The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(8/24/97)
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
tithing."—Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, April 1994
(8/25/97)
What is so important about tithing? If you don't pay tithing, you are
stealing from the Lord (see Malachi 3:8), and that's contrary to the
eighth commandment, and no one has ever prospered doing that. On the
other hand, when we pay our tithes and offerings, the Lord gives it
all back to us "good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over" (Luke 6:38). How is that for a promise?—Elder Hartman
Rector, Jr., General Conference, October 1990
(8/26/97)
The payment of tithing is a commandment, a commandment with a promise.
If we obey this commandment, we are promised that we will "prosper in
the land." This prosperity consists of more than material goods--it
may include enjoying good health and vigor of mind. It includes family
solidarity and spiritual increase. I hope those of you not presently
paying your full tithe will seek the faith and strength to do so. As
you discharge this obligation to your Maker, you will find great,
great happiness, the like of which is known only by those who are
faithful to this commandment.—President N. Eldon Tanner, General
Conference, October 1979
(8/27/97)
The Lord instituted tithing; it was practiced in the days of Abraham,
and Enoch and Adam and his children did not forget their tithes and
offerings. You can read for yourselves with regard to what the Lord
requires. I want to say this much to those who profess to be
Latter-day Saints—if we neglect our tithes and offerings we will
receive the chastening hand of the Lord. We may just as well count on
this first as last. If we neglect to pay our tithes and offerings we
will neglect other things and this will grow upon us until the spirit
of the Gospel is entirely gone from us, and we are in the dark, and
know not whither we are going.—President Brigham Young, Journal of
Discourses, Volume 15, page 163
(8/28/97)
The Lord does not care a straw whether we pay our tithing or not, it
does not make him one particle richer or poorer. The gold and silver
are his and the cattle upon a thousand hills. The world and all its
fulness belong to him, for he organized and framed it. But as it is,
of what benefit is it to him? He wants in the first place to get men
to acknowledge God, I was going to say in one little carnal principle,
one little earthly principle, he wants to get them to acknowledge him,
by giving him a certain little part, or one-tenth of what he gives to
them to see whether they will be honest in this trifle, to see whether
they will act as honorable high-minded men or not, or whether they
will try to cheat him out of it. If we do this honestly and
conscientiously until we have fulfilled our duty, we are then prepared
for anything else. It is the principle and not the tithing we pay that
is esteemed of the Lord; he cares not for our tithing, but he cares
about our doing right. If we cannot be faithful in a few things, we
cannot expect to be made rulers over many things.—President John
Taylor, Journal of Discourses, Volume 10, pages 280-281
(8/29/97)
I have felt for a good while that we required stirring up with regard
to the law of tithing, and other things. The question is here: If this
is the work of God, and the Lord has given us commandments, will we be
blessed in obeying these commandments? The Lord holds our destiny in
his hands. The earth, the riches of the earth, the crops, the herds,
or flocks, our food and raiment are all the gifts of God to us.—The
Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p.179
(8/30/97)
The time has now come for every Latter-day Saint, who calculates to be
prepared for the future and to hold his feet strong upon a proper
foundation, to do the will of the Lord and to pay his tithing in full.
That is the word of the Lord to you, and it will be the word of the
Lord to every settlement throughout the land of Zion. After I leave
you and you get to thinking about this, you will see yourselves that
the time has come when every man should stand up and pay his tithing
in full. The Lord has blessed us and has had mercy upon us in the
past; but there are times coming when the Lord requires us to stand up
and do that which He has commanded and not leave it any longer. What I
say to you in this stake of Zion I will say to every stake of Zion
that has been organized; there is no man or woman that now hears what
I am saying who will feel satisfied if he or she fails to pay a full
tithing.—Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p.155
(6/19/02)
"The Lord, to whom one owes tithing, is in a position of a preferred
creditor. If there is not enough to pay all creditors, he should be
paid first. You may be a little shocked by this statement, but it is
true. Other creditors, however, need not worry, for the Lord always
blesses the person who has faith enough to pay tithing so his or her
ability to pay other creditors is not thereby reduced." — Marion G.
