Chapter 34: Developing Our Talents

There is one resource for this lesson in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, Chapter 4. This can be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

Again, the new website for the Church “lds.org” is helpful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” where, if you type in “talent” you will find some useful resources.

We All Have Different Talents and Abilities

The first sentence in this section reads, “We all have special gifts, talents, and abilities given to us by our Heavenly Father” (p. 197). Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Seventies Quorum, wrote a terrific article concerning Jesus’ parable of the talents for the Ensign. In it he taught:

Every one of us has been blessed with many marvelous capabilities, and one of the great objectives of our journey through mortality is to improve upon them (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).

Elder Rasband, whose article is quoted above, also gave a talk at BYU-Idaho on “Increasing Talents.” In it he stated:

Each of you has been blessed with divine talents by our Father in Heaven. He is waiting for you to identify, develop and magnify those talents He has blessed you with. We must never forget or stop acknowledging that all talents and abilities come from God. Some were given before birth, while others have been acquired as we have developed. However, in both cases, they are gifts from a benevolent Heavenly Father, whose gracious blessings are also the means for improving (Church News, Jan. 29, 2001, 4).

D&C 46:8-11, 32 will also be helpful to understanding this section.

The next sentence in this paragraph reads, “When we were born, we brought these gifts, talents, and abilities with us (see chapter 2 in this book)” (p. 197). From Chapter 2 of this blog we repeat a terrific quote from Elder Joseph Fielding Smith:

The spirits of men were created with different dispositions and likes and talents. Some evidently were mechanically inclined, from them have come our inventors. Some loved music and hence they have become great musicians. We evidently brought to this world some if not all of the inclinations and talents that we had there (Answers to Gospel Questions, 5:138).

In his article, Elder Rasband quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie as declaring:

Each person in this life is endowed with those talents and capacities which his pre-earth life entitle him to receive. Some by obedience to law acquired one talent and some another (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).

We Should Use and Improve Our Talents

The first sentence in this section reads, “We have a responsibility to develop the talents we have been given” (p. 197).

In the Ensign article earlier discussed by Elder Rasband, he instructed:

The Lord made it clear that it is not good enough for us simply to return to Him the talents He has given us. We are to improve upon and add to our talents. He has promised that if we multiply our talents we will receive eternal joy (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).

In this section it states, “Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess” (p. 197). President Heber J. Grant declared:

I believe that we can accomplish any object that we make up our minds to, and no boy or girl ought to sit down and say, because they cannot do as well as somebody else, that they will not do anything. God has given to some people ten talents; to others, he has given one; but they who improve the one talent will live to see the day when they will far outshine those who have ten talents but fail to improve them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).

President Grant also had a personal experience that illustrates this idea:

President Heber J. Grant wrote about his experience in first reading the Book of Mormon:

“I can remember very distinctly when Uncle Anthony Ivins . . . said to me and to his son, Anthony C. Ivins:

“‘Heber, Anthony, have you read the Book of Mormon?'

“We answered, ‘No.’

“He said, ‘I want you to read it. I want you to pledge to me that you will not skip a word, and to the one who reads it first, I will give a pair of ten dollar buckskin gloves with beaver tops.’

“Any boy of fourteen who had a pair of those gloves thought he was ‘it.’ I remember that my mother had urged me to read systematically the Book of Mormon, but I had not done it. I determined to read the book, say, twenty-five pages a day and get the benefit of its contents. I believed its contents were true because my mother and many others had told me so; and because of the testimony of the teacher of the class that Richard W. Young and I attended, I thought that to win the gloves I would have to read the book so rapidly that I would get no benefit; and therefore decided to let Anthony win the gloves.

“I met my cousin, Anthony C., the next morning, and he asked, ‘How many pages have you read?’

“I said: ‘I have read twenty-five pages.’

“He said: ‘I have read over one hundred and fifty. I sat up until after midnight.’

“I said: ‘Good-bye gloves.’

“I went on reading twenty-five pages a day and occasionally I got so interested that I read fifty or seventy-five pages, and, lo and behold, I got through first and got the gloves. He got such a good start he did not bother to read any more until after I got through with the book” (The Presidents of the Church Institute Manual, 114-5).

In this section we also read, “Sometimes we think we do not have many talents or that other people have been blessed with more abilities than we possess” (p. 197). Concerning this, in his first talk as an apostle, Elder Quentin L. Cook taught:

A third area of distraction that can destroy joy is comparing our talents and blessings with others. The growth in our own talents is the best measure of personal progress. In recent years the concept of “personal best” has become widely accepted. This has great merit. Remember we usually judge others at their best and ourselves at our worst. In the parable of the talents, the servants who received five talents and two talents were praised by the Lord for increasing their talents and told to “enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The servant who was rebuked was the servant who buried the talent given him. (See Matt. 25:14-30.) Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy. We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful (Ensign, Nov 1996, 28).

In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband also explained:

Sometimes we have fear of using our talents. We use excuses such as “I know I can’t do that,” or “Someone else can do it much better than I,” or “Those listening to me, or watching me, will criticize and judge me” (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).

A wonderful article, entitled “I don’t have any talents. I can’t play an instrument, sing, dance, or draw. And I’m not a very good student. We have lessons about how we should develop our talents, but what if you don’t have any?” and complete with answers from teenage members is found in New Era, Jan. 1996, 17.

In this section we read, “Sometimes we do not use our talents because we are afraid…” (p. 197).

This “fear” is mentioned in the parable of the talents:

…I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth… (Matthew 25:25).

A discussion about how to get help in conquering our fears may be helpful. The 3rd verse of Hymn 85 (“How Firm a Foundation”) gives wonderful ideas for this help.

In this section we read:

We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this (p. 197).

In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband added:

Siblings, aunts, uncles, extended family members; we all have many opportunities to help others identify their talents… The successes in life of those we assist, sponsor, mentor and lift as they pursue their own talents can bring us great joy and satisfaction (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).

From the wonderful suggestions in this section we read, “First, we must discover our talents (p. 197). In the Ensign article by Elder Rasband, he gave three principles concerning the wise use of talents. The first is:

Seek earnestly to discover the talents the Lord has given you. The talents God has given us first become apparent in the interests we pursue. If you are wondering about your talents, make a list of the things you like to do. Include all the activities you enjoy from different dimensions of your life—spiritual, musical, dramatic, academic, athletic, and so on. Study and ponder your patriarchal blessing for insights and inspiration. Consult family members, trusted friends, teachers, and leaders; others often can see in us what we find difficult to see in ourselves.
I remember a wonderful Primary teacher who frequently invited me to read the scriptures in front of the class. She told me what a nice reading voice I had and how well I read. What she said and the way she encouraged me helped me gain confidence and realize a talent from the Lord at an early age.

As a 19-year-old missionary, I yearned to know if I had been blessed with any helpful missionary-related talents. I felt a great desire to know how I could magnify whatever gifts I had so that I could be a more effective servant of the Lord. As I studied the scriptures and my patriarchal blessing, prayed fervently, and had various missionary experiences, several of my talents were made known to me (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).

Also in the first of these suggestions we read, “We should evaluate ourselves to find our strengths and abilities. Our family and friends can help us do this. We should also ask our Heavenly Father to help us learn about our talents” (p. 197-8). While the following from the life of President Heber J. Grant fits with this, it also illustrates the fact that sometimes an honest evaluation, with help from real friends, will reveal that we may not have a talent which we desire:

As with baseball and penmanship [both discussed later in this blog], Heber J. Grant was determined to learn to sing, despite the negative opinions of others. Years of practicing brought moderate success. He wrote:

“My mother tried to teach me when I was a small child to sing but failed because of my inability to carry a tune.

“Upon joining a singing class taught by Professor Charles J. Thomas, he tried and tried in vain to teach me when ten years of age to run the scale or carry a simple tune and finally gave up in despair. He said that I could never, in this world, learn to sing. Perhaps he thought I might learn the divine art in another world.

Ever since this attempt, I have frequently tried to sing when riding alone many miles from anyone who might hear me, but on such occasions could never succeed in carrying the tune of one of our familiar hymns for a single verse, and quite frequently not for a single line.

“When I was about twenty-five years of age, Professor Sims informed me that I could sing, but added, ‘I would like to be at least forty miles away while you are doing it.’. . .

“Upon my recent trip to Arizona, I asked Elders Rudger Clawson and J. Golden Kimball if they had any objections to my singing one hundred hymns that day. They took it as a joke and assured me that they would be delighted. We were on the way from Holbrook to St. Johns, a distance of about sixty miles. After I had sung about forty tunes, they assured me that if I sang the remaining sixty they would be sure to have nervous prostration. I paid no attention whatever to their appeal, but held them to their bargain and sang the full one hundred. One hundred and fifteen songs in one day, and four hundred in four days, is the largest amount of practicing I ever did (The Presidents of the Church Institute Manual, 116-7).

The next suggestion in this section is, “Second, we must be willing to spend the time and effort to develop the talent we are seeking (p. 198). The example of President Grant and learning baseball is terrific:

Throughout his life, Heber J. Grant worked diligently to improve himself, believing that “every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go.” He became known for his persistence, and it was said of him that “he never criticized other men’s weaknesses but made war on his own.” He told the following story about a time in his youth when he displayed the quality of persistence:

“When I joined a base ball club, the boys of my own age, and a little older, played in the first nine, those younger than myself played in the second, and those still younger in the third, and I played with them. One of the reasons for this was that I could not throw the ball from one base to the other; another reason was that I lacked physical strength to run or bat well. When I picked up a ball, the boys would generally shout, ‘Throw it here, sissy!’ So much fun was engendered on my account by my youthful companions that I solemnly vowed that I would play base ball in the nine that would win the championship of the Territory of Utah.

“My mother was keeping boarders at the time for a living, and I shined their boots until I saved a dollar, which I invested in a base ball. I spent hours and hours throwing the ball at a neighbor’s barn, (Edwin D. Woolley’s,) which caused him to refer to me as the laziest boy in the Thirteenth Ward. Often my arm would ache so that I could scarcely go to sleep at night. But I kept on practicing, and finally succeeded in getting into the second nine of our club. Subsequently I joined a better club, and eventually played in the nine that won the championship of the Territory. Having thus made good my promise to myself, I retired from the base ball arena.”
President Grant later acknowledged that he had “partially wasted” the “hours and days and weeks and months” he had spent throwing a baseball against his neighbor’s barn. He said: “I am impressed with the thought that I was not … engaged in the highest employment of which my nature was capable. … There was one thing, however, accomplished by my experience as a ball player, namely, the fulfilling of a promise made to myself” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 33-4).

The next suggestion in this section is, “Third, we must have faith that our Heavenly Father will help us, and we must have faith in ourselves” (p. 198). In his talk at BYU-Idaho, Elder Rasband promised blessings of the faith to use talents wisely:

By focusing on serving the Savior, individuals are guided in making proper decisions in their daily lives, Elder Rasband said. That perspective prepares individuals to do whatever the Lord may ask of them at any time (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).

Next in this list of suggestions in this manual is:

Fourth, we must learn the skills necessary for us to develop our talents. We might do this by taking a class, asking a friend to teach us, or reading a book (p. 198).

President Grant learning to write (remember this was before typewriters or computers) is a great example. The following is copied from Chapter 27 of this blog, but really fits better here:

When [I was] a youth, attending school, a man was pointed out to me who kept books in Wells, Fargo and Co’s. Bank, in Salt Lake City, and it was said that he received a salary of one hundred and fifty dollars a month. Well do I remember figuring that he was earning six dollars a day, Sundays omitted, which seemed to me an enormous amount. … I dreamed of being a book-keeper, and of working for Wells, Fargo & Co., and immediately joined the book-keeping class in the Deseret University [now the University of Utah], in the hope some day of earning what I thought at that time to be an immense salary.

I quote with pleasure … from Lord Bulwer Lytton: “What man wants [this word, “wants,” as used here, is synonymous with “lacks”] is not talent, it is purpose; not power to achieve, but the will to labor.” Samuel Smiles has said: “Purposes, like eggs, unless they are hatched into action, will run into decay.”

Lord Lytton took it for granted undoubtedly that where a youth dreamed nobly and manfully, that it would inspire him to have a purpose in life, and to ‘hatch the same into action,’ and not allow it to ‘run into decay.’ Having purposed to become a book-keeper, I immediately set to work to attain this object. Well do I remember the amusement I furnished my fellow-students. One remarked when looking at my books, ‘What is it; hen tracks?’ Another said, ‘Has lightning struck an ink bottle?’ These remarks and others, while not made to hurt my feelings but in good-natured fun, nevertheless cut deep, and aroused within me a spirit of determination. I resolved to live to set copies for all who attended the university, and to be the teacher of penmanship and book-keeping in that institution. Having a purpose and also ‘the will to labor,’ and agreeing with Lord Lytton that, ‘In the bright lexicon of youth there’s no such word as fail,’ I commenced to employ my spare time in practicing penmanship, continuing year after year until I was referred to as ‘the greatest scribbler on earth.’

