Blessings, Tithing, and Testimony

My brethren and sisters, I arise before you feeling very dependent upon the Lord for what I shall say. I have thought over and over again, while listening to my brethren, what subject I might dwell upon, if called to speak, and for the life of me I could not fix in my mind a single subject on which to speak. I am therefore entirely in the hands of the Lord, to speak as the Spirit shall direct. I have had delight in hearing the testimonies and counsels of the brethren who have spoken to us during the Conference. They have all enjoyed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and each one has given to us meat in due season, so that if our minds were capable of retaining that which has been said to us during the Conference, we would go away from here richly instructed. I trust that the good Spirit may remain with us to the end of our meetings, that at the conclusion we may feel that it has been good to wait upon the Lord and to be present at this seventy-first anniversary of the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ¶

It is a grand sight to look upon this vast assemblage of people. I wonder if at any previous time in the history of God's dealings with the children of men there was ever such a sight as we behold here today -- this large Tabernacle filled to overflowing, every seat occupied, and people standing in the aisles and along the walls; and just over the way, in the Assembly Hall, another gathering of Latter-day Saints, unable to gain admittance to this building, are worshipping the Lord, and celebrating this day of prosperity, joy and happiness for the people of the kingdom of God; for notwithstanding our individual deprivations and afflictions, and the absence from us of one of our beloved leaders (President George Q. Cannon), there never was a time in the history of this Church when the people were more blessed of the Lord, temporally and spiritually, than they are today. I do not think there ever has been a time in the history of this Church when our people occupied a more prominent position before the gaze of the nation of which we form a part and before the eyes of the nations of the earth, than they do today. The Lord Almighty is with His people, and He has poured out His Spirit upon those that have been willing and prepared to receive it. I feel in my heart that the time has come when the Lord is not only willing, but desirous to pour out upon His people every blessing that they are prepared to receive; and I sometimes feel that He is already bestowing upon us blessings of which we are, to some extent, unworthy. I believe that the Lord is willing to bestow light, intelligence and a knowledge of His truth, by the inspiration of His Holy Spirit, upon all His sons and daughters who are living in such a manner as to be worthy to receive it. It is our privilege to obtain revelation, not only concerning our own duty, but also with regard to our kindred who have gone behind the veil, and whose hearts are turned unto their children, to whom they are looking for deliverance and for the benefits of the ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which we are privileged to administer in their behalf. There never was a time, until within the last few years, when the Latter-day Saints had access to four temples in which to administer the ordinances of the Gospel for the living and for the dead; and those four are becoming too distant -- at least, the people are becoming so numerous in distant parts of the country that even though we have four temples in which to administer the ordinances of the Gospel, there are thousands of our people who are practically deprived of the privilege of enjoying them, because they are so far removed from them. Under these circumstances, I foresee the necessity arising for other temples or places consecrated to the Lord for the performance of the ordinances of God's house, so that the people may have the benefits of the house of the Lord without having to travel hundreds of miles for that purpose. ¶

Now, are we coming to a knowledge of the truth? Or are we like those of whom Paul spoke, ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth? With the efforts of the Apostles, of the First Presidents of Seventies, the Seventies, the Elders, the Presidents of Stakes, the High Councilors and the Bishops, whose duty it is to instruct the people in relation to the principles of life and salvation, there certainly ought to be a thorough performance of duty; but notwithstanding the labors of those who have been and who are teachers among us, it would seem as though there was still a great lack, and that many come far short of performing their duties. We have every facility for receiving instruction, and we have the Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, which we can read by the spirit in which they were written; yet many of us are lacking in faith and in the knowledge of the truth. Not long ago the Presiding Bishop came to the President's office and brought with him a large volume containing ten thousand names of reputed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He placed it before President Snow and said, "President Snow, here is a list of ten thousand members of the Church who are non-tithepayers." Just think of it! With all the facilities we have of coming to an understanding of the truth, with the doctrines of Christ before us in the inspired books which we have -- the Bible, which speaks so plainly in relation to the principle of tithing; the Book of Mormon, which repeats the law of tithing; and the book of Doctrine and Covenants, which contains the revelations the Lord gave through the Prophet Joseph Smith -- and professing as we do to be Latter-day Saints, yet there are ten thousand non-tithepayers among us! We meet together from Sabbath to Sabbath, partake of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, belong to various quorums of the Priesthood, and notwithstanding all this there are so many who have not yet learned this one principle, and who do not seem to understand that it is a command of God unto this people. It is not only a command, but it is given as the word of the Lord with promise; for by obedience to it we are to be delivered. When the earth shall be burned, and when the proud and they that do wickedly shall become as stubble under the feet of men, the Lord has declared that those who are tithed shall not be burned. Furthermore, the promise is that if we will observe this law this land which He has given to us shall be a land of Zion unto us, a land of promise, a land that shall be blessed of the Lord, a land that the curse shall be removed from, that shall be blessed unto the husbandman, and that shall become fertile and fruitful. Notwithstanding this glorious promise, it is said there are amongst us ten thousand whose names are not inscribed upon the roll of honor nor written in the book of the law of the Lord. For them, according to the word of God, there will be non-inheritance in Zion when He shall choose those who shall be worthy to go there and build up the center Stake; neither will their children have inheritance there, nor their posterity after them; for their names will not be found enrolled in the book of the law of the Lord. ¶

