The Law of Tithing

Sometimes I am wary about having this blog. I know currently there are no followers of it but I am wary because I don't want to ever give the impression that I am a servant of the Lord. I am not. I desire to be so. I don't speak in His name but only try to quote His servants and scriptures. This is partly why I write. I want to gain knowledge and I am trying to remove that veil that blinds me.

Since my youth I regularly paid tithing. I stopped for a short time but have been pretty consistent since I began working at the age of 15. I felt blessed for doing so and I think it pleases the Lord, that in my ignorance, I am willing to give to a good cause. Now I, through those who live on a higher plain than I, am coming to realize that I, along with most members, are not paying according to the law given in section 119 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

I have been studying for some time now because I know, at least we are taught, that it is a delicate issue. So I wanted to study it out as to not make a wrong decision and choice. I pray that the Lord will guide me during the process. One thing I have found out on this journey is that the Lord gives a law and doesn't change it. Sometimes He gives higher or lower portions of it. When men claim to follow a law recorded in a certain section of scripture and do so incorrectly, they can't claim that this or another part of the law is no longer valid.

Now let's look at the law of tithing. Seven simple verses:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord, I require all their surplus property to be put into the hands of the bishop of my church in Zion, 

2 For the building of mine house, and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood, and for the debts of the Presidency of my Church.

3 And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.

4 And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood, saith the Lord. 

5 Verily I say unto you, it shall come to pass that all those who gather unto the land of Zion shall be tithed of their surplus properties, and shall observe this law, or they shall not be found worthy to abide among you.

6 And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you. 

7 And this shall be an ensample unto all the stakes of Zion. Even so. Amen.

How do we currently "keep" the law of tithing? 10% of our "increase". We more or less as members argue if this means gross or net income, if we should pay on gifts and so forth. Try an experiment, ask any member to quote to you what the law of tithing states and far more often than not they will say "ten percent of your increase".  Try it. You will be stunned as I was but not a long time ago I would have said the same thing! How many laws do we keep that have been mingled with the precepts of men? We'll never know unless we 1) read the law, 2) ponder and 3) pray about it. Take the Spirit as your guide.

Now the Lord first states that He requires "all their surplus property". Why would the Lord do that? Well we know through the scriptures to have Zion we must have "no poor among us". Again, this law was given to lay the foundation of Zion. Not to prepare for Zion but to lay its foundation! This would be the beginning of allowing the members to have all things in common. To become equals. Well, you've guessed it! We do not require surplus property of any Saint. Of course the surplus property helps the poor the most. Those who are poor often remain poor in Babylon but not in Zion. There are no wealth requirements to enter Zion.

After the Saints have "thus been tithed" the Lord requires "one-tenth of all their interest annually". Not income. Not gross income. Not net income. Not increase. Not increase from student loans which I have heard is required from some Bishops. "Interest annually". It is your duty to find out what interest annually is. That is required between you and the Lord.

My take would be your increase, I know I said "not increase" above because I was trying to drive home what the scripture says, after appropriate bills are paid. I think this is what i meant as "interest". People need water, food, gas, electricity and a place to stay in (rent). What we don't need is cable, a luxurious car, a monster of a home, fine dining multiple times a week and or month and so forth. I calculate my increase as what is leftover after I have paid for my very basic needs. To me this is right. It isn't overbearing but is still a sacrifice. Again, you decide what interest means to you and how it should be calculated. I would like to move in this direction immediately but my wife isn't on the same page which is okay. However, I have convinced her to let me take 20-30% of what we would normally pay in tithing and use to directly help the poor. It has been a worthwhile experience. Since awakening, I am constantly thinking about Nephi and how he says that we "grind the face of the poor". I fear those words. I fear them because for so many years I thought "I help the poor by paying tithes and offerings". This is not to say that I have never helped outside of these things but it was less often than more. I am grateful to the Lord for showing me the error of my ways.

Is it possible that the Church "grinds the face of the poor" by having them pay too much tithing? Is this something to be fearful of? Are you in a leadership position where you are asked to teach about this subject? Should you do so if it is misleading? Does this go back to "taking the Lord's name in vain"? Is there any remote possibility that tithing according to man parallels with religions of old who "forgave" sins when money was paid? What a scary thought.

