Tithing

[Anonymous]

This sunday I will be giving a talk on tithing. I have been thinking alot this week about it, but I feel I am needing more specific ideas on ways that I would be able to give a thoughtful approach to tithing. Any ideas?

[Anonymous]

When I taught a lesson on tithing I felt inspired to appproach the subject differently than we usually hear it broached.

Instead of focusing on how we are supposed to keep the law, I focused on how the tithes of others have blessed my life.

I thanked the sisters (this was in RS) for their tithing funds and the explained how much it meant to me to have a building in which to meet every Sunday. I mentioned profound spiritual experiences and significant relationships that were formed inside the walls of the church and how my life was enriched because of those people and events. I talked about how much I love the hymns of the church and how music opens my heart to the spirit and I thanked the sisters for providing hymnbooks. I described an area of my mission where we met in a rented house and how much it meant to have folding chairs, and our portable pulpit- I talked about how the small group of members eventually filled the metal garage to overflowing and how grateful we were to be able to meet together and share our testimonies of Christ. I thanked the sisters for paying tithing so that I could give Books of Mormon to people I met on the streets and described the way some lives changed in response to our message.

I quite literally spent the entire lesson listing tangible, touching ways my life has been changed because of the use of tithing. As I did, a spirit of reverence and gratitude filled my heart. It was difficult to keep my emotions in check. It was moving for me to count these blessings publcily and it was moving for the sisters in the room to receive my appreciation. If there were any dry eyes, I didn’t see them.

Sometimes, we fail to put a face to our tithing and fast offerings and we feel far removed from the good that we do. In that class, on that day, the Lord inspired me to be the face of all who have benefitted from the use of church funds. It was beautifully humbling.

Other sisters were moved to comment on how they had been blessed. One sister raised her hand and announced that the year before her husband had been struggling at work and she had received food from the church. She wept openly, thanking her sisters for helping to provide even though the were unaware.

It was a tender experience and one I won’t forget any time soon.

[Anonymous]

There is a nice little article on this Grace Communion website on the topic with great scriptural references from the bible.

http://www.gci.org/law/tithing” class=”bbcode_url”>http://www.gci.org/law/tithing

I like how it talks about the need to be generous and the true spirit of the law.

Perhaps you can mention in your talk that modern revelation asks us to obey the old testament law, but if we ask ourselves, what would I pay if I was not required to pay 10%…that might stimulate the congregation to think about it, not just do what we’re told without thinking. Where is our heart as we pay with money?

Just some thoughts.

[Anonymous]

Personally, I would speak about “charitable giving” rather than tithing, and the impact it has on a person’s character. But that is just me, as I feel tithing is too Church-centric when there are so many other worthwhile causes out there that could use the funds to do wider good. I wouldn’t say that over the pulpit, but if asked, I would go the charitable giving route. There was a quote from one of the early prophets that said “when mankind stops serving each other, society will perish”…I think that is another good way to approach charitable giving.

[Anonymous]

That is wonderful advise. Thank you! I am planning on getting it written soon, so as soon as I do I would love to hear what advise people have for it. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Brian, I can offer some thoughts, but not specifically about the topic of tithing; more on giving a talk in general. I would encourage you not to write your talk and especially not to read it. Get two or three main points in your head, and jot them down on a piece of paper. Think in your own mind about how you want to approach each point. Spend more time thinking about the meaning of your points, and the way you want to treat them, and less time on the exact words. You’ve gotten some really great thoughts from other posters on the topic. But it will be for naught if I’m in the congregation and see you pull out a piece paper and read out loud, “Good morning. For those of you that don’t know me, my name is BrianKissell. [continuing to read] I’ve been assigned the topic of tithing. [still reading] I looked up in Mormon Doctrine what tithing is…” That’s usually the time I ask for the program, and when I’m done reading it, I start wondering what’s on the bulletin board out in the foyer If you speak from the heart, people will listen, they will understand, they will uphold you. It’s a personal connection that you can’t get by reading. The personal connection is hugely important. With it, you and I are in a struggle together, and by helping each other, we can both be lifted up to something higher… without the personal connection, it’s just a lecture.