We may think this a very simple thing. Let us look at it for a moment. It is claimed that there are sixty-nine thousand tithepayers in the Church, who have paid all the way from one dollar to hundreds of dollars a year. Suppose that there had been only ten thousand tithepayers, and fifty-nine thousand had refrained from paying tithing. How would you build temples and tabernacles? How would you maintain the ministry of the Church, feed and clothe the poor, and aid and educate the fatherless and the orphan? What would be your resources to build up Zion and to establish the kingdom of God in the earth? You would not have enough to do it. Where would be the revenue of the Church if all the people were as negligent of their duty and as thoughtless in regard to the necessities of the cause of Zion as the ten thousand non-tithepayers have been? How would we accomplish anything of a material character? We would be like the sectarian world -- powerless; and even more so, for while other denominations do not have the law of tithing, yet they have enthusiastic, wealthy men and women who from time to time turn over their thousands -- in some cases fifty to a hundred thousand at a time -- for the building of their churches and for the accomplishment of the work they desire to perform. I am extremely thankful that there are sixty-nine thousand tithepayers in the Church, and I wish that all of them were so prosperous that they could and would pay large amounts of means and products into the storehouse of the Lord, that there might be wherewith to meet all the necessities of the cause of Zion. ¶

I want to state here that which is in my heart. You may call it a prophecy if you will. Those who are and continue to be enrolled in the book of the law of the Lord -- on the tithing records of the Church -- will continue to prosper, their substance will increase, and they will have added unto them in greater abundance everything that they need; while those whose names are not recorded in the book of the law of the Lord will begin to diminish in that which they possess, until they will feel sorely the chastening hand of God. I do not predict that as a threat. I do not do it to scare the non-tithepayers in the least. You know, we are great American citizens. Every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who has come to the United States and lived here long enough to become a citizen, is a citizen of this great Republic, and we are exceedingly independent; we do not scare worth a cent, to use a slang phrase. I do not make this prediction to scare anybody, or with a view to working on anybody's superstitious feelings. I merely state it as a Bible truth, as a declaration of the Prophets, recorded in holy writ. I can read it to you from the Book of Mormon, in substance; I can read it to you from the Bible; for in ancient times the people of God robbed Him in their tithes and offerings, until He came out against them, until their land became dust under their feet and refused to yield in its strength unto them, they were afflicted, with mildew, with the rust and with the devouring insect, until they were wasted, impoverished and brought down low, because of their disobedience to the command of God. So it is not inconsistent for me to repeat in principle that which has been declared by the mouths of Prophets in ancient times respecting the obedience of the people of God to this important principle upon which we are dependent for the means of progress, increase and building up. ¶

The tithings of the people are not used for the aggrandizement of men. They are not used to enrich individuals. Some few, whose time is entirely engrossed in the labors of the ministry, and who have not time to look out for themselves, are allowed a pittance, to keep the wolf from their doors. They are permitted to have bread to eat, and simple clothing to wear. But they are not allowed great salaries, by which they can build themselves up and become enriched at the expense of the people. I want to tell you that if I were dependent upon what I receive from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the support of myself and family, and I had nothing else to rely upon, my family would go hungry; we would go without many of the very necessary things of life. I have to pay hundreds of dollars every year for taxes. We have to provide homes for our families, and we are bound to take care of them. Not only are we bound to do this by our own honor and covenants, and by the natural obligations which rest upon us; but we are bound to do it even by the sentiment of our enemies. They would condemn us if we did not provide for our families. Moreover, the Bible says that he who will not provide for his own household is worse than an infidel. The result is, I have a number of homes in Salt Lake, on which I have to pay taxes; and when I pay my taxes, my tithing, and my donations to this, that, and the other, I find little left to support my family with. Hence I say, if I were entirely dependent upon that which I receive from the Church, we would go to bed hungry. But the Lord has blessed me otherwise. I have been prospered in engaging in certain enterprises; and from such sources I am able to derive some assistance. I mention this simply to show that these men whose whole time is occupied in the ministry are only drawing their necessary support from the Church. They must have that. You would not begrudge them that. Men who are faithful, valiant, instant in season and out of season, and constantly engaged in the work of the ministry, you surely would not say that they should not have food to eat, raiment to wear, and where to lay their heads; and that is all these men get from the Church. The laborer is certainly worthy of his hire. ¶

