Tonight we had our annual tithing settlement with our Bishop (local church leader). A tithing settlement is a meeting with the individuals/families/couples who live in a congregation and their Bishop, at which time the individuals make a declaration as to whether they have contributed the suggested ten percent of their annual income. It is a humbling and special meeting. 

Tonight our Bishop said two things during the meeting I would like to share.  First, he asked us to think about the blessings that have come to us because of paying tithing.  Second, he asked us to humbly ask God what He would have us do next.  The Bishop explained that God has a pattern of telling people the next step, not necessarily the entire program or sequence of events.  God leads us along little by little, step by step.  What a wonderful, freeing thought.  I don't have to worry about being completely changed and perfected, doing all of the commandments at once today, and serving everywhere and everyone. I can just think about the next step and take care of that., and I can do that.

As far as blessings that have come to us because of paying tithing, well, the subject is an interesting one.  I have seen monetary blessings in my life, such as: thinking of ways to save money, enough money to pay the bills and save for a rainy day, appliances that last longer than usual, college scholarships, and so on, and so on.  We have been richly blessed monetarily. Besides the physical, "seen" blessings, there are a myriad of blessings that are unseen.  I believe that every time a commandment is obeyed, the individual /family is blessed with spiritual power. I have felt spiritual power in my life and in our home as a result of obedience to commandments. I definitely have a testimony of the successful combination between an obedient individual and God. When we do our part, God covers us completely. We will be taken care of.

Tithing is a way for us to show gratitude to God for the bounteous blessings we enjoy. Tithing is first and foremost a matter of faith as we trust God and His purposes. We allow something to be given up that is of great value to us, in exchange for something of even greater value to be returned to us. The payment of tithes has increased our need to budget and plan and has required sacrifice, and yet, oh God has watched over us.

I will tell you about a hero of mine, Mary Fielding Smith.  

Hyrum Smith was first married to Jerusha and they had six children before Jerusha passed away.  Mary Fielding was born in England and later moved to Canada to be by her brother and sister.  She was baptized in Canada by Parley Pratt and moved to Kirtland, Ohio.  The next year she married Hyrum Smith and cared for his then five living children.  Mary had two children of her own: Joseph F. Smith and Martha.The death of Hyrum was a sad blow to Mary and the children, but they carried on.  

Mary was determined to travel west with the Saints and she obtained oxen and supplies. Once when her oxen wandered off, her son remembers seeing his mother on her knees praying for help to find the lost oxen.  She did find the lost oxen and brought them back.  Another time she tied two wagons up to one team of oxen and attempted to make progress.  When a company captain saw her with all of the children and struggling with the oxen, he told her he did not want her in the company because she would slow the company down and he would have to help her.  She was insistent on progressing and retorted to the captain that she would not ask of his help and would beat him to the valley.

When her oxen became ill en route to the Salt Lake valley, she obtained some consecrated oil, found two men who held the priesthood and asked them to administer to the sick oxen.  They told her they had never blessed animals before, but she told them she had faith in the power of the priesthood.  After the blessing, the sick oxen rose up and walked.  This happened three times on the journey.

I don't know all of the details of how this happened, but it is recorded that Mary entered the valley a day before the captain and company.

The first winter after arriving in the Salt Lake valley was very difficult for Mary and her family.  The next summer when they were finally gathering vegetables from their garden, Mary chose some of the best potatoes and took them to the tithing office in order to pay her tithing.  The clerk wondered aloud whether she should pay her tithing as she and her family were so poor.  She told the clerk that she did not want to be denied the blessings that come from paying tithing.

What a strong and saintly woman!  I love her determination and fortitude.

I'm still thinking about the Relief Society lesson we had on Sunday about tithing.  A few sisters shared some marvelous stories from their lives about the blessings of tithing.  One sister is going through a difficult trial right now.  Her husband is unemployed.  She has received two calls from companies that say their family has a credit and can they send a check.  "Sure!" she replies.  One sister talked about how her water heater lasted years longer than it was supposed to, and when she finally had some extra money in the bank, it broke.  She had the money to replace it.  Another sister was a single mother for a couple of years and was trying to provide for her family but finances were tight.  Her parents were able to rent out a property that had not previously been  rented and they gave her the money they earned from that.  This sister  was taken care of.  In all of these cases, I think that the sisters were utilizing wise financial practices along with paying their tithing, but I was impressed that each of them gave credit to the Lord and were faithful and grateful.   I cannot say exactly what has happened in my life because of tithing, but I know we have been richly blessed.  We have driven used cars for years and years and they keep going. We have purchased appliances and used them for many years, longer than they normally last.  I guess more important than the financial blessings are the spiritual protection and power that we are blessed with as we keep this commandment, or any commandment.  This cannot be seen visibly, but it is felt. 

Today was a special Sunday.  Many people at church taught me important things as they shared their testimonies, gave lessons, and made comments.  Did I hear these comments today (more than I usually do on a Sunday) because I was fasting or because I came to church with an open heart?  I don't know, but I do know that the Lord can give me personal messages through the words of others.  Here are some things that I was grateful to hear today that I took note of:

Brother Lindsay--"The feeling and the spirit that you get when you read the Book of Mormon is undeniable."

Sean Rees--"Vacation is great but home is even better."

Betty Jane Fairchild--"Parents cannot raise their children alone."

Brother Morgan--"We're sent here to love each other."

Brother Christensen--"Don't seek to counsel the Lord.  The Lord has the big picture.  As we study the gospel, the Lord reveals the mysteries of Godliness to us.  If we can't figure something out (in our mortal minds), then we should trust Him."

Sister Nelson--"When we are where we are supposed to be, when we are listening to those that are set apart to teach us, things will stick and the testimony in our heart will be strengthened."

Brother Jones' thoughts on Omni 1:26--"When we offer our all, the Lord gives us His all."

From the Bible Dictionary under "Prayer"--"Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God."

Thoughts from the Relief Society lesson taught by Sister Ovard--"The Lord requires a sacrifice.  You must give up something.  Just as how we keep the Sabbath is a sign to God, so is tithing. When you pay your tithing you narrow the distance between you and God."