Romney, "Concerning Tithing," "Ensign," June 1980, p. 3
(6/20/02)
"Many of us have had the windows of heaven open up for us, so we do
not look upon tithing as a sacrifice but rather a blessing and even a
privilege." — James E. Faust, "Opening the Windows of Heaven,"
"Ensign," Nov. 1998, p. 59
(6/21/02)
"My plea this day to all members of the Church is: Pay an honest
tithing and be blessed, and don't quibble over the amount you should
pay. In the words attributed to President Young, 'We do not ask
anybody to pay tithing unless they are disposed to do so, but if you
pretend to pay tithing, pay it like honest men' (Journal of
Discourses, 8:202)." — Marion G. Romney, "The Blessings of an Honest
Tithe," "New Era," Jan.-Feb. 1982, p. 49
(6/22/02)
"For a short time during the first year of our marriage, Sister Nelson
maintained two jobs while I was in medical school. Before her
paychecks had arrived, we found ourselves owing more than our funds
could defray. So we took advantage of an option then available to sell
blood at $25 a pint. In an interval between her daytime job as a
schoolteacher and her evening work as a clerk in a music store, we
went to the hospital and each sold a pint of blood. As the needle was
withdrawn from her arm, she said to me, 'Don't forget to pay tithing
on my blood money.' (When her mother learned I was bleeding her
daughter between two jobs, I sensed at that time she may not have been
too pleased with her new son-in-law.) Such obedience was a tremendous
lesson to me. Sister Nelson's commitment to tithe became my
commitment, too." — Russell M. Nelson, "Lessons from Eve," "Ensign,"
Nov. 1987, p. 88
(6/23/02)
"President Marion G. Romney spoke concerning the funding of caring for
the needy when he said: 'It has been, and now is, the desire and the
objective of the Church to obtain from fast offerings the necessary
funds to meet the cash needs of the welfare program. . At the present
time we are not meeting this objective. We can, we ought, and we must
do better. If we will double our fast offerings, we shall increase our
own prosperity, both spiritually and temporally. This the Lord has
promised, and this has been the record.' ('Basics of Church Welfare,'
talk given to the Priesthood Board, 6 Mar. 1974, p. 10.)" — Thomas S.
Monson, "Goal Beyond Victory," "Ensign," Nov. 1988, p. 45
(1/6/05)
"As long as one is honest with the Lord, the amount paid is not
material. The widow's or child's mite is as important and acceptable
as the rich man's offerings. When men, women, and children are honest
with God and pay their tithes and offerings, the Lord gives them
wisdom whereby they can do as much or more with the remainder than
they could if they had not been honest with the Lord. Many times they
are blessed and prospered in various ways-spiritually, physically, and
mentally, as well as materially. I bear my witness to you that this is
true, and I am sure that many of you can bear such a testimony." -
Franklin D. Richards, "The
Law
of Abundance," Ensign, June 1971, p. 46
(4/17/05)
"When serving a meal, it is much easier to set one more plate at the
beginning of the meal than it is to find food for a latecomer once the
meal is over and the food has been served. Likewise, isn't it actually
easier to give the Lord the firstlings or the firstfruits than it is
to hope that there are sufficient 'leftovers' for Him? As the founder
of our feast, shouldn't He be the guest of honor, the first to be
served?
"My loving mother, Evelyn Robbins, taught me the law of tithing when I
was four years old. She gave me an empty Band-Aid box, the tin kind
with a snapping lid. She taught me to keep my tithing pennies in it
and then take it to the bishop. I am eternally grateful for her, for
that Band-Aid box, and for the blessings that have come from paying
tithing." - Lynn G. Robbins, "Tithing-a
Commandment
Even for the Destitute," General Conference, April 2005
(10/6/05)
"So I come to the conclusion that the
principal thing about tithe paying is obedience to the law, and that
more good will come to us through that obedience than to anybody
else. We may be worth our tens of thousands, and pay an honest
tithing on our income, making our tithing a large amount; yet the
good that will come to ourselves by being obedient to the law of God
will be far greater in the end than the good which our substance may
do to the poor. He is more blessed who giveth alms than is he who
receiveth them. The trouble is, when a man becomes rich he at once
begins to feel too poor to be obedient to the laws of God. Riches
make men poor when it comes to dealing with the Almighty." - Joseph
F. Smith, "Conference Report," April 1899, Afternoon Session
2/25/06
"The law of tithing prepares us to live the higher law of
consecration—to dedicate and give all our time, talents, and resources
to the work of the Lord. Until the day when we are required to live
this higher law, we are commanded to live the law of the tithe, which
is to freely give one-tenth of our income annually.
"To those who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the
Lord promises an abundance of blessings. Some of these blessings are
temporal, just as tithes are temporal. But like the outward physical
ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, the commandment to pay
tithing requires temporal sacrifice, which ultimately yields great
spiritual blessings." - Robert D. Hales, "Tithing:
A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings," Ensign (CR), November
2002, p.26
6/10/06
"Brothers and sisters, how can
every member enjoy the thrill and the blessing that comes from making
a sacrifice to help the work? The answer is very simple, as are most
answers in the Church. Every member of the Church can pay a full,
honest tithing and can attend tithing settlement. The Lord said,
'Verily [now] is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my
people' (D&C 64:23)."
