Malachi
3:8-9
8 Will
a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?
In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye
are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
Christ
is clearly speaking to the leaders of the various denominations that will cover
the earth before His Return (verse 3).
He is speaking to the LEADERS, informing them that they have robbed Him
as well as their own people, “even this whole nation”. They respond, “Wherein
have we robbed thee?” These leaders
appear to be genuinely confused at this condemnation. They have been laboring and preaching the
payment of tithes and offerings to their congregants to the point of ad
nauseam. Yet the Lord accuses them of being guilty of
theft with a simple statement: “In tithes and offerings”.
The
very scripture that church leaders use to guilt and frighten people into giving
their money to fund their extravagant living is the very scripture that God is
going to use to condemn them for their sin. Notice that this scripture is
speaking to the Priests concerning their negligence in their holy positions and
their robbing of the tithe and offerings that were meant to provide for the
widow and the orphan and the stranger who found himself within their gates.[1]
What
is the Law of the Tithe? When translating the Hebrew word מַעֲשֵׂר into Greek it translates as δέκατο which in
English means decade. A decade is 10
years, therefore the meaning of the word Tithe has come to be defined as a
tenth. The first recorded instance in the bible in regards to the tithe is
found in Genesis 14: 36-39 “And this Melchizedek, having thus established
righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his people, or, in other words,
the King of peace. And he lifted up his
voice, and he blessed Abram, being the high priest, and the keeper of the
storehouse of God; Him whom God had appointed to receive tithes for the
poor. Wherefore, Abram paid unto him
tithes of all that he had, of all the riches which he possessed, which God had
given him more than that which he had need.”[2]
This
is the first time paying tithes is mentioned in the Bible. Hebrews 7:4 seems to
suggest the idea that the tithes Abraham paid were on the spoils he took after
he won a great battle, “Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the
patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.” [3] In the Book of Mormon we read, “And it was
this same Melchizedek to whom Abraham paid tithes: yea, even our father Abraham
paid tithes of one-tenth part of all he possessed.”[4] Taking
these accounts into consideration Abraham appears to have taken spoils from the
battle against the king of Sodom along with his own personal possessions and
traveled to the city of Salem unto the High Priest Melchizedek. Abraham then gave unto Melchizedek a tithe of
all he possessed above that which he had need for the storehouse for the poor. This City of Salem was a Zion community much
like the City of Enoch. One of the key characteristics of a Zion community is
that there are no poor among them. “…The
people of the church should impart of their substance, every one according to
that which he had; if he have more abundantly he should impart more abundantly;
and of him that had but little, but little should be required; and to him that
had not should be given. And thus they should impart of their substance of
their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests that stood in need, yea,
and to every needy, naked soul.” (Mosiah 18: 27-28). As Abraham “sought for the
blessings of the fathers” [5]could
this mean that the payment of tithes as a means to care for the poor, the
widow, the fatherless and the stranger was been observed by the righteous from
the days of Adam?
The
next instance that tithes are mentioned in the Bible is found in Genesis
28. Jacob is traveling to Haran to find
himself a wife. During his travels he
lies down to sleep and has a dream
or vision of a ladder extending from earth into Heaven.[6] Jacob
anoints and sets apart the land as the House of God and then he covenants,
“…all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.”
Many
historical Christian scholars believe that the Law of the Tithe was only
voluntarily observed by Abraham and Jacob but was not given as a law until it
was given unto the house of Israel upon Mount Sinai through Moses. Under the
Law of Moses the preferred payment of tithes was in produce and animals.[7] Provisions were made for persons who had long
distances to travel to exchange their produce for money. Under this law tithes were to be given to the
poor, the widow, the fatherless and the stranger.[8] A portion was to be given to the Levites as
they had no land inheritance and were unable to grow their own produce or raise
their own flocks. From this portion the Levites were allowed to give some to
the priests.[9]
When
Jesus Christ came to renew, re-establish, reset, reconnect and above all,
redeem fallen man with God all of the ordinances as well as the Law of Moses
had been corrupted.[10] Christ found that the leaders of churches were
robbing God along with the entire nation of Israel in tithes and offerings,
causing the poor, the widow, the fatherless and the stranger to suffer, to be abused,
neglected and extorted while the Pharisees and Sadducees fared sumptuously.[11] Christ
taught that we should do all in our power to take care of the poor, that in order
to be one in heart we need to be equal in our physical needs. When the rich young man approached Christ
asking what more he could do to follow him, the reply was, “go, sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor”.[12] When Christ chastised the leaders for the
widow casting in her mite, he was not only praising her in her faithfulness he
was condemning the leaders for extorting money from her in order that they
might live in luxury.[13]
The
question one can raise is this: does the Savior require that we sell all we
have and give it to the poor? How do we
balance taking care of the needs of our own family, children, spouse, etc while
looking after the poor among us? In his post titled “Obedience and Sacrifice”
Denver Snuffer teaches that the first LDS[14] covenants
that a person makes in their temples are that of obedience and sacrifice:
The order places the obligation for obedience
before the obligation for sacrifice. They belong in that order. Obedience
requires men to support their wives (D&C 83:2) and parents to care for
their children (D&C 83:4). [The first verse of the Book of Mormon informs
us Nephi was supported by his goodly parents, including receiving a good
education. (1 Ne. 1:1.)] This principle to care for family must happen before
any sacrifices can be considered. In other words, before any sacrifice is made
to help the poor, build a temple, support a community, or any other good and
charitable thing obedience to the commandment to care for your family members
must be satisfied. Those who fail to provide for their families are no better
than the faithless. (1 Tim. 5:8.) Those who disobey the obligation to support
and care for their families bring the faith of Christ into disrepute and cause
scorn for His church.
If
you hail from the LDS Church, paying 10% tithing to the Institutional Church is
considered mandatory for salvation; in order to be “worthy” of the highest
ordinances the Church offers in their temples one must pay an “honest and full
tithe”, as defined by the LDS Church leaders, and you must pay those tithes to
the LDS Church[15]
Unfortunately, this false tradition is
also present in other Christian churches. It is understandable that paying 10% of one’s
income takes the guess work out of the decision. However, it gives a false
sense of security before God, it allows men in leadership to have power over us
and in many cases it causes individuals and families who are struggling
financially to become even poorer. In
their book Pagan Christianity Frank
Viola and George Barna make the observation that “God’s people are persuaded to
give one-tenth of their income every week.
When they do, they feel they have made God happy. And they can expect Him to bless them
financially. When they fail, they feel
they are being disobedient, and they worry that a financial curse looms over
them….tithing today is sometimes presented as the equivalent of a Christian
stock investment. Pay the tithe, and God
will give you more money in return.
Refuse to tithe, and God will punish you…”[16] In
some churches, if you are not a tither, you will be barred from holding a
ministry or church leadership position.[17]
“…in
our day, mandatory tithing equals oppression to the poor. Not a few poor
Christians have been thrown into deeper poverty because they have felt
obligated to give
beyond their means…In such cases, the gospel is no longer good news to the
poor. Rather, it becomes a heavy
burden. Instead of liberty, it becomes
oppression….the original tithe that God established for Israel was to benefit
the poor, not hurt them! Conversely…it is good news to the rich. To a
high earner, 10% is a paltry sum.
Tithing, therefore, appeases the consciences of the prosperous without
impacting their lifestyles. Not a few
wealthy Christians are deluded into thinking they are ‘obeying God’ because
they throw 10% of their income into the offering plate.”[18]
The
New Testament disciples understood that taking care of the poor and the needy was
paramount to establishing a Zion community and a unity of belief. Christ taught, “For inasmuch as ye do it unto
the least of these, ye do it unto me.” [19]
The City of Enoch was a Zion community and is described in the book of Moses,
which is contained in the Pearl of Great Price.
Zion
is level. It is absolutely level…Moses 7:18. "And the Lord called his
people ZION, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in
righteousness; and there was no poor among them." There were no poor among
them, because it's intolerable for your sister to suffer in want if you have
enough and to spare. There were no poor among them because you cannot dwell in
righteousness if you find a need and you're unwilling to fulfill it. Inequality
invites covetous desires. To be one, you must have equality. You can't have one
heart, one mind, and no poor among you if you have a stratified group of
people. There can't be any rich or poor.[20]
Early
Christians were very generous to the poor and the needy, they gave freely, out of
a cheerful heart, without guilt, obligation or manipulation[21] Isaiah
warns us “wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write
grievousness which they have prescribed; to turn away the needy from judgment,
and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their
prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the day of
visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? To whom will ye
flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under the
prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain.
For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out
still.”[22] In 2 Nephi 28:12-13 God warns us “Because of pride, and because of false
teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their
churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up. They rob the poor
because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine
clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their
pride they are puffed up.”
