Comments on: Gospel Doctrine D&C Lesson 17: Tithing and Fasting

By: Website

Website — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:17:27 +0000

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Gospel Doctrine D&C Lesson 17: Tithing and Fasting « Feast upon the Word Blog…

By: BrianJ

BrianJ — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:02:48 +0000

thanks for the write-up, Rob. I especially like your object lesson.

By: RobF

RobF — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:21:11 +0000

Thanks Karen. Hadn’t heard about this latest seminar (I guess I’m so far out of the loop now that I qualify as occupying another planet!).

By: Karen Spencer

Karen Spencer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:57:03 +0000

There was a discussion about this consecration-vs.-tithing situation, including historical details, at the “Embracing the Law” (D&C 42) seminar blog: http://embracingthelaw.wordpress.com/ see “Context and Approach: Getting Started” post, comments numbers 3, 4, and 5 at least.

By: Karen Spencer

Karen Spencer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:52:27 +0000

It is interesting that the actual commandment of tithing happens after first giving of a surplus. I imagine the idea was that if you entered into Zion (the city itself) then as you entered you consecrated your surplus, had a stewardship, etc. and in addition to that you gave 10% of your increase. It does make a great deal of sense. 10% is not really that hard, for a great many people, who can still live in huge fancy houses and have two cars. :) But if you gave EVERY thing that you didn’t need first, then 10% is a real, actual giving of what you have and it would make us recognize that the only reason we even had an increase, beyond our original “just what we need” starting place, was that the Lord gave it to us. And, as you mentioned from Isaiah, the only reason for all of this is to help others!! Unfortunately, we all want to focus on ourselves (“am I doing this ok?”) instead of losing ourselves in an opportunity to bless others. Sorry this was so long!

By: NathanG

NathanG — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:51:02 +0000

I’ve wondered about this beginning of tithing many times. The church must be wrong in not requiring new members to give all their excess belongings to be appropriate tithe payers. The missionaries should be sure to mention this when committing people to live the law of tithing. Since I was born into the church and started off with nothing, I should be good:)

Perhaps an alternate reading is that “this is the beginning of the tithing of my people” was a transition from the law of consecration to the law of tithing. Do you know historically if people gave all their excess and then began tithing after this section was given, or was it just at this time.

By: Michaela Stephens

Michaela Stephens — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:10:03 +0000

“How should one go about giving of their surplus to the Church in this day and age so that they can participate in “the beginning” of the tithing of the people?”

We can do several things to go about giving our surplus. First, we need to become more skilled at knowing the difference between our wants and needs. We need to become more skilled at organizing ourselves and our finances so that we are living within our means so that we will have a surplus to give. Then, we need to become good at budgeting so that we can both plan ahead for anticipated needs and gain self-control in our spending decisions.

We can donate our goods that we don’t use to Deseret Industries. We can give of our time as volunteers in a number of different places. We can give of our money to various church funds. It doesn’t happen all at once; it is an incremental change. It requires organization and instituting order in our lives. We learn wisdom by experience adn we learn to impart as the gospel requires.