There is a controversy concerning the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the amount of money and other resources it holds in reserve. Many people are questioning why the church is holding such wealth and not giving it to the poor. Rather than continue to pay a tithe, or 10% to the church, these naysayers are donating those funds to other organizations they deem more relevant and helpful in today’s uncertain times. Sounds logical right? Their ‘tithing’ money is going to a good cause and they are still ‘obeying the voice of the Lord’. Our ‘Trendy Tithers’ know better than God and his prophets where these sacred funds should be allocated.
There is one fundamental flaw in this logic. All of this belongs to God to begin with. If money really did solve all the world’s problems, then the Salvation Army, or any other worthy organization would be simply given the money by God to fulfill their purposes. He knows where the gold is, he knows where all the riches are because he created and owns them all. God is not interested in riches, he is interested in trust and obedience. Like the widow and her two mites, he is interested in those who tithe because of a willing and loving heart, sacrificing to the point that it changes their lifestyles, and therefore changes their lives. Don’t get me wrong, I feel it is important to support worthy causes in our communities and around the world; people and organizations who are working hard to do good. We should all be giving until it forces a change in our lifestyle. My first priority, however, is to follow the Lord’s law of tithing.
Last week’s reading for Come Follow Me, the Sunday school curriculum for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints reminded me that the tools of deception used by the adversary are not new, but have been in play since the beginning of time. All scripture references are in 1 Samuel 15 ESV. The story begins with Saul and his battle with the people of Amalek. He was ordered to destroy everything, down to the last of the cattle and sheep, but Saul saved “the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction” (9). When the prophet Samuel confronted Saul, his response was ““Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” (13). When Samuel pointed out that He had not obeyed the voice of the Lord, Saul reminded him that though they had kept the best of the possessions of the Amalekites, they had offered them in Sacrifice to the Lord. A good cause, right? It was Samuel’s response that reminded me of this recent trend. ““Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?” (22)
Saul was unwilling to destroy all, and instead saved it as sacrifice to the Lord, at least he sacrificed the animals, the scriptures do not say what he did with the rest of the good stuff. His plan was better, his plan made more sense. Our Trendy Tithers are assuming that the Lord’s prophets are mistaken in their handling of tithing funds, and that they know better how to allocate those resources. Such an attitude is short sighted, looking only at the here and now. God, through his prophets is looking at the decades and centuries to come. According to the prophet Samuel, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (22). The tools of the adversary have not changed in thousands of years, and neither have the promises of the Lord.
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