[Anonymous]

My Talk on Tithing

As I began to write this talk I pondered the topic that I had been given. When I heard that I would be speaking on tithing I felt a little hesitation, for it is a topic that I am continuously trying to better understand, and so I feel that it is so important for us to silently pray together for the lord to help us be open to the spirit and to help us recognize the answers that he will bring to our hearts. I pray that the lord will bless me to speak from my heart, as well as to help me to be capable of addressing this topic in a way that will help us gain the desire to improve, and grow in ways that we were previously unaware of. To help myself be more organized I have decided to type my talk, so I apologize that if it sounds rehearsed.

I believe that the gospel is given to us through loving heavenly parents to help us build our souls. I believe that with full participation in the rituals & sacrifices that we are asked to make comes a powerful transformation into a closer model of what we are searching to become. Throughout various arduous steps in my spiritual journey I have felt forced to reject previously held misconceptions of exactly how our blessings come to us, but I do have great faith and belief that those blessings do come. In the church we often hear miraculous stories of tithing where because of the powerful faith and conviction, which drove members to sacrifice what felt like everything, they were blessed to receive all they had given and more. I have heard the scripture in Malachi quoted as a promise that if we pay our tithing we will be financially blessed and even will receive more than we gave. We sometimes speak like as long as we are doing what is right, we will receive the monetary & spiritual help that we expect & assume we deserve.

While I recognize my limited capacity of mind and spirit, and do not reject the real experiences that others have had, I feel that my experience with tithing has not always or ever worked exactly like that. A few years ago I began experiencing something that I had never expected to experience, but I believe that it demonstrated the importance of not binding the Lord because of our own expectations. I had always been extremely attentive to the promises of those who were my leaders in the church. I was frequently taught that as long as we follow the prophet, and seek to always do what is right we will be protected from the struggles that many others have to endure. The problem was that some of these teachings began to come into conflict with the apparent truth in my daily life. At that time I began to become extremely confused, for even though I loved the church more than anything else, I began to doubt its truthfulness. What seemed to always have been so obvious became clouded and difficult to understand. I was constantly searching for help in better comprehending the doubts that were in my mind, but no matter how hard I would search, nothing seemed to help.

I prayed, and read scriptures daily, paid tithing, as well as stayed in contact with my church leaders, but although I felt I was doing everything I could, I felt so very alone. Where was God? What had I done wrong? Had he abandoned me because I was having doubts? Had I lost my faith because I had not valued it enough? I had been promised that if I were doing what is right, God would never abandon me, nevertheless I felt abandoned. Again I was paying my tithing. Where were the blessings that would come in such a great quantity that I would not be able to receive them? I did not receive all of the answers to my questions, but I felt a desire to continue searching. I feel that after many years of struggling I have learned and grown a great deal. I still have questions, but as Elder Uchtdorf said in a young adult fireside “We are a questioning people.” I have learned that my questions are not necessarily a curse because I had been doing anything wrong, but perhaps they were and are a blessing to help me seek to become a stronger and better follower of Christ.

What is the point of this story? I look back at those days, and although I did not have my questions answered instantaneously as I had desired, I believe that God actually had been responding to my prayers, even though his answers did not come in the way I had hoped for. In Sunday school last week the bishop made a comment that I appreciated. The Bishop was talking about how because of our culture which includes new technologies, we tend to have an expectation for instantaneous results, and because of those expectations we can tend to not recognize the blessings of God because they do not come in the ways that we expected.

I look back on the most difficult periods of my faith struggle, and although things occurred very differently than how I wanted, I believe that God has blessed me in ways that I had never imagined.

I do not believe that God had abandoned me, nor do I believe that he ever does, but when we are in the midst of an honest and sincere struggle in life, it can seem like we have been abandoned. Although I believe this is true, I also believe that it is important to not abandon God if he does not work in the way that we may want him to. I think it may, or may not be obvious that I have been asked to speak on tithing, so with this as an introduction I would like to share my feeling on some of the amazing blessings of paying our tithing.