The result was that some years later, I secured a position as book-keeper and policy clerk in an insurance office. Although at fifteen, I wrote a very nice hand, and it was all that was needed to satisfactorily fill the position which I then held, yet I was not fully satisfied but continued to dream and ‘scribble,’ when not otherwise occupied. I worked in the front part of A. W. White & Co’s. bank, and, when not busy, volunteered to assist with the bank work, and to do anything and everything I could to employ my time, never thinking whether I was to be paid for it or not, but having only a desire to work and learn. Mr. Morf, the book-keeper in the bank, wrote well, and took pains to assist me in my efforts to become proficient as a penman. I learned to write so well that I often earned more before and after office hours by writing cards, invitations, etc., and making maps, than the amount of my regular salary. Some years later, a diploma at the Territorial Fair was awarded me for the finest penmanship in Utah. When I engaged in business for myself, there was a vacancy at the university in the position of teacher of penmanship and book-keeping, and to make good the promise to myself, made when a youth of twelve or thirteen, that I would some day teach these branches, I applied for the situation. My application was accepted, and my obligation to myself was thus discharged (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 109).

Another suggestion states:

Fifth, we must practice using our talent. Every talent takes effort and work to develop. The mastery of a talent must be earned (p. 198).

President Grant explained:

I believe unless we have ambition to accomplish things and to do things that we amount to but very little in the battle of life… Every individual should have a desire to grow and increase in capacity and in ability to do things. Certainly by mere exertion of the will, by mere desire, we accomplish nothing. We must put with that desire the labor to accomplish the things we desire. I am sure that a young man who is perfectly satisfied with what he is doing, although he may be doing very little, and has no ambition to do more, will stand still. But I am convinced that every individual can improve from day to day, from year to year, and have greater capacity to do things as the years come and the years go. I believe in that with all my heart.

It is by exercise and by practice that we become proficient in any of the vocations or avocations of life, whether it be of a religious or of a secular character (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).

In the article he wrote for the Ensign, Elder Rasband also taught:

I am thankful for the knowledge He has given us—that we are His children and that we are to magnify and multiply our talents to our fullest potential. I know that if we will work hard and do our best, using our talents to bless others and build the kingdom of God, we will be brought back into His presence and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matt. 25:21) (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).

The principle both of these quotes discuss is that of eternal progression.

Again, from the talk Elder Rasband gave at BYU-Idaho, he declared:

I am thankful for the knowledge the Lord has given us—that we are His children and that we are to magnify and multiply our talents to our fullest potential. The experiences you have each day, if you will allow them to be, can and will be stepping stones that will help to shape each of your lives, as they have mine. They will assist you in finding your gifts and talents that will be used as you progress through mortality here upon the earth (Church News, January 29, 2011, 4).

Some additional great ideas for developing talents is found in an article titled, “"Discovering and Developing Your Talents", found in the church magazine Liahona, May 1999, p. 40.

We Can Develop Our Talents in Spite of Our Weaknesses

A discussion of Exodus 4:10-12 may be very instructive for better understanding of this section.

Concerning the motto of President Heber J. Grant quoted in this section:

President Heber J. Grant often quoted the following statement, which is sometimes attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson: “That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do—not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased.” President Grant exemplified this truth, particularly in serving the Lord. Despite hardships such as poverty and the early death of his father, he persisted in keeping the commandments, fulfilling his Church callings, and doing all he could to build the kingdom of God on the earth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 34-5).

Although as discussed earlier in this blog, President Grant apparently lacked the talent to become a “great” singer, did become an “adequate” singer by plain persistence. From his history we read:

Having learned in his youth the power of persistence, he continued to apply the principle as he grew older. For example, he determined that he would learn to sing. He recalled: “From the time I was a child of nine, I tried to sing. I tried time and time again without any apparent success. When I was about forty-three years of age, I had a private secretary with a beautiful baritone voice. I told him I would give anything in the world if I could only carry a tune. He laughed and said, ‘Anybody who has a voice and perseverance can sing.’ I immediately appointed him as my singing teacher.

“My singing lessons started that night. At the end of two hours’ practice I still couldn’t sing one line from the song we had been practicing. After practicing that one song for more than five thousand times, I made a mess of it when I tried to sing it in public. I practiced it for another six months. Now I can learn a song in a few hours.”

President Grant was good-natured about his struggle to learn to sing, and he did not let his mistakes or the laughter and criticism of others deter him. In an address to the youth of the Church, he said:

“When I was learning to sing… I practiced [a certain] song one day twelve times at one sitting. There are three verses in it; so I sang thirty-six verses, and by actual count I made five mistakes to a verse, which made 180 mistakes in one practice, and I knew nothing about it. When I first began to learn to sing, it took me from three to four months to learn two simple hymns. I learned a hymn a few weeks ago in three hours—half an hour’s practice every evening for six days, and I had it all right.”

To supplement the above quote from President Grant that ends this section he further stated:

I know of no easy formula to success. Persist, persist, PERSIST; work, work, WORK—is what counts in the battle of life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 36).

At the Women’s’ Conference, President Gordon B. Hinckley gave wise counsel concerning this section:

Respect yourself. Do not feel sorry for yourself. Do not dwell on unkind things others may say about you… Polish and refine whatever talents the Lord has given you. Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, but with great and strong purpose in your heart (Ensign, May 2001, 93).

The Lord Will Bless Us If We Use Our Talents Wisely

Along with the President Joseph F. Smith quote which begins this section, President James E. Faust added:

The Lord entrusts all of His servants…with spiritual talents. The Lord, who endows us with these talents, tells us: “I believe you can. I believe you can.” While we are not all equal in experience, aptitude, and strength, we have different opportunities to employ these spiritual gifts, and we will all be accountable for the use of the gifts and opportunities given to us (Ensign, Nov 2002, 49).

This section refers to Matthew 25:14-30. From Wikipedia we learn that a talent, according to JewishEncyclopedia.com, is about 130 pounds in our weight system. It is assumed by scholars that the talent was one of gold. An internet search also reveals that the current (as of January 2011) the cost of gold is $19, 578 per pound. Thus to update this parable, “the Lord” gave each “servant” talents worth about $2.5 million each. This then was no small sum for which to be accountable to the Lord.

President Joseph F. Smith, as quoted in the first paragraph of this section, told us “each will be held to strict account” (p. 199) for our talents. Concerning what he referred to as the Savior’s parable of the stewards, Joseph Smith declared:

You know, brethren, that when the Master in the Savior’s parable of the stewards called his servants before him he gave them several talents to improve on while he should tarry abroad for a little season, and when he returned he called for an accounting. So it is now. Our Master is absent only for a little season, and at the end of it He will call each to render an account; and where the five talents were bestowed, ten will be required; and he that has made no improvement will be cast out as an unprofitable servant, while the faithful will enjoy everlasting honors. Therefore we earnestly implore the grace of our Father to rest upon you, through Jesus Christ His Son, that you may not faint in the hour of temptation, nor be overcome in the time of persecution (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 68).

President James E. Faust spoke of Matthew 25:29 and then warned and then promised:

Some of us are too content with what we may already be doing. We stand back in the “eat, drink, and be merry” mode when opportunities for growth and development abound. We miss opportunities to build up the kingdom of God because we have the passive notion that someone else will take care of it. The Lord tells us that He will give more to those who are willing. They will be magnified in their efforts (Ensign, Nov 2002, 49).

Another warning comes from President Thomas S. Monson:

Don’t forget: one of the saddest things in life is wasted talent (New Era, Aug. 2008, 2).

In this section we read, “The Lord is pleased when we use our talents wisely. He will bless us if we use our talents to benefit other people and to build up His kingdom here on earth” (p. 199).

Elder Rasband explained his second principle concerning the wise use of talents:

Use your talents to build up the kingdom of God. Our first priority in helping others is our family. Parents are in a unique and powerful position to encourage and support their children in developing their talents. We also have many opportunities to help others identify their talents. I am grateful for the many people who have helped me add to my talents. The successes in life of those we assist, sponsor, mentor, and lift as they pursue their own talents can bring us great joy and satisfaction.

Focusing on serving the Savior can guide us toward making proper decisions in our daily lives. This perspective prepares us to do whatever the Lord may ask of us at any time. President Gordon B. Hinckley exemplifies this important attitude: “My talents may not be great, but I can use them to bless the lives of others. I can be one who does his work with pride in that which comes from his hand and mind” (Ensign, Aug. 2003, 32).

Chapter 33: Missionary Work

Once again, tremendous resources for this lesson are found in every one of the reliable Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). Every one of these manuals contain chapters on missionary work. In Joseph Smith, chapter 12, for Brigham Young, chapter 33, John Taylor, Chapter 8, for Wilford Woodruff, chapter 9, for Joseph F. Smith, Chapter 9, for Heber J. Grant, Chapter 9, for David O. McKay, chapter 6, for Spencer W. Kimball, chapter 24, and for Harold B. Lee, chapter 17. These can all be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

The new website for the Church “lds.org” is wonderful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” which, if you type in “missionary work” has terrific results. The third one is “Quotes: Missionary Work.” These quotes also lead to some truly outstanding talks on the subject.

One of the very best things a teacher could do is follow the suggestion listed at the bottom of p. 189.

The Lord’s Church Is a Missionary Church
President John Taylor discussed the title to this section:

We are here for a certain purpose; the world was organized for a certain purpose; … the gospel has been introduced for a certain purpose in the different ages of time, and among the different peoples to whom it has been revealed and communicated, and we, today, are in subjection to the general rule. The Lord has led us along…and the first thing he did with us … was to send his gospel, having revealed it first to Joseph Smith, and he, being authorized by the Almighty, and having received his appointment through the holy priesthood that exists in the heavens, and with that appointment authority to confer it upon others, did confer it upon others, and they in turn upon others, and hence the gospel was sent to us in the various nations where we resided.
Now then, the Lord has been desirous, in this age, as he has in other ages, to gather to himself a people who would do his will, keep his commandments, listen to his counsel and carry out his behests (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 68-9).

For President McKay, as with most of us, the title to this section was very personal:

Both of President David O. McKay’s parents were converts to the Church, the result of proselyting efforts by missionaries called to labor in Great Britain.

In 1953, on a tour of Europe, President McKay visited the humble Scotland home of his father’s childhood. President McKay’s son Llewelyn, who accompanied him on the trip, recorded the experience as follows:

“[As we approached the home], the sun broke through the clouds and smiled at us as though he were reflecting the joy and happiness in father’s heart. As we all gathered in front of the home, tears came to father’s eyes as he looked through the door. ‘If it had not been for two missionaries knocking on this door about 1850, I shouldn’t be here today!’ ” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 49)

The first question in this section is, “In what ways is missionary work part of God’s plan for His children?” (p. 189).

President Kimball gives a sobering thought concerning this question:

Let us assume for a moment that the roles were reversed—that you were not a member of the Church but that your present nonmember neighbor was a Latter-day Saint. Would you want him or her to share the gospel with you? Would you then rejoice in the new truths you had learned? Would your love and respect increase for your neighbor who had shared these truths with you? Of course, the answer to all of these questions would be: Yes! (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 261).

In this section we read:

After Jesus was resurrected, He sent Apostles to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. He commanded the Apostles, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) (p. 189).

It may be interesting to note that, in addition to the reference in Mark, at the end of every one of the Gospels, as well as in the account of the Ascension recorded in Acts, the same charge was given by the Savior as follows:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:18-19).

…and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47).

So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him,

Feed my lambs.

He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him,

Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep (John 21:15-17)

...ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8)

After quoting Matthew 28:19-20, President McKay proclaimed:

Such was the admonition given to the early twelve. Such is the admonition given to people in this age…

If I were to couch in definite terms two of the most potent convictions in the hearts of the Latter-day Saints, I would name: First, an abiding assurance that the gospel, as taught by the Redeemer when he lived among men and which was later modified, changed and corrupted by men, has been restored by the Redeemer in its purity and fulness; and second, following naturally the first, a conviction in the heart of every member of this Church that the responsibility rests upon the membership of the Church to preach the restored gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 51-2).

President Kimball further explained:

The day for carrying the gospel to ever more places and people is here and now. We must come to think of our obligation to share the message rather than of our own convenience. Calls from the Lord are seldom convenient. The time is here when sacrifice must become an even more important element in the Church. We must increase our devotion so that we can do the work the Lord has for us to do. … The parting words of the Master to His Apostles just before His Ascension were, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 261).

In this section, we read:

Latter-day Saint missionaries go at their own expense to all parts of the world to preach the gospel message (p. 191).