Taking
care of the poor and the needy is paramount to being a disciple of Christ. In the Book of Mormon King Benjamin
admonished his people:
And
also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye
will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will
not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him
out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his
misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food,
nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments
are just—But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great
cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he
perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. For behold, are
we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all
the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for
silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind? And behold, even at
this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of
your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured
out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with
joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find
utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy. And now, if God, who has created
you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are,
doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that
ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have
one to another. And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for
your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be
your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you
but to God, to whom also your life belongeth; and yet ye put up no petition,
nor repent of the thing which thou hast done. I say unto you, wo be unto that
man, for his substance shall perish with him; and now, I say these things unto
those who are rich as pertaining to the things of this world. And again, I say
unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day
to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that
ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would
give. And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye
are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have
not received. And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto
you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to
day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of
your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to
their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. And
see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite
that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient
that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all
things must be done in order.[23]
Commanded
by God, Alma, another Book of Mormon prophet-servant taught the people that
they should impart of their substance according to what they have: if they have
abundance they should impart abundantly; if they have little, little should be required
and if they have none they should be given. He went on to teach them that they should
impart of their substance of their own free will and good desires towards
God. He allowed for the imparting of
their substance to a priest, but only if he stood in need and as long as they
imparted to every needy, naked soul.[24]
Alma
1: 30 states: “And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send
away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that
were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts
upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond
and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church,
having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need.”
In
the New Testament churches as well as in some instances in the Book of Mormon,
the people practiced a higher law than tithing.
They appear to have practiced what is known as the Law of Consecration, also
known as the United Order. The United
order was an organization through which the Saints in the New Testament days as
well as the early days of the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints (1830’s) sought to live the law of consecration. Individuals shared
property, goods, and profits, receiving these things according to their wants
and needs.[25]
During the Restoration the Latter-Day
Saints attempted to live the Law of Consecration in both Kirtland and Missouri,
however, they failed at living this law just like the children of Israel in
Moses’ day, therefore, the Lord allowed them to live the lesser Law of Tithing.
James
E Talmage, an apostle for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from
1911-1933, stated on page 396 in his book Articles
of Faith: “Consecration and Stewardship-The law of tithing, as observed by
the Church today, is after all but a lesser law, given by the Lord in
consequence of human weaknesses, selfishness, covetousness, and greed, which
prevented the saints from accepting the higher principles, according to which
the Lord would have them live.”
“Behold,
now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a
day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed
shall not be burned at his coming.”[26] Doctrine and Covenants Section 119 is known as
the “law of tithing” for the LDS Church.
In this revelation the Lord states that all surplus property should be
put into the hands of the bishops of the church for the building of a temple,
laying the foundation for Zion and for relieving the current debts of the
presidency of the church. After that
initial, one time obligation was met the people were then to pay one-tenth of
all their interest once each year in order that Zion might be established.[27] By the very definition of Zion it can be
concluded that the Law of Tithing given to the early Mormon Saints during the
Restoration was intended to take care of the poor.[28]
It
is clear in the scriptures that the Lord’s foremost intention for the
distribution of tithes is that of caring for the poor, the needy, the widow,
the fatherless and the stranger. Tithes
are not to be used for buildings, shopping malls, land acquisitions, private
hunting compounds, private jets, lavish lifestyles, not even for a professional
or “non” professional clergy. Once our
obligation to taking care of the poor among us is fulfilled (and we will know this because there will be no poor among us),
if there are tithes left over the Lord will allow the surplus to be used for
the building of a temple.
In the New Testament Paul taught that the
disciples and apostles labored alongside their brethren for their own support
and did not rely on monies from their fellow members. In Acts 20: 33-35 Paul taught, “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or
apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my
necessities, and to them that were with me.
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support
the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more
blessed to give than to receive.”[29] In the Book of Mormon the example of King
Benjamin as well as the teachings of Alma demonstrated to the people that the
priests were not to depend on the people for their livings but were to labor
for their own support.[30] If
God’s desire for the use of tithing is so clear in the scriptures where did the
tradition of a paid clergy originate?
