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.

 

 

Do You Trust the Lord?

My Come, Follow Me studies for this week took me to the book of Malachi. The name Malachi means “my message” (Bible Dictionary, “Malachi.” The lesson was titled “I Have Love You, Saith the Lord” and began with the following introduction. 

“I have loved you,” the Lord told His people through the prophet Malachi. But the Israelites, who had suffered generations of affliction and captivity, asked the Lord, “Wherein hast thou loved us?” (Malachi 1:2). After all Israel had been through, they may have wondered whether the history of ancient Israel is really a story of God’s love for His covenant people.

As you reflect on what you have read in the Old Testament this year, what evidence do you find of God’s love? It’s easy to see many examples of human weakness and rebellion. Yet throughout all of that, God never stopped reaching out in love. When the sons of Jacob mistreated their brother Joseph, the Lord still prepared a way to save them from famine (see Genesis 45:4-8). When Israel murmured in the wilderness, God fed them with manna (see Exodus 16:1-4). Even when Israel abandoned Him, turned to other gods, and were scattered, God never fully abandoned them but promised that if they repented, He would gather and redeem them “with great mercies” (see Isaiah 54:7).

Viewed this way, the Old Testament is a story of God’s patient, enduring love. And this story continues today. “The Sun of Righteousness [will] arise with healing in his wings,” Malachi prophesied (Malachi 4:2). Jesus Christ did come, bringing physical and spiritual healing to all who come unto Him. He is the greatest evidence of God’s love for ancient Israel and for all of us.

Malachi taught numerous principles, but the principle for this post is “The Lord opens the windows of heaven for us when we pay our tithing.” We read in Malachi 3:10: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine 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.”

This is the principle that I have known for my entire life. My parents married a few weeks before the stock market crash in 1929, and they started their married life in the Great Depression. One of their early experiences involved a decision about tithing. They had a total of $10 in their possession. They owed $10 in tithing, and they needed food. They discussed their problem: “Should we pay our tithing, or should we buy food?” They decided to put their trust in the Lord, and they paid their tithing. The next day, a man came to their house and said, “I heard that you have hay for sale.” They had the hay, and the man paid $100 for a load of hay. They learned a powerful lesson that day: the Lord opens the windows of heaven when they pay their tithing. They had enough money to purchase food and some to spare.

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught the following: “We can pay our tithing. This is not so much a matter of money as it is matter of faith. I have yet to find a faithful tithe payer who cannot testify that in a very literal and wonderful way the windows of heaven have been opened and blessings have been poured out upon him or her” (“Let Us Move This Work Forward,” Ensign, Nov. 1985, 85). 

Tithing

                The Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ tells of a man named Lehi who took his family and left Jerusalem in 600 B.C. on a journey that eventually ended on the American continents.  The family divided into two groups - the Nephites and Lamanites - and their history ends about 420 A.D.  Part of their history contains a visit by the resurrected Jesus Christ, a visit that took place six to eight months after His resurrection.

                The Savior was with the Nephites for three days and then visited frequently thereafter.  On one occasion He asked to see the Nephite records.  After reviewing the records, He commanded that other information should be recorded.  He quoted Malachi 3 and 4 and commanded that the information be included in the Nephite records. 

                Malachi means “My messenger.”  The prophet Malachi wrote and prophesied about 430 B.C. – approximately two hundred years after Lehi left Jerusalem.  The Lord considered Malachi’s words on several topics to be so important that He wanted them included in the Nephite record.  One of the topics on which Malachi wrote was the commandment to pay tithing. 

                “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?

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

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

                “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.

                “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.

                “And all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of Hosts”

(3 Nephi 24:7-12; see also Malachi 3:8-10 and Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16).

                Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:  “Some people say, `I can’t afford to pay tithing.’  Those who place their faith in the Lord’s promises say, `I can’t afford not to pay my tithing.’

                “Some time ago I was speaking to a meeting of Church leaders in a country outside of North America.  As I spoke about tithing, I found myself saying something I had not intended to say.  I told them the Lord was grieved that only a small fraction of the members in their nations relied on the Lord’s promises and paid a full tithing.  I warned that the Lord would withhold material and spiritual blessings when his covenant children were not keeping this vital commandment.