People say: “We cannot understand the strength of ‘Mormonism,’ we cannot understand why [thousands of] young men and young women at one time, at their own expense or at the expense of their families, will go into the world, giving their time without money and without price, to proclaim the gospel, losing their wages, paying their own way, to proclaim your faith.” Every Latter-day Saint can understand it. They understand it because those young men and those young women who go out to proclaim the gospel, live it; they in very deed are fulfilling the requirements laid down by the Savior “to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, might and strength,” and the next great commandment, “to love our neighbor as ourselves (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 85-6).

The Gospel Will Be Preached to All the World
Joseph Smith clarified:

The servants of God will not have gone over the nations of the Gentiles, with a warning voice, until the destroying angel will commence to waste the inhabitants of the earth, and as the prophet hath said, ‘It shall be a vexation to hear the report.’ [See Isaiah 28:19.] I speak thus because I feel for my fellow men; I do it in the name of the Lord, being moved upon by the Holy Spirit. Oh, that I could snatch them from the vortex of misery, into which I behold them plunging themselves, by their sins; that I might be enabled by the warning voice, to be an instrument of bringing them to unfeigned repentance, that they might have faith to stand in the evil day! (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 152).

Brigham Young also elucidated:

The Elders have also preached through the different nations of Europe so far as they were allowed to do so. In some countries the law would not permit them; but the Lord will yet revolutionize those nations until the door will be opened and the Gospel will be preached to all (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 244).

President Wilford Woodruff added:

We have preached the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, as far as the Lord has opened doors for us and we have had the privilege of going. Still the world to-day is full of people who have not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ… Only think that by embracing the Gospel of Christ we can become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, that we can have part in the first resurrection, and come forth out of our graves and be clothed with glory, immortality, and eternal lives, and pass into the presence of God and the Lamb and dwell with them eternally in the heavens! Who comprehends this? Do the inhabitants of the earth? They do not (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 94).

A great statement regarding the importance of this missionary work comes from President Hinckley:

If the world is going to be saved, we have to do it. There is no escaping from that. NO other people in the history of the world have received the kind of mandate that we have received. We are responsible for all who have lived upon the earth… We are responsible for all who now liver upon the earth, and that involves our missionary work. And we are going to be responsible for all who will yet live upon the earth (Mission Presidents’ Seminar, 25 June, 1999).

Missionary Work Is Important
Joseph Smith confirmed the title of this section:

After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel (History of the Church, 2:478).

Brigham Young stated:

Our Father in Heaven, Jesus, our Elder Brother and the Savior of the world, and the whole heavens, are calling upon this people to prepare to save the nations of the earth… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 243).

John Taylor proclaimed:

Our duty is to preach the Gospel to all men. … And we are doing this in spite of the opposition of men, and in the name of God we will do it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 71).

President Heber J. Grant further declared:

The missionary work of the Latter-day Saints is the greatest of all the great works in all the world (We Believe, 570).

President George Albert Smith also said:

My understanding is that the most important mission that I have in this life is: first to keep the commandments of God…and next, to teach them to my Father’s children who do not understand them (We Believe, 570).

President Spencer W. Kimball acknowledged:

There isn’t anything else more important than taking the gospel to the world (We Believe, 570).

President Ezra Taft Benson agreed:

I know, my brethren and sisters, that the sweetest work in all the world is the work in which we are engaged in helping to save and exalt the souls of the children of men. There isn’t anything so important, so precious, so enjoyable, so soul-satisfying (We Believe, 570).

The book We Believe, edited by Rulon T. Burton, is a wonderful compilation of quotes from prophets for any library. Amazon has great prices for used copies.

In the day which many of us lived, President Kimball challenged us about the importance of missionary work in a classic First Presidency Message entitled, “When the World Will Be Converted.” The whole talk is well worth reading. In that talk he stated:

If there were no converts, the Church would shrivel and die on the vine. But perhaps the greatest reason for missionary work is to give the world its chance to hear and accept the gospel. The scriptures are replete with commands and promises and calls and rewards for teaching the gospel. I use the word command deliberately for it seems to be an insistent directive from which we, singly and collectively, cannot escape (Ensign, Oct. 1974, 3).

President Kimball added his testimony:

This is the work of the Lord. We are on his errand. He has commanded us specifically, and yet we are unknown among many people of the world. It is time to gird up our loins and go forward with new dedication to this great work. We covenanted, you and I, to do it. May we all say with that young man, found in the temple by his anxious parents, sitting in the midst of the doctors, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 269).

In this section we read:

Many of our brothers and sisters on earth are blinded by false teachings and “are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12). Through missionary work we can bring them the truth (p. 192).

Joseph Smith taught:

…as you see the great extent of the power and dominion of the prince of darkness, and realize how vast the numbers are who are crowding the road to death without ever giving heed to the cheering sound of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 151).

President McKay added:

The world is hungry to hear the truth as never before in its history. We have it. Are we equal to the task—to the responsibility God has placed upon us?
Every member of the Church should be converted and have a knowledge of the gospel, including a knowledge of the scriptures. How wonderful it would be if every member of the Church could, as Peter of old, “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. …” (1 Pet. 3:15.) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 51-2).

One of the very best talks I have ever found on practical ways to overcome fear of doing missionary work is, “I’m Afraid to Talk to My Neighbor about the Church Because…” by Carol Wagner Tuttle in Ensign, March 1988, p. 30.

The chapter in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant is entitled, “The Joy of Missionary Work.” President Grant elaborated:

…there is no other labor in all the world that brings to a human heart, judging from my own personal experience, more joy, peace and serenity than proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I feel sorry for the man or the woman who has never experienced the sweet joy which comes to the missionary who proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ, who brings honest souls to a knowledge of the truth, and who hears the expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving that come from the hearts of those who have been brought by his labor to a comprehension of life eternal (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 86-7).

Missionary work is important enough that it will be one of Satan’s primary goals to stop it. Joseph Smith proclaimed:

The world is full of darkness. Sin and wickedness is overwhelming the world as the waters cover the great deep. The devil rules over the world in a great measure. The world will war against you; the devil will, earth will, and hell will. But … you must preach the Gospel, do your duty, and the Lord will stand by you. Earth and hell shall not prevail against you (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 153).

The last sentence of this section reads, “As we teach the gospel to our brothers and sisters, we are preparing the way for the Second Coming of the Savior (p. 192). The Encyclopedia of Mormonism adds a second witness:

The fundamental purpose of the restoration is to prepare the Church and the world to receive their King, the Lord Jesus Christ (p. 1219).

We Should All Be Missionaries
Chapter 6 in Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay is appropriately titled “Every Member a Missionary.” This is appropriate not only because he coined this tremendously popular phrase, but it also aptly fits the title of this section. There he stated:

Every member is a missionary. He or she has the responsibility of bringing somebody: a mother, a father, a neighbor, a fellow worker, an associate, somebody in touch with the messengers of the gospel. If every member will carry that responsibility and if the arrangement to have that mother or that father or somebody meet the authorized representatives of the Church, no power on earth can stop this church from growing. And personal contact is what will influence those investigators. That personal contact, the nature of it, its effect depends upon you. And that’s one thing that I wish to emphasize. There’s one responsibility which no man can evade, that’s the responsibility of personal influence. … It’s what you are, not what you pretend to be that will bring people to investigate.

Every member of the Church should be a missionary. He is probably not authorized to go from house to house, but he is authorized, by virtue of his membership, to set a proper example as a good neighbor (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 53).

President Kimball also coined a terrifically popular phrase concerning missionary work which is used in the heading of the chapter on missionary work in the manual with his teachings. He declared:

We must lengthen our stride in sharing the gospel with others (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 258).

President Kimball continued:

Brethren and sisters, I wonder if we are doing all we can. Are we complacent in our assignment to teach the gospel to others? Are we prepared to lengthen our stride? To enlarge our vision?
We must not falter nor weary in well-doing. We must lengthen our stride. Not only is our own eternal welfare at stake, but also the eternal welfare of many of our brothers and sisters who are not now members of this, the true Church. I thrill to the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith in a letter that he sent to the Church from Nauvoo on September 6, 1842: “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward. … Courage … and on, on to the victory!” (D&C 128:22) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 261).

President Kimball then addressed the idea in the title of this section:

I wish we could more effectively and faithfully establish in the hearts of all members of the Church the understanding that if a person is old enough to be a member, he is old enough to be a missionary; and he doesn’t need to be set apart especially for that calling. Every member has the obligation and the calling to take the gospel to those around him. We want every man, woman, and child to assume his rightful responsibility. It is very important. For this is the message of the gospel: We receive blessings from the gospel, and then we go out and share those blessings with others.

Now, we are a busy people; but the Lord did not say, “If it is convenient for you, would you consider preaching the gospel.” He has said, “Let every man learn his duty” (D&C 107:99) and “Behold … it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.” (D&C 88:81)
We must remember that God is our ally in this. He is our help. He will open the way, for he gave the commandment (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 260-1).

Brigham Young had much earlier exclaimed:

…there is neither man or woman in this Church who is not on a mission. That mission will last as long as they live, and it is to do good, to promote righteousness, to teach the principles of truth, and to prevail upon themselves and everybody around them to live those principles that they may obtain eternal life (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 244

From Favorite Quotations from the Collection of Thomas S. Monson comes the following:

Missionary work is the lifeblood of the Kingdom. When the blood stops flowing, the Kingdom stops growing (Spencer W. Kimball).

Amazon also has great prices for used copies of this book.

Even earlier, from the list of “Additional Scriptures” the Lord declared:

…it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor (D&C 88:81).

So the first calling of every member baptized is to be a missionary.

President Wilford Woodruff explained:

…we should be diligent and faithful in offering this great salvation unto the children of men, and in building up Zion and the kingdom of our God.

However insignificant this people may be in the eyes of the world, the God of heaven holds us responsible for preaching this Gospel to every nation under heaven, and we have it to do or we will be damned. We cannot avoid this. Why? Because, as Paul says: “Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel.” [1 Corinthians 9:16.] There is but one Gospel; never has been but one, and never will be; and Paul says: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” [Galatians 1:8]
There never was a set of men since God made the world under a stronger responsibility to warn this generation, to lift up our voices long and loud, day and night as far as we have the opportunity and declare the words of God unto this generation. We are required to do this. This is our calling. It is our duty. It is our business.

I have waded swamps and swum rivers, and have asked my bread from door to door; and have devoted nearly fifty years to this work. And why? Was there gold enough in California to have hired me to do it? No, verily; and what I have done and what my brethren have done, we have done because we were commanded of God. And this is the position we occupy today. We have preached and labored at home and abroad, and we intend to continue our labors, by the help of God, as long as we can have liberty to do it.

I think, many times, that we, as elders of Israel and as Latter-day Saints, come far short of realizing our position before the Lord. The work required at our hands is great and mighty; it is the work of Almighty God. We are held responsible for presenting the gospel of Christ to all the nations of the earth. … We are held responsible for all this… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 92).

President Grant also clarified this scripture:

We should remember that the Lord has told us that it is our duty to warn our neighbors and to preach this Gospel—that duty is upon all of us—we should be missionaries.
Let us all realize that this work belongs to each and every one of us, and let us do all in our power for its advancement (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 86).

In this section we read:

We have been told by a prophet that we should show our neighbors that we love them before we warn them (p. 192).

President Grant taught:

I believe that every Latter-day Saint who has received a testimony of the divinity of the work in which we are engaged has [the] same feeling that Alma had—a desire that all the world might hear the testimony of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ [see Alma 29:1-9]. When men and women receive a testimony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, they are anxious that all the world should have that same knowledge and faith. They are anxious that the gospel should go to every honest soul (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 86).

President Lee also added:

Now, keep in mind that all of us are our Father’s children, whether presently members of the Church or not. It is these others of our Father’s children about whom we must be much concerned. They are just as dear to Him as those who are presently members of the Church (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 156).

President Kimball encouraged:

Our neighbors must experience our genuine friendship and fellowship. We want members to entreat neighbors, not to scold them or scare them (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 262).

In conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard stated:

Nearly 25 years ago, the First Presidency declared: “Our message … is one of special love and concern for the eternal welfare of all men and women, regardless of religious belief, race, or nationality, knowing that we are truly brothers and sisters because we are sons and daughters of the same Eternal Father” (First Presidency statement, 15 Feb. 1978) (Ensign, Nov 2001, 35).

In this section, suggestion # 1 for “ways we can share the gospel” is, “We can show friends and others the joy we experience from living the truths of the gospel. In this way we will be a light to the world (see Matthew 5:16)” (p. 193).

President Woodruff reiterated:

It should be the aim of all the members of the Church to carry out practically in their lives the principles of the Gospel. In no way can we better convince the world of their truth than in showing in our acts and dealings with one another and with mankind the elevating effect they have upon us. We make high professions, and there should be such a high standard of purity of life among us as to correspond with these professions (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 96).

