Lesson Summary June 16, 2013

Tithing, a Law for Our Protection and Advancement                                                   

                         "The law of tithing is one of the most important ever revealed to man. . . 
                             Through obeying this law the blessings of prosperity and success 
                                                        will be given to the Saints,"
                               

        In May of 1899, President Lorenzo Snow felt prompted to visit the city of St. George and other settlements in southern Utah. He quickly began organizing a group of people, including several General Authorities, to take the long trip with him.  "When we left Salt Lake," he later said, "we did not know just what we were going to visit these southern settlements for."  But on May 17, 1899, soon after the travelers arrived in St. George, the Lord's will was "clearly manifested" to His prophet. 

 

        In a meeting held on May 18, President Snow declared, " The word of the Lord to you is not anything new; it is simply this: 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. 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."

 

        In his previous 50 years as an Apostle, President Snow had rarely mentioned the law of tithing in his sermons. That changed in St. George, Utah, because of the revelation he received. "I never had a more perfect revelation, than  [the revelation] I received on this subject of tithing."

 

        President Snow had repeatedly assured the Saints that they would be blessed individually, both temporally and spiritually, as they obeyed the law of tithing. That promise was partially fulfilled in August 1899, when the people of St. George enjoyed temporary relief from their drought; their faith was rewarded with 2.93 inches of rain, more than they had received in the previous 13 months combined. President Snow had also promised that obedience to the law of tithing would bring blessings to the Church as a whole. He felt certain that the tithes of the faithful would enable the church to break free from its indebtedness.  

 

        The law of tithing is one of the most important ever revealed to man . . .  Through obeying this law the blessings of prosperity and success will be given unto the Saints. If we will keep that law . . . the land will be sanctified, and we shall be counted worthy to receive the blessings of the Lord and to be sustained and supported in our financial affairs and in everything we do, temporal as well as spiritually. The temporal salvation of this Church depends upon obedience to this law.

 

         " .... I require it at your hands, not only to obey it, but to teach it to the children of the Latter-day Saints, and to impress it upon the tablets of their memories, so that when they shall grow into years of discretion, it may be said they were taught it, and that they obeyed it from their youth up."

 

 

           Thank you, Jan, for all the work you put into this lesson; it was wonderfully taught and we could fell the Spirit present.