                “I hope those leaders taught that principle to the members of the stakes and districts in their countries.  The law of tithing and the promise of blessings to those who live it apply to the people of the Lord in every nation.  I hope our members will qualify for the blessings of the Lord by paying a full tithing.”  (See “Tithing,” Ensign, May 1994.)  

                Elder Daniel L. Johnson of the Quorum of Seventy also spoke about tithing:  “He who has not only the power and the means to bless His children temporally and spiritually, but also the desire to do so, has provided to us the key to those blessings that we both need and desire.  This key is the law of tithing.  Indeed, as stated by President James E. Faust:  `Some may feel that they cannot afford to pay tithing, but the Lord has promised that He would prepare a way for us to keep all of His commandments.  To pay tithing takes a leap of faith in the beginning.  … We learn about tithing by paying it.  Indeed, I believe it is possible to break out of poverty by having the faith to give back to the Lord part of what little we have.’  My brothers and sisters, we have but to obey the law.”  (See “The Law of Tithing,” Ensign, November 2006.)  

                If you do not believe prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders, you might believe a financial advisor.

While reading The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom – Practical & Spiritual Steps So You Can Stop Worrying by Suze Orman, I found this interesting information in Step #7 “Being open to receive all that you are meant to have.”

                “… As we’ve seen, money is a living entity and responds to energy….  When you are worrying about money, feeling powerless over your finances and sorry for yourself, money won’t want to hang around you….  On the other hand, when you feel you’re in control of your money and have enough to be generous with it, money will naturally flow your way….

                “You open yourself to receive all that is meant to be yours.  Giving not only when you feel poor, but also when you feel rich, lucky, grateful, expansive, vital.  Giving to say please, and giving to say thank you.  It’s the impulse to give that puts you in touch with the best part of yourself – and the principles of abundance that are alive in the world.  Yes, we help ourselves when we give, but that is not why we give.”

                “… You must break these thoughts of poverty, for thoughts of poverty are the chains that keep you bound to poverty.  Mental chains may be invisible but they imprison you nevertheless.  You must and you can break through, overcome, move beyond these mental barriers.  You must open your hand…. Think of how much you do have, think of others with far less, and give thanks with your gift.” (See pages 262- 272.)

                When I read this chapter in the book, I was amazed at how intelligent God is.  Thousands of years ago He knew the same information as this financial advisor knows today!  In order to open the windows of heaven and receive the gifts that God has to give to us, we must be willing to part with a “meaningful” amount of money each month.  I consider a tithe – one tenth of our income – to be a significant amount.  It is enough that we must make a real commitment to part with it, but it is a small enough amount to make the act possible and not be missed.

                Yes, tithing is an important financial and spiritual principle, given to us by our loving Heavenly Father to help us obtain all the blessings that He has in store for us.  All we have to do to receive this abundance of blessings is to open our hands to give some of the abundance away.  By following the law of tithing we can receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Entitlement or Gratitude

                I was thinking about my post from yesterday about the importance of being open to receive all that you meant to receive and how this financial law reflects the Lord’s Law of Tithing.  Both principles counsel us to be willing to give a “significant” amount of money to charity.  Then I remembered a lesson from last semester titled “Giving Back” and decided I needed to include it.

                Part of the lesson on giving back was a talk by Elder Kim B. Clark titled “Drenched in Gratitude:  Protection against the Spirit of Entitlement.”   In his talk President Clark warned about feeling entitled to anything.  He spoke about the condition of the spiritual heart and how it is “full of receptors and sensors tuned to the Holy Ghost with capacity to receive the gifts of the Spirit.”  He suggested that we check the condition of our hearts by asking ourselves five questions because they “could be early warning signs that the spirit of entitlement is at work.”

1.  Are you overly critical of others?  Do you look down on others?

2.  Is the word ‘deserve” used frequently in your vocabulary – as in “I deserve” or “I don’t deserve” this or that?

3.  Do you care too much about indicators of status and rank?

4.  If you are not recognized, or accorded a privilege, or blessed immediately after doing something good – do you hear a voice inside saying “What about me?” or “That is not fair”?

5.  Do you ever seek special treatment for yourself?  Does it happen often?

                President Clark stated that we can avoid the spirit of entitlement by developing an attitude for gratitude.  He suggested “three things we can do to engender a spirit of gratitude in our lives:  pray with real intent, partake of the sacrament with our hearts and minds focused on the Savior, and worship in the temple with thanksgiving.  These are gifts from the Savior.  He has created them for us and taught us how to use them.  They are opportunities to help us always remember Him and express our love and gratitude for Him.”

                I just do not believe it is a coincidence that the Lord’s law of finance – tithing – is nearly identical to an important principle of financial freedom.  When comparing these laws of finance with an entitlement attitude, it is easy to see why people do not become financially free when they have the spirit of entitlement.  If one has the entitlement attitude that the world owes them a hand out, how can they have the attitude of giving back a “significant” amount of what they have?  I think it is obvious that we must develop an attitude of gratitude for what we have and be willing to give back to society if we truly desire to be financially free.

Open the Windows

                One of my assignments for my math and finance class is to read a finance book and write a paper on it.  I chose to read The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom – Practical & Spiritual Steps So You can Stop Worrying written by Suze Orman.  I found numerous principles that sound good to me, but I found one principle that I know really works.  I was surprised but pleased to see this principle included in the book.  The author listed it as the seventh principle, but I feel it should be number one.

                The principle is:  Be open to receive all that you are meant to have.  The author states that “money is a living entity and responds to energy… when you feel you’re in control of your money and have enough to be generous with it, money will naturally flow your way… (page 250).

                “… Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I now know the following principle is true:  We experience prosperity, true financial freedom, when our actions with respect to money are dharmic, or righteous, actions – that is, actions of generosity, actions of offering… (page 254).

                “The reason to give:  You open yourself to receive all that is meant to be yours…” (page 255).

                The author suggested that readers “decide on an amount of money that you feel you can give away freely every month.  Let your inner voice determine the amount you should make as an offering” (page 256).  She wrote that the amount should be “meaningful” but affordable.  She suggested that a check should be written at the beginning of the month and given to charity before the end of the month. 

                I could not help but compare this principle to the gospel principle of tithing.  We too are counseled to pay tithing – ten percent is a “meaningful” amount – when we receive the income.  The prophet Malachi wrote, “Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine 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” (Malachi 3:10).

                I know that paying ten percent of my income to build the kingdom of God on earth is a true principle.  I also know that the payment of tithing opens the windows of heaven in my behalf.  I know that paying tithing will bring me the blessings that I need even though it may not make me a millionaire.  If you want to gain financial freedom, I suggest that you start with tithing.

Tithing and the Right Attitude

                    Paying tithing is a privilege and a blessing.  It allows us to show our gratitude to and love for the Lord.  God does not need our tithing as much as we need to pay tithing; however, He is greatly pleased when we pay our tithing with faith and with a willing and happy heart.  The spirit with which we give is, in fact, as important as the act of giving.  Paying tithing is more than giving money; it is a demonstration of faith, gratitude, and humble obedience.  This essay will answer three questions about tithing:  1) What is tithing?  2) What blessings will we receive when we pay tithing?  3) What should be our attitude about paying tithing?

Elder Joe J. Christensen of the Seventy shared the following story:  "I remember vividly an experience I had near the end of my mission….

                    "At that time I was working in the mission home with the president of the Mexico and Central America Mission.  He called my companion and me into his office one day and told us that he was sending us to Oaxaca.  He handed us a list of the names of all the people who had joined the Church during the brief time missionaries had served there; they had been withdrawn some months previously.   Our assignment was to look up everyone on the list, see how they were getting along, and, if possible, arrange for a sacrament meeting so that the members could meet together and partake of the sacrament.  Then we were to bring back a report.

                    "We made the overnight trip on the little narrow railway, arriving very early the next morning.  As soon as we got off the train, we began tracking down addresses.

                    "The first place we went to was a street lined with long adobe walls with doorways in them. When we found the address we were looking for and walked through the doorway, we found a whole group of homes inside.  Tucked back in one corner was the home of the woman we were seeking.  She lived there with her eight-year-old son and infant daughter.

                    "As she came out of her small house, she recognized us by the way we were dressed, and rushed to give us a warm Mexican greeting.  Then, without saying another word, she turned around and went back into her home.

                    "Moments later she returned, carrying a small clay jar.  She reached into the jar and pulled out some pesos and centavos (Mexican money). . She told us that her family had saved ten percent of what they had earned.  Most of that tithing had come from her son, who worked at the plaza in the center of the city, shining shoes.  When he returned each day, he immediately put his tithing into the little jar so that the money could be turned in to the missionaries whenever they returned.

                    "I can remember my feelings as that woman handed me the money.  She was standing there in threadbare clothes and no shoes, and her children were in the same circumstances.  I knew that there were things she would have loved to buy her children.  I knew that there were many things that they desperately needed money for.

                    "At first I wanted to give the money back to her and to encourage her to spend it where it was most needed.  But then I realized that that was not my right.  She and her son had saved that money carefully, knowing that it belonged to the Lord and wanting Him to have it.  I realized, too, that they would be blessed for it.

                    "I learned a great lesson that day about the importance of paying tithing and the blessings it can bring.  I also learned a lesson about faith.  That little boy and his mother had not known if missionaries would ever return to their home, but they were committed to the gospel principles, and they had faith that, if they were obedient, the Lord would bless them" (quoted by Kellene Ricks, in "Friend to Friend," Friend, Jan. 1991, 6).

                    Many people wonder what it means to pay a full tithing.  The Lord has commanded through His prophets that we pay ten percent of our income or increase to the Lord.  President Spencer W. Kimball stated:  "Inquiries are received at the office of the First Presidency from time to time from officers and members of the Church asking for information as to what is considered a proper tithe.

                    "We have uniformly replied that the simplest statement we know of is the statement of the Lord himself, namely, that the members of the Church should pay `one-tenth of all their interest annually' which is understood to mean income (see D&C 119:4)" (in Ensign, Nov. 1980, 77).

                    The Prophet Malachi wrote:  "Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.  But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings.

                    "Ye are cursed with a curse:  for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.  (Malachi 3:8-9)

                    Many people do not understand that we rob God when we do not pay tithing on our income.  Sometimes people selfishly think, "I earned this money.  It is mine."  When we have this attitude, we forget that everything we have has come from God, every breathe we take as well as the ability to make money. 

                    Other people wonder what the tithing funds are used for.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated:  "The Lord his directed by revelation that the expenditure of his tithes will be directed by his servants, the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric (see D&C 120).  Those funds are spent to build and maintain temples and houses of worship, to conduct our worldwide missionary work, to translate and publish scriptures, to provide resources to redeem the dead, to fund religious education, and to support other Church purposes selected by the designated servants of the Lord" (in Ensign, May 1994, 35).

We receive blessings when we pay tithing.  The Prophet Malachi continued:  "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine 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" (Malachi 3:10).

                    When the Lord said, "Prove me now herewith," He meant that we should pay tithing and see that God really does keep His promises.  The word prove in this verse means test.

                    The Lord promises spiritual and material blessings for the payment of a full tithe.  He opens "the windows of heaven" in different ways to different tithe payers.  The blessings from the Lord may include the ability to earn enough money to provide for needs, the ability to use money wisely, protection from costly catastrophes, and the joy of sharing and giving. 

                    I have a firm testimony of the principle of tithing that continues to grow stronger.  Recently my daughter-in-law commented that several of her friends told her that last summer was a bad summer for raspberries; she asked me what I did to have such good harvests.  She knew that I harvested twelve gallons of raspberries from my patch last summer.  I told her that I didn't know what I had done except fertilize them and water them well; I added that keeping the moose out of the patch also helps.  Later I was talking with my son about some subject and mentioned that I paid tithing on my raspberries.  Suddenly I made the connection between the two conversations:  my raspberries do well because I do all I can to help them grow - plus I show my gratitude to Heavenly Father by paying tithing on my raspberries.

                    Obedience to the law of tithing, like obedience to other commandments, also helps us feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives.  President David O. McKay, ninth President of the Church, stated:  "Tithing makes its greatest appeal to the sincere mind because of its spiritual significance.  It is an unfailing source of spiritual power.  True and constant obedience to this law will give as much spiritual development as will obedience to any other principle of the gospel" (Gospel Ideals [1953], 199).

                    The Lord not only wants us to return one-tenth of all that He gives to us, but He wants us to do so with good attitudes.  The Apostle Paul wrote:  "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

                    "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

                    An ancient American prophet named Moroni wrote, "For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.

                    "For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.

                    "For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God" (Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Moroni 7:6-8).

                    These two scriptures tell us that we should not pay tithing just to receive blessings, but that we should pay tithing with the right attitude - willingly, cheerfully, and with faith.  Moroni told us that we should pay tithing "with real intent" or with sincerity and a real desire to give it.

                    In the early days of the Church, tithing was often paid "in kind" or one-tenth of their increase in things such as crops and livestock.  "Grandpa Vanisi's spirituality inspired an awe in me as a child.  I remember following him daily to his plantation.  He would always point out to me the very best of his taro, bananas, or yams and say:  `These will be for our tithing.'  His greatest care was given to these `chosen' ones.  During the harvest, I was often the one assigned to take our load of tithing to the branch president.  I remember sitting on the family horse.  Grandfather would lift onto its back a sack of fine taro which I balanced in front of me.  Then with a very serious look in his eyes, he said to me, `Simi, be very careful because this is our tithing.'  From my grandfather I learned early in life that you give only your best to the Lord" (quoted by Dallin H. Oaks, in Ensign, May 1994, 35).

                    Even though we no longer pay tithing "in kind," we can still give our "best" to the Lord by paying tithing with the proper attitude and by paying tithing first, before we purchase other things we need or desire.  Our attitude and motivation are important in our tithe paying because they show our faith and obedience.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles shared the following story:  "My attitude toward the law of tithing was set in place by the example and words of my mother, illustrated in a conversation I remember from my youth.

                    "During World War II, my widowed mother supported her three young children on a schoolteacher's salary that was meager.  When I became conscious that we went without some desirable things because we didn't have enough money, I asked my mother why she paid so much of her salary as tithing.  I have never forgotten here explanation:  `Dallin, there might be some people who can get along without paying tithing, but we can't.  The Lord has chosen to take your father and leave me to raise you children.  I cannot do that without the blessings of the Lord, and I obtain those blessings by paying an honest tithing.  When I pay my tithing, I have the Lord's promise that he will bless us, and we must have those blessings if we are to get along'" (in Ensign, May 1994, 33).

                    President George Albert Smith, eighth President of the Church, was talking to a longtime friend after they had both attended a Church conference.  The friend explained to President Smith how he paid tithing.

                    "`Well,' he said, `if I make ten thousand dollars in a year, I put a thousand dollars in the bank for tithing.  I know why it's there.  Then when the bishop comes and wants me to make a contribution for the chapel or give him a check for a missionary …, if I think he needs the money, I give him a check…. Little by little I exhaust the thousand dollars, and every dollar of it has gone where I know it has done good.  Now, what do you think of that?'"

                    President Smith answered him:  "I think you are a very generous man with someone else's property….  You have not paid any tithing.  You have told me what you have done with the Lord's money….  You have taken your best partner's money, and have given it away" ("The Story of a Generous Man," Improvement Era, June 1947, 357; see also Sharing the Gospel with Others, comp. Preston Nibley [1948], 44-47).

                    Paying tithing faithfully includes doing it in the way the Lord has established.  It is not our responsibility to determine how tithing should be used.  We pay tithing because we love the Lord and have faith in Him; in return for our willing and cheerful faith, the Lord opens the windows of heaven for us.  I know that my family has received great blessings because we pay tithing.  I encourage all my readers to pay tithing willingly, cheerfully, and with faith in the Lord.

Tithing Brings Peace

                    The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that obedience to God's commandments always brings blessings.  Obedience to the commandment to give a tenth of our income to the Lord does not make sense to many people, especially to those who place great value on wealth.   In the words of Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:  "Those who place their faith in the Lord's promises say, `I can't afford not to pay tithing.'"  (See Oaks, "Tithing," Ensign, May 1994, 34.)

                    The prophet Malachi taught, "Will a man rob God?  Yet ye have robbed me.  But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?  In tithes and offerings.

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

                    "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine 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."  (See Malachi 3:8-10.)

                    My husband and I recently met with our Bishop in tithing settlement.  The reason for this meeting is to report to the Lord's representative that we had paid a full ten percent of our income for 2011 in tithes to the Lord.  Attendance at tithing settlement is an annual event.  In fact, one of my earliest childhood memories was attending tithing settlement with my parents.

                    Paying tithes and offerings has opened the windows of heaven for my family - both immediate and extended.  In more than forty-four years of marriage my husband and I have never worried about where our next meal would come from or how to pay our bills.  Although we are not independently wealthy, we have always had enough to meet our needs as well as some to spare. 

                    I learned in childhood that obedience to the law of tithing would open the windows of heaven.  Within weeks after my parents married, the Great Depression began.  They had little to eat except the peaches they bottled and homemade bread.  They were down to their last $10.00.  They knew that if they paid their tithing, they would have no money to meet their needs, but they paid their tithing with faith in the Lord's promises.  Not long after they paid their tithing, a man came along and asked if they had any hay to sell.  He bought a load of hay from my parents and provided a way for them to meet their needs.  You may consider this to be a coincidence.  I do not believe in coincidences.  I believe it was a true blessing from God for their obedience.

                    Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, "Do you want the windows of heaven opened to you?  Do you wish to receive blessings so great there is not room enough to receive them?  Always pay your tithing and leave the outcome in the hands of the Lord."  (See "Earthly Debts, Heavenly Debts," Ensign, May 2004, 41.

                    Thousands and even millions of people all over the world have learned that being obedient to the law of tithing brings blessings.  Prophets and even financial gurus like Dave Ramsey counsel people to pay their tithing first.

                    In an article in the Ensign, December 2011, Breanna Olaveson wrote about five members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who made tithing a priority and saw the heavens open in their behalf.  A sister in Western Australia said that her family is "considered a low-income family, but only in the eyes of the world…. Yet somehow, we are always able to pay the bills."  It seems to her that food specials and low gasoline prices always happen just when her family needs them.

                    A brother in Florida, USA, "made tithing a priority and saw the blessings."  It became more challenging when he lost his job.  They lived on the pay from odd jobs while he searched for new employment.  "… each month as we drew up our budget, we could not see how we would make it…. At times it was tempting to use our tithing for bills or groceries, but we trusted in the Lord and submitted the tithing to our bishop instead.  And each month the Lord provided for us in ways we had not foreseen…."

                    A couple in Texas, USA, "learned that blessings from tithing can come as both direct and indirect answers to prayers.  The [family] needed expensive medical treatments to have children, and they learned that paying tithing brings blessings that can last forever."  The couple could not afford the necessary medical treatments, but they "fasted, prayed, and continued to pay a full tithe" instead of using the money towards the treatments.   "Though we couldn't explain it, we found we had more money in our bank account than we thought.  We were truly blessed by paying our tithing." 

                    Blessings can come suddenly and openly or quietly.  A family in New Zealand boarded a university student who suddenly decided to leave.  The family worried about the loss of income but always had enough money to meet their needs.  "Without the money for board … we budgeted our money, avoided debt, and always paid a full tithe.  To this day, I have not figured out where the extra money came from every week."

                    A couple in Texas thought that they could not afford to pay tithing.  Then they were transferred to Hawaii where they faced higher living expenses with the same pay.  They also faced additional trials.  They still struggled with the decision to pay tithing and were "nudged" by the Lord.  Each trial was difficult, but the couple "made the effort to faithfully pay their tithing."  "Sometimes the Lord tests us, but He always keeps His promises.  We learned that if we keep the law, the reward is sure."

                    The Lord does not promise wealth if we pay tithing.  He promises that the "windows of heaven" will open and He will "pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."  I know by personal experience that this is true!