I first learned the value of tithing when I was still in Primary. Our Primary teacher shared a story of this young boy in our ward who obediently paid his tithing each Sunday. This young boy was probably 9 or 10 years old. He was putting 25-50 cents in the tithing envelope when one member noticed him and asked, “You aren’t working yet, right? Why are you paying your tithes?” He replied, “My parents couldn’t give their tithes for now because we have financial problems. So, I am giving 10% of my allowance”.

When I heard this short story, I was amazed by this young boy’s obedience in following God’s commandments. He might not have understood the reason why he was doing it, but he showed such strong faith to separate 10% of his allowance to pay his tithes each week. Hence, I decided to pay my tithing as well. When I was 10 years old, in 5th grade, I started to take out 10% of my allowance, and I continued to pay my tithing through high school and college. By so doing, I have witnessed miracles in my life that have yielded a strong testimony of the law of tithing. I have learned these three important lessons that helped me to grow spiritually:

1. “The Lord does not need your tithing, as far as He is concerned, but you need it for your growth, spiritually and temporally, that the windows of heaven may be opened and the Spirit of the living God given to you.” (Heber J. Grant)

When I was in college, I overheard a conversation of my schoolmates talking about Mormons that are compelled to give 10% of their income. A woman said, “My dad refused to join the Mormon Church because they are making money from the members, getting 10% of their income.” They didn’t understand the whole concept of tithing. They just thought that the members were being taken advantage of. If we think about it, Heavenly Father essentially has everything. He doesn’t need our money. He made this commandment for us to learn to control our temporal desires and wants. He wants us to regularly do it for us to grow spiritually. For over 13 years of paying my tithing, I have learned that money is not the only thing we need in this life to be happy. Paying tithing is such a big trial when we face financial difficulties; but when we overcome it successfully, we surely get the reward. We experience increased faith and trust in God’s plan.

2. “Tithing develops and tests our faith. By sacrificing to the Lord what we may think we need or want for ourselves, we learn to rely on Him. Our faith in Him makes it possible to keep temple covenants and receive eternal temple blessings.”(Robert D. Hales)

Now that I’m working as a nurse and a temple worker, I sometimes face situations where I have to choose between these two obligations. I decided to serve in the temple every Tuesday while I am waiting to go on my mission in October. When my manager offered me more work, I refused because it would have been impossible for me to serve in the temple. I have chosen days to work where I can still go to the temple even though it means I have fewer working days available. From the moment I started to serve in the temple, I have been tested again and again if I am willing to sacrifice one day each week to go there. I really need the money to serve my mission, but because of my faith in the Lord, He made it possible for me to still go to the temple. I have relied on His plan for me and I know I can still fulfill all my roles that I have. Through regularly paying my tithing, I have learned to trust in the Lord when things are uncertain. I have received so many blessings from regularly going to the temple. I have gained an understanding of the covenants and promised blessings that one can receive through going to the House of the Lord. I am being sanctified and reminded of who I really am. In a nut shell, paying tithing is a preparation for us to receive more blessings.

3. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. “ (Malachi 3:10)

Are there actually blessings that come from paying our tithes? I have a testimony that God’s promises are real. When I face trials in my life, whether it be financially or emotionally, I sometimes question if His promises are real. I have said to myself, “I’m paying my tithing, why am I not getting more money? Why am I experiencing this?” But then I learned to trust and have faith in God’s commandments; I have known for myself that the blessings of tithing are real. Heavenly Father always keeps His promises. We just have to wait sometimes and we must be cognizant of the little blessings that we experience each day.

Whether our offerings are small or large, I have a strong testimony that tithing is meant for us; to help us to be what Heavenly Father wants us to be. The law of tithing is a commandment given to us to fulfill with all our hearts. I am thankful for this young boy’s example to me because through that simple act, he inspired me to be obedient to the law of tithing. If this young boy can do it, why can’t we all do it? Age doesn’t matter. Amount doesn’t matter. What truly matters is that we are giving it wholeheartedly. Pay your tithes and the Lord will give you more than you can ever imagine.

This article was written by Leonore Belmonte.

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In the teachings of President Joseph F. Smith he said, “Let us be free. I contend and I think I have right to do so that I am a free man, in accordance with my observance of the commandments of God. If I do wrong, I am in bondage to that sin, If I transgress the laws of God, I am responsible before the Lord. But I contend that as to liberty, as to freedom of speech, freedom of will, freedom of action-as to everything that goes to make a free man in the midst of men, I do not believe there is another man on earth any freer that I am”.