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings….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.”

I would like to begin by asking each of you to take a moment to ponder the topic of tithing, and to silently ask yourself some questions about it. How have you personally been blessed by tithing? Or to put it a different way, how has the fact that others have been willing to sacrifice by giving part of their income influenced your life, and helped you in a time of need? Furthermore, what does it mean when the scriptures say that the lord will pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it? In an attempt to illustrate a response to some of these questions I would like to share a small story that I wrote for this occasion.

Following the prayer I was met with a stunning silence that seemed to cut straight to my soul. I quietly sat on the bench surrounded by friends, although I had not yet had the opportunity to meet most of those in attendance. Many had their eyes closed and heads bowed, pondering the message of the prayer, as well as contemplating the significance of the words spoken. Children surrounded me as well, and although they struggled to remain still and quiet, even they seemed to recognize a sense of sacred reverence. As a young man reached me, I gratefully reached out and partook of the item in his tray. Weekly I would take this moment to thank the Lord for the opportunity to participate in such a relationship, as well as feel a spirit guiding me to live a more contemplative live. It is a moment which guides me to search, to learn, to improve, and to trust. Although this moment happens weekly, and can vary depending on the day, it is one that I am continuously trying to better understand, and cherish.

So what are the blessings that come from tithing? I would say that one obvious blessing is the fact that we are able to have these wonderful church buildings across the world as a spiritual home for each of us. I am grateful for the buildings that we are able to meet in, for they give each of us the opportunity to gather together as saints each week. This sacred space is open to us for worship, but it is also a means to help us gather together to create powerful and meaningful relationships. Another important thing that our tithing pays for are the temples that are scattered across the world. I believe that incredible growth and development can come through participating in the blessings of the temple, and tithing is what makes these buildings possible.

I believe that one of the most beautiful ways that the Lord teaches us is through symbolic means. The temple is an amazing example of how we can learn a variety of lessons from a single symbol, and those lessons may be different to us depending on where we are in our life. I believe that tithing is such a symbol that carries a great deal of meaning. I would like to share some of these examples now.

I believe tithing is a symbol of humble submission. It is a recognition that we are willing to sacrifice and share the great blessings the lord has given us. Tithing is a great symbol of faith in God & the church. It symbolically demonstrates that we have the sincere desire to help the Lord’s will to be done. Tithing can be a symbol to remind us of what is most important. The scriptures have very little good to say about money, and yet we are forced to deal with it in our daily lives. Tithing can be a symbol that helps us recognize that we should search to have our treasure not here on earth, but in our souls.

Another metaphor that I love is how tithing can be a method to better develop our relationship with the church. The scriptures give examples of how our relationship to the church relates to the relationship that one would have with a spouse. For a relationship to flourish one must humbly put aside their every desire and be willing to make certain decisions not on the basis of getting something out of the other, but merely to engage the relationship to create a better and more enjoyable partnership. I believe the same advice could be given to someone who has a relationship to the church. A beginning stage would have us joining and engaging in the relationship because we can clearly see the benefits, but as time moves by the relationship needs to become something more solid than just a mere desire to get something out of it.

A way I used to see tithing was that if I would be just willing to trust in the lord and sacrifice by paying my tithing, the lord would bless me in return with even more than I gave. Again I do not disparage this point of view, nor do I feel that it is a wrong way to look at it; however I do believe there is a better way. I believe that it is healthier to recognize that tithing is not necessarily an investment, but an opportunity to give. We are not paying God to protect us, or buying blessings from him, but we are actually participating in the magical power of giving. I believe that we should not give because we have an expectation of a reward, but we should give merely because it is the right thing to do. I remember an experience that I had with a friend a few years ago, where he had decided to stop paying his tithing. It had been 6 months and he felt that he was doing better financially than he was when he was paying. When I heard this it struck against me hard, for it went against what I had always believed. However I now look back on that experience and feel no argument against what he said, because I do not believe that we give away 10 percent of our income to become rich, but to become better people.