President Kimball also stated:

No greater service can be given to the missionary calling of this Church than to be exemplary in positive Christian virtues in our lives.

What every member ought to do, by good example and by bearing testimony, is to portray to nonmembers the joys of gospel living and understanding and thus help to bring them to the stage where they will accept more formal teaching (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 262).

President Lee added:

The best way in the world to make men interested in the gospel is to live the ideals and the standards which we expect of those who profess membership in the Church. That is the first thing that strikes home to a stranger. How do we, who profess to be members, deport ourselves as members of the Church? …

… No man or woman can teach the gospel if he doesn’t live it. The first act to qualify yourself to be a missionary is to live the principles which you teach.

Any Latter-day Saint in Church circles, in military service, in social life, or in the business community is looked upon not just as an individual, but as the visible Church today. Someone has said: “Be careful how you act, because you may be the only Standard Church Works some people may ever read.” The Lord here warns us that the standard of living in the Church must be visibly higher than the standard of living in the world (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 161-2).

President Lee then told a terrific story about example:

I was over in Seoul in Korea recently [1954], and one of the finest men we have over in that country is a man by the name of Dr. Ho Jik Kim. He is … an advisor to the Korean government. He is a leader of one of the educational institutions there, and around him he has gathered now thirty-four converts, many of them well-educated. We talked with him for some two hours, trying to lay a foundation that might establish itself into a beginning of missionary activities in the land of Korea. He told us about his conversion. “The thing that attracted me to the church,” he explained, “was when I was invited into the homes of two Latter-day Saint men who were on the faculty of Cornell University. … The thing that I was most impressed by was the kind of home life they had. I never had been in homes where there was such a sweet relationship between husband and wife, and father and mother and children. I had seen them engage in family prayer. I was so impressed that I began to inquire about this religion of theirs. And one night after I had studied for a long time and had become convinced about the desirability of belonging to such a company, I knew first I must get a testimony. I went down on my knees and prayed nearly all night long and I received a testimony of the divinity of this work.” But remember it all started because of the excellent example of a family that lived the kind of home life that the gospel expects of true Latter-day Saints (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 162).

Concerning our neighbors, in a wonderful conference talk, Elder M. Russell Ballard implored:

Occasionally I hear of members offending those of other faiths by overlooking them and leaving them out. This can occur especially in communities where our members are the majority. I have heard about narrow-minded parents who tell children that they cannot play with a particular child in the neighborhood simply because his or her family does not belong to our Church. This kind of behavior is not in keeping with the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. I cannot comprehend why any member of our Church would allow these kinds of things to happen. I have been a member of this Church my entire life. I have been a full-time missionary, twice a bishop, a mission president, a Seventy, and now an Apostle. I have never taught—nor have I ever heard taught—a doctrine of exclusion. I have never heard the members of this Church urged to be anything but loving, kind, tolerant, and benevolent to our friends and neighbors of other faiths (Ensign, Nov 2001, 35) .

In this section, suggestion # 3 for “ways we can share the gospel” is, “We can explain the gospel to nonmember friends and others” (p. 193).Contention has no place in this process. Joseph Smith explained:


Let the Elders be exceedingly careful about unnecessarily disturbing and harrowing up the feelings of the people. Remember that your business is to preach the Gospel in all humility and meekness, and warn sinners to repent and come to Christ. Avoid contentions and vain disputes with men of corrupt minds, who do not desire to know the truth. Remember that ‘it is a day of warning, and not a day of many words.’ If they receive not your testimony in one place, flee to another, remembering to cast no reflections, nor throw out any bitter sayings. If you do your duty, it will be just as well with you, as though all men embraced the Gospel” (History of the Church, 1:468).

Brigham Young also warned:

I had only traveled a short time to testify to the people, before I learned this one fact, that you might prove doctrine from the Bible till doomsday, and it would merely convince a people, but would not convert them. You might read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and prove every iota that you advance, and that alone would have no converting influence upon the people.

Nothing short of a testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost would bring light and knowledge to them—bring them in their hearts to repentance. Nothing short of that would ever do. You have frequently heard me say that I would rather hear an Elder, either here or in the world, speak only five words accompanied by the power of God, and they would do more good than to hear long sermons without the Spirit. That is true, and we know it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 146).

President Joseph F. Smith felt the same:

It is to be earnestly recommended that elders abroad on missions, as indeed Latter-day Saints in general, avoid contentious argument and debate regarding doctrinal subjects. The truth of the gospel does not depend for its demonstration on heated discussion; the message of truth is most effectively delivered when expressed in words of simplicity and sympathy.
… A testimony of the truth is more than a mere assent of the mind, it is a conviction of the heart, a knowledge that fills the whole soul of its recipient (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 82).

Concerning the title of this section, in conference Sister Silvia H. Allred, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency (also the mother-in-law to one of our missionaries) gave excellent advice:

You might be asking yourself: How can I assist in missionary work? In what ways can I participate? There are two fundamental truths to keep in mind as you embark on the work. First, have a clear understanding that God loves all His children and desires their salvation. Second, our message of Christ and His restored gospel is the most important gift you have to give.

Then, be more specific in your missionary efforts. Let me suggest some ideas. You might find two or three that work for you:

Invite family and friends to listen to the missionaries or to attend our Church meetings and activities.

Accompany the missionaries to investigators’ homes, or invite the missionaries to teach nonmembers in your home.

Invite people to a family home evening in your home.

Invite people to a family history center, or help them do family history research.

Give referrals to the missionaries. Members can be the greatest and best source of referrals.

Share your beliefs and testimony with nonmember friends and family.

Seek for opportunities to reach out to others.

Extend friendship to investigators and new converts.

Give your best efforts to finding those who are seeking the truth (Ensign, Nov. 2008, 10–12).

In conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave excellent advice about doing missionary work:

We can also pray daily for our own personal missionary experiences... Pray that they will find you! And then be alert…

…even more important than speaking is listening… Reach out sincerely. Ask these friends what matters most to them. What do they cherish, and what do they hold dear? And then listen. If the setting is right you might ask what their fears are, what they yearn for, or what they feel is missing in their lives. I promise you that something in what they say will always highlight a truth of the gospel about which you can bear testimony and about which you can then offer more (Ensign, May 2001, 14).

Sister Marjorie Hinckley, wife of President Hinckley, told of an experience of sharing the gospel when she and her husband traveled with President and Sister Harold B. Lee:

We were in England one Sunday. It had been a full day: two sessions of a conference and a fireside at night. When we got back to the hotel about 9:30, we were bone-weary and hungry. We went into the hotel dining room to get a little something to eat. The day was over—we could relax. At least, that is what I thought. The next thing I knew, the waitress had her pencil poised to write down our order. President Lee looked up at her and said, ‘What church do you belong to?’ The day was not over for him. He had embarked on a proselyting exercise. Before the meal was over he had learned all about this young woman. She had lost her husband and was lonely and afraid. She had promised to see the missionaries and learn more. It was a beautiful thing to see the president of the Church practice what he had been preaching all that day. When the waitress (a woman of perhaps thirty-five) learned that the man she was talking with was the president, the prophet, seer, and revelator of the Church of Jesus Christ, she could not believe that such a person would stoop to making conversation with such a one as she. She was greatly moved (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 153).

From the life of President Kimball comes another example:

During a trip to Quito, Ecuador, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Spencer W. Kimball was at a hotel restaurant with a group that included four young missionaries. “He commented to the others that their waiter was a fine-looking young man and would make a good missionary for the Church. Elder Kimball ordered bread and milk, then asked the waiter if he had any children at home. ‘One son,’ the waiter answered. ‘Bread and milk will make him healthy,’ Elder Kimball said, ‘but he will be even healthier if you will feed him the food these young men have to give.’ The waiter looked puzzled. Then Elder Kimball explained that the young men were missionaries who had the gospel of Jesus Christ to teach. The waiter expressed interest in having the missionaries teach him” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 258).

In this section, suggestion # 4 for “ways we can share the gospel” is, “We can invite friends who are interested in learning more about the gospel into our homes to be taught by the missionaries. If our nonmember friends live too far away, we can request that missionaries in their areas visit them” (p. 193). In my opinion, this # 4 is one of the very most important concepts in this whole lesson, the idea that members and missionaries must work together for the Church to succeed in this critical role of missionary work. President Kimball declared:

Member-missionary work is the key to the future growth of the Church.
The real goal for effective proselyting is that the members do the finding and the full-time missionaries do the teaching. … When members do the finding they have a personal interest in fellowshipping, there are fewer investigators lost before baptism, and those who are baptized tend to remain active.

Our goal should be to identify as soon as possible which of our Father’s children are spiritually prepared to proceed all the way to baptism into the kingdom. One of the best ways to find out is to expose your friends, relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances to the full-time missionaries as soon as possible (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 262-3).

In 1999 President Gordon B. Hinckley arranged a most remarkable satellite broadcasts from the Salt Lake Tabernacle. He spoke to full time missionaries and stake missionaries (now organized as ward missionaries) as well as all priesthood leaders in wards/branches and stakes/districts all around the world. President Hinckley drew the title of the broadcast, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep” from John 21:15-17. Excerpts are as follows:

Last year there were approximately 300,000 convert baptisms throughout the Church. This is tremendously significant. This is the equivalent of 120 new stakes of 2,500 members each. Think of that: 120 new stakes in a single year! It is wonderful. But it is not enough. I am not being unrealistic when I say that with concerted effort, with recognition of the duty which falls upon each of us as members of the Church, and with sincere prayer to the Lord for help, we could double that number.

The big initial task is first to find interested investigators. So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church. Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system. The member bears testimony of the truth of the work. He is anxious for the happiness of his investigator friend. He becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel.

The full-time missionaries may do the actual teaching, but the member, wherever possible, will back up that teaching with the offering of his home to carry on this missionary service. He will bear sincere testimony of the divinity of the work. He will be there to answer questions when the missionaries are not around. He will be a friend to the convert who is making a big and often difficult change (Ensign, May 1999, 104).

Then President Hinckley issued the following challenge:

Now, my brethren and sisters, we can let the missionaries try to do it alone, or we can help them. If they do it alone, they will knock on doors day after day and the harvest will be meager. Or as members we can assist them in finding and teaching investigators (Ensign, May 1999, 104).

President Hinckley concluded with his testimony:

Before the Church was organized, there was missionary work. It has continued ever since, notwithstanding the difficulties of many of the seasons through which our people have passed. Let us, every one, resolve within ourselves to arise to a new opportunity, a new sense of responsibility, a new shouldering of obligation to assist our Father in Heaven in His glorious work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of His sons and daughters throughout the earth (Ensign, May 1999, 104).

Concerning fellowshipping, President Kimball added to the above:

When we baptize somebody it is a crime to let them just slide slowly back out of the Church and out of the gospel because of a lack of fellowship. Fellowshipping is an important responsibility.

We should be able to fellowship everybody that comes in. That is the reason we want the members to do the missionary work as well as to get help from the missionaries. We want the people … to go out and do this work because they are still the neighbors after the person is baptized. They can still fellowship them; they can still call for them and take them to priesthood meeting; they can still encourage them and help them in their home evenings and so on.

This, then, is another way in which all members of the Church can be actively and constantly engaged in missionary service—by fellowshipping, befriending, and encouraging the new members of the Church (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 264).

In the conclusion of the talk by President Hinckley, he was quoting from Moses 1:39. Added to this is a marvelous scripture, with which there would be a wonderful discussion, is Alma 29:9 (the last half):

…yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy (Alma 29:9).

President Woodruff explained the value of this scripture:

You give unto any soul the principles of life and salvation and administer these ordinances to him, and you become an instrument in the hands of God in the salvation of that soul. There is nothing given to the children of men that is equal to it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 94).

In this section, suggestion # 5 for “ways we can share the gospel” is, “We can teach our children the importance of sharing the gospel, and we can prepare them spiritually and financially to go on missions” (p. 193).

President Kimball gave good counsel concerning this:

The minute they [your sons] come into your arms, you begin to teach them. They hear your prayers, night and morning. They hear you pray to the Lord to help to open the doors of all the nations. They hear about missionary work. They hear you pray for your bishops and your mission presidents and all others who are serving you, and it just grows into their consciousness gradually.

Nearly every time I see a little boy, I say, “You will make a great missionary, won’t you?” You plant into his mind a seed. It is just like plants and other vegetation. It grows and grows, and if a father and a mother talk to their little boys … about going on a mission—when they are infants, almost—that little seed will grow and grow.

