Last updated on December 10th, 2023 at 07:49 am
General Conference Applied
S2 E9 – Sunday, December 3, 2023 | “Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven” by Elder Neil L. Andersen; October 2023 General Conference
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Corresponding Talk Outline: “Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven“
Podcast Episode Outline
Report on Prior Week’s Action Item
Last week I committed to contacting family members on both my side of the family and my wife’s side of the family to discuss how we might join together in Temple Work and Family History.
Report
I spoke with family members and we determined that we would schedule a night for all the adults to meet in the temple for temple sealings. My excitement for this opportunity was best expressed by my sister-in-law who texted: “We’d love to as well! Going with several of my siblings and parents this year was such a special and sacred experience.”
Introduction
Doctrines, Principles, and Christlike Attributes
As we have discussed in previous episodes of General Conference Applied, it is important to identify the fundamental doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute of each General Conference address. In “Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven,” I identified Commandments as the fundamental doctrine, Tithes and Offerings as the fundamental principle, and Obedience as the fundamental Christlike attribute. I have included a detailed breakdown of this doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute in the talk outline, but I will share additional insights during this podcast episode.
In each episode of General Conference Applied, we are attempting to answer two questions:
- What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- How might I consider taking action?
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
Connection
This General Conference address was originally called “Opening the Windows of Heaven” – “Tithing” was not included in the title. This led me to look at Elder Andersen’s invitation a bit differently. Though his address is focused on tithing, we will also discuss sharing everything we have and are with others.
Overview
Children
“While I was in South America recently, Brother Roger Parra from Venezuela shared the following experience with me: ‘In 2019 Venezuela was shaken by problems that caused a power blackout for five days. Chaos and anarchy reigned in the streets, and many desperate people did not have sufficient food. Some began looting food businesses, destroying everything in their path. As the owner of a small bakery, I was very worried about our business. As a family, we decided to give away all the food in our bakery to people in need. Through one very dark night riots were everywhere. My only concern was for the safety of my beloved wife and children. At dawn I went to our bakery. Sadly, every nearby food business had been destroyed by looters, but to my great astonishment, our bakery was intact. Nothing had been destroyed. I humbly thanked my Heavenly Father. Arriving home, I told my family of God’s blessing and protection. They were all so grateful. My oldest son, Rogelio, only 12 years old, said, ‘Papa! I know why our store was protected. You and Mama always pay your tithes.’ Brother Parra concluded: ‘The words of Malachi came into my mind. ‘I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground’ [Malachi 3:11]. We knelt down and gratefully thanked our Heavenly Father for His miracle.'”
- Tithes and Offerings: “We have been given commandments to help us prepare in every way to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. He has given us a way to thank Him for our blessings. Willingly paying tithes and offerings is one way we thank Him. As we pay these offerings, we show that we love Him and will obey His counsel… When we pay tithing we show our faithfulness to the Lord. We also teach our children the value of this law. They will want to follow our example and pay tithing on any money they receive.”
- Author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “After you pay your fair share of taxes, learn to live on 70 percent of your after-tax income. These are the necessities and luxuries you spend money on. Then, it’s important to look at how you allocate your remaining 30 percent. Let’s allocate it in the following ways: Of the 30 percent not spent, one-third should go to charity. Charity is the act of giving back to the community and helping those who need assistance. I believe that contributing 10 percent of your after-tax income is a good amount to strive for. The act of giving should be taught early, when the amounts are small. It’s pretty easy to take a dime out of a dollar. But it’s considerably harder to give away a $100,000 out of $1 million. You say, ‘Oh, if I had $1 million, I’d have no trouble giving $100,000.’ I’m not so sure. $100,000 is a lot of money. Start early so you’ll develop the habit before the big money comes your way.” (As a side note, for the other 20 percent remaining, Rohn recommends 10 percent as a capital investment (“This is money you’ll use to buy, fix, manufacture or sell. The key is to engage in commerce, even if only on a part-time basis.”) and 10 percent for savings (as recommended in The Richest Man In Babylon: “A part of all I earn is mine to keep”)).
