“All Nation Shall Call You Blessed”

Have you ever experienced having zero balance in your bank accounts, in your pockets or in your family finances that is used for paying bills and resources? Have you ever experienced choosing whether or not you should prioritize the Lord’s commandment to pay your tithes and offerings, before paying for your family’s resources. As members of the church, the Lord commanded us to Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in [his] house,[1] he also promised that if we do, he will “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.[2]” Though it is clear that a blessing will come if we obey the law of tithing, we are sometimes still uncertain if we should follow such, because of the circumstances of life that we have.

Tithing

When I was a young man, my parents taught me to pay tithing and fast offering. They taught me that when I receive my allowance, Immediately I should set aside 10% from my allowance and use it for paying my tithing. Elder Neil L Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve taught us about the Law of Tithing:

 

“In our day, the Lord reconfirmed the divine law of tithing, declaring: “This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And [they] shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever.”[3]

 

This means that every time we earn, 10 percent of it shall be set aside and use it to pay our tithes. It was also emphasized that “this shall be a standing law unto them forever”. This means that as members of the Church, obeying the law of tithing is crucial.

 

The Faith

While it is true that paying tithing is important, in reality, it is hard to obey. Honestly, when I was a young man, it was so easy to set aside 10%, but when you grow up, it starts to sink it that paying tithing has never been easy, it will test your faith on our Lord, and it requires a painful sacrifice. Nevertheless, the Lord promised that if we “Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.”[4] This means that if we prioritize paying our tithes, the lord will be there for us, and he will be there willing to help us, but it is important to understand that we should have faith and believe that he will help us. I would like to share what Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught us:

“God is among us—and is personally involved in our lives and actively guiding His children.”[5]

With this truth, do you have faith that God is among us? If you do, keep his divine Laws and he will pour blessing among you

The Blessing

In Malachi, it was revealed that if we obey that law of tithing, he will “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”[6] It was also taught that obeying such commandments “all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land.” I bear witness that this is true.

The faith and sacrifices we make in paying our tithing will give abundant blessings. Elder Andersen taught:

“The windows of heaven open in many ways. Some are temporal, but many are spiritual. Some are subtle and easy to overlook. Trust in the Lord’s timing; the blessings always come.”[7]

With these promised blessings brothers and sisters, we should not fear nor hesitate in obeying the Law of Tithing because the Lord taught Nephi that if we “keep his commandments, [we] shall prosper in the land.”[8] However we should not be discouraged when blessing will not come immediately because Elder Jeffery R. Holland taught:

“Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”[9]

My Testimony

With this brothers and Sisters, I testify that obeying the Law of tithing will bless each family, each individual and each person in this world. Borrowing what President Joseph Smith Jr said, “The Lord is not just building his [kingdom], he is building us. May we find courage in paying our tithes, I know brothers and Sisters that the Lord lives, he gave this commandment for us to recognize his hand, build our faith and bless everyone. 

 

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[1] Malachi 3:10.

[2] Malachi 3:10.

[3] Tithing: Opening the windows of Heaven, Neil L. Andersen, October 2023, General Conference.

[4] Luke 12:31

[5] God is Among Us, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2021, General Conference

[6] Malachi 3:10

[7] Tithing: Opening the windows of Heaven, Neil L. Andersen, October 2023, General Conference.

[8] 1 Nephi 2:20

[9] An High Priest of Good Things to Come, Jeffery R. Holland, October 1999, General Conference