It is well for parents to start preparing their sons to save money early in their lives. Let them have the spirit of saving. Let them also have the spirit of studying and praying about the gospel, of seeing for themselves how the gospel works in their own lives and in the lives of those around them. Let them have the spirit of service throughout their growing years and the experience of helping others discuss the joys of the gospel message in their lives. Let them use their seminary and institute classes and experiences as a training ground for acquiring spiritual knowledge of great value to themselves and others. Let them prepare by keeping their lives clean and worthy and by wanting with all their heart to help the Lord take the gospel to those who are ready for it.
I hope that every family will hold home evening every Monday night without fail. Missionary work will be one of the strong points that will be brought before it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 267).

In a First Presidency message, President Hinckley also plead:

We ask that parents begin early to train their children. Where there is family prayer, where there are family home evenings, where there is scripture reading, where the father and mother are active in the Church and speak with enthusiasm concerning the Church and the gospel, the children in such homes become imbued in a natural way with a desire to teach the gospel to others. There is usually a tradition of missionary work in such homes. Savings accounts are set up while children are small. Boys grow up with a natural expectation that they will be called to serve as missionaries for the Church. A mission becomes as much a part of a boy’s program for life as is an education (Ensign, Oct. 1987, 2).

The second half of # 5 reads, “We can also prepare ourselves to serve full-time missions in our senior years” (p. 193).

Concerning this, President Kimball taught:

If health and other conditions permit, parents can look to the day when they, too, may serve a mission.

We have rather forgotten, we older people, who have been retired and who have found an easy place to go with our camping outfit and with our other opportunities. We have found an easy way to satisfy our own thoughts and our own consciences that the work must go on—we will send our boys, we say.

All of us have this responsibility. Not all of us are able, but many, many of us are.
We could use hundreds of couples, older people like some of you folks, whose families are reared, who have retired in their business, who are able to go … to teach the gospel. We could use hundreds of couples. You just go and talk to your bishop—that is all you need to do. Tell him, “We are ready to go, if you can use us.” I think you will probably get a call (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 268-9).

From the same First Presidency message quoted earlier, President Hinckley also requested:

Along with the need for young elders and sisters, there is a growing need for couples in the mission field. Older married couples are doing a wonderful work in the missions. Many more are needed. Particularly we need those with foreign language abilities. They can serve in many responsibilities under the direction of sensitive and considerate mission presidents (Ensign, Oct. 1987, 2).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland added:

Many more of us can prepare for senior missionary service when that time in our life comes. As the senior couples at the MTC in Provo have said on a poster, “Let’s lengthen our shuffle!” I just returned from a long trip which took me to half a dozen missions. Everywhere I went during those weeks, I found senior couples giving the most remarkable and rewarding leadership imaginable, providing stability, maturity, and experience that no 19-year-old or 21-year-old could possibly be expected to provide (Ensign, May 2001, 14).

In this section we read:

Our Heavenly Father will help us be effective missionaries when we have the desire to share the gospel and pray for guidance. He will help us find ways to share the gospel with those around us.
Think about people you can share the gospel with. Decide how you will do so. Consider setting a goal to share the gospel with these people by a certain date (p. 194).

President Woodruff explained:

It does not make any difference what age a man is in preaching the gospel, whether he be twenty-five, ninety, or five hundred years of age, if he is only inspired by the Spirit and power of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff, 98).

President Lee also added:

…it is the responsibility of all of us to be aware of our obligation to bear witness of the divine mission of the Lord wherever we have the opportunity. If we apply ourselves there are many opportunities to teach the gospel, day by day and hour by hour, wherever we may be. If we have lived for it, if we have prepared for it and if we seek it, the guiding Spirit will give us the ability to teach. Remember, words are just words, in teaching the gospel, unless they are accompanied by the Spirit of the Lord.

We should accept every opportunity to bring the knowledge of the gospel to others—to our inactive Church member associates, to our nonmember friends in college, military service, and business, to our neighbors and friends (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 154).

President Kimball also stated:

I feel the Lord has placed, in a very natural way within our circles of friends and acquaintances, many persons who are ready to enter into his Church. We ask that you prayerfully identify those persons and then ask the Lord’s assistance in helping you introduce them to the gospel (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 262).

Fear is often one of the reasons many of us do not do missionary work. It may be important to discuss the following scripture from the list of “Additional Scriptures”:

But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them.

And it shall come to pass, if they are not more faithful unto me, it shall be taken away, even that which they have (D&C 60:2-3).

From Favorite Quotations from the Collection of Thomas S. Monson comes the following:

There never was a set of men, since God made the world, under a stronger responsibility to warn this generation. We are required to do this. This is our calling. It is our duty. It is our business (Wilford Woodruff).

In the above scripture, the Lord declared that we may lose our testimonies if we do not overcome fear and become missionaries. President Kimball warned:

Sometimes we forget that it is better to risk a little ruffling in the relationship of a friend than it is to deprive him of eternal life by keeping silent (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 263).

In conference, a wonderful story was told by Elder Robert C. Oaks, of the Presidency of the Seventy:

Why don’t we do better in providing referrals? It is not laziness, because Latter-day Saints are not lazy people. I believe that the fear of rejection or the fear of hurting a friendship are the more common restraints to sharing the gospel.

But are these fears valid? When you extend to a friend an invitation to meet with the missionaries, you are offering to share something that is most valuable and cherished. Is that offensive? Sister Oaks and I have not found this to be the case. In fact, we have found that when we offer to share the gospel, friendships are strengthened, even though the friends may not embrace the gospel message.

Consider that you are invited to a friend’s house for breakfast. On the table you see a large pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice from which your host fills his glass. But he offers you none. Finally, you ask, “Could I have a glass of orange juice?”

He replies, “Oh, I am sorry. I was afraid you might not like orange juice, and I didn’t want to offend you by offering you something you didn’t desire.”

Now, that sounds absurd, but it is not too different from the way we hesitate to offer up something far sweeter than orange juice. I have often worried how I would answer some friend about my hesitancy when I meet him beyond the veil (Ensign, Nov. 2000, 81).

One of our personal favorite ways of starting “gospel conversations” with friends, relatives, or complete strangers is, “One of the things I really like about my Church is…”

President Kimball’’s counsel may be appropriate here:

Don’t wait for long fellowshipping nor for the precise, perfect moment. What you need to do is find out if they are the elect. “[My] elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts.” (D&C 29:7) If they hear and have hearts open to the gospel, it will be evident immediately. If they won’t listen and their hearts are hardened with skepticism or negative comments, they are not ready. In this case, keep loving them and fellowshipping them and wait for the next opportunity to find out if they are ready. You will not lose their friendship. They will still respect you.

Of course, there are discouragements, but nothing is ever lost. No one ever loses a friend just because he doesn’t want to continue with the visits from the missionaries. The member can continue the association with no threat to his friendship or special relationship with that family. Sometimes it takes more time for some to come into the Church than for others. The member should continue to fellowship and try again at a later date for conversion. Don’t be discouraged just because of a temporary lack of progress. There are hundreds of stories about the value of perseverance in missionary service (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 263-4).

The Lord Promises Us Blessings for Doing Missionary Work
President McKay elaborated on the title of this section:

If you will have your testimonies strengthened, to have it revealed to you now individually that Christ is aiding you in your work, guiding his Church, well the best way to do that is … doing your duty, … attending to missionary work (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: David O. McKay, 57).

President Kimball added:

Sharing the gospel brings peace and joy into our own lives, enlarges our own hearts and souls in behalf of others, increases our own faith, strengthens our own relationship with the Lord, and increases our own understanding of gospel truths.

The Lord has promised great blessings to us in proportion to how well we share the gospel. We will receive help from the other side of the veil as the spiritual miracles occur. The Lord has told us that our sins will be forgiven more readily as we bring souls unto Christ and remain steadfast in bearing testimony to the world, and surely every one of us is looking for additional help in being forgiven of our sins. (See D&C 84:61.) In one of the greatest of missionary scriptures, section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants, we are told that if we serve the Lord in missionary service “with all [our] heart, might, mind, and strength,” then we may “stand blameless before God at the last day” (verse 2) (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 259).

A great scripture to add to D&C 84:61 in the above quote is the following:

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins (James 5:20).

D&C 18:15-16 is quoted in this section. Concerning this scripture, President Grant taught:

The saving of souls, including our own soul, is the one great labor of all others that is most valuable and important, and that will bring to us the blessings of our Father and the good will of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

We know that the first and most important duty for us is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, might, mind and strength; and second to that is love for our fellowmen. No people in all the world in proportion to their numbers, are giving such evidence of a love for their fellowmen, and a desire for their welfare, as are the Latter-day Saints. Our missionary work proclaims to all the world our willingness to make financial sacrifice and to labor with no hope of earthly reward, for the salvation of the souls of the children of our Father in heaven

…when we stop to reflect upon the revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, in which the Lord says [then quotes D&C 18:15-16]; then we will begin to realize and comprehend and understand the magnitude of this work (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 85-7).

Concerning the same scripture, President Kimball also added:

If one labors all his days and brings in save it be one soul! What joy! One soul! How precious! Oh, that God would give us that kind of love for souls! (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 261).

An important concept in doing missionary work is the fact that sometimes you may never know in this earthly life what good is being done. President Lee taught this idea:

You’ll remember [Elder Charles A. Callis] told us about one time going up into Montana to visit a man who had filled a mission over in Ireland. After searching for this man, who was now an old, old man, he introduced himself and said, “Are you the missionary who labored in Ireland some years ago?” And the man said yes. “Well,” he said, “are you the man who when giving your farewell address in the mission field declared that you guessed you had been a failure for the three years that you had been over there because you had only been able to baptize one dirty little Irish kid? Did you say that?” “Yes, I remember that I did say that.” Brother Callis said, “Well, I would like to introduce myself. I’m Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’m that dirty little Irish kid that you baptized while you were a missionary in Ireland.” One soul who became an apostle of the Church and Kingdom of God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 156).

Elder Eyring told a similar story:

A family moved into a house near us. The home was new, so I was part of the crew of Latter-day Saints who spent a number of nights putting in landscaping. I remember the last night, standing next to the husband of the family as we finished. He surveyed our work and said to us standing nearby, “This is the third yard you Mormons have put in for us, and I think this is the best.” And then he quietly but firmly told me of the great satisfaction he got from membership in his own church, a conversation we had often in the years he lived there.

In all that time, the acts of kindness extended to him and his family never ceased because the neighbors really came to love them. One evening, I came home to see a truck in his driveway. I had been told they were moving to another state. I approached to see if I could help. I didn’t recognize the man I saw loading household things into the truck. He said quietly as I drew near, “Hello, Brother Eyring.” I hadn’t recognized him because he was the son, now grown older, who had lived there, married, and moved away. And because of the love of many for him, he was now a baptized member of the Church. I don’t know the end of that story because it will have no end. But I know that it begins with love (Ensign, Nov 1998, 32).

Chapter 32: Tithes and Offerings

Once again, tremendous resources for this lesson are found in the reliable Teachings of the Presidents of the Church:... (the old Priesthood/Relief Society manuals). Especially helpful will be the manuals for Brigham Young, chapter 22, John Taylor, Chapter 19, Joseph F. Smith, Chapter 31, and Heber J. Grant, Chapter 13. These can all be found by going to the new “lds.org” then click on “Go to Classic LDS.org” (lower left corner), then click on “Gospel Library” then “Lessons” then “Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society.” The manuals are all found at the bottom of this page.

In case anyone wonders why only half of the manuals have chapters on tithing, this quote from Brigham Young may suffice:

I do not suppose for a moment, that there is a person in this Church, who is unacquainted with the duty of paying tithing, neither is it necessary to have revelation every year upon the subject. There is the Law—pay one-tenth (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 155).

The new website for the Church “lds.org” is wonderful. On the first page, there is a link in the upper right-hand corner, “Search all LDS.org” which, if you type in “tithing” has terrific results. The fourth one is “Quotes: Tithing.” These quotes also lead to some truly outstanding talks on the subject.

Paying Tithes and Offerings

In this section the question is asked, “How does our willingness to pay tithes and offerings show gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all His blessings to us?” Perhaps a foundation can be laid to properly understand the answers to this question.

First, we may need to understand just how much “His blessings to us” entails. Perhaps a good place to start is a discussion of King Benjamin’s teachings in Mosiah 2:19-25.

Concerning this idea, Brigham Young taught:

The Lord has given to me all I possess; I have nothing in reality, not a single dime of it is mine. You may ask, “Do you feel as you say?” Yes, I actually do. The coat I have on my back is not mine, and never was; the Lord put it in my possession honorably, and I wear it; but if he wishes for it, and all there is under it, he is welcome to the whole. I do not own a house, or a single farm of land, a horse, mule, carriage, or wagon … but what the Lord gave me, and if he wants them, he can take them at his pleasure, whether he speaks for them, or takes them without speaking.

It is all the Lord’s and we are only his stewards.