- M. Russell Ballard, "Sacrifice
and Self-Sufficiency," Ensign (CR), November 1987, p.78
10/19/06
"In order to bestow His
blessings on His children in a just and equitable manner, the Lord has
instituted laws that govern those blessings that He wants all of us to
enjoy....
"The Lord knew from the beginning that we, His children, would be
faced with temporal and spiritual adversities during this mortal life.
Indeed, these adversities are a vital part of this mortal probation.
He knew that we would stand in need of His blessings throughout our
lives in order to not only survive our individual trials, but also to
enjoy a degree of comfort and even prosperity.
"Thus the law of tithing, which was instituted from the beginning. We
know from the scriptures that Abraham was blessed through his
obedience to this law, and we now have that same law as it was
reiterated by the Savior during His visit to the inhabitants of the
American continent almost 2,000 years ago:
"'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.' (3
Nephi 24:10–12; see also Malachi
3:10–12.)" - Daniel L. Johnson, "The
Law of Tithing," Ensign, November 2006
12/7/06
"We consecrate our lives in
this Church to the advancement of the cause of God. There is no higher
evidence of that consecration than this giving which has been enjoined
upon us by the Lord. 'He who gives himself with his gift feeds
three-himself, his hungering neighbor and me.' So the law of tithing
is the epitome of the Gospel. It is genuine worship and true
recognition of the sovereignty of God. It is real consecration, the
giving of the muscle and energy of life to the cause: and it begets
the abundant life of love and service for which the Christ came. It is
a measurement of true religion. By the extent of its observance every
man may determine for himself the vitality of his own faith and love
of God. A prophet has said, 'The tenth shall be holy unto the Lord.'
It will be holy unto you, men and women of Israel, if you give it
lovingly, joyfully, willingly, to the great cause." - Stephen L
Richards, "Conference Report," April 1929, p.53
4/3/07
"In these hard times
financially, I want to repeat to the Latter-day Saints my firm belief
that God our heavenly Father prospers and blesses and gives wisdom to
those men and to those women who are strictly honest with him in the
payment of their tithing. I believe that when a man is in financial
difficulty, the best way to get out of that difficulty (and I speak
from personal experience, because I believe that more than once in my
life I have been in the financial mud as deep as almost anybody) is to
be absolutely honest with the Lord, and never to allow a dollar to
come into our hands without the Lord receiving ten per cent of it. The
Lord does not need your money or mine. Compliance with the law of
tithing and donations for ward meetinghouses, stake houses, academies,
temples, missionary work and these various needs, are all for our
good. They are but lessons that we are learning which will qualify and
prepare us to become more godlike and to be fitted to go back into the
presence of our heavenly Father." - Heber J. Grant, "Conference
Report," October 1921, p.7
5/2/07
"It is a matter of commitment.
The earth belongs to the Lord, and this includes our own lives. He
allows us to use everything on this earth. He only asks us to return
one-tenth. Tithing is a token of gratitude, obedience, and
thanksgiving—a token of our willingness and dedication. Paying
tithing, willingly, develops an honest and pure heart. Paying tithing
increases our love for the Lord.
"The Lord said, 'It is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing
of my people.' (D&C
64:23)
"Brothers and sisters, let us demonstrate our faith. Let us show our
willingness to obey. I promise you, in the name of Jesus Christ, when
you and I pay honest, true tithes to the Lord, the Lord will open the
windows of heaven." - Yoshihiko Kikuchi, "Will
A Man Rob God?" General Conference, April 2007
4/29/08
"The Lord asked Israel to prove
Him, to test Him, to have faith in Him so that He would be able to keep
His promise to them. That same commandment and that same promise are in
effect today. When we keep the law of the tithe, the Lord’s promise is
sure: blessings will come to us both temporally and spiritually,
according to the wisdom and timing of the Lord."
- Sheldon F. Child, "The
Best Investment," General Conference, April 2008
9/27/08
"Tithing
matters have been touched by our President, and incidentally by two or
three other speakers. We have recently had a tithing settlement, and
the tithes of the Church have materially increased. Crops in most
districts have been bountiful, and some of our brethren have been
blessed with larger incomes, as a result of the high prices obtaining
for certain products. The Lord has blessed this land, and he has done
so because it is occupied by his people. As we pay our tithes and
offerings gladly and willingly, as a part of our service to the Lord,
so will he bless this land. What was once a barren waste is now a
marvel to those who travel through this country." - John Wells,
"Conference Report," April 1926, Afternoon Session, p.120
1/7/09
"The first time I paid tithing, the amount was five cents. With my
father, I went to the office of the bishop, who solemnly accepted my
five pennies and wrote out the receipt. Then he stood and, coming from
behind his desk, sat next to me. With his hand on my shoulder, he gave
me the small but significant slip of paper and said, 'Ronald,
you have made a good beginning, and if you continue as you have begun,
you can be a perfect tithe payer.'