So that your tithing is not enriching your brethren of the ministry. It is being used to keep up the ordinances of the house of God in these four temples. Thousands and thousands of dollars of it are being used in educating the youth of Zion and in maintaining the Church schools. Thousands of dollars are being expended to feed and clothe the poor, and to take care of those who are dependent upon the Church. They look to their "mother" for succor and support, and it is right and proper that the Church should provide for its own poor and indigent, feeble and helpless so far as possible. ¶

I hope to see the day when these ten thousand non-tithepayers will add their mite to the tithes and offerings of the Church, in order that there may be more substance in the storehouse of God with which to meet the necessities of the work, and give the servants of the Lord an opportunity to do far more good than they have means to do with today. If these ten thousand do not do it, I say to you that they will not share in the blessings of the day of the Lord, and when the burning comes they will get scorched. A passage of Scripture comes to my mind, and I will read it to you. The same thing in substance is in the Bible: but the words I shall read are to be found in the Book of Mormon. They are the words of Christ Himself; therefore they are true, for His word is truth. There is power in His word, especially to those who obey it. When the Lord visited this continent, after His resurrection from the dead, He gave instruction after this manner: ¶

"Therefore, if ye do these things, blessed are ye, for ye shall be lifted up at the last day. ¶

"Write the things which ye have seen and heard, save it be those which are forbidden; ¶

"Write the works of this people, which shall be, even as hath been written, of that which hath been; ¶

"For behold, out of the books which have been written, and which shall be written, shall this people be judged, for by them shall their works be known unto men. ¶

"And behold, all things are written, by the Father; therefore out of the books which shall be written, shall the world be judged. ¶

"And know ye that ye shall be judges of this people, according to the judgment which I shall give unto you, which shall be just; therefore what manner of men had ye ought to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am." ¶

These are the words of Jesus Christ. Out of the things which have been written in the books, this people shall be judged, according to their works. The Lord shall make a record also, and out of that shall the whole world be judged. And you men of the holy Priesthood -- you Apostles, Presidents, Bishops and High Priests in Zion -- will be called upon to be the judges of the people. Therefore, it is expected that you shall set the standard for them to attain to, and see that they shall live according to the spirit of the Gospel, do their duty, and keep the commandments of the Lord. You shall make a record of their acts. You shall record when they are baptized, when they are confirmed, and when they receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. You shall record, when they come to Zion, their membership in the Church. You shall record whether they attend to their duties as Priests, Teachers, or Deacons, as Elders, Seventies, or High Priests. You shall write their works, as the Lord says here. You shall record their tithings, and give them credit for that which they do; and the Lord will determine the difference between the credit which they make for themselves and the credit which they should make. The Lord will judge between us in that respect; but we shall judge the people, first requiring them to do their duty. In order to do that, those who stand at the head must set the example. They must walk in the right path, and invite the people to follow them. They should not seek to drive the people; they should not seek to become rulers; but they should be brethren and leaders of the people. ¶

It is a strange thing to me that some people do not or will not see the truth. This brings to my mind another passage of scripture. I will take the liberty of reading a few more words from the Book of Mormon: ¶

"O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned, they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves; wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness, and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish." ¶

Here is a reason why many people do not and will not allow themselves to see the truth. They depend upon their own knowledge and wisdom; therefore they set aside the things of God, and lift themselves up in the pride of their own hearts. But the Lord hath said, they shall perish; and I will not contradict it. The Prophet continues: ¶

"But to be learned is good, if they hearken unto the counsels of God." ¶

There is the difficulty. If you can get learned men that will hearken unto the counsels of God, they are all right; but if they will not hearken unto the counsels of God, their learning is foolishness in the sight of the Lord; and with all their learning and cunning they will perish. ¶