- Now that tithing and fast offerings are paid online, be sure to let children know when you contribute tithing and fast offerings to the Church. (I also had a former Bishop encourage me to continue to pay fast offerings on Fast Sundays, to tie the donation to a specific day and action).
Words
“These promises are so certain, the Lord declares, ‘Prove me now herewith,’ a phrase found nowhere else in the scriptures but when quoting Malachi.”
- Elder Andersen, April 2023 General Conference, “My Mind Caught Hold upon This Thought of Jesus Christ“: Footnote 7 – “The other time ‘caught hold’ is used in the Book of Mormon is speaking of those who ‘caught hold of the end of the rod of iron’ (1 Nephi 8:24, 30).”
The Solution to Poverty
“The only permanent solution to the poverty of this world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
- In the First Presidency letter announcing the second edition of Preach My Gospel, the First Presidency wrote: “The Savior’s gospel is the only enduring solution for the challenges faced in today’s world. This underscores the urgent need to make the truth of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ known to all.”
A Matter of Faith
“The world speaks of tithing in terms of our money, but the sacred law of tithing is principally a matter of our faith. Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives, above our own cares and interest. I promise you that as you trust in the Lord, the blessings of heaven will follow.”
- President Nelson, October 2023 General Conference, “Think Celestial!“: “As you think celestial, your faith will increase. When I was a young intern, my income was $15 a month. One night, my wife Dantzel asked if I was paying tithing on that meager stipend. I was not. I quickly repented and began paying the additional $1.50 in monthly tithing. Was the Church any different because we increased our tithing? Of course not. However, becoming a full-tithe payer changed me. That is when I learned that paying tithing is all about faith, not money. As I became a full-tithe payer, the windows of heaven began to open for me. I attribute several subsequent professional opportunities to our faithful payment of tithes. Paying tithing requires faith, and it also builds faith in God and His Beloved Son.”
- Footnote 8: “The logic of man does not always align with the wisdom of God. In Malachi’s day, many had become distant from the Lord. The Lord implored His covenant people, ‘Return unto me, and I will return unto you.’ What follows this tender invitation is a deeply important question for each of us: ‘But ye said, Wherein shall we return?’ (Malachi 3:7). Or in other words, ‘What am I to change? How do I draw closer to Thee?’ The Lord answers by teaching the importance of tithing, not simply as a financial law but a tangible way to turn the desires of our hearts to Him. We observed this in our own family. Kathy’s mother joined the Church at age 22. Martha and Bernard Williams attended church for a brief period, but after a move to another state, they became less active. Bernard received a military deployment overseas, and Martha moved home to Tampa, Florida, where she accepted the generous invitation to live with her aunt and uncle, who were opposed to the Church. While living in very humble circumstances, expecting her first child and not attending church, Martha Williams made the decision to start sending her tithing check to the bishop. Later in her life, when asked why, she said that she remembered something the missionaries had taught her about tithing and God’s blessings: ‘We desperately needed God’s blessings in our lives, and so I began sending our tithing check to the bishop.’ Martha and Bernard Williams returned to the Church. Their greatest blessing—six generations have been blessed because of her decision to pay her tithing when she had nothing but faith in God and hope in His promises.”
- Elder Andersen’s Promise: “Trust in the Lord’s timing; the blessings always come.”
“I Want to be Right”
“Twenty-five years ago, just days before my mother-in-law, Martha Williams, died of cancer, she received a small check in the mail. She immediately asked my wife, Kathy, for her checkbook to pay her tithing. As her mother was so weakened that she could scarcely write, Kathy asked if she could write the check for her. Her mother responded, ‘No, Kathy. I want to do it myself.’ And then she quietly added, ‘I want to be right before the Lord.’ One of the final things Kathy did for her mother was to hand her tithing envelope to her bishop.”
