| Show I THE REVENUE LA LAW W OF THE CHURCH Delivered by Pros Pres PresIdent Ident F Smith nt at atthe the tho Quarterly Conference of the tay LQ Lake Q Stake Sunday Sept 30 10 I to put myself Into the hands If I the that He may guide me In Int t I shall lall say aay Ly by the influence ot of L 1 Those e who ho were present yesterday o lit at had tM the elj ot of list r t to President Snow In a verY In Ung and Instructive discourse up It to e principle ot of tithing As there to be hero toddY tb 14 I nowhere yesterday veers fera not here I will 11 take the liberty ot of reading the revelation lion tion that was given Iven to the Prophet Joseph Smith Ih relation to this prin principle ciple This revelation Will was given July 8 In n answer to the tho question 0 Lord show Jho unto Thy servants ho how much thou ot of the properties of at the peOple t for r n a tithing The Tho Lord soya Verily Verll thus saith the Lord I re require require quire nil ail th their lr surplus property t to be the of the tho bishop ot of m mchurch my church church ot of a zIon For the building ot of mine house and for tor the laying ot of the foundation ot of Zion and for Cor the PrIesthood an and for tor the debts of the Presidency ot of m my church And the beginning of at th the or of m my people It wIll be remembered that nt at thIS the time this revelation Will was given the tho members ot of tho Church In n and Ip In OhIo were living un r Q a higher law the law ot of consecration Under thAt law those who embraced the did so M with their whole All the they pones possessed cd Will was put upon the he altar for tor forthe the service of oC the Lord Loll and for tor the accomplishment of oC the work lie had started In the earth But Dut It developed that many of at the people were Ie and selfish and were not disposed ed to til put and all that they POs possessed upon th the altar In giving the law ot of C consecration the Lord J that those tholo who came Into HIs should hold themselves together with all the they had subject to His grill and direction they were to be stew stewards ards over their own property except such luch ot of It 11 as was waft necessary for Cor the building ot of th hou house ot of for Cor carrying on ot of JIll his work ork hut the people did not k keep p that law There were Ver too many ot of them like Ana Am and who were e too loo covet coet covetous ous OUI to give all they ther po possessed ested u as the tho theA A Lord r required The result was V II the pee peo people pie brought themselves under cond m nation for tor the they coplin bed In this WilY way until the Lord lION saw fit to wIthdraw or suspend that taw law so 0 that thc they might not In increase rene their condemnation before him theIr the disobedience In Its place sit nil Interior law was law ot of yet et It Is to be a standing law unto the Church All who receive the Gospel pie mo moto pieto to obe obey this law Thus we In the forepart ot of this that tho those e who came Into the Church at that time were expected to give gle all their sur surplus surplus plus property Into the hands or of the That was to be the beginning of at the tithing ot of the people And after that those who have thus been tithed small hall pay ot of All their Interest annually and this shall be n a standing law unto th them tor forever ver for tor my holy Priesthood Ih the Lord VerilY I say MY unto you OU It hall come cometo cometo to roa pass r that all those who ho gather gathor unto the land of at Zion shall be tithed or of theIr surplus wit shall observe this law or the they shall not be found worthy to abide among you Tithed ot of their surplus f what does that meanT mean some pome may mar uk ask I understand It to mean that when a men embraces the Gospel he will pay n a tenth ot of all he be possesses at that time lime and that after acter that he will pay a tenth of t that which the Lord Jord elves es to him annually I do not think these words are susceptible ot of any oth other r Interpretation tation The revelation Is plain and to the points It goes on And I say lay unto you OU tc if my people oh ob observe serve not this la law to keep It holy hoh and by this taw law sanctify the land and ot of Zion Lion unto me that rnY my statutes and m my may be kept thereon that It may be most holy boly behold verily ully I Isay say unto you OU It shall not be a land landof ot of Zion Lion unto you ou And this shall be an unto nil all the Stakes of at Zion Ilven so 80 Amen We have han had this law before us ever eer since ISIS 1838 