"But wo unto the rich, who are rich as to the things of the world. For because they are rich, they despise the poor, and they persecute the meek, and their hearts are upon their treasures; wherefore their treasure is their god. And behold, their treasure shall perish with them also." ¶

Here follows a key: ¶

"And wo unto the deaf, that will not hear; for they shall perish. ¶

"Wo unto the blind, that will not see; for they shall perish also. ¶

We pity the blind who cannot see; God will extend mercy and forgiveness to them; but wo unto the blind who WILL not see! ¶

"Wo unto the uncircumcised of heart; for a knowledge of their iniquities shall smite them at the last day. ¶

"Wo unto the liar; for he shall be thrust down to hell. ¶

"Wo unto the murderer, who deliberately killeth; for he shall die. ¶

"Wo unto them who commit whoredoms; for they shall be thrust down to hell. ¶

"Yea, wo unto those that worship idols; for the devil of all devils delighteth in them. ¶

"And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins." ¶

My brethren and sisters, I desire to bear my testimony to you; for I have received an assurance which has taken possession of my whole being. It has sunk deep into my heart: it fills every fibre of my soul; so that I feel to say before this people, and would be pleased to have the privilege of saying it before the whole world, that God has revealed unto me that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the Redeemer of the world; that Joseph Smith, is, was, and always will be a prophet of God, ordained and chosen to stand at the head of the dispensation of the fulness of times, the keys of which were given to him, and he will hold them until the winding-up scene -- keys which will unlock the door into the kingdom of God to every man who is worthy to enter, and which will close that door against every soul that will not obey the law of God. I know, as I live, that this is true, and I bear my testimony to its truth. If it were the last words I should ever say on earth, I would glory before God my Father that I possess this knowledge in my soul, which I declare unto you as I would the simplest truths of heaven. I know that this is the kingdom of God, and that God is at the helm. He presides over His people. He presides over the President of this Church, and has done from the Prophet Joseph down to the Prophet Lorenzo; and He will continue to preside over the leaders of this Church until the winding-up scene. He will not suffer it to be given to another people, nor to be left to men. He will hold the reins in His own hands; for He has stretched out His arm to do His work, and He will do it, and have the honor of it. At the same time God will honor and magnify His servants in the sight of the people. He will sustain them in righteousness; He will lift them on high, exalt them into His presence, and they will partake of His glory forever and ever. It is the Lord's work, and I plead with you not to forget it. I implore you not to disbelieve it; for it is true. All that the Lord has said concerning this latter-day work will come to pass. The world cannot prevent it. The blind that will not see, the deaf that will not hear, cannot prevent the work from going on. They may throw blocks before the wheels, they may ridicule, they may malign, they may stir up the spirit of persecution and bitterness against the Saints, they may do all in their power to deceive the people and lead them astray; but God is at the helm, and He will lead His people to victory. Men and women may be deceived by the craftiness of the adversary and by the spirit of darkness that is in the world; they may be deceived with Christian Science, with hypnotism, with animal magnetism, with mesmerism, with spiritualism, and with all the other man-made and demon-stimulated isms which exist in the world; but the elect of God shall see and know the truth. They will not be blind, because they will see; they will not be deaf, because they will hear; and they will walk in the light, as God is in the light, that they may have fellowship with Jesus Christ, and that His blood may cleanse them from all their sins. May God help us to do this. May He deliver us from secret combinations, and from the snares that are set to entrap our feet and to win our affections from the kingdom of God. I repeat what I have said scores of times, the Kingdom of God is good enough for me. This organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meets all my wants, and I have no need to fly to organizations that are gotten up by men for the purpose of making money. I pray God that His kingdom may be sufficient for you, that you may abide in the truth, and not be led away by these deceptive spirits that have gone forth in the world to lead men astray. Spiritualism started in the United States about the time that Joseph Smith received his visions from the heavens. What more natural than that Lucifer should begin revealing himself to men in his cunning way, in order to deceive them and to distract their minds from the truth that God was revealing? And he has kept it up pretty well ever since. May God bless Israel, and preserve us in the truth. May He bless our President, prolong his years, and continue unto him the strength of body and mind that he possesses this day, and even more vigor as the years roll on. May the Lord have mercy upon our beloved brother, President Cannon, who is absent from us, and return him once more to his home and to the bosom of the Church, if He has not willed otherwise. This is my humble prayer, in the name of Jesus. Amen. ¶