How, When and Why We Tithed

"HOW, WHEN AND WHY WE TITHED. " BY ELDER JOSEPH E. ROBINSON.

While laboring as a missionary in the "Garden City" of a west- ern state, I was taken by my companion to visit a family of "in- vestigators." In the front part of the building they occupied, I noticed the marble busts of several men of national fame and numberless plaster casts of all kinds. From these, I concluded that my friend's "investigators" were artists and of no ordinary ability at that. In response to our knock, a bright little girl of five years in- vited us in, and informed us that "Mama will be glad to see you, if you will please sit down a few minutes." While awaiting the coming of her mother, I noted the con- tents of the room, and mentally made this observation, "This fam- ilyhas been ground by the 'nether wheel' of adversity, and are just beginning to recover from its effects," for tokens of one-time affluence showed side by side with conditions the very reverse. In the home-made book case there were broken sets of the classics alongside of school and teachers' text-books. The chairs were of several different sets, and one appeared to belong to pre- historic times. (Since then I learned that it was one hundred and forty-five years old.) The bric-a-brac, etc., about the room also told of the two extremes referred to. In trying to entertain us, the little girl showed me her purse, and that it contained thirty cents in silver and three copper cent pieces, and with considerable pride informed me that the latter was her "tithing." I had not time to ask any questions before her mother, Mrs.

36 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

C. came in and apologized for her delay, observing that it was "wash-day." After a short conversation, she escorted us to a building in the rear where she introduced her husband who ap- peared to me a typical Michael Angelo as he worked away with mallet and chisel at an immaculate block of marble "letting the angel out." At the close of an interesting conversation with him, he said to my companion, "I will soon have another ten dolllars in tithing for you." This remark caused me to wonder again, and as soon as op- portunity afforded, I asked Elder S., "How is it that those people talk about tithing to you, and are not Church members ?" He replied, "Oh! they are converted to the principle, and have paid ten dollars already." A few days later, I visited the family again, and Mr. C. asked me "whether expenses should be kept out of our wages or returns for investments and the net gains only be tithed." I informed him that we should tithe our wages and invest- ment returns, for if our net gains alone were tithed, many of us would never pay tithing. "That is just as we view it," both Mr. C. and his wife replied, and he then informed me that he had made one hundred dollars "letting the angel out" and gave me ten dollars for his tithing. The little girl then took occasion to show me that she now had fifty cents and "five cents for tithing." Then I asked for an explanation of what seemed so strange to me upon the part of people who were not apparently fully con- verted to the Gospel, and not members of any church. I wish the young people of Zion could have seen the inspira- tion that lit up the intelligent face ofMrs. C., and the enthusiasm of strong conviction that shone in her eyes as she related the follow- ing on "How, when and why we tithed:" "I was reared in the orthodox faith, and was a regular at- tendant upon services and an active worker in the church. When- ever any funds were needed, I noticed that the burden always fell upon a faithful few who struggled night and day with various de- vices, such as dinners, socials, entertainments of any and every description, by means of which the dollars could be had. The in- justice of this unequal struggle by the few so impressed me that I began to seek for the scriptural way.

"HOW, WHEN AND WHY WE TITHED." 37

"I found Abraham giving tithes of all he possessed to Mel- chizedek. Then Malachi, iii: 8-12, speaks so positively and forcibly upon the subject that I studied long and deeply, wondering why people did not tithe now. "To make these impressions still stronger, Christ's teachings to the Pharisees, in Matt. xxiii: 23 and Luke xi: 42, confirmed me in my belief that there was only one way to give, and that was God's way; then all these bickerings and petty jealousies attend- ing man's way would be avoided. "About the year 1895, I began to talk to my husband about this matter, and we discussed it with ministers who said 'after all neces- sary expenses are paid, tithe the income or profit.' " There it is,' I said, 'self first, God next. There will never be any profit at that rate.' Still not satisfied, we continued to dis- cuss this freely between ourselves; for we were having the very worst financial reverses. No matter what we attempted, every- thing went against us. "This spring of 1900, the Lord sent in our pathway Latter- day Saint elders. After a good canvass of this question with them, my husband decided to tithe. Our first tithing was done in April. We placed it away not knowing where to give it, waiting for our Father to tell us. We had broken away from the Protest- ant churches long ere this, and were struggling with the mighty question, 'Where is God's house ?" "In July, we had our three little children blessed by the elders ('Mormon') and Mr. C. gave in his first tithes. Since we began to tithe last April, our finances began to improve, and we have not been without plenty in our larder and money in our pockets and more coming in. We have our ups and downs still, but now we know our Father will keep us, and will give us all we need, as fast as we can assimilate his blessings . "Tithing is a blessing, and I do not see how we ever got along before without it. Now there is no worry when things get low. * We know, God knows we are trying to do our duty, and he always provides more." I may state that since hearing the above, Mr. C. and his wife have been baptized, and a letter from her today informs me that if it had not been for adversity overtaking them, they