In 200 AD a Christian writer named Cyprian of
Carthage argued the practice of financially supporting the clergy based on the
fact that Ancient Israel supported the Levites according to the Law of Moses.[31]
His petition was not agreeable to the Christian people en masse until much
later. Around 300 AD other Christian
leaders began to advocate paying tithes to support the clergy.[32] Ministers were unsalaried for the first 3
centuries after Christ, laboring alongside their flock for their own
bread. Emperor Constantine of Rome
instituted the practice of paying a clergy salary from church funds as well as
the municipal and
imperial treasuries during the 4th century. The widespread
use of tithes to support churches financially began between 600 and 700 AD. During this time leasing land was a common
practice in Europe. The “tenth” was used to calculate rent payments to
landlords. As the institutional church
began to purchase and own more and more land the rent charges which were
originally paid to secular landlords began to be paid to ecclesiastical
ones. Essentially, the tithe became the
ecclesiastical tax. The leaders
creatively identified this rent tax as the Old Testament Law of Tithing.[33]
The
earliest positive legislation on the subject seems to be contained in the
letter of the bishops assembled at Tours in 567 and the canons of the Council
of Maçon in 585. In course of time, we find the payment of tithes made
obligatory by ecclesiastical enactments in all the countries of Christendom. As
regards to the civil power, the Christian Roman emperors granted the right to
churches to retain a portion of the produce of certain lands, but the earliest
instance of the enforcement of the payment of ecclesiastical tithes by civil
law is to be found in the capitularies of Charlemagne, at the end of the eighth
century.[34]
The
use of tithes to pay clergy as well as to financially support churches has
allowed mischief and priestcraft[35] to
enter into the realms of religion. When
a person’s livelihood is attached to how popular he or she is with their
congregation it encourages leaders to be “people pleasers” and slaves of
men. “Giving a salary to pastors
elevates them above the rest of God’s people. It creates a clerical caste that turns the
living body of Christ into a business. Since the pastor and his staff are compensated
for ministry they are paid professionals. The rest of the church lapses into a
state of passive dependence.”[36] Nephi, the son of Helaman, taught in Helaman
13:27-28:
But
behold, if a man shall come among you and shall say: Do this, and there is no
iniquity; do that and ye shall not suffer; yea, he will say: Walk after the
pride of your own hearts; yea, walk after the pride of your eyes, and do
whatsoever your heart desireth—and if a man shall come among you and say this,
ye will receive him, and say that he is a prophet. Yea, ye will lift him up,
and ye will give unto him of your substance; ye will give unto him of your
gold, and of your silver, and ye will clothe him with costly apparel; and
because he speaketh flattering words unto you, and he saith that all is well,
then ye will not find fault with him.
A
paid, professional clergy goes against the grain of Zion. Elders in the first century were not salaried;
rather they were men with an earthly vocation.
In the Book of Mosiah 2: 12 and 14 King Benjamin said, “I say unto you
that as I have been suffered to spend my days in your service, even up to this
time, and have not sought gold nor silver nor any manner of riches of you;…And
even I, myself, have labored with mine own hands that I might serve you, and
that ye should not be laden with taxes, and that there should nothing come upon
you which was grievous to be borne—and of all these things which I have spoken,
ye yourselves are witnesses this day.”
A
common fallacy perpetuated by the LDS Church is that they have no paid clergy.
While this is true for what is known as the “local” level this is not true on
the General level. Mormon members are
divided into congregations based on geographic location. The smallest congregations are known as branches and consist anywhere from a
few members up to a hundred or so. The priesthood
leader of a branch is called a branch president. Once a congregation grows large
enough in size it is termed a ward; the priesthood leader of a ward is known as
a bishop. Groups of wards and/ or
branches are organized into stakes; the priesthood leader of a stake is called
a stake president. These are known as
“local” leaders and all are unpaid, non-professionals who must provide their
own living while sacrificing their time to serve their congregations.
The
LDS Church does have a “paid clergy” in the “General” level of Priesthood
leadership. These leaders are over
large, or “general” geographic areas of the LDS Church and are called General
Authorities. General Authorities are
organized into the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the
Presidency of the Seventy, the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy, and the
Presiding Bishopric. LDS Mission Presidents also benefit from the tithing
“payroll”. Because the LDS Church refuses to be transparent, accountable and
open with their collected donations no one can say with certainty how much
their general leaders are “paid”. What
is known is that the LDS Church “reimburses” these leaders from Mission
Presidents on up to the First Presidency with anywhere from a meager to an
extremely generous “living stipend”.[37] Apparently, if you call a salary a living
stipend then you can claim that your leaders are unpaid clergy.