The idea of being perfect at anything seemed well beyond my ability. I
was trying hard just to be a good boy. But with those words, the bishop
inspired me to strive for perfection in that one basic aspect of the
gospel. The blessings, both temporal and spiritual, have been abundant."
- Ronald E. Poelman, "Tithing:
A Privilege," Ensign (CR), May
1998, p.78
11/10/09
“I
was taught more about the spirit of tithing by President Henry D.
Moyle, who lived in my ward when I was serving as a young bishop. One
tithing settlement, President Moyle came in and declared, ‘Bishop,
this is a full tithe and a little bit more, because that's the way we
have been blessed.’” - James E. Faust,
“Opening the Windows of Heaven,” Ensign (CR), November 1998, p. 54
1/29/12
I remember as a youth walking with my mother up the dusty road to the
bishop’s house in a day when we often paid tithing from our animals
and produce. As we walked, I said, “Why do we take the eggs to the
bishop?” She answered, “Because they are tithing eggs and the bishop
receives the tithing for Heavenly Father.” My mother then recounted
how each evening when the eggs were brought in, the first one went
into a small basket and the next nine went into a large basket. I
first learned the law of tithing from my beloved mother. - Spencer
W. Kimball, "Will
A Man Rob God?" New Era, March 2002
7/26/14
Often
as we teach and testify about the law of tithing, we emphasize the
immediate, dramatic, and readily recognizable temporal blessings
that we receive. And surely such blessings do occur. Yet some of the
diverse blessings we obtain as we are obedient to this commandment
are significant but subtle. Such blessings can be discerned only if
we are both spiritually attentive and observant (see 1
Corinthians 2:14). - David
A. Bednar, “The
Windows of Heaven,” Ensign (CR) November 2013
9/2/15
Tithing is so simple and
straightforward a thing. The principle, as it applies to us, is
actually set forth in one verse of section 119 of the Doctrine and
Covenants. That fourth verse consists of thirty-five words. Contrast
that with the cumbersome and complex tax codes enacted and enforced
by governments. In the one case it is a brief statement from the
Lord, the payment left to the individual and motivated by faith.
With the other it is a tangled web created by men and enforced by
law. - Gordon B. Hinckley, "The
Miracle Made Possible by Faith," Ensign (CR), May 1984, p.
46
10/3/15
Tithing
is a commandment with a promise. The words of Malachi, reaffirmed by
the Savior, promise those who bring their tithes into the storehouse
that the Lord will open "the windows of heaven, and pour [them] out
a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." The
promised blessings are temporal and spiritual. The Lord promises to
"rebuke the devourer," and he also promises tithe payers that "all
nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land"
(3
Ne. 24:10-12; see Mal.
3:10-12). - Dallin H. Oaks,
“Tithing,"
Ensign (CR), May 1994, p. 33
2/22/16
The
Lord will remember His people for their faithfulness, and will
abundantly reward them with the things pertaining to this life and
eternity. I admonish the Latter-day Saints to not tire but to
continue on and on, and see to it that when we give our tithings
that we give them ungrudgingly; that when we give our offerings our
hearts go out therewith, that it may be counted unto us for
righteousness, and that we may receive a blessing from the Lord. - George
F. Richards, "Conference Report," April 1911, Second Day-Morning
Session, p.43
5/21/16
It is my firm belief, after many years of close observation, that
those who honestly pay their tithes and offerings do prosper and get
along better in almost every way. It is my testimony that in
discharging this debt to the Lord, one enjoys great personal
satisfaction. Unfortunately this great satisfaction will be known
only by those who have the faith and strength to keep this
commandment. - James E. Faust, "Responsibility
for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family," Ensign (CR), May
1986, p.20
8/4/16
I express my deepest gratitude for every blessing of the gospel of
Jesus Christ, especially that greatest of all gifts, the exemplary
life and atoning death of God’s Only Begotten Son. I know I can
never repay heaven for any of this benevolence, but there are many
ways I need to try to show my thankfulness. One of those ways is in
the payment of tithes and freewill offerings. I want to give
something back, but I never want it to be (in King David's words)
“that which doth cost me nothing.” - Jeffrey
R. Holland, "Like
a Watered Garden," Ensign (CR), November 2001, p.33
9/14/16
Frequently
we hear the expression "I can't afford to
pay tithing." Persons who make such statements have not yet learned
thatthey can't afford not to pay tithing. There are many members who
from
experience can and do testify that nine-tenths carefully planned,
budgeted, andspent wisely, with the blessings of the Lord, will go
much farther than
ten-tenths spent haphazardly without planning and without the Lord's
blessings.- Henry D. Taylor, “I
Will … Pour You Out a Blessing,” Ensign (CR), May 1974, p.107