- Elder Ronald A. Rasband, October 2020 General Conference, “Recommended to the Lord“: “My father-in-law, Blaine Twitchell, one of the best men I have ever known, taught me a great lesson. Sister Rasband and I went to visit him when he was nearing the end of his mortal journey. As we entered his room, his bishop was just leaving. As we greeted the bishop, I thought, ‘What a nice bishop. He’s here doing his ministering to a faithful member of his ward.’ I mentioned to Blaine, ‘Wasn’t that nice of the bishop to come visit.’ Blaine looked at me and responded, ‘It was far more than that. I asked for the bishop to come because I wanted my temple recommend interview. I want to go recommended to the Lord.’ And he did!”
Invitations
1: “All that we have and all that we are comes from God. As disciples of Christ, we willingly share with those around us.”
- What This Means: Recognizing that “all things which are good cometh of God” (Moroni 7:12), we allow our will to be swallowed up in God’s will as we share what we have and what we are with our spiritual brothers and sisters.
How might I consider taking action?
Invitations
1: “All that we have and all that we are comes from God. As disciples of Christ, we willingly share with those around us.”
Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)
- “With all the Lord gives to us, He has asked us to return to Him and His kingdom on earth 10 percent of our increase.”
- Footnote 11: “‘Tithing is the donation of one-tenth of one’s income to God’s Church (see Doctrine and Covenants 119:3–4; interest is understood to mean income). All members who have income should pay tithing’ (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 34.3.1, Gospel Library).”
- “President Gordon B. Hinckley recounted this childhood experience: ‘When I was a boy I raised a question with my father … concerning the expenditure of Church funds. He reminded me that mine is the God-given obligation to pay my tithes and offerings. When I do so, [my father said,] that which I give is no longer mine. It belongs to the Lord to whom I consecrate it.’ His father added: ‘What the authorities of the Church do with it need not concern [you, Gordon]. They are answerable to the Lord, who will require an accounting at their hands.’ We deeply feel the weight of being ‘answerable to the Lord.'”
- “Obedience is our choice. The Savior made this clear. As stated in the Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 14:28, Jesus directed, ‘Wherefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you.’ It is that simple. … As we do so, our spiritual stability will be greatly enhanced. We will avoid squandering God-given resources and making unproductive and destructive detours in our lives” (Dale G. Renlund, “Constructing Spiritual Stability” [Brigham Young University devotional, Sept. 16, 2014], 2, speeches.byu.edu).
Other Ideas
- How might we share what we are? First, let’s establish what we are:
- In his talk “Choices for Eternity” during the May 2022 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, President Nelson stated: “If I were to rank in order of importance the designations that could be applied to me, I would say: First, I am a child of God—a son of God—then a son of the covenant, then a disciple of Jesus Christ and a devoted member of His restored Church.”
- As a child of God, I might consider this invitation from President Nelson’s April 2023 General Conference address entitled “Peacemakers Needed“: “Today, I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way. Please listen carefully. ‘If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy’ that we can say about another person—whether to his face or behind her back—that should be our standard of communication.”
- As a child of the covenant, I might consider this invitation from Elder Quentin L. Cook’s April 2023 General Conference address entitled “Safely Gathered Home“: “My specific prayer today is for every child, young man, young woman, family, quorum, Relief Society, and class to review how we individually and collectively accept dramatic counsel to help gather Israel that has been issued by the Lord and our beloved prophet.”
- As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I might consider Elder Cook’s invitation from his October 2023 General Conference address to “be a peaceable follower of Christ.”
- The Law of Consecration:
- Definition: “Dedicating our time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth.”
- Time: President Nelson, October 2021 General Conference, “Make Time for the Lord“: “I plead with you today to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life—each and every day.”