Throughout
the lecture series “40 Years in Mormonism” Denver Snuffer, Jr. preached often
against the use of tithing for a paid clergy, especially that of the LDS
Church. In Lecture 10, “Preserving the
Restoration” he stated:
"And
there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and
foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep
to hide their counsels from the Lord."
How
might one better "hide their counsels from the Lord," than to conceal
all the money that is gathered from the tithes of His people? How better than
to hide from view all the revenues paid to the authorities of the church, and
even admonish the paid mission presidents that they must never disclose the
revenue benefits that they are receiving? How better to hide your counsel, than
to conceal it from the very sheep that are being shorn?
…this
rebuke by Malachi (Malachi 3) is actually to the leaders of any and all
churches who squander the gifts of the people upon themselves and who offer
unclean sacrifices to God.
The
ideal is never to have a professional class of clergyman. The ideal is to have
every one of us as equals. In our own day, in a revelation given through
Joseph, Doctrine and Covenants 52 beginning at 39 says: "Let the residue
of the elders watch over the churches, and declare the word in the regions round
about them; and let them labor with their own hands that there be no idolatry
nor wickedness practised."
To
"labor with their own hands" means they are not professionals receiving
compensation for preaching, because as soon as you turn them into a
professional clergy people idolize them. The object is to avoid idolatry, to
avoid the professional class of clergy to whom people look for blessings at
their compensated hands. "That there be no idolatry nor wickedness
practiced." "Wickedness" because when you have people elevated
so as to have control over others, almost invariably the existence of control
tends to lead inexorably to abuse.
“If
all Christians got in touch with the call that lies upon them to be functioning
priests in the Lord’s house (and they were permitted to exercise that call),
the question would immediately arise: ‘What on earth are we paying our pastor
for!?’”[38] Nephi
warned us in our day: “For the time speedily shall come that all churches which
are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the
flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world,
and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to
do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of
the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who
must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as
stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet.”[39]
David
Yeubanks, on his website truthforfree.com, poses this question: So how does one give to God?
Scripture, again, answers this plainly. Jesus clearly told us how it is we
"give to God". Oddly enough, the giving He spoke of had nothing to do
with financing a church organization. He said, in as much as we give to others
who are in need (the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, the hungry, even the
lost), we are ministering directly to Him. This ministry of giving entails far
more than finances. It embodies the commandment to love others with our lives.
That doesn't mean washing our hands of them (and alleviating our consciences)
by sending in our money to some organization so that someone else can do the
work... It means we listen to the voice of our Heavenly Father and go ourselves
to each one He sends us to. If we see our neighbor with a
need we have in
our power to meet, we must bring forth the fruit of love and meet it. God has
made each of us who know Him priests unto Him. That means that no one else can
mediate His work for us. We must hear His voice and obey.[40]
Denver
Snuffer, Jr 40Years in Mormonism
taught:
Tithing
is for the poor. It is not designed to pay for a professional clergy class. If
we have no buildings more money can go to assist with the needs of people. In
this day, and in this economy, anything that can be done to assist with the
poor is a good thing.[41]
I
know, I know, in each of your churches there are lots of people who get
benefited in lots of ways. But that doesn't excuse the money that those
“Strongmen” spend on themselves. The highest-paid clergies in the world manage
the various denominations of the various Mormon movements. The top LDS Church
leaders have access to private hunting preserves, fenced vacation compounds, a
private jet, and, in comparison with poor Lazarus, “fare sumptuously.” It's
just the way it is. I hate to break it to you, but the institutions stemming
from Joseph Smith’s efforts are almost entirely led by rather
well-paid professional clergy.
Take
the money the Lord intended for the poor and administer it for the poor among
you. If you try this experiment, there will be some among you who receive
rather than give because they have not. Let me remind those who receive of
another statement made in the revelations of this dispensation in Doctrine and
Covenants 42:42 “Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the
bread nor wear the garments of the laborer”. [42]
There
is nothing divine in neglecting the poor.
