Love Of God
I would like to read the law from the Lord that is used to finance the building of the kingdom of God on this earth--the law of tithing as it is recorded in the Holy Bible.
The Lord said, "For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
"Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts.
"But ye said, Wherein shall we return?"
And the Lord said, "Will a man rob God?" Within the sound of my voice there are some that do. "Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
"Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation."
And the Lord commanded, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts."
(Mal. 3:6-11.)
Will a man rob God by not paying his tithes and offerings?
Remember, the first and great commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. If we keep this commandment, we will not rob God.
I recall a personal experience. A few years ago when my wife and I were involved with a young family, we were struggling to meet our financial needs, and we were in debt, and we were not honest in our payment of tithes and offerings. We were attending church and I thought that we loved the Lord, but one day my wife said to me, "Do you love God?" and I answered, "Yes."
She said, "Do you love God as much as you love the grocer?"
I replied, "I hope that I love him more than the grocer."
She said, "But you paid the grocer. Do you love God as much as the landlord? You paid him, didn't you?" She then said, "The first and great commandment is to love God, and you know we have not paid our tithing."
We repented and paid our tithes and offerings, and the Lord opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings upon us. We consider it a great privilege to pay tithes and offerings to the Lord.
I would like to mention that when we were not honest with the Lord, we were disturbed and had difficulties and problems.
We can perfect our lives by living the Lord's commandments. And as has been quoted many times in this conference, the Lord has said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15.)
The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1831, "... the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion." (D&C 1:35.)
We are in perilous times, and many love pleasure more than they love God. The devil has power over his own dominion. However, in these perilous times there is hope. The Lord is still at the head of his church. It is a great blessing to live in the latter days and to be a Latter-day Saint. The children of our Heavenly Father can receive peace, security, and happiness from loving him with all their hearts, and with all their souls, and with all their minds, and in keeping his commandments.
Tuesday morning session, April 6, 1971