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| Source I testify that as we pay our tithing faithfully, the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out upon us His richest blessings. |
I am grateful for righteous ancestors who taught the gospel
to their children in the home long before there were formal family home
evenings. My maternal grandparents were Ida Jesperson and John A. Whetten. They
lived in the small community of Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. The Whetten
children were taught by precept and by observing the examples of their parents.
The early 1920s in Mexico were hard times. The violent
revolution had just ended. There was little cash circulating, and most of it
was in silver coins. People often conducted their business through barter, or
exchange of goods and services.
One day toward the end of summer, Grandpa John came home,
having completed a trade and having received as part of the deal 100 pesos in
silver coins. He gave the money to Ida with instructions it was to be used to
cover the upcoming school expenses of the children.
Ida was grateful for the money but reminded John that they
had not paid any tithing all summer long. They had had no cash income, but Ida
reminded him that the animals had provided meat, eggs, and milk. Their garden
had provided an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and they had made other
trades for goods not involving cash. Ida suggested they should give the money
to the bishop to cover their tithing.
John was a little disappointed, as the cash would have
helped a great deal toward the children’s schooling, but he readily agreed they
needed to pay their tithing. He carried the heavy bag to the tithing office and
settled with the bishop.
Shortly afterward he received word that a wealthy
businessman from the United States, a Mr. Hord, would arrive the next week with
several men to spend a few days in the mountains hunting and fishing.
Grandpa John met the party of men at the railroad station
not far from Colonia Juárez. He had the string of saddle horses and the
necessary pack animals ready to transport the baggage and camp equipment into
the mountains. The following week was spent guiding the men and caring for the
camp and the animals.
At the end of the week, the men returned to the railroad
station to take the train back to the United States. John was paid that day for
his work and was given a bag of silver peso coins to cover the other expenses.
Once John and his men had been paid, John returned the balance of money to Mr.
Hord, who was surprised, as he had not expected any money to be left over. He
quizzed John to make sure all costs had been covered, and John answered that
all the expenses for the trip had been met, and this was the balance of the
funds.
The train whistled. Mr. Hord turned to go and then turned
back and tossed the heavy bag of coins to John. “Here, take this home for your
boys,” he said. John caught the bag and headed back to Colonia Juárez.
That evening as the family gathered around after supper to
hear the stories of the trip, John remembered the bag and brought it in and set
it on the table. John said he didn’t know how much was in the bag, so for fun
the bag was emptied onto the table—it was quite a pile—and when it was counted,
it came to exactly 100 pesos in silver. Of course it was deemed a great
blessing that Mr. Hord had decided to make that trip. John and his boys had
earned good wages, but the 100 pesos left over was a reminder of the exact same
amount of tithing paid the week before. To some, that might be an interesting
coincidence, but to the Whetten family, it was clearly a lesson from the Lord
that He remembers His promises to those who faithfully pay their tithing.
As a child I loved that story because it was about a
horseback camping trip into the mountains for hunting and fishing. And I loved
it because it teaches that when we obey commandments we are blessed. There are
several things we can conclude about tithing from this story.
First, you will notice that the payment of tithing in this
case was not related to the amount of cash income. The Whettens decided to use
their first cash income for tithing because they had lived well from their
animals and their productive fruit and vegetable garden. They obviously felt
indebted to the Lord for their blessings.
That is a reminder of the implication in the Lord’s words
when He asks: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.” The people ask,
“Wherein have we robbed thee?” And the Lord thunders back, “In tithes and
offerings” (Malachi 3:8). Yes, brothers and sisters, just as John and Ida
Whetten realized that summer decades ago, we are all indebted to the Lord. Let
us not be accused of robbing God. Let us be honest and pay our debts to the
Lord. All He asks is 10 percent. Integrity in paying our debts to the Lord will
help us be honest with our fellowmen.
The next thing I notice about that story is that my
grandparents paid tithing regardless of the poor condition of their family
finances. They knew the Lord’s commandment; they likened the scriptures unto
themselves (see 1 Nephi 19:23–24) and obeyed the law. This is what the Lord
expects of all His people. He expects us to pay tithing not from our abundance
nor from the “leftovers” of the family budget but, as He commanded anciently,
from the “firstlings” of our income, be it scarce or abounding. The Lord has
commanded, “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first … fruits” (Exodus 22:29).
It has been my personal experience that the surest way to pay tithing faithfully
is to pay it as soon as I receive any income. In fact, I’ve found it to be the
only way.
We learn from my Whetten grandparents that tithing is not a
matter of money, really; it is a matter of faith—faith in the Lord. He promises
blessings if we obey His commandments. Clearly, John and Ida Whetten showed
great faith in paying their tithing. Let us show our faith in the Lord by
paying our tithing. Pay it first; pay it honestly. Teach our children to pay
tithing even on their allowance or other income, and then take them with us to
tithing settlement so they know of our example and our love for the Lord.
There is a possibility of misinterpretation in this story
from my grandparents. We might conclude that since we pay tithing with money,
the Lord will always bless us with money. I tended to think that way as a
child. I have since 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.
I testify that as we pay our tithing faithfully, the Lord
will open the windows of heaven and pour out upon us His richest blessings. In
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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