No man is like God unless he is free. God is free, and possesses all righteousness, all power, and all wisdom. He also possesses His agency. His agency is exercised in doing that which is good, and not that which is evil, so no man can be like unto Him until he can subject himself unto that which is righteous, pure, and good, and become the best version of himself.

I had a good friend who grew up in a very poor family. She needed to work the whole day and afterwards still had a part time job in the evening. I admired her diligence and love for her family. There was one time I asked her, “What makes you strong every single day and how do you manage to obey the Lord’s commandments especially paying tithing when you know that your money is not enough?” I honestly came to love her even more when she replied, “Our life here on earth is too short and nothing is permanent. The Lord has blessed me so much already which I know I couldn’t ever pay. The only thing that makes me strong every day is to completely trust Him by keeping His commandments. The greatest reward that I ever had in my life is peace and freedom. I always feel the comfort and assurance that the Lord will never forsake me. It makes me free from sin, troubles and worries.”

Sometimes we are too afraid to obey because we don’t understand everything. I remember the story of the converted Lamanites. After they received the truthfulness of the gospel they immediately followed the Lord without any conditions or doubts in their hearts and because of their faithfulness and obedience they were freed from bondage and prospered in the land. I believe the Lord will always deliver us from our trials, and challenges as we hold on and trust Him. May we always exercise our obedience to the Lord no matter how difficult our circumstances in life may be.

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Time and time again, the Prophets and Apostles of the Lord have counseled and warned us about the blessings and consequences of obeying the commandments of the Lord. However, sometimes we still ask within ourselves, “Why is it important to obey the Lord’s commandments?” Some of us may wonder “What is it to me if I obey the commandments or not?” Will it hurt to disobey just a little? Can a small act of disobedience really make that much of a difference?

The Lord has given us commandments for our protection and our benefit. However, there are moments when we feel that these things prevent us from living our lives to the fullest and eventually rob us of opportunities to experience joy. “Why can’t I go to that party?” “Why can’t I date before 16 when everyone’s going out already?” If we continue thinking this way, eventually, obedience can feel like a burden rather than the blessing it is.

But this should not be. President Thomas S. Monson, the current prophet leader of the LDS church, testified of the blessings that come with obeying commandments when he said “There are rules and laws to help ensure our physical safety. Likewise, the Lord has provided guidelines and commandments to help ensure our spiritual safety so that we might successfully navigate this often-treacherous mortal existence and return eventually to our Heavenly Father.” Sometimes we might feel that the commandments prevent us from living the life we want but actually, these have been given for us to have more freedom and to eventually find our way back to the Father.

The consequences of disobeying the commandments do not always come immediately, but they do come. Yes, we have the agency to choose what we want but we have no control over the consequences of disobedient choices. As a reminder of this, Mormon Messages for Youth,a campaign of the LDS Church geared towards the younger generation,has released some 2 minute clips that center on keeping the commandments in a profound way.

Full Article: LDSLiving

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Jesus Christ learned obedience progressively from His personal experiences. He was not exempt from temptations and sufferings. The 4^th chapter of Matthew gives an account when Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness where He was tempted three times by Satan and yet He did not give heed to any of Satan’s temptations. His suffering in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Golgotha was His choice in obediently enduring to the very end to complete the Atonement.

In John 14:15, the Savior said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The Lord’s commandments are his loving instructions to us and one of the many expressions of his love for us. Our willingness to obey the Lord’s commandments is an expression of our love to Him in return. He declared in John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” If we love him, we will not regard his commandments as instructions that restrict or limit our personal growth but as blessings and personal care. Some people even consider the commandments as constraints to our personal freedom but it is only through obeying His words that we are made free as it has been written in John 8:31-32, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

In the book of Matthew, Jesus spoke to the multitude saying, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” How then therefore, can we show our love to the Lord? Jesus answered this question in John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father.”

It is only through obedience that the blessings of heaven will flow into our lives. It has been written in Doctrine & Covenants that “there is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated” (D&C 130:20-21). We are counseled to make obedience part of our daily toil and of highest regard and that in doing so, we can please the Lord and we will one day be found in His right hand while he declares, “These are my sons and daughters, in whom I am well pleased.”

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