- Talents:
- Developing Our Talents: “President Joseph F. Smith said, ‘Every son and every daughter of God has received some talent, and each will be held to strict account for the use or misuse to which it is put’ (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 370).”
- “The Intentional Engineer: A Guide to a Purpose-Driven Life and Career for Engineers and Technical Professionals” by Jeff Perry: “The idea of a genius zone is that each person has a special combination of background, expertise, attributes, talents, and passions that differentiates them from most, if not all, other humans on the planet… By combining all of your skills, attributes, and talents in different ways, you have many different genius zones. When you choose to do work that allows you to fully apply one or more of your genius zones, you are able to do your absolute best work… All of us have genius zones whether we recognize them or not, and we are also constantly creating and expanding our genius zones as we learn and grow. Ideally we’ll spend as much time in our genius zones as possible, but sadly, many of us rarely if ever create the opportunity to make that happen. We find ourselves getting stuck doing things we are good at… instead of engaging in our best work by utilizing our genius zones… To find your genius zones, reflect on and identify combinations of your natural gifts, experiences, and learned skills that, when combined, create your unique approach to life.”
- “Be Where You Are Supposed To Be When You Are Supposed To Be There”
- Advice from Elder Robert D. Hales to his grandson.
- Follow Him Podcast, 1-3 John and Jude, John Bytheway: “Abide isn’t a word we use much anymore, John, so what do you think of them when you hear the word abide in the Lord? It’s a great word, and I remember studying the Christmas story in Luke years ago. There were in the same country shepherds abiding in their field, keeping watch over their flock by night. We’ve all heard that. I looked it up on dictionary.com. It has such a great list. To stay, to remain, to endure, to persist, be where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing kind of a word. There’s blessings from abiding. In fact, in the Christmas story, the wise men had a hint of what was coming. Joseph knew. Mary knew. Obviously Jesus knew. Who didn’t know? The shepherds. And how did they get to find out? Because they were abiding. They were where they were supposed to be and the angels knew right where to find them. We want to be abiders and be where we’re supposed to be, doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”
- Be a willing vessel for our Heavenly Father.
- Bishop Gérald Caussé, October 2022 General Conference, “Our Earthly Stewardship“:
- “Beyond being simply a scientific or political necessity, the care of the earth and of our natural environment is a sacred responsibility entrusted to us by God, which should fill us with a deep sense of duty and humility. It is also an integral component of our discipleship. How can we honor and love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ without honoring and loving Their creations?”
- “As disciples of Christ, we have a solemn duty to work tirelessly for peace and harmony among all nations of the earth. We must do our very best to protect and bring solace and relief to the weak, the needy, and all those who suffer or who are oppressed. Above all, the greatest gift of love we can offer our fellow men is to share with them the joy of the gospel and invite them to come unto their Savior through sacred covenants and ordinances.”
- “Our role as stewards of earthly creations is not solely about conserving or preserving them. The Lord expects us to work diligently, as moved upon by His Holy Spirit, to grow, enhance, and improve upon the resources He has entrusted to us—not for our benefit only but to bless others.”
- Additional resource – Bishop Caussé’s November 28, 2023, BYU-Idaho devotional
REMEMBER THIS
If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:
- Elder Andersen is inviting us to allow our will to be swallowed up in God’s will as we share what we have and what we are with our spiritual brothers and sisters.
This Week’s Action Item
“That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.”
Karl Pearson, an early 20th-century British mathematician
“Those who measure their progress improve. Those who measure and report their progress improve exponentially.”
Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc.
“Do something, do anything! But to start, just do ONE thing.”
Mitch Peterson
This week, I will journal for 15 minutes on this topic: “How might I more effectively dedicate my talents ‘with which the Lord has blessed [me] to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth’?” I will share one insight from this journaling session with my accountability partner.
Let Me Know
How will you take action on this General Conference address? Let me know on social media or email me.
Tags
Faith | Humanitarian Aid | Tithing