Why Does Paying Tithing Open the Windows of Heaven?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to 3 Nephi 20-26 in a lesson titled “Ye Are the Children of the Covenant.” This scripture block is a continuation of a discourse by the resurrected Jesus Christ to ancient Americans. The lesson was introduced with this paragraph. 

When you hear people use terms like house of Israel, do you feel like they’re talking about you? The Nephites and Lamanites were literal descendants of Israel, “a branch of the tree of Israel,” and yet they felt “lost from its body” (Alma 26:36; see also 1 Nephi 15:12). But the Savior wanted them to know that they were not lost to Him. “Ye are of the house of Israel,” He said, “and ye are of the covenant” (3 Nephi 20:25). He might say something similar to you today, for anyone who is baptized and makes covenants with Him is also of the house of Israel, “of the covenant.” In other words, when Jesus speaks of the house of Israel, He is talking about you. The instruction to bless “all the kindreds of the earth” is for you (3 Nephi 20:27). The invitation to “awake again, and put on thy strength” is for you (3 Nephi 20:36). And His precious promise, “My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,” is for you

(3 Nephi 22:10).

Like most scripture blocks, this lesson included numerous principles, all of which would make a good discussion. Principles included in this lesson are (1) In the latter days, God will perform a marvelous work (3 Nephi 20-22), (2) God is merciful to people who return to Him (3 Nephi 22; 24), (3) Recording spiritual experiences can bless my family (3 Nephi 23:6-13), (4) The Savior wants me to search the scriptures (3 Nephi 20:10-12; 23; 26:1-12), and (5) The Lord send Elijah to turn my heart to my ancestors (3 Nephi 25:5-6). However, I feel prompted to discuss another principle, Paying tithing opens the windows of heaven (3 Nephi 24:7-12). First, I will share the scripture block.

7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of Hosts. But ye say: Wherein shall we return?

            8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee?             In tithes and offerings.

            9 Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.

            10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house; and    prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of          heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

            11 And 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 fields, saith the            Lord of Hosts.

            12 And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the      Lord of Hosts. (Emphasis added.)

God’s people have always been commanded to pay tithing. Genesis 14:17-20 tells us that Abraham paid tithing to Melchizedek, the king of Salem. Malachi 3:8-11 gives us the same wording as verses 8-11 given above.

Do you have any idea why God requires His people to pay tithing? I can assure you that it is not because God needs our money. He knows where all the wealth of the earth is hidden, and He could direct His prophet how to get that wealth. In fact, the law of tithing is given by God to His people to bless His people.

The law of tithing is explained in Doctrine and Covenants 119. The scriptural verses are preceded by this explanation:

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Far West, Missouri, July 8, 1838, in answer to his supplication: “O Lord! Show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing.” The law of tithing, as understood today, had not been given to the Church previous to this revelation. The term tithing in the prayer just quoted and in previous revelations (64:23; 85:3; 97:11) had meant not just one-tenth, but all free-will offerings, or contributions, to the Church funds. The Lord had previously given to the Church the law of consecration and stewardship of property, which members (chiefly the leading elders) entered into by a covenant that was to be everlasting. Because of failure on the part of many to abide by this covenant, the Lord withdrew it for a time and gave instead the law of tithing to the whole Church. The Prophet asked the Lord how much of their property He required for sacred purposes. The answer was this revelation.

Then the verses are introduced and explained as follows: Verses 1-5, The saints are to pay their surplus property and then give, as tithing, one-tenth of their interest annually: verses 6-7, Such a course will sanctify the land of Zion.

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church in Zion,

2 For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my Church.

            3 And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord.

5 Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass that all those who gather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus properties, and shall observe this law, or they shall not be found worthy to abide among you.

6 And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you.

7 And this shall be an ensample unto all the stakes of Zion. Even so. Amen.

The world “interest” in this revelation means income. All members who have income should pay tithing. Tithing is different than other kinds of donations in that there is a specific amount stated for tithing – one-tenth of all income.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints give their tithing donations to local leaders – the bishop of the ward or the president of the branch. The local leaders transmit tithing funds directly to Church headquarters where a council comprised of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric determines specific ways to use the sacred funds. Acting according to revelation from God, they make decisions as they are directed by the Lord.

Tithing funds are always used for the Lord’s purposes – to build and maintain temples and meetinghouses, to sustain missionary work, to educated Church members, and to carry on the work of the Lord throughout the world. I have been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I have enjoyed the blessings of having meetinghouses for Church meetings, temples for worship, and blessings of missionary work and education. At the current time, I am gaining more education through a Church-sponsored university and am grateful for the tithing paid by many members of the Church.

I have also been blessed for living the law of tithing. Temporally, I have always had a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to cover my body. Educationally, I have been placed with having numerous members of my family – children, children’s spouses, grandchildren, and grandchildren’s spouses – attending Church-sponsored universities. One of the greatest ways that my family has been blessed by paying tithing is the way that the Lord helps us to stretch our funds to cover our needs and some of our wants. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared other ways that tithing blesses our lives. 

The imagery of the “windows” of heaven used by Malachi is most instructive. Windows allow natural light to enter into a building. In like manner, spiritual illumination and perspective are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honor the law of tithing.

For example, a subtle but significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want. A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment (see Luke 12:15).

We may need and pray for help to find suitable employment. Eyes and ears of faith (see Ether 12:19) are needed, however, to recognize the spiritual gift of enhanced discernment that can empower us to identify job opportunities that many other people might overlook—or the blessing of greater personal determination to search harder and longer for a position than other people may be able or willing to do. We might want and expect a job offer, but the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to act and change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else.

We may appropriately desire and work to receive a pay raise in our employment to better provide the necessities of life. Eyes and ears of faith are required, however, to notice in us an increased spiritual and temporal capacity (see Luke 2:52) to do more with less, a keener ability to prioritize and simplify, and an enhanced ability to take proper care of the material possessions we already have acquired. We might want and expect a larger paycheck, but the blessing that comes to us through heavenly windows may be greater capacity to change our own circumstances rather than expecting our circumstances to be changed by someone or something else….

Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience.