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.

 

 

Tithing and Offerings

The ancient 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" (Malachi 3:8).

The opportunity to pay tithing is one of the great privileges of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tithing also blesses members of other Christian churches. I did not have any idea how widely the practice of paying tithes spread until I heard Dave Ramsey, a financial guru, remind a caller to his radio show to remember to tithe. I was grateful to hear this sound financial advice from a well-known financial expert. All human beings, some more than others, need all the help available in handling finances and receive much assistance from God when we remember that everything we have comes from Him.

The payment of tithes and offerings shows gratitude to Heavenly Father for all the blessings He gives to us. It is a way of telling our Father, "You have given me all that I have. Here is a portion back to do Thy work."

Heavenly Father has given commandments to His children to help us prepare to live in the presence of God. When we willingly pay tithes and offerings, we thank Him for His blessings to us; we also show Him that we love Him and that we are willing to obey His counsel.

An honest tithe is one-tenth of our increase. Tithing is an ancient commandment that was renewed in our day. Ancient prophets like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob paid one-tenth of their increase (see Hebrews 7:1-10; Genesis 14:19-20; 28:20-22). The commandment was renewed in our time through the Prophet Joseph Smith when he prayed, "O Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing" (Doctrine and Covenants 119, section introduction). The Lord answered: "This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. 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" (Doctrine and Covenants 119:3-4). The First Presidency explained that "one-tenth of all their interest annually" means our annual income (see First Presidency letter, March 19, 1970).

Paying our tithing shows our faithfulness to the Lord as well as teaches the value of the law to our children. Children learn from the examples of their parents and will want to follow their example to pay tithing. It is also helpful for us to share stories with our children about how paying tithes has blessed our family. A favorite story in my extended family happened to my parents. They were married on October 2, 1929, just a few weeks before the financial crash that began the Great Depression. There was no work available, and my newly-wed parents struggled financially. One day a man came to purchase some hay for his animals. The money for the hay was all the money that my parents had. They did not know when they would receive any more money, but they faithfully paid their tithe on the money. They continued to struggle throughout the Depression, but they always seemed to have enough.

The faith of my parents convinced me that I could put my trust in the Lord also. I have learned from personal experiences that God does bless those who pay their tithing. There has never been a time in my life when I had to worry about where my next meal was coming from or how to keep a roof over my head. Money has often been tight, but there was always enough.

It is important that we pay tithing willingly and with a good attitude about doing so. Stephen L. Richards taught, "When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of a part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed" (The Law of Tithing, p 8). The Apostle Paul also taught that what we give and how we give are both of equal importance. He said, "Let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints give tithing and other offerings to the Lord through local leaders who transmit the funds directly to Church headquarters. There a council consisting of the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Presiding Bishopric determines specific ways to use the sacred funds.
Tithing funds are always used for the Lord's purposes: 1) Tithing is used to build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings. 2) Tithing provides funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church to operate. These units use tithing funds to carry forward the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and conducting social activities. 3) Tithing is used to help the missionary program of the Church. 4) Tithing is used to educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes. 5) Tithing is used to print and distribute lesson materials. 6) Tithing is used to further family history and temple work.

Obedience to the law of tithing requires sacrifice, but it also brings greater blessings. The prophet Malachi taught: "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).

God opens "the windows of heaven" and pours out blessings upon all who pay a full ten percent of their income. It doesn't matter to God whether our tithe is large or small; He still sends blessings both spiritually and temporally. In additions to all these blessings, the Lord promised another great blessing: "Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming" (Doctrine and Covenants 64:23).

People who have not yet established a pattern of consistent tithe paying have a difficult time believing that they can give the Lord ten percent of their income and still have enough. It is only after we become faithful tithe payers that we understand that we cannot afford to not pay tithing. In just one of the many miracles of God, He accepts our meager offerings and then stretches our remaining funds to cover our needs.

Offerings include fast offerings and other financial donations as well as service. Fast offerings are used by bishops to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care for the needy. The funds come from Church members fasting each month by going without food and drink for two consecutive meals or for twenty-four hours. The individuals and families contribute at least the amount of money they would have otherwise spent on their meals, but they may contribute many times the amount of the meals. In addition to fasting and donating the funds, members attend a meeting called the fast and testimony meeting where members voluntarily share their testimonies of Christ and His gospel with each other.

Other donations include funds to help with missionary work, the Perpetual Education Fund, temple construction, and humanitarian aid. In addition to money, members also offer their time, skills, and material goods to help other people. Through the donations and service of the members, the Church is able to help needy members and nonmembers on community, national, and international levels any where in the world. This is especially true when natural disasters occur.

President Gordon B. Hinckley told Latter-day Saints in the Philippines that if people "will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them" ("Inspirational Thoughts," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7). President Heber J. Grant taught that the Lord will help us grow "in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).

The paying of tithes and offerings is not merely a matter of money; it is a matter of faith. When we pay an honest tithe and generous offerings, we put our trust in the Lord. God gave us the law of tithing and accompanying promise for our benefit. We can develop strong faith like that of Nephi who said, "Let us be faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord; for behold he is mightier than all the earth" (1 Nephi 4:1).

Great blessings come to those who pay their tithes and offerings as well as a good feeling of helping to build the kingdom of God on earth. When we willingly and honestly give what Heavenly Father requires, He helps us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter.