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The Law of Tithing
1. "Anciently,
Abraham and Jacob obeyed the commandment to pay a tithe of one-tenth of their
increase (see Hebrews 7:1–10; Genesis 14:19–20; 28:20–22). In modern times the
Prophet Joseph Smith prayed, “O Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou
requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing” (D&C 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” (D&C 119:3–4). The First Presidency has explained that
“one-tenth of all their interest annually” refers to our income (see First
Presidency letter, Mar. 19, 1970)" (Gospel Principles, Tithing).
2. "In the Lord’s
commandment to the people of this day, tithing is “‘one-tenth of all their
interest annually,’ which is understood to mean income.” The First Presidency
has said, “No one is justified in making any other statement than this” (First
Presidency letter, 19 Mar. 1970, quoted in the General Handbook of
Instructions, 1989, p. 9-1; see also D&C 119). We pay tithing, as the
Savior taught, by bringing the tithes “into the storehouse” (Mal. 3:10; 3 Ne.
24:10). We do this by paying our tithing to our bishop or branch president. We
do not pay tithing by contributing to our favorite charities. The contributions
we should make to charities come from our own funds, not from the tithes we are
commanded to pay to the storehouse of the Lord" (Dallin H. Oaks, April
1994 General Conference).
How Tithing Funds are
Used
Q How are tithing
funds used?
Q What's the Bishop's cut
of our tithing?
3. "Tithing funds
are used to support the ongoing activities of the Church, such as building and
maintaining temples and meetinghouses, carrying the gospel to all the world, conducting
temple and family history work, and many other worldwide activities. Tithing
does not pay local Church leaders, who serve without receiving payment of any
kind. Local Church leaders send the tithing received each week directly to
Church headquarters. A council comprised of the First Presidency, the Quorum of
the Twelve, and the Presiding Bishopric determines specific ways to use the
sacred tithing funds" (Preach My Gospel).
Tithing Helps Prepare
Us to Live with God and to Become More Like Him
4. "We have been
given commandments to help us prepare in every way to live in the presence of
our Heavenly Father" (Gospel Principles, Tithing).
Q How does paying
tithing help prepare us to live with God? Help us to be more like God?
5. "Lay not up for yourselves
treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew
6:19-21).
6. "Then said Jesus
unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. And now for a man to take up his cross, is to
deny himself of all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my
commandments. Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a
man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (JST Matthew 16:24, 26).
7. "We can have
eternal life if we want it, but only if there is nothing else we want
more" (Bruce C. Hafen, April 2004 General Conference).
The Blessings of
Tithing
Conditional Blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ: Forgiveness, salvation, exaltation, eternal families, hope, overcome weaknesses, godly character/divine attributes, self control, guidance, comfort, joy, peace, strength, healing, etc.
To receive the conditional blessings of the atonement, we must live the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
· Faith- belief in, trust in, and commitment to obey Christ
· Repent- submit will to Christ and change behavior to follow Him; seek forgiveness and a change of heart
· Covenants- make/keep promises by priesthood authority to follow the example of Jesus Christ, such as baptism.
· Holy Ghost- receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, invite and follow His guidance
· Endure to the end- consistently grow our faith, repent, keep our covenants, and receive the Holy Ghost
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Q How does paying tithing help us to live
the gospel and receive the blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ?
8. "I, the Lord,
require the hearts of the children of men. Behold, now it is called today until
the coming of the Son of Man, and 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" (D&C 64:22-23).
9. "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.
"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 field, saith the LORD of hosts. And
all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith
the LORD of hosts" (Malachi 3:8-12).
Q How have you seen the
windows of heaven opened and blessings poured out upon your family as you have
kept the law of tithing?
Q How have you seen
the blessings promised in verses 11 and 12?
10. "We might
conclude that since we pay tithing with money, the Lord will always bless us
with money.... I have... learned it doesn’t necessarily work that way. The Lord
promises blessings to those who pay their tithing. He promises to “open … the
windows of heaven, and pour … out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). I testify that He fulfills His promises,
and if we faithfully pay our tithing, we will not lack for the necessities of
life, but He does not promise wealth. Money
and bank accounts are not His richest blessings. He blesses us with wisdom
to manage our limited material resources, wisdom that enables us to live better
with 90 percent of our income than with 100 percent. Thus, faithful tithe
payers understand provident living and tend to be more self-reliant.
"I have come to understand that the
Lord’s richest blessings are spiritual, and they often have to do with family,
friends, and the gospel. He often seems to give the blessing of a special
sensitivity to the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, especially in
marriage and family matters like raising children. Such spiritual sensitivity
can help us enjoy the blessings of harmony and peace in the home. President
James E. Faust suggested that the payment of tithing is “an excellent insurance
against divorce” (“Enriching Your Marriage,” Liahona, Apr. 2007, 5; Ensign,
Apr. 2007, 7).
"The payment of tithing helps us develop
a submissive and humble heart and a grateful heart that tends to “confess … his
hand in all things” (D&C 59:21). Tithe-paying fosters in us a generous and
forgiving heart and a charitable heart full of the pure love of Christ. We
become eager to serve and bless others with an obedient heart, submissive to
the Lord’s will. Regular tithe payers find their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
strengthened, and they develop a firm, abiding testimony of His gospel and of
His Church. None of these blessings are monetary or material in any way, but
surely they are the Lord’s richest blessings" (Carl B. Pratt, April 2011
General Conference).
Q In what ways is
tithing more a matter of faith than a matter of money?
Q How does paying
tithing show our gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all His blessings to us?
Q Why is our attitude
important as we pay tithing?
Q What suggestions do
you have to help someone who struggles to pay tithing?
Q Why is it important
to teach our children to pay tithing? What suggestions do you have for how to
teach them?
Other Offerings
• Fast Offerings- assist the poor and needy living in our ward• Ward Missionary- help pay the costs of missionaries serving from our ward
• General Missionary- helps support global missionary work
• Humanitarian Aid- disaster relief, provide vaccinations, clean water, etc.
• Book of Mormon- fund printing and translation of the Book of Mormon
• Temple Construction- assists in building new temples
• Perpetual Education- provides low interest loans to pay for education
• Temple Patron Assistance- assists with travel costs for members to attend the temple
Key talks about tithing can be found at
Key talks about sacrifice can be found at
Key talks about faith can be found
at
Key talks about becoming more Christlike can be
found at
Please share your testimony of the principles covered in this lesson or share a favorite scripture or quote that wasn't included.
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