The Lord's Richest Blessings

by Elder Carl B. Pratt

Lessons learned from his grandparents about tithing.

1. When we obey commandments we are blessed. Sometimes the payment of tithing is not related to the amount of cash income.
2. His grandparents paid tithing regardless of the poor conditions of their family finances. The surest way to pay tithing faithfully is to pay it as soon as we receive any income.
   
3. Tithing is not a matter of money, really; it is a matter of faith--faith in the Lord.
4. If we faithfully pay our tithing, we will not lack for the necessities of life, but He does not promise wealth. Money and bank accounts are not His richest blessings. The Lord's richest blessings are spiritual, and they often have to do with family, friends, and the gospel. He often seems to give the blessings of a special sensitivity to the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, esp. in marriage and family matters like raising children. Such spiritual sensitivity can help us enjoy the blessings of harmony and peace in the home. President James E. Faust suggested that the payment of tithing is “an excellent insurance against divorce” (“Enriching Your Marriage,” Liahona, Apr. 2007, 5; Ensign, Apr. 2007, 7).
5. The payment of tithing helps us develop a submissive and humble heart and a grateful heart that tends to “confess … his hand in all things” (D&C 59:21).
6. Tithe-paying fosters in us a generous and forgiving heart and a charitable heart full of the pure love of Christ. We become eager to serve and bless others with an obedient heart, submissive to the Lord’s will. Regular tithe payers find their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ strengthened, and they develop a firm, abiding testimony of His gospel and of His Church. None of these blessings are monetary or material in any way, but surely they are the Lord’s richest blessings.

For the complete talk, go here.