I believe the same lesson applies to obedience. I believe it is a great step to begin to keep commandments by a strategic step of faith; however I also believe that it is not enough to go through life by only doing something because we are asked to. What we are trying to do is develop into the types of people who want to do what is right, because it is what is right. I love the quote by Brigham young where he is speaking about tithing. He says “The people are not compelled to pay their tithing, they do as they please about it, it is urged upon them only as a matter of duty between them and their God…. Some complain and say that they are taxed by tithing. We ask no tithing of any man. In this we are as independent as the Lord is. I say, do not pay another dollar in tithing unless you want to.” Now I do not believe that Brigham Young is saying that this should be a viable excuse to not develop into a giving person. Instead I believe that he is trying to teach us that we should pay our tithing because we want to, not because we are forced to.

I have always loved the hymn “Because I have been given much.” I believe it incorporates the principles that I am talking about. The words are

Because I have been Given Much, I too must give. Because of thy great bounty Lord each day I live, I shall divide my gifts from thee with every brother that I see who has the need of help from me?

Because I have been sheltered feed by thy good care, I cannot see another’s lack and I not share, my glowing fire my loaf of bread my roof’s safe shelter overhead that he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love dear Lord, I’ll share thy love again according to thy word. I shall give love to those in need I’ll show that love by word and deed thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed.

How blessed are we to be a part of this world. We have such a great opportunity to live, learn and develop and I am so grateful for this life that god has given me.

We are so blessed, and I believe that through learning to recognize those blessing we can better develop the desire to give much of it away to those in need.

I would like to end my talk with a quote from president Hinckley.

“Reporters whom I’ve met simply cannot believe that we pay 10 percent of our income as tithing. I explain that this is a spiritual phenomenon. We pay because we are obedient to the commandment of the Lord. We pay because we have faith in his munificent promises. Let us teach our children while they are yet young of the great opportunity and responsibility of paying tithing. If we do so, there will be another generation, and yet another, who will walk in the ways of the Lord and merit his promised blessings.”

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this gospel and church. I love it so much, and know that it has transformative power to help us to become better and closer to what god would have us be. I believe that tithing is a blessing for us in our lives. I believe that by participating in the giving principle through tithing we will be blessed from heaven in such great quantities that we will not be able to receive it all. I believe that the blessings from following our heavenly father need not be those things we demand or expect. By paying tithing we may not receive money, but I believe that we can receive something much greater, which includes the opportunity to progress into a better follower of Christ. I am so grateful for the teachings of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to have the lord as my example of how to live. I am grateful for the teachings of the atonement as well as the teachings that it was never gods plan for us to come to the earth and to be expected to be perfect, even to learn that this was actually Satan’s plan. Instead we have the opportunity to learn, grow, and make mistakes, for the lord provided a way for us to return to his presence. I am so grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the powerful influence he has had on my life, and I hope and pray that I can life the type of life that I believed he lived, and I would like to share these thoughts and words in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

[Anonymous]

So My bishop double booked, so I will be speaking this Sunday. Any advise to how I could make it better? or is there anything that I say that someone totally disagrees with that I might want to clarify?

By the way, Thank you so much for the previous advise.

[Anonymous]

Brian, this is great. I don’t have any ideas how it can be improved. It is an excellent talk and I think very sincere and carries a wonderful message.

My prediction is that if you can deliver this, and you have enough time to deliver it all, there will be many people hearing it that will identify with it, appreciate someone honestly talking about it in this way, and greatly benefit from it. That is the goal, and I think you’ve been inspired in your thoughts.

Thanks for sharing. You get a few more days to sweat it out before delivering it! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I agree with Heber13. I wouldn’t change a thing. You obviously did alot to prepare.

Trust your instincts.

I can’t get over the fact that your Bishop “double booked”.

Mike from Milton.

[Anonymous]

BrianKissell wrote:

I look back on the most difficult periods of my faith struggle, and although things occurred very differently than how I wanted, I believe that God has blessed me in ways that I had never imagined.

I liked your message a lot, particularly the quoted portion above. Good luck… I’m sure that everyone will appreciate your perspective.

[Author]

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