Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-11-18


pose. Ii We may say 500 and chose the
tribe of Levi. % which Moses hms,l. bee
iuuscd. and SEQ them lp1r, MS His Priest
hood with Aaron and bis sons as Priests
und Nose, Hs Prophet and mout1pigCe
unto them. twas at this timr--hiCcu
hundred wears before ,hc c1mug OF thg
styior-thlt the law ul uthiug was re-.
instituted. The LCyitcs were 60 have
ihe special care OF the tabernacle and
Dos a9uuucnmcJs. the Priests were 20
hear the sacred ark upon their shoulders,
mud 90 uIhgIttg lt the altar. and no man
was 10 have this right. except he was
"a Priest, called of God us was Aaron.
Men were mIiteu with death because
tlay presumed to act in the Priests
Office wituDu, having been ordained
thereto. Because these spiritual laburs
eugtusscl their time. and because 10
would have rendered ihru unworthy 10
bear thr sacred vessels aud UMcilte rs
Priesthood 10 they had engaged too
much iu secular pursuits, the law Of
utl.ug was instituted. AN the other
tribes OF Israel were titled for The su5
tcutucc of tins one tribe iu order that
Gods Priesthood might be property
supported while they ulhcilted before
HIM. This was the purpose Of the law
iu that day The law prevailed all
down the centuries, and though It was
often neglected. and had 10 be- &C. Cstah.
lishcd with many warnings and aimuni'
tons, yet 10 continued TO be q statute,
and when Malachi came he spoke
strongly upon this point telling the
people that u they did not observe the
law they would rob the Almighty Of
what was Ills due. In the 18th aud i4th
verses OF Tire first chapter OF the proph.
ccy Doe jeUouuce5 also the practices OF
those who yaiuiy sought to deceive the
Lord by bringing that which was torn
and lame and sick-in other words,
those who paid their tilhing with the
wort.iuE instead Of the iirstlings OF
their llICEs.
One reason. doubtless, why the Jews
were neglected. iu regard 10 this prIn-
ciplc was because OF the sncers and
udicUlc hgapgd upon them by those
around them who were not Of them,
who did not understand the purposes
OF Jehovah, and probably tried to make
the Jews believe they were being OPP
pressed aud imposed upon, that these
| Priests and Lcwtcs were lazy digui.
! ties indolcnt, tytanncal, that they
should work Ike the rest OF their fell.
| lows, and ought not 10 be- supported.
| have no doubt that such arguments
were used. and because OF these scduc.
/ ing spirits many tell away, neglected
The law, and came under the cundgmna-
ton which Malachi pronounced upon
| them.
But Malachi speaks Of another prin,
cipc, that Of offerings. lie says, "Ne
[ have robbed me. But sc say, Wherein
have we robbed thee' In tihcs and
| offerings" What are We to under
| stand by ilcfing,'' Something dis.
tnct, il wo, seem, from tilhing.
Now. suppose we come down to oui
/ own day The principle Of tlthlug has
| been revealed 10 this Church. We are
| lalter-day Israel. We are the descend.
ants OF that Abraham who gave 1.-THE.
| to MelchscdrE. We are a peculal
l people, chosen that we might introduce
/ these laws anew IN the latter days
| A few years after the Church wa,
| organized, the principle Of tithing was
/ revealed TO the Prophet Joseph
could read TO you, II ! chose, the law o.
| the Lord upon this subject, given DO
! July, 1888, In response 10 the question "a.
| 10 how much Tie required OF His people
as % tithinE, He said that lie required
| them to put all their surplus property
| INTO the hands OF the Bishop of the
! Church and that should be the begin,
ming OF the tithing Of His people; anel
| that. lie required a tenth Of their In
! crease annually. Those who observed
! this law would slnCtliy the land under
! their feet and make Il a land Of Zion
and unto those who did not do so Il
! should not be a land Of Zion The pur
pose for which the tithing was 10 be Iait
| is pointed out, II was for the support O
/ the Priesthood who should give theii
! time to the work OF the Lord, TO the
/ preaching Of the Gospel, to the admin.
! is,ratiun OF sacred ordinances. aud who
did not have time to engage IN
temporal pursuits, whereby TO support
their families or TO amass riches; alsC
I for the laying Of the foundations %
/ Zion, aud the general iurtheance Of the
/ work OF the Lord. But there Is nc
! mention there OF offerings. We know
! however that we are required TO give
offerings as well as to pay tthes 1t is d
! principle as old MS the days OF Malachi
/ az older. Why are offerings necessary
as well as tithingp Il is because, tC
use the words Of the Savior, "thc pool
ye have always with YOU Every Bish
OPP in this Church knows what thai
means. Every man Of God know
what il signifies. The poor ye hay,
always with YOU" And fast days ar,
/ instituted, upon which the people ar,
| required 10 come together and bestov
their offerings for the benefit Of tn,
poor. / understand the principle o
lasting TO be this. That we abstain from
food upon the fast day thereby per
hitting our spirits to gain the ascen
dency over the flesh. We can thlnl
better, we can see more clearly GU
minds are brighter and our bodie0
actually stronger afterwards, as the re
suit OF denying them food at such times
Aud we are told 10 take the cost Of tht
support OF ourselves and our families
ON that day--iust what we would tNpen,
to sustain our households for one day Il
each monlh-and lay Il before tn,
Bishop as an offering, that he may hav,
means whercwth to support the poor
to provide them with coal, flour, meat
or whatever Is necessary 10 keep then
from differing. But what Is the situation
today' heard it said In this stand onl,
short time ago, that so far as fast OF
ierings were concerned, The averag,
sum paid by each member OF this Stalk,
ct Zion for the past six months wa
thirteen and uue-nlli cents. Win sucl
mn offering DE acceptable 10 Him wht
has said that II we withhold these thing
we rob Him2 And what Is the cause o