Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-24

pie, To prepare them against the uAy
| of vengeance and burning, should nave
their names enrolled with the people
of God: neither is their genealogy to be
kept; or to be had where 1t may be
found on any of the records or history
of the Church." Doctrine and Gov
enants So: 3, 4.
Seeing the Importance of this law,
It is no wonder that the Saints at an
early day asked the Lord for light on
the question how much is required of
the people for tithing. And in an
swer to this question the Lord said;
"VerIly, thus saith the Lord. l re-
| duire all their surplus property. to be
| put into the hands of the bishop OF
my Church of Zion,
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;
And this shall he the beginning of
the tithlng Of my people;
"And after that, those who have
thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth
of all their interests annually; ana
this shall be a standing law unto them
for ever. for my holy Priesthood. saith
the Lord.
Verify l say unto you, 1t shall come
to pass, that all those who gather unto
the land of Zion. shall be tithed Of
their surplus properties, and shall OBJ
serve this law. or they shall not be
found worthy to abide among you.
And I say unto you. II my people
observe not this law, to keep It holy.
and by this law sanotify the land OF
Zion unto me. that my statutes and my
Judgments may be kent thereon, that
IL may he most holy behold. verify 7
say unto you. 1t shall not be land OF
Zion unto YOU;
"And this shall be an example unto
all the Stakes, of Zion. Even so.
Amen" Doctrine and Covenants.
Sec 1i9)
What the law on this subject was in
the earliest dlspensations is not on
record IN the Scriptures, but 1t is stated
that Abraham gave tenth part OF his
substance to Melchsedek and also that
Jacob in his covenant with the Lord
included promise TO pay tithing faith
fully (Gen. 2s: 2O-22). 1t is therefore
certain that the law was known TO the
ancient patriarchs and observed by
them.
In the Mosaic era the law of tithing
was explicit. Under that dispensation
all real estate in the promised land be-
longed to the Lord. and the tribes and
heads of families held 1t as stewards.
Whatever changes occurred, owing to
deaths or sales, were only temporary
and had to be readjusted every fiftieth
year, the year of jubilee. A tenth part
of whatever the land yielded belonged
to the Lord. The law reads:
"And all the 1.-THE of the land. wheth-
er of the seed of the land or of the
fruit of the tree, Is the Lords; II Is
holy unto the Lord" Lev. "a: 30.
"Thou shalt truly 1.-THE all the In
crease of thy seed. that the field bring
eth forth year by year" Deut. IA: ~.
Not to observe this law is by the
Almighty counted an robbery.
aye are cursed with curse, for We
have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Bring we all the tthes into the store
house, that there may be meat IN
mine house, and prove me now here
with. saith the Lord Of hosts, If ] will
not open you the windows of heaven
and pour out u blessing, that there
shall not be room enough to receive It,"
Nal. 3: 0. 10.
The secret OF the success of Presi-
dent Brigham Young may be found.
partially at least, in ais willingness to
consecrate his substance to the Lord.
He says in a sermon. Journal of Dis
courses. Vol. is. page 3:
"And another great neglect and in
fringment of the law Of God by the
children of Israel was in relation to
their tithes and offerings. The law of
tithing was revealed in very early
times to The people of God; but they
failed to observe 1t, and the Prophet
whom God sent to Israel declared that
they had transgressed the laws,
changed the ordinances, and broken
the everlasting covenant Covenants
were made with Abraham. Isaac and
Jacob. but their descendants broke them
They would not observe but they would
transgress the laws which God gave
unto them, and they continued to do
so down to the days of Malachi. The
Lord, through the Prophet declared
This whole nation have robbed me-"
/ also declare that this whole people,
called the Latter-day Saints, are guilty
of the game sin-they have robbed the
Lord in their tithes and in their offer
ings. What would the people like? DO
they want to know what Is done with
the tlthlng? If the Lord requires one
tenth of my ability to be devoted to
building temples, meeting houses,
school houses. to schooling our chill
dren, gathering the poor from the ma
tons of the earth, bringing home the
aged, lame, halt and blind. and build
ing houses for them to live in, that
they may be comfortable when they
reach Zion, and to sustaining the
Priesthood, 1t is not my prerogative to
question the authority of the Almighty
in this, nor of His servants who have
charge of 1t. If 1 am required to pay
my tithing, IL Is my duty to pay II.
i can say. that in the days
of Joseph, when my circumstances
were very Strengthened, l never had
$500, 800, one dollar. fifty cents or
twenty-five cents but II 1t We're wanted
II went as free as cup of water from
| u well-Joseph was welcome to II. Was
! / tried in this? Yes, for many and
many has been the time in my poverty.
when II / had dollar or fifty cents In
my possession, ! have thought, / can
| buy pint or half pint of molasses
for my children to sop their bread in.
but 1t was called for, and it went as
| free as the water in the river here
would be to thirsty person.
Donations are not tithing. on this
subject President John Taylor says:
"a feeling has more or less prevailed
among the people that tithinE is a mat
ter 10 be decided ON exclusively by
the Individual paying II, and that II
| he pays 1t, all right, II he does not pay
| his tithing 1t is not quite so much
right; but 1t makes not SO much differ
ence. A good Saint perhaps may be
| honorable and upright and honest in
| dealings; NAV be a tOCrablV GOOD