Chapter 16

Does the Payment of Tithing Cause Economic Distress?

“No,” would be the unanimous and emphatic answer of those who have obeyed the law of tithing. Indeed, the question is usually asked by non-tithepayers who seek to find weaknesses in the Church.

When mortal man places one-tenth of his income in the treasury of the Lord, he acknowledges by that fact that all his earthly income is a gift from the Lord, the real Owner and Master of Earth. The giving of tithing becomes then an evidence of the man’s faith in God and of the man’s conquest of his selfish self. This is the essence of the law of tithing.

The law of tithing is on a par, in every respect, with every other commandment of the Lord. Obedience to His commandments is required by the Lord. “For this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient.” (Doc. and Cov. 58:6.) In fact, disobedience is an offense to the Lord, nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled —save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.” (Doc and Cov. 59: 1.)

The great purpose of life is to develop such conquest over self that obedience may be willingly, easily, and gladly yielded to every commandment issuing from the mouth of the Lord. Commandments then become means by which a man’s spiritual condition may be determined. Every person may be, in a sense, the judge of his own spiritual progress, for he knows how readily he yields obedience to the laws of the Lord. The commandments of first value are those which demand most unselfish action; that lead, if obeyed, to the greatest self-conquest.

Tithing is a law of special value for this purpose. Man naturally is slow to part with his worldly goods. Too often spiritual wealth is overshadowed by material possessions. If he can so master himself as to part with a tenth of his earthly income, he has won victory over one of the most stubborn phases of his nature.

While self-conquest may be the chief result of man’s obedience to law, other blessings follow. Man gives little: the Lord gives much in return even here on earth. Those who are obedient to law will gain knowledge and intelligence. They may escape the scourges and afflictions of the world (Doc. and Cov. 97:25-28); health, endurance, wisdom, and hidden treasures of knowledge shall be theirs. (Doc. and Cov. 89:18-21.) The joys and blessings of heaven shall be tasted by them on earth. (Doc. and Cov. 105:18.)

Obedience to the law of tithing is certain to bring blessings in return, even of a temporal character. Yet, it must ever be remembered that the blessings of life come according to the Lord’s will. Material property may not be the blessing we most need. It we can trust the Lord enough to pay Him a tenth of our increase, we must trust Him to bless us according to our needs. Material, earthly property does not have the same value before God as before man. Love of property is often nothing more than covetousness, which is a deadly sin. “What is property unto me? saith the Lord.” (Doc. and Cov. 117:4.) Let man do his best to provide for himself and his family, gather property around him, pay his tithing, obey all other laws of God, and accept, with joy, such blessings as the Lord may vouchsafe him.

Now, after all this has been said, it is interesting to note that the very great majority of tithepayers, perhaps all, succeed in finding sufficient for their temporal welfare. The group of tithepayers within the Church are not only more spiritually active, but generally they are more prosperous than the non-tithepaying group. Tithing is not a factor that works against economic prosperity. In most cases material as well as spiritual blessings follow obedience to the law of tithing.

This view is confirmed by a recent investigation by a non-Mormon agency. A governmental bank, having loaned very large sums to Utah farmers, mostly Latter-day Saints, and noting an abnormally high percentage of delinquency, wondered if the practice of tithepaying were reducing the ability of the farmers to make proper repayments. The assistance of the Utah State Agricultural College was secured in carrying on the investigation. The Church gave full cooperation.

The first study was made in Utah County, Utah. Four hundred and eighty-five names were submitted by the bank and college. Of these, seventy-one could not be found on the records or the Church. Of the remaining four hundred and fourteen persons, seventy-eight had no indebtedness, two hundred and twenty-nine had loans, but were non-delinquent, and one hundred and seven were delinquent.

The percentage of total tithepayers was about the same in the three groups, but the proportion of full tithepayers among the delinquent group was only a little more than half of the full tithepayers in the non-delinquent and no-debt classes. The total amount paid in tithing per person in the delinquent group was only about three-fourths of that paid by the non-delinquent and no debt groups. Examined from every angle, the investigation showed that tithing had no depressing economic influence, but rather that the qualities in a man that led him to pay tithing, also enabled him to win more success in his economic life.

It should be added that two of the four hundred and eighty-five farmers listed kept three missionaries in the field, and these two men were in the non-delinquent group and paid a full tithing. Neither tithing nor missionary costs seemed to have a depressing effect upon the economic welfare of the farmers. The gift of amassing money beyond ordinary needs is much like any other special gift such as in music, art, education, etc.

Another, smaller investigation was conducted by the same agencies in Cache County, Utah. In the section studied one hundred ninety farmers were owing money to the bank. Thirty-three of them were delinquent and these had farms of equal size and productive power with the non-delinquent farmers. The Church records showed that of these thirty-three delinquents, eighteen paid no tithing, eight paid part tithing, and seven paid a full tithing. The investigator calculated that in one of the prosperous villages in the Cache County study about 11 per cent of the farmers are delinquent in their bank payments, and these 11% pay 2% of the tithing in the village. It seemed clear therefore that in this as in the Utah County area, tithing is a very unimportant factor in the delinquency problem. Here also it seems evident that the man who pays tithing has power to do the things that bring reasonable economic prosperity.

As far as available experience can guide us, the answer to the question at the head of this writing is, “No.”

The payment of tithing does not cause economic distress. A host of testimonies might be secured of the joy in life that follows obedience to this important law of the Lord.

QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS

1. What does it mean to surrender to truth?

2. How is the principle of giving related to that of receiving?

3. What is the spiritual meaning of tithing?

4. What is the real foundation of wealth?

5. What is faith?

6. Assemble stories of the effects of tithe paying.