Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-04

was the requirement thu IT
was considered robbcry-robbeTy Of
God, IL men failed to observe the law
Read what Malachi says concerning
it. 400 years before the birth OF the
Savior:
"WM a man rob God? Yet We have
robbed me But ye say. wherein have
we robbed thee? In tithes and Of
ferings."
BY Withholding them-that was tho
robbery; but the Lord further says
Bring ye all the tithes into the store
house, that there may be meat In mine
house and prove me now herewith
saith the Lord of hosts. IL l will not
open you the windows of heaven. nnd
pour you out a blessing that there shall
not be room enough to receive it.
And / Will rebuke the devourer for
your sakes, and he shall not destroy
the fruits of your ground; neither shall
your vine cast her fruit before the
time in the field. saith the Lord of
hosts.
And all nations shall call you
blessed: for ye shall be a delghtsome
land, saith the Lord of hosts"
1t looked to the selfish. no doubt. that
the Lord desired a benefit, a blessing
from his people; but In reality he WAS
trying to bless them, He wanted them
to put themselves i'm a position to be
not open you the windows of heaven.
and pour you out blessing that there
shall not be room enough to receive -"
Whatever the human Wow. it certainly
was not the divine view, as voiced hY
Malachi. that God was asking n favog
of the house of Israel. On the con-
trary. he desired to grant a favor, to
bestow n blessing. and therefore re
qulred of them a sacrifice that would
bring forth the blessing.
This same law of tithinG Is now
observed by the Church OF Jesus Christ
of Latter Saints. The gospel has
again been revealed from the heavens
and prophet raised up to stand at
the head of the last dispensation. That
prophet was rcviled. prosecuted. and
put to death; and the law of tithlny
which he instituted. has been mis-
represented and ridIculcd; but it is
still the law of God. and it will remain
the law of God. and will be. to those
who obey it. source OF blessings
through all their generations.
COMPENSATION OF CHURCH OF
FICERS.
Efforts are made to have 1t appear
that the tithing system Of this Church
is an cXtortionatc, tyrannical arrange
ment by means of which the priest
take from the widow and the orphan. y
and "fatten in luxury" Yes, they
fatten in luxury, Do you know how
these men live who give their time to
the service of the church, President
Smith has declared from this stand
that not one dollar of the tithing fund
is devoted to sustaining the officers Of
the Church. That is true. The Church.
many years ago made certain invest
Re iS he
investments that Is used to assist men
who devote their time to the preaching
of the gospel and to transactng the
business of the Church. And how much
assistance do they receive? I doubt if
there Is a bookkeeper in your banks
and business houses who is not bet
ter paid in proportion to the service
rendered, than an apostle or Il bishop
of this Church There arc men among
our general and stake authorities who.
If they devoted their time and talents
as diligently to their own aggrandiZc-
ment as they devote them to the service
of the Church, would command salaries
or receive incomes OF from $4,000 20
$4,000 a year
But they virtually glvo that to the
Church and receive In return q bare
living, and yet they arc accused OF rob
bing the widow and the orphan. Wo
have men who. If they were Methodist
bishops, or Catholic prelates. would
be drawing $4,000 a year, and no fault
would be found with it-lt would be
conceded that they earned every dollar
of it, But because they happen to
be Mormon. elders. they are assailed as
If they were plckpocketS-and for
what? For receiving from their own
Church, their own people a modest
compensation for their time and toll.
The authorities OF the Church could
not support their families, nor pay
their taxes, IL they relied entirely upon
the financial assistance they receive
from the Church. They have to do OK
ira work, and frequently toll harder
than men ought TO toll. in order to
make ends meet; and yet they are as
saildd as if they were pirates and
plundcrers. Most of them live In hum
Bile cottages. indulglng no expensive
tastes. and while they devote them