Mormon 8:32:

32 Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be churches built up that shall say: Come unto me, and for your money you shall be forgiven of your sins.

A recent 2012 Ensign article entitled Sacred Transformations stated:

“If paying tithing means that you can’t pay for water or electricity, pay tithing. If paying tithing means that you can’t pay your rent, pay tithing. Even if paying tithing means that you don’t have enough money to feed your family, pay tithing. The Lord will not abandon you.”

I do not doubt that the Lord will not abandon you but is this what He really intended? Even so, how would it make sense to "pay tithing" then seek the bishop for assistance with food or utility bills? Doesn't make much sense to me.

One last thing, whomever declared that surplus property was now not required should note that the Lord declared this law a "standing law unto them forever".

I know I will talk about this from time to time and will create a post about "grinding the face of the poor" and City Creek in the future. It should be apparent that we don't follow the law of tithing but don't take my word for it. Search the scriptures and take the Holy Spirit as your guide.

"Thou Shalt Not"

One unbelief that I've had has to do with our ten commandments. It seems rather silly seeing as they are pretty self explanatory but it took those on higher grounds to help elevate my understanding of one in particular.

7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Seems simple enough. Don't take God's name in vain. No "gosh darn-its!" and so forth. Well, this simple commandment may have a lot more to it than I have ever realized. I recognize that it is bad and disrespectful to pronounce his name along with some curse words. His name should be revered. He is the God of all living. We should honor Him with our conduct and words. What has never occurred to me is that maybe, just maybe God doesn't want us speaking in His name when He is not the author of those words. Interesting isn't it? I've thought about this a lot. I've thought about how many things I may have said in Elder's quorum and elsewhere saying the Lord says this or that He wants this etc. I hope the Lord will forgive me for ever speaking in His name when what I was speaking was either incorrect, false doctrine, lies or not approved by the Holy Ghost. I realize how serious a thing this is!

Why would this be such a serious thing? What about if the speaker,, being wrong, is sincere in his words?

Let's look at what Christ had to say in Matthew:

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

The scribes and pharisees were the religious leaders of their time. How often do you suppose they spoke in the Lord's name? When we say we speak in the Lord's name is it possible that we are misleading each other into false paths? It appears, according to Christ, that this indeed is possible. How many times have I ended a talk or lesson in Christ's name? Were my words approved by Christ or were they the words of just a man? It probably occurred in both instances but in the future if I am not teaching directly from the scriptures and or the Holy Ghost I think it would be unwise to say such things in His name. I am not His authorized servant. I am trying to become His servant.

How often do leaders within our own Church speak their own wills and do so in His name? Should they be careful of this?

When writing this blog I am trying my best never to say that the Lord means this or that. If I do, discard it unless a scripture is cited or the Holy Ghost confirms to you a witness of the truth. Even then my interpretation could be incorrect. I am in no way trying nor pretending to speak in His name. My objective is to cast off this veil of unbelief that currently blinds me. I am hoping along this journey I will do so and I will be able to better help those who are trying to also. Forgive me if I use the Lord's name in vain. Call me out and I will seek to be corrected.

President vs Prophet

I think, because once again this is my journey too, a major part of removing the veil of unbelief is understanding correct doctrine. Sound doctrine. Speaking of doctrine, we shouldn't be in the business of conflating doctrine with Church policy, procedure and or tradition. I happen to think the issue of president vs prophet is critically important.

In the Church we have a president who is currently Thomas S. Monson. According to the scriptures President Monson is the presiding high priest.

Doctrine and Covenants 107: 55-66  

65 Wherefore, it must needs be that one be appointed of the High Priesthood to preside over the priesthood, and he shall be called President of the High Priesthood of the Church;

66 Or, in other words, the Presiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church.

Along with his two counselors they make up the "three presiding high priests". We learn through the scriptures that these men are "chosen by the body" and are "upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the Church".

22 Of the Melchizedek Priesthood, three Presiding High Priests, chosen by the body, appointed and ordained to that office, and upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the church, form a quorum of the Presidency of the Church.