I do not expect to see the day when I am perfectly independent, until I am crowned in the celestial kingdom of my Father, and made as independent as my Father in Heaven. I have not yet received my inheritance as my own, and I expect to be dependent until I do, for all that I have is lent to me (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 156-7).

Brigham Young continued:

It is not for me to rise up and say that I can give to the Lord, for in reality I have nothing to give. I seem to have something. Why? Because the Lord has seen fit to bring me forth, and has blessed my efforts in gathering things which are desirable, and which are termed property (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 156).

President John Taylor had some great comments on this subject:

Who made us? Who organized us, and the elements with which we are surrounded and that we inhale? Who organized the planetary system that we see around us? Who provides breakfast, dinner and supper for the millions that dwell on the face of the earth? Who clothes them, as he does the lilies of the field? Who imparts unto man his breath, life, health, his powers of locomotion, thought, and all the godlike attributes with which he is endowed? Where did they come from? Who has controlled and managed the affairs of the world from its creation until the present time? The Great I Am, the Great Eloheim, the Great God who is our Father.

God is our God in whom we put our trust; we have nothing ourselves to boast of. Have we wealth? Who gave it to us? The Lord. Have we property? Who put us in possession of it? The Lord. Our horses, cattle and sheep, our flocks, herds and possessions, are his gifts. The gold and the silver and the precious things of earth, and also the cattle upon a thousand hills, are his, and we are his… (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 175-6).

President Heber J. Grant also had this to say:

Each and every blessing that you and I enjoy comes from God. We are under obligations to Him for the very breath of life, and He gives us everything that we have. He asks us to show our appreciation and acknowledge to Him His goodness, by returning to the Church for its benefit and for the spreading of the gospel at home and abroad, one-tenth of that which we receive, all of which comes from Him (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 125-6).

To help us begin to understand the answers to the question at the end of this section, “In what ways does the payment of tithes and offerings help us thank our Heavenly Father?” Brigham Young stated:

Here is a character—a man—that God has created, organized, fashioned and made,—every part and particle of my system from the top of my head to the soles of my feet, has been produced by my Father in Heaven; and he requires one-tenth part of my brain, heart, nerve, muscle, sinew, flesh, bone, and of my whole system, for the building of temples, for the ministry, for sustaining missionaries and missionaries’ families, for feeding the poor, the aged, the halt and blind, and for gathering them home from the nations and taking care of them after they are gathered (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 157).

Adding to this idea, President John Taylor similarly tutored:

We have been taught to pay our tithing, that we might acknowledge to God that we are his people, and that if he gave us all we ask, we might give one-tenth back to him, and by that act acknowledge his hand (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 173).

President Heber J. Grant approached this idea simply:

I thank God for the privilege of paying tithing. I rejoice in having the opportunity of showing my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for His mercies to me (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 127).

In conference, Elder Robert D. Hales discussed an alternative to “thank our Heavenly Father” by the “payment of tithes and offerings”:

When a friend of President George Albert Smith asked him what he thought of his friend’s personal plan to take what would have been tithing and donate his tenth in charitable donations of his own choice, President Smith’s counsel was:

“I think you are a very generous man with someone else’s property. …

“… You have told me what you have done with the Lord’s money but you have not told me that you have given anyone a penny of your own. He is the best partner you have in the world. He gives you everything you have, even the air you breathe. He has said you should take one-tenth of what comes to you and give it to the Church as directed by the Lord. You haven’t done that; you have taken your best partner’s money, and have given it away” (Ensign, Nov 2002, 26).

It may be useful to understand that, while in most churches “funds” are solicited on a weekly basis, that is not so in Christ’s Church. How many times are we asked to “pay tithing right now” at a Church meeting? Only once a year at tithing settlement does the Bishop ask us if we pay an honest tithe. Every two years we are asked if we tithe to qualify to receive a temple recommend. Of course, there are conference talks and lessons like this one every so often. But tithing is between us and the Lord.

Elder Boyd K. Packer gave a wonderful example of this in a conference talk:

Several years ago I presided over one of our missions. Two of our missionaries were teaching a fine family, and they had expressed a desire to be baptized, and then they suddenly cooled off. The father had learned about tithing and canceled all further meetings with the missionaries.

Two sad elders reported to the branch president, who himself was a recent convert, that he would not have this fine family in his branch.

A few days later the branch president persuaded the elders to join him in another visit to the family.

“I understand,” he told the father, “that you have decided not to join the Church.”

“That is correct,” he answered.

“The elders tell me that you are disturbed about tithing.”

“Yes,” said the father. “They had not told us about it; and when I learned of it, I said, ‘Now that’s too much to ask. Our church has never asked anything like that.’ We think that’s just too much, and we will not join.”

“Did they tell you about fast offering?” he asked.

“No,” said the man. “What is that?”

“In the Church we fast for two meals each month and give the value of the meals for the help of the poor.”

“They did not tell us that,” the man said.

“Did they mention the building fund?”

“No, what is that?”

“In the Church we all contribute toward building chapels. If you joined the Church, you would want to participate both in labor and with money. Incidentally, we are building a new chapel here,” he told him.

“Strange,” he said, “that they didn’t mention it.”

“Did they explain the welfare program to you?”

“No,” said the father. “What is that?”

“Well, we believe in helping one another. If someone is in need or ill or out of work or in trouble, we are organized to assist, and you would be expected to help.”

“Did they also tell you that we have no professional clergy? All of us contribute our time, our talents, our means, and travel—all to help the work. And we’re not paid for it in money.”

“They didn’t tell us any of that,” said the father.

“Well,” said the branch president, “If you are turned away by a little thing like tithing, it is obvious you’re not ready for this Church. Perhaps you have made the right decision and you should not join.”

As they departed, almost as an afterthought, he turned and said, “Have you ever wondered why people will do all of these things willingly? I have never received a bill for tithing. No one has ever called to collect it. But we pay it—and all of the rest—and count it a great privilege.

“If you could discover why, you would be within reach of the pearl of great price, which the Lord said the merchant man was willing to sell all that he had that he might obtain it.

“But,” said the branch president, “It is your decision. I only hope you will pray about it.”

A few days later the man appeared at the branch president’s home. No, he did not want to reschedule the missionaries. That would not be necessary. He wanted to schedule the baptism of his family. They had been praying, fervently praying (Ensign, Nov 1974, 87).

Perhaps, like this family had done, one of the best things we can do is pray sincerely to the Lord about the law of tithing to receive our own testimony.

Brigham Young’s comment seems appropriate here:

The people are not compelled to pay their tithing, they do as they please about it, it is urged upon them only as a matter of duty between them and their God (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 155).

President Grant discussed the lack of faith to pay tithes and offerings:

God our heavenly Father has instituted laws to improve his people physically, spiritually, intellectually, and one of the best laws in all the world to make better Latter-day Saints is the law of tithing. There are many people who believe the gospel and would probably embrace it, but for the fact that they are like that young man of whom we read in the Scripture, when the Savior told him, after the young man declared that “all these things have I done,” to sell what he had and give to the poor [see Matthew 19:16-22]. Many people cannot endure the gospel because of financial requirements that are made of them, and they allow the things of this world, which they have grasped firmly and steadfastly, to rob them of the greatest of all God’s gifts, namely, life eternal. I commend the law of tithing to the Latter-day Saints (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 123-4).

Following the above quote from Matthew, Jesus taught:

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:23 - 24).

President Heber J. Grant had some great thoughts on the problems of rich going to heaven:

The great criterion of success in the world is that men can make money. But I want to say to you Latter-day Saints that to do this is not true success. As a man grows and increases in the things of this world, if he is not careful, he will lose the Spirit of the Lord, and he will set his heart upon the things of this world. And if he loses the Spirit of the Lord, and fails to be honest with God in the payment of his tithes as strictly and honestly as he would account to a partner if he were engaged in business, that man will lessen his strength, will lessen his power, will lessen the testimony of the Spirit of God within his soul. There is no question of it in my mind.

We must be honest with the Lord. The great trouble is that there are many people who, as they grow and increase in the things of this world, set their hearts upon them and lose the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore, that which is counted by the world as success is failure; because if a man starts out for a prize and he fails to secure it after laboring nearly a lifetime for that prize, certainly his life has been a failure. I know many individuals who, when they made small sums of money, were absolutely honest with the Lord, and paid one-tenth of it. But when they made large sums of money they paid all the way from one percent, instead of ten, up to two or three percent. What is the matter? Why, the appetite for money grows upon a man, increases and strengthens unless he is careful, just as much as the appetite for whiskey. It gets possession of him, and he loves the money instead of loving it only for the good that he can do with it. He does not estimate properly the value of things

Dollars and cents are not blessings from God. Only so far as we are blessed with intelligence, with wisdom, and with the Spirit of God to use them in a wise and proper manner, and to advance God’s kingdom on the earth are they such. If we are blessed with an abundance of this world’s goods and it shall blind our eyes … then instead of being a blessing from God it [comes] from the opposite direction (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 125,7).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave helpful counsel concerning this matter in conference:

Paying tithing is not a token gift we are somehow charitably bestowing upon God. Paying tithing is discharging a debt. Elder James E. Talmage once described this as a contract between us and the Lord. He imagined the Lord saying: “‘You have need of many things in this world—food, clothing, and shelter for your family … the common comforts of life. … You shall have the means of acquiring these things; but remember they are mine, and I require of you the payment of a rental upon that which I give into your hands. However, your life will not be one of uniform increase … [so] instead of doing as mortal landlords do—requir[ing] you to … pay in advance, whatever your fortunes or … prospects may be—you shall pay me … [only] when you have received; and you shall pay me in accordance with what you receive. If it so be that in one year your income is abundant, then … [your 10 percent will be a] little more; and if it be so that the next year is one of distress and your income is not what it was, then … [your 10 percent will be] less. … [Whatever your circumstance, the tithe will be fair.]’

“Have you ever found a landlord on earth who was willing to make that kind of [equitable] contract with you?” Elder Talmage asks. “When I consider the liberality of it all,” he says, “… I feel in my heart that I could scarcely raise my countenance to … Heaven … if I tried to defraud [God] out of that [which is rightfully His]” (Ensign, Nov 2001, 33).

How many would even consider not paying rent or mortgage or taxes, but make the decision to not pay tithing?

Dallin H. Oaks gave a sobering about the final alternative for those who choose to not give the Lord the small amount of which He asks:

The payment of tithing is a test of priorities. The Savior taught that reality when he gave this parable:

“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

“And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

“And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

“And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

“But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

“So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21).
A modern illustration of that principle is suggested in the apocryphal story of two men standing before the casket of a wealthy friend. Asked one, “How much property did he leave?” Replied the other, “He left all of it” (Ensign, May 1994, 33).

For those who have not paid tithing or are behind in tithing, it may be important to know the following from President Joseph F. Smith:

We who have not paid our tithing in the past, and are therefore under obligations to the Lord, which we are not in position to discharge, the Lord requires that no longer at our hands, but will forgive us for the past if we will observe this law honestly in the future. That is generous and kind, and I feel grateful for it (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 277).

Similarly, Elder Robert D. Hales counseled in an October conference talk:

In a few weeks each of us will have the sacred opportunity to sit once again with our bishop and settle our tithing with the Lord. Your bishop will be gentle and kind. He will understand the challenges you face. If you cannot pay back what you missed paying in the past, go forward. Begin today. Share with your bishop your commitment to pay a full tithe in the future, and work out a plan to return to the temple as soon as possible. As soon as you have demonstrated your faith in paying tithing over a period of time and kept the other necessary commandments, you will be able to enjoy the eternal blessings of the temple. I plead with you, do not let this opportunity pass by. Do not procrastinate (Ensign, Nov 2002, 26).

President John Taylor’s comment is a fitting conclusion to this section:

…we have got to put ourselves in a position to be guided and directed of the Lord in temporal as well as spiritual things, or we will never obtain that glory for which many of us are looking (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 173).

Obeying the Law of Tithing

Concerning the question beginning this section, “What is an honest tithe?” (p. 185), many have wondered whether to pay tithing on “net” or “gross” income. After quoting D&C 110:3-4, the manual reads “The First Presidency has explained that “one-tenth of all their interest annually” refers to our income (see First Presidency letter, Mar. 19, 1970)” (p. 185). This is all the explanation, as far as I have been able to determine, that the First Presidency or any apostle has given. A member of the Seventy, Elder Daniel L. Johnson, in conference did say:

President Howard W. Hunter stated it this way: “The law is simply stated as ‘one-tenth of all their interest.’ Interest means profit, compensation, increase (Ensign, Nov. 2006, 35).

But the Lord again leaves between him and us to determine what is a full tithe.