The primary purpose of collecting the tithes…is to bless and benefit the
lives of those who are in need. So,
given the fact that you are commanded to pay tithing, and some of you are
unable or refuse to do so because of the particular circumstances that you see
in your church of choice…I would suggest one small thing, you could begin to
collect your own tithing in a group. You manage it among yourselves. You assist
the poor among you. If you disagree with what your churches are doing but
recognize the obligation to pay, then take control over the funds to do what
you believe God would have done to help others. As groups of common believers,
pay tithing into a common fund. Then by the voice of your own group, dispose of
it by common consent so that everyone in your group knows everything that comes
in and everything that goes out. Then you begin to have no poor among your group. You provide for those who
need housing, food, clothing, healthcare, education, and transportation. Do it
without a leader. Do it by the voice of your own common consent, by your own
unanimous approval. Do it by united agreement.”[43]
[1] An
Examination of Malachi 3:1-16 by Deanna Rodriguez; http://truthforfree.com/html/article_deanna-malachi3.html
[2]
Holy Scriptures Inspired Version, 1867
[3]
Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version, 1867;
KJV
[4]
Alma 13:15
[5] Abraham 1:2, Pearl of Great Price
[6]
Genesis 28:11-22 (Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version, 1867)
[7]
Leviticus 27:30-34; Deuteronomy 14:22-23, 28-29; 2 Chronicles 31:5-6, 12;
Nehemiah 10:37-38 (Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version)
[8]
Deuteronomy 26:12 (KJV)
[9]
Deuteronomy 14:29; Nehemiah 12: 44; Nehemiah 13:5 (Holy Scriptures, Inspired
Version)
[10]
Isaiah 24:5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because
they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant. (KJV)
[11]
Luke 16:19-31 (KJV) Luke 16: 24-36 (Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version); Luke
21:1-4 (KJV)
[12]
Matthew 19:21 (KJV) (Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version); Mark 10: 21 (KJV)
[13]
Mark 12: 38-44 (KJV)
[14]
LDS will refer throughout this paper to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons
[15]
LDS Temple Recommend Questions; https://www.lds.org/manual/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple/preparing-to-enter-the-holy-temple?lang=eng
[16]
Viola and Barna Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices 2012, pg. 172 and 180
[17]
Though not a creed it is nevertheless true that in many instances in the LDS
Church callings for both men and women are contingent upon holding a current
temple recommend and in order to hold a temple recommend one must pay a full
tithe to the LDS Church
[18]
Viola and Barna Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices pg. 179
[19]
Doctrine and Covenants 42:38
[20]Denver
snuffer, Jr. 40 Years in Mormonism
lecture series; Grand Junction “Zion”
[21]Viola
and Barna Pagan Christianity: Exploring
the Roots of our Church Practices” 2012; see 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, 9:6-7
For an in-depth historical account of early
Christianity and their generosity see Kreider’s Worship and Evangelism in Pre-In Christendom.
[22] 2
Nephi 20:1-4 1
[23]
Mosiah 4:16-27
[24]
Mosiah 18:27-29
[25] D&C
51:3; 78:1–15; 104; https://www.lds.org/scriptures/gs/united-order?lang=eng
[26]
Doctrine and Covenants 64:23
[27]
Doctrine and Covenants 119
[28]
Moses 7:18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart
and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
[29]
Holy Scriptures, Inspired Version
[30]
Mosiah 18:26
[31]
Viola and Barna, Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices, 2012, pg 176
[32]
Hatch, Growth of Church Institutions,
1-2-112
[33]
Viola and Barna, Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices, 2012, pg 177
[34]Knight,
Kevin New Advent, Catholic
Encyclopedia; 2012
[35]
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition of priestcraft is a
professional knowledge and skill in respect to the exercise of priestly
functions; the scheming and machinations of priests; 2 Nephi 26:29 He
commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, preistcrafts are
that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may
get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.
[36]
Viola and Barna, Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the roots of our Church Practices, 2012, pg 180-181
[37]
The full LDS Church’s Handbook for Mission Presidents was leaked to the
internet, in the handbook it was revealed what types of things Mission
Presidents and their families could be reimbursed for above and beyond what was
needed to sustain life (food, shelter, transportation, medical/dental etc);
some of these extras include a maid, a babysitter, gardener, private schooling,
orthodontics, Christmas/birthday/anniversary gifts, etc.
[38]
Viola and Barna, Pagan Christianity:
Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices, 2012, pg 180-181
[39] 1
Nephi 22:23
[40]
Yeubanks, WHY SPREAD THIS TRUTH ABOUT
TITHING?; http://truthforfree.com/html/tithing-related/tithing-comments.html)
[41]
Snuffer, Denver 40 Years in Mormonism
Phoenix “Preserving the Restoration” p. 30
[42]
Snuffer, Denver 40 Years in Mormonism
Grand Junction “Zion” p. 15
[43]
Snuffer, Denver 40 Years in Mormonism,
Grand Junction “Zion”, 14