So far so good. We have that in the Church today. The Church is led by these men today. Some of the issues that arise start with how they are appointed. Members of the Church or the "body" have no say in whom are chosen to lead yet they are to be chosen, according to scripture, by this same "body". If you ask any "faithful" latter day saint brother or sister the answer to succession is almost always seniority. I suppose they are correct but the procedure isn't the one the Lord prescribed. Is there danger in this? Did the procedure change? Obviously it did. Did the change come from the Lord? Is the Lord in the business of altering His word or does He vary?(I will touch on this in a future post)

So we should now understand that the "body" is suppose to choose the three presiding high priests. I suppose we could argue who the "body" comprises. Some say it is the twelve apostles but they aren't mentioned in section 107 until after verse 22. Others say the "body" comprises the priesthood. This could be so but as a priesthood holder I've never been asked to submit whom I think should preside. Let me add that we do, as saints, sustain our leaders. This should be separate from choosing them.

If we are choosing the presidency of the Church incorrectly, is there anything else we could be getting wrong? Let's consider 91 - 92 of section 107:

91 And again, the duty of the President of the office of the High Priesthood is to preside over the whole church, and to be like unto Moses—

92 Behold, here is wisdom; yea, to be a seer, a revelator, a translator, and a prophet, having all the gifts of God which he bestows upon the head of the church.

The president of the Church should be "like unto Moses". Is the Lord saying here that we should choose someone "like unto Moses" or that whomever we choose will become "like unto Moses"? Is there a distinction? Is it important and why?  Does every president of the Church have the gifts that follow seers, revelators, translators, and prophets?

I don't believe that a man becomes a prophet honorarily because he is now president of the Church. Brigham Young had these interesting things to say:

"[After putting the motion for himself to be sustained as 'Prophet, Seer, and Revelator,' the President remarked:] I will say that I never dictated the latter part of that sentence. I will make the remark, because those words in that connection always made feel as though I am called more than I am deserving of. I am Brigham Young, an Apostle of Joseph Smith, and also of Jesus Christ. If I have been profitable to these people, I am glad of it. The brethren call me so; and if it be so, I am glad." (The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Vol. 3, p. 1347.)  (emphasis added by me)

"I am not going to interpret dreams; for I don't profess to be such a Prophet as were Joseph Smith and Daniel; but I am a Yankee guesser[.]" (The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Vol. 3, p. 1306.)

"I do not want to skip Joseph, Peter, Jesus, Moses and go to my Father in Heaven. All I ask for is to be guided by the spirit of Joseph, then let others be governed by their head, or priesthood. Joseph enjoyed the priviliges which I never thought I had. Joseph was called of God. I was called of Joseph." (The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Vol. 2, p. 1108.)

Brigham Young was honest. He didn't here proclaim to have those gifts when being sustained as the president of the Church. Do not forget that he was an apostle before this. What does this mean? It means, the point I've been trying to make, that just because a man is called to preside in the Church does not make him a prophet like Joseph Smith and like prophets before him. I think there is a lot of danger believing that they are prophets who speak with the Lord. Why? Because men, in their weakness, mingle their philosophies with Christ's doctrine. I am not asserting that these men are doing so intentionally or unintentionally but I recognize the ability of them to do so. If we believe these men to be prophets, when they are not nor have claimed to be, is it possible for them to teach incorrect doctrine or lull us away? I want to iterate that I am not asserting that the brethren are actively trying to lead us away. If they themselves haven't claimed to have these gifts why should I assume they have them? Why would I place upon them such an extravagant thing as to have beheld Jesus Christ and to have had visions and dreams? I think that is wrong and damaging but most all of the members believe it because we sustain them as such. With that said, I do believe some of these men are prophets like those of old.

We know from the scriptures that any man or woman with the "testimony of Jesus" has the "spirit of prophecy". They are prophets. They may not be called to do as Moses did but they receive Christ in this life. This is the correct doctrine that many people have confused. Those who conversed with our Lord in the flesh become like those of old who are redeemed from the fall. We must not assume those called as prophets within the Church have experienced these same things. It is unfair. Rather, we should recognize them as the good men they are and together we should strive to have our own personal revelations.

In summary, it is a dangerous road when one, especially millions, assumes a man is a prophet when the scriptures do not indicate such. Once again, a real prophet is visited by the Lord in the flesh and testifies of Him because he "has seen Him."

Addendum:

If you search the Doctrine and Covenants you will quickly find that there is no prophet calling in the Church. A man is either a prophet or he is not. No Church calling will make a man a prophet.