In this section, the question is asked, “In what ways is tithing a principle of faith more than a principle of finances?” A terrific example of this comes from a conference talk of Elder Robert D. Hales:

I know of two missionaries who visited a very poor family. The family’s home was made of pressboard and sticks, with a dirt floor and no electricity or beds. Each evening the father, a farm laborer, spent his entire day’s wages on groceries for dinner. Departing from their humble home, the senior companion thought to himself, “The law of tithing will surely be a stumbling block to this family. Perhaps we shouldn’t bring it up for a while.” A few moments later, the junior companion, who had grown up in similar circumstances in his own country, voiced his own thoughts aloud: “I know the principle of tithing isn’t taught for four more discussions, but can we please teach it the next time we visit? They need to know about tithing now because they need the help and the blessing of the Lord so much” (Ensign, Nov 2002, 26).

The last question in this section is “What can parents do to teach their children to pay tithing and understand its importance?” (p. 186).

A quote from Albert Schweitzer may be helpful here:

Adults teach children in three important ways: The first is by example, the second is by example, the third is by example.

President Heber J. Grant felt the same way:

…being strictly honest with the Lord is the most splendid way to teach your children faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. … When we set our hearts upon the things of this world and fail to be strictly honest with the Lord, we do not grow in the light and power and strength of the gospel as we otherwise would do (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 126).

Elder Robert D. Hales added wise counsel:

Too often we as parents do not teach and encourage our children to live this law because their contribution only amounts to a few cents. But without a testimony of tithing, they are vulnerable. In their teenage years, they become attracted to clothes, entertainment, and expensive possessions and risk losing the special protection that tithing provides (Ensign, Nov. 2002, 28).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland also has terrific advice in this area (by the way, the other four reasons for paying tithing are terrific):

May I then suggest five reasons why all of us, rich or poor, longtime member or newest convert, should faithfully pay our tithes and offerings.

First, do so for the sake of your children and grandchildren, the rising generation, who could now, if we are not careful, grow up in the Church with absolutely no understanding as to how their temples, chapels, seminaries, and socials are provided. Teach your children that many of the blessings of the Church are available to them because you and they give tithes and offerings to the Church. Teach them that those blessings could come virtually no other way.

Then take your children to tithing settlement with you, just as President Howard W. Hunter’s grandson was taken with his father several years ago. In that experience the bishop indicated his pleasure in young Brother Hunter’s wanting to pay a full tithing. In the process of receiving the coins, he asked the lad if he thought the gospel were true. As the boy handed over his full tithing of 14 cents, this seven-year-old said he guessed the gospel was true but “it sure costs a lot of money.” Well, the buildings, programs, and materials I have mentioned do have an attached cost. That is not an unimportant lesson for our children to learn in their youth (Ensign, Nov 2001, 33).

Concerning our payment of tithes “willingly,” Brigham Young summarized this section wonderfully when he said:

If we live our religion we will be willing to pay tithing (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 156).

Concerning the title of this section, President Taylor taught:

[The Lord] wants in the first place to get men to acknowledge God [in] one little earthly principle, he wants to get them to acknowledge him, by giving him a certain little part, or one-tenth of what he gives to them to see whether they will be honest in this trifle, to see whether they will act as honorable high-minded men or not, or whether they will try to cheat him out of it. If we do this honestly and conscientiously until we have fulfilled our duty, we are then prepared for anything else. It is the principle and not the tithing we pay that is esteemed of the Lord; he cares not for our tithing, but he cares about our doing right. If we cannot be faithful in a few things, we cannot expect to be made rulers over many things [see Matthew 25:21] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 179).

President Taylor continued:

[The law of tithing] is a test to the people of God, or for us who profess to be, that we may know whether people will observe a certain specific law given by the Almighty or not, and thus have a proof of their fidelity and obedience. Now, if we abide this, all well and good; if not, it is written, “They shall not be found worthy to abide among you” [D&C 119:5] (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 179).

President Taylor explained that this was the same for Jesus:

[Tithing] is a principle we are to be governed by. I am not here, you are not here, to carry out our own designs, and feelings, and purposes. Why, Jesus himself did not come to do that. According to His own words, He came not to do his own will, but the will of His Father who sent Him [see John 5:30]. And we are here not to do our own will, but the will of the Father who also sent us, and who has called us to our holy and exalted calling (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 180).

President Taylor also tied in obedience and the earlier discussed idea that everything is the Lord’s:

I am desirous to see the people observe this law of tithing because it is a plain and direct command to us. Not that I care anything personally whether people pay their tithing or not, and I do not think the Lord cares much Himself. The gold and the silver are His, and so are the cattle upon a thousand hills; and to him belongs power to command all things (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 180).

Concerning the title of this section, President Joseph F. Smith also stated:

So I come to the conclusion that the principal thing about tithe paying is obedience to the law, and that more good will come to us through that obedience than to anybody else. We may be worth our tens of thousands, and pay an honest tithing on our income, making our tithing a large amount; yet the good that will come to ourselves by being obedient to the law of God will be far greater in the end than the good which our substance may do to the poor. He is more blessed who giveth alms than is he who receiveth them.

Obedience is what the Almighty requires. It was obedience that He required of Abraham…If a man is obedient to this law of tithing, he is entitled to the blessing of God himself…but if he is not obedient to this law, then there is nothing there, and he himself is deprived of the blessing that the Lord would otherwise give to him (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 281).

We Should Give Willingly

I love the “willingness” expressed by President Grant:

Tithing is a law of God and the payment of tithes brings peace and joy to the Latter-day Saint who does it. There is a satisfaction that comes into the heart of the man who is absolutely honest with the Lord, in contributing of his means to the building up of the Church of Christ, and into the heart of every true, full tithe payer (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 125).

The question is asked in this section, “Why is our attitude important as we pay tithing?” (p. 186). There are some truly wonderful examples of good attitude in payment of tithes and offerings

Elder Dallin H. Oaks shared the following:

In earlier times, tithing was paid in kind—a tenth of the herdsman’s increase, a tenth of the farmer’s produce. I am sorry that our modern cash economy deprives parents of the wonderful teaching opportunities presented by the payment of tithing in kind. In a recent book, Tongan Saints: Legacy of Faith, the author quotes a Tongan bishop’s memories of one such example:
“Grandpa Vanisi’s spirituality inspired an awe in me as a child. I remember following him daily to his plantation. He would always point out to me the very best of his taro, bananas, or yams and say: ‘These will be for our tithing.’ His greatest care was given to these ‘chosen’ ones. During the harvest, I was often the one assigned to take our load of tithing to the branch president. I remember sitting on the family horse. Grandfather would lift onto its back a sack of fine taro which I balanced in front of me. Then with a very serious look in his eyes, he said to me, ‘Simi, be very careful because this is our tithing.’ From my grandfather I learned early in life that you give only your best to the Lord” (Ensign, May 1994, 33).

During these times of “paying in kind” Brigham Young commented:

When a man wishes to give anything, let him give the best he has got (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 156).

From the life of John Taylor comes the following:

“When gathering the fruit in the fall,” his [John Taylor’s] son Moses W. Taylor wrote, “father would come and inspect the baskets and selecting the largest and best fruit would say: ‘Take the tithing out of this and be sure and pay it in full.’ ” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 175).

President McKay recalls another vivid lesson from youth:

I thank my earthly father for the lesson he gave to two boys in a hayfield at a time when tithes were paid in kind. We had driven out to the field to get the tenth load of hay, and then over to a part of the meadow where we had taken the ninth load, where there was “wire grass” and “slough grass.” As we started to load the hay, father called out, “No, boys, drive over to the higher ground.” There was timothy and redtop there. But one of the boys called back, (and it was I) “No, let us take the hay as it comes!”

“No, David, that is the tenth load, and the best is none too good for God” (New Era, Jan. 1972, 55).

Tithing and Other Offerings

This section begins with the question, “In what ways does the Church use tithing funds and other offerings?” (p. 186). From the teachings of President Grant comes the following about how the Church uses these funds:

The Lord does not need your money or mine. Compliance with the law of tithing and donations for ward meetinghouses, stake houses, academies, temples, missionary work and these various needs, are all for our good. They are but lessons that we are learning which will qualify and prepare us to become more godlike and to be fitted to go back into the presence of our heavenly Father (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 123).

President Grant also added:

The Lord loves a generous giver. No man living upon the earth can pay donations for the poor, can pay for building meetinghouses and temples, … can take of his means and send his boys and girls to proclaim this gospel, without removing selfishness from his soul, no matter how selfish he was when he started in. That is one of the finest things in all the world for men—to get to that point where the selfishness in their natures is cured. When it is eradicated from their dispositions, they are glad and anxious and willing and seeking the opportunity to do good with the means that the Lord places in their hands, instead of trying to get more of it.

The natural disposition of man, as I have often remarked, is to be selfish, sordid, and grasping; to think of self, and self alone, and figure for personal advancement. But all the teachings of the Gospel are the exact opposite of this. We find that the requirements that are made of us to pay tithes and fast-day donations … and to contribute of our means to send the Gospel to the nations of the earth—these requirements chase out of the heart of man every selfish and sordid disposition. Instead of being selfish, the faithful Latter-day Saint is filled with the love of the Gospel, filled with a desire to contribute of time and means for the onward advancement of the kingdom of God. The Gospel, if we are faithful to the requirements that are made of us of a financial nature, takes the selfish, sordid man, and makes of him a generous, noble, free-hearted individual (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 127).

There is a wonderful history in this Church in answer to the first question asked in this section. Let’s pick up the story with the administration of President Lorenzo Snow:

Following the April 1899 sessions of general conference, President Snow felt impelled to again seek the Lord in earnest prayer for wisdom in solving the Church’s financial problems. He received no immediate answer. He was nevertheless impressed that he and other General Authorities should visit

St. George and other settlements in southern Utah. At least sixteen of the Brethren, including President Joseph F. Smith, and their wives accompanied him. At the time of their visit the settlements of southern Utah were experiencing a severe drought.

On Wednesday, 17 May 1899, at the opening session of the conference in the St. George Tabernacle, President Snow told the Saints that “we are in your midst because the Lord directed me to come; but the purpose of our coming is not clearly known at the present, but this will be made known to me during our sojourn among you.”

LeRoi C. Snow, son of the President, who was reporting the conference for the Deseret News, recalled what happened: “All at once father paused in his discourse. Complete stillness filled the room. I shall never forget the thrill as long as I live. When he commenced to speak again his voice strengthened and the inspiration of God seemed to come over him, as well as over the entire assembly. His eyes seemed to brighten and his countenance to shine. He was filled with unusual power. Then he revealed to the Latter-day Saints the vision that was before him.”
President Snow told the Saints that he could see that the people had neglected the law of tithing and that the Church would be relieved of debt if members would pay a full and honest tithing. He then said that the Lord was displeased with the Saints for failing to pay their tithing and promised them that if they would pay their tithes the drought would be removed and they would have a bounteous harvest.

Following the conference session, President Snow was again impressed that the solution to the Church’s financial problems lay in the payment of tithing. In meetings held at Leeds, Cedar City, Beaver, and Juab, other southern Utah communities, he delivered powerful discourses relative to this gospel principle. In Nephi, in central Utah, a remarkable meeting was held where President Snow mentioned the revelation he had received on the law of tithing and “commissioned every one present to be his special witness to the fact that the Lord had given this revelation to him.”

At Church headquarters, President Snow again spoke powerfully about tithing at the Mutual Improvement Association conference in June. Elder B. H. Roberts then made a motion, which was unanimously adopted, that the Saints accept the doctrine of tithing now presented. Visibly moved, President Snow stood up and declared, “Every man who is here, who has made this promise, will be saved in the Celestial Kingdom.”

Tithing was preached in all the stake conferences, and a year later President Snow reported that the Saints had contributed twice as much tithing during the past year as they had paid the previous two years. Under inspiration, he had set in motion the program that would, by 1907, completely free the Church from debt. Many Saints testified that not only were the windows of heaven opened to save the Church, but those who followed this divine law were spiritually and temporally blessed as well (Church History in the Fulness of Times, 454-5).

This absolutely best single volume of Church History ever written can be found at “lds.org” then click on “New Institute Website” (in the middle under “Latest Features”) then click on “Course Catalog” (at top) then scroll down to “Latter-day Saint History” (fourth on the right).

From the administration of Joseph F. Smith we next learn:

At the end of the 1800s, the Church faced a staggering financial debt, exceeding one million dollars. This financial obligation weighed heavily on Joseph F. Smith’s mind. At the October 1899 general conference he said: “We have had much valuable instruction in relation to our duties as Latter-day Saints, not only concerning the law of tithing, but also in reference to other things, which are as important in their place as the law of tithing. There is nothing, however, of greater importance to the welfare of the Church at present than the consideration of this law, by which means will be placed in the storehouse of the Lord, to meet the necessities of the people.”

