does not mean that our lives will go without financial troubles if we obey the law of tithing. We need to remember that obedience to this law and others will bring spiritual blessings as well as blessings of health and wellness to our families. Not all blessings that are promised will be financial blessings. Pres. Grant stated that “Prosperity comes to those who obey the law of tithing”. King Benjamin reminds us of this in the 2nd chapter of Mosiah, where we are asked to 'consider the blessed and happy state of those who keep the commandments of God, for they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual'.
For a new member or for someone that is struggling with this commandment, the questions may come up if tithing is too much of a sacrifice or if and how it is a blessing and a privilege to obey. At some point in our lives, many of us has asked ourselves if we can afford to pay tithing, and have determined that we cant afford to not pay tithing. I can remember as a child my parents teaching me the law of tithing and that they found that in their lives, they could not afford to live their lives without paying an honest tithe.
Joseph Smith understood that this law might be too hard for the saints in his day, but taught us that 'a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.”
When we look at how the Lord fed the 5000 and the 4000 with just a few loafs of bread and a few fishes, and then have baskets of food leftover, we can then better understand how the Lord can 'pour' out his blessings on us without a common sense explanation as to how or why we have enough money at the end of each month, or why we are blessed in other ways. Sometimes the math does not seem to make sense, but the Lord is the best mathematician of all, and we don't question. Again, we are blessed both temporally and spiritually, but some blessings may be more immediate or obvious, while others may be hidden or a bit obscure, but no less real. We can be assured of this.
In summary, the law of tithing is preparing us for the time that we will be asked to live a higher law that may seem to require more of us in time, effort and our possessions. In fact in order to live with God in the Celestial Kingdom, we will live the law of consecration, which we learn about in the temple. Do we look at the law of tithing as if the glass is 10% empty or is our cup 90% full? As the Psalmist taught, 'The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof'. Brothers and Sisters, we are only here temporarily and are really only tenants on the land. In a true sense, we dont really own anything. All that we eat, breathe, how we live, the beauty that we see around us is all the Lords. He gives it to us to use, to enjoy, to learn and to grow, and then we die and move on to something better. The test in this life is in how we live, who and how we serve, and how we follow Gods laws.
It is my testimony that God lives, that he loves each of us, and desires our success and prosperity in every way. He does want us to have joy, to be happy and to return to live with him someday. To this I bear my testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.