Addendum Part Two:

Doctrine and Covenants 107:   

82 And inasmuch as a President of the High Priesthood shall transgress, he shall be had in remembrance before the common council of the church, who shall be assisted by twelve counselors of the High Priesthood;

83 And their decision upon his head shall be an end of controversy concerning him.

  

84 Thus, none shall be exempted from the justice and the laws of God, that all things may be done in order and in solemnity before him, according to truth and righteousness.

Members regularly state that the prophet cannot lead the Church astray yet the Lord has a clause if the president happens to transgress. What is the Lord telling us here? That man, even the president of the Church, can falter so much to require a council? Does the quote below that is often quoted to support traditions of men by President Woodruff contradict what the Lord has said? Are we taking President Woodruff out of context?

"The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty."

I'll end with 1 Kings 13: 

7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.

8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:

9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.

 

10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

  

11 ¶Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

 12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

  

13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,

 14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.

  

15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.

  

16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:

  

17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

  

18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

  

19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

  

20 ¶And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back:

  

21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,

  

22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

  

23 ¶And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

  

25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.

27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.

  

28 And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.

29 And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. 

30 And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!

The Veil of Unbelief

A lot of the things I will be writing about have been touched upon by others within the Blogosphere and online forums. Some of them, I feel, are on the same level as I in our journeys and others on higher plains helping to pull us upwards by pointing us to Christ. I appreciate those on higher spiritual plains looking to elevate their brothers and sisters. Our common objective is to be elevated by Christ Himself. To accomplish this we must remove the veil on unbelief. Our best tool to accomplish this is the Book of Mormon restored by the prophet Joseph Smith.

What is unbelief? 

Online dictionary Merriam-Webster states that unbelief is: incredulity or skepticism especially in matters of religious faith 

"Skeptic" jumps out at me. Being a skeptic is the opposite of showing meekness. Are you willing to learn? Even more humbling, are you willing to recognize you've been in error even if that has been the case your entire life? Would you consider something if told to you by a non accredited source or do you rely only upon those who have credentials? Credentials by whom? The Lord? A prestigious institution or university? A high government official? The mainstream media? Brother Hugh Nibley, during a BYU commencement ceremony, offered a prayer and said that "we have met here today clothed in the black robes of a false priesthood". What did Brother Nibley mean by that? 

*As a side note, some of those who are on the same journey as I, and some who have succeeded on their journey, ask a lot of questions. I find that the right questions asked open up an avenue of thought that doesn't exist without simple and or deep questions.

Let's get back to Brother Nibley. I think it is apparent that we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with those in the world, recognize those whom the world has said have authority. Those who are professors, scholars, lawyers and who have attended those facilities who employ those with the "black robes of a false priesthood" to teach them. Jesus Christ, the master of all, came among men with no worldly authority. His authority didn't come from this world. His authority came from Heaven.

Doctrine and Covenants 84:54 - 55

54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—

55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.

President Benson, 13th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had this to say in April conference 1986:

Unless we read the Book of Mormon and give heed to its teachings, the Lord has stated in section 84 of the Doctrine and Covenants that the whole Church is under condemnation: “And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.” (D&C 84:56.) The Lord continues: “And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.” (D&C 84:57.)

His talk is entitled "Cleansing the Inner Vessel".

If President Benson was reminding us what the Lord declared so many years ago, it is safe to say that Benson was telling us that we still remain under condemnation and we remain under condemnation because of vanity and unbelief.

In summary, we don't take the Book of Mormon seriously. We may read it but do we seek the Lord's will in how we should act after having received it. Do we follow its teachings?

What is the veil?

The veil is what blocks us from the Heavens and their ability to teach us. In order to remove this veil of unbelief we have to start somewhere. We should start by focusing on the word of God given to us through the Book of Mormon. Study this book. Humbly ask God for insight as you study its meaning. Rid yourselves of anything you have been taught about it and its content and let the Lord guide you through His Holy Spirit to find its true meaning.

This is a good start. We all have been placed on this Earth with this veil of unbelief.  Let's help each other rend ourselves of it. My future posts will focus on how those before us removed the veil and how we too can do so. We will also discuss some stumbling blocks that deter us from removing the veil of unbelief.