One afternoon seven years later, President Smith came from his office and found his daughter Rachel in the front hall of the Beehive House.

“Where is your mother?” he inquired.

“I don’t know.”

“Where could she be?”

“I don’t know.”

“When will she be here?”

“I don’t know, Papa, I don’t know much. I just got home from school.”

“Well, baby,” he said, “I wanted your mother to be the first to know, but since you don’t know anything I will tell you.” In his hand he held a piece of paper.

“Do you see this paper?”

“Yes sir.”

“It means the Church is at last out of debt.” He smiled. “So now you really know something!” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 275-6).

President Joseph F. Smith then states:

…we have, by the blessing of the Lord and the faithfulness of the Saints in paying their tithing, been able to pay off our bonded indebtedness. Today the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owes not a dollar that it cannot pay at once. At last we are in a position that we can pay as we go. We do not have to borrow any more, and we won’t have to if the Latter-day Saints continue to live their religion and observe this law of tithing. It is the law of revenue to the Church (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 279).

This has not changed today. President Joseph F. Smith also prophesied:

Furthermore, I want to say to you, we may not be able to reach it right away, but we expect to see the day when we will not have to ask you for one dollar of donation for any purpose, except that which you volunteer to give of your own accord, because we will have tithes sufficient in the storehouse of the Lord to pay everything that is needful for the advancement of the kingdom of God. … That is the true policy, the true purpose of the Lord in the management of the affairs of His Church (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 279).

President Gordon B. Hinckley fulfilled this prophesy when he declared in 1990:

I am thankful that the day has come, at last, when for the Latter-day Saints in the United States and Canada the payment of honest tithes and generous offerings will provide the means for facilities and activities whereby we may worship together, learn together, and socialize together for group and individual benefit.

Years ago I had the opportunity to preside over a stake whose roots reach back a great while. When the first ward was formed in that area, the local people, out of their own meager resources, bought the land and constructed the building without any help from the general funds of the Church. When that building became too small, they constructed a larger one entirely from their own resources.

By the time I came into the presidency of that stake the Church policy provided for matching funds, the Church to put up one dollar for each dollar provided by the local members. Under that formula, we in that area built six new chapels, in addition to providing funds for their maintenance and all of the activity programs carried on in the various wards.

There may have been a few murmurings, but the faith of the people overrode all of these. They gave generously, notwithstanding the stresses of their own circumstances, and the Lord blessed them in a remarkable way. I know of none who went hungry or without shelter. And I know something of the fruit of those homes which have produced a generation and almost a second generation who walk in faith and who have gone across the world and become men and women recognized for their various skills and integrity, as well as for their activity in the Church.
In those days we would have thought the Millennium had come if we had received word that the Church would bear all of the costs of providing land, all of the costs incident to building construction, operation, and maintenance, let alone an activity and administrative budget allowance of forty dollars per year per individual, based on the number who attend sacrament meeting.

It is not the Millennium, but this long hoped-for and prayed-for day has come. Though I have been a party to its inauguration, I still stand in awe at what has happened (Ensign, May 1990, 95).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland added insight to this wonderful time:

I give this brief summary to highlight another miracle, another revelation, if you will, that may have been overlooked by the general membership of the Church. In a way it was intended to be transparent to the public eye. I speak of the decision made by the Brethren just over a decade ago to cease placing any special assessments or other fund-raising obligations upon the members of the Church at home or abroad.

Inasmuch as this decision was made amidst the very international growth I have just described, how could this be done financially? How could we go to more and more distant locations at the very moment we were removing all ancillary assessments from our people? Logic in the situation might have suggested exactly the opposite course of action.

How was it done? I will tell you how it was done—with the wholehearted belief on the part of the presiding Brethren that the Lord’s principles of tithing and freewill offerings would be honored by even the newest member of the Church and that loyalty to such divine principles would see us through.

I was not in the Quorum of the Twelve when that momentous decision was made, but I can imagine the discussions that were held and the act of faith required within the presiding councils of the Church. What if the Brethren were to cease assessments and the Saints did not pay their tithes and offerings, what then? So far as I know, that thought was never seriously entertained. They went forward in faith—faith in God, faith in revealed principle, faith in us. They never looked back. That was a magnificent (if nearly unnoticed) day in the maturing of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Ensign, Nov 2001, 33).

President James E. Faust discusses some of the “other donations” mentioned in this section:

The Lord speaks of offerings in the plural. He expects us, as a condition of faithfulness, to pay our tithing and our fast offerings to help the poor and the needy. But we are privileged to make other offerings, not by way of assignment, assessment, or ecclesiastical direction. Among these are donations to the General Missionary Fund, Humanitarian Aid Fund, and the Book of Mormon Fund. We are also privileged to voluntarily contribute to building the new temples President Hinckley has announced (Ensign, Nov 1998, 54).

We Are Blessed When We Give Tithes and Offerings

Concerning the title of this section, President Heber J. Grant proclaimed:

I appeal to the Latter-day Saints to be honest with the Lord and I promise them that peace, prosperity, and financial success will attend those who are honest with our Heavenly Father, because they are fulfilling the law and an obligation. He will bless them for doing so (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 126).

Malachi chapter 3 is quoted in the manual. After quoting Malachi 3:8, President Heber J. Grant stated:

Prosperity comes to those who observe the law of tithing. When I say prosperity I am not thinking of it in terms of dollars and cents alone. … But what I count as real prosperity, as the one thing of all others that is of great value to every man and woman living, is the growth in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same. That is prosperity of the truest kind.

I am a firm believer that faith without works is dead, and I am a firm believer that the Lord meant what He said when He promised to open the windows of heaven and pour down a blessing on us if we would pay our tithing.

…the Lord magnifies those who do pay their tithing and that they are more prosperous, on the average, than the men who do not. I believe that to those who are liberal [with their donations] the Lord gives ideas, and they grow in capacity and ability more rapidly than those that are stingy. I have that faith, and I have had it from the time I was a boy (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 124).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks also referred to Malachi in a conference talk:

Tithing is a commandment with a promise. The words of Malachi, reaffirmed by the Savior, promise those who bring their tithes into the storehouse that the Lord will open “the windows of heaven, and pour [them] out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” The promised blessings are temporal and spiritual (Ensign, May 1994, 33).

In this section is found the quote, “Verily it is a day of sacrifice…” from D&C 64:23 (p. 188) concerning payment of tithes. While sacrifice is an important law of the gospel, some may get the wrong idea about sacrifice and payment of tithes. President Brigham Young said the following:

Where then is the sacrifice this people have ever made? There is no such thing. They have only exchanged a worse condition for a better one, every time they have been moved; they have exchanged ignorance for knowledge, and inexperience for its opposite (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 160).

Discussion of Malachi 3:10 (quoted earlier on p. 187) will clarify that a “worse condition” certainly is traded for “a better one.”

In this section is also quoted, “Latter-day revelation tells of a blessing for those who tithe: ‘Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming’” (D&C 64:23). In conference, President Ezra Taft Benson, after quoting this scripture explained further:

The Lord has set loose the angels to reap down the earth (see Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 251), but those who obey the Word of Wisdom along with the other commandments are assured “that the destroying angel shall pass by them, as the children of Israel, and not slay them. …” (D&C 89:21) (Ensign, Jan 1974, 68).

This burning is most likely the destruction of the wicked at the Second Coming:

For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts
(D&C 133:64).

Tithing often doesn’t “work out on paper” That the Lord helps us use 90% of our money more efficiently is the claim of President Grant.

I want to repeat to the Latter-day Saints my firm belief that God our heavenly Father prospers and blesses and gives wisdom to those men and to those women who are strictly honest with him in the payment of their tithing. I believe that when a man is in financial difficulty, the best way to get out of that difficulty (and I speak from personal experience, because I believe that more than once in my life I have been in the financial mud as deep as almost anybody) is to be absolutely honest with the Lord, and never to allow a dollar to come into our hands without the Lord receiving ten per cent of it

If we give in proportion to our means, if we pay our tithing, no matter how small the income, … God our Heavenly Father will magnify the remaining nine dollars out of ten, or the remaining forty-five cents out of every fifty and you will have sufficient wisdom to utilize it to advantage so that you will lose nothing in being honest (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 123-5).

President Gordon B. Hinckley shared a blessing to a young couple who paid their tithing:

As a young man recently returned from his mission, he found the girl he wanted to marry. They were happy, but very poor.

Then came a particularly difficult time when their food and money ran out. It was a Saturday, and the cupboard was literally bare. Rene felt distraught that his young wife was hungry. He decided he had no other choice than to use their tithing money and go purchase food.

As he was leaving the house, his wife stopped him and asked him where he was going. He told her he was going to buy food. She asked him where he got the money. He told her that it was the tithing money. She said, 'That is the Lord's money--you will not use that to buy food.' Her faith was stronger than his. He put the money back, and they went to bed hungry that night.

The next morning they had no breakfast, and they went to church fasting. Rene gave the tithing money to the bishop, but he was too proud to tell the bishop that they were in need.

After the meetings he and his wife left the chapel and started to walk home. They hadn't gone very far when a new member called to them from his house. This man was a fisherman and told them he had more fish than he could use. He wrapped five little fish in a newspaper for them, and they thanked him. As they continued to walk home, they were stopped by another member who gave them tortillas; then someone else stopped them and gave them rice; another member saw them and gave them beans (Ensign, Nov. 2006, 117).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks bore a powerful testimony of tithing he learned from his mother:

During World War II, my widowed mother supported her three young children on a schoolteacher’s salary that was meager. When I became conscious that we went without some desirable things because we didn’t have enough money, I asked my mother why she paid so much of her salary as tithing. I have never forgotten her explanation: “Dallin, there might be some people who can get along without paying tithing, but we can’t. The Lord has chosen to take your father and leave me to raise you children. I cannot do that without the blessings of the Lord, and I obtain those blessings by paying an honest tithing. When I pay my tithing, I have the Lord’s promise that he will bless us, and we must have those blessings if we are to get along.”
Some people say, “I can’t afford to pay tithing.” Those who place their faith in the Lord’s promises say, “I can’t afford not to pay tithing” (Ensign, May 1994, 33).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland also told a wonderful story of blessings from tithes:

After she lost her husband in the martyrdom at Nauvoo and made her way west with five fatherless children, Mary Fielding Smith continued in her poverty to pay tithing. When someone at the tithing office inappropriately suggested one day that she should not contribute a tenth of the only potatoes she had been able to raise that year, she cried out to the man, “William, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Would you deny me a blessing? If I did not pay my tithing, I should expect the Lord to withhold His blessings from me. I pay my tithing, not only because it is a law of God, but because I expect a blessing by doing it. [I need a blessing.] By keeping this and other laws, I expect to … be able to provide for my family (Ensign, Nov 2001, 33).

Brigham Young warns that we may loose more than blessings if we do not pay tithing:

If we neglect to pay our tithes and offerings we will neglect other things and this will grow upon us until the spirit of the Gospel is entirely gone from us, and we are in the dark, and know not whither we are going (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, 158).

President Joseph F. Smith also prophesied:

I have said, and I will repeat it here, that a man or woman who will always pay his or her tithing will never apostatize. It does not make any difference how small or how large it may be; it is a law of the Lord; it is a source of revenue for the Church; it is God’s requirement, and He has said that those who will not observe it are not worthy of an inheritance in Zion. No man will ever apostatize so long as he will pay his tithing. It is reasonable. Why? Because as long as he has faith to pay his tithing he has faith in the Church and in the principles of the Gospel, and there is some good in him, and there is some light in him. As long as he will do this the tempter will not overcome him and will not lead him astray (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 277).

According to President Joseph F. Smith, tithing is a test true disciples must pass:

By this principle (tithing) the loyalty of the people of this Church shall be put to the test. By this principle it shall be known who is for the kingdom of God and who is against it. By this principle it shall be seen whose hearts are set on doing the will of God and keeping his commandments, thereby sanctifying the land of Zion unto God, and who are opposed to this principle and have cut themselves off from the blessings of Zion. There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle, for by it it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential as faith in God, as repentance of sin, as baptism for the remission of sin, or as the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The law of tithing is a test by which the people as individuals shall be proved (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 276).

President Grant proclaimed:

…men that are honest with the Lord in the payment of their tithing grow as men never grow that are not honest (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant, 124).

Perhaps one of the greatest blessings which comes from paying tithing is the privilege to attend the temple. Elder Robert D. Hales shared a powerful quote from Brigham Young concerning this:
Just over three months after the Martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, at the time the Saints were building the Nauvoo Temple, Brigham Young wrote on behalf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles: “Enter steadily and regularly upon a strict observance of the law of tithing, . . . : then come up to the House of the Lord, and be taught in his ways, and walk in his paths” (Ensign, Nov. 202, 26).