Those of at us UI who ho have lived lIed that Ion long have hae been under It all the tho time lime It hu has been before mo me ever eer since I pas born for tor I happened to be born In that year ear I have hae crown rown up under this law and I have come to that It Is the taw of oC revenue for tor the tho Church ot of Jesus Christ of Saints The perfect law ot of revenue 1 c I was that the people should hold nil all th they y possessed sUbject to the Lords Lards lion But Dut the Lord found that we were too selfish for tor this we e had not advanced tar far enough In the scale Cale ot of In and ot of confidence In the Lord to carry out that prInciple and to yield up nt at on any time limp lie He should require nil all that we nc possessed for tor the accomplish accomplishment went ment of oC ma Ills will Seeing that we were not able oble to live up to the perfect law lawHe lie He gave C us n a lighter law lawIt It If th the perfect law or of God were In force the Lord would not only onh have n a tenth to use ule for tor the accomplishment of Ills purposes but lie would have nil all the tho people had AntI And I If the people were trul truly converted to th the Gospel and hind had the right spirit the they would feel teel that It was 1 a happy happ privilege o for tor them to live so 0 that all they had could be glen given freely treely and without restraint nt at the bidding ot of the Almighty for tor the accomplishment of Ills will The da day will conIC when 0 will 11 see how narrow how i covetous how small we were eN when hen we e I would cavil or cont contend nd with the Lo Lord I for tor one moment In relation to proper property ty matters The he earth is II the tho Lord and the ther thereof t We are J 1 Jand and it If we were only full ot of light lighte Lord e l c 1 w wc c t Intelligence ns as lie Is or as Christ Wag vas while lie was upon the earth we would have no desire In our hearts except to i ido do the will of at God We would not heal besl fate to use anything we ne might possess for tor the accomplishment ot of 1111 lIi vur pur purposes poses The Tho Lord Is able to take care ot of His own He Is just Jus and riGhteous lie Ile is II not unmerciful to me ills children nor does doe lie HE requIre of at them anything that thatIs Is unjust or unnecessary It if he shoUld require n a s sacrifice such sueh as lie He dId of at Job for tor Instance lie He Is able to make makeup up fourfold tn aye ten id or A h hi l dred fold ot of that which lie He requires at our hands provided we submit to Ills requirements without nice or f hesitancy And It If we under understood stood things IU as we should we e would feel to sa say Father we art are In thins thin hand ant and nil we hn have Is upon the tho nl al altar tar subject to th thy But Dut the Lord dots lacs not require nil all we have nt at y the present time He asks now for tor ono one tenth ot of our Interest annually to bo be given Ilven Into the storehouse ot of the Lord for tor the feeding of at the poor far thee the clothIng ot of the naked for tor lG g unto those who ho are sick lick and help for tor the tho spread of oC the Gospel tu to lions of the earth for tor the gab pUle j 4 I 1 c t ering of oC tine tho poor for tor tine the bu of oC oCI ofA I A an for tor pr ministering In the hl I L Illel pies tar for the n and for tine the drad All 1 1 these things have to be carried un n and iw requIres or of UI us of oC OUr oUrs i it s Interest annually to the t annual work ork 1 that Is to in carry urr on tilt the of the Irl Lord In th the latter 1 B I It Itis is II a just I It do does not fl full I and upon some some UIt oh 4 ors ers It Cats Calls alke alIke tipon tine the rich anti upon the poor It II hi equal upon every member of pr the Church hurh The Inn mann wino who inert his hll o thousands or hil mu millions ot of i as easily to 10 pay his mis d lau can os lul py tenth Unto tit Lord Ird U ran can the widow out of the little lie sine receIves lut lutS But 4 V S Says S one you do not ak aak the widow to topa do You do 10 doriot her Iner tithing you pa riot not ask ak the por poor to py pay thin In do you Why Viny yea Tine Tho TineS S I widoW who Is s support from fromA A time the Church the ioor the indigent titan I wino who have hae to I be fe fed out of time the store n Muse HOuse ot of the Lord alf are ex expected td to p pay payi i their What wi will you OU depe r them of the tho privilege ot of having their I took of tine the law last f t names recorded In time the bk q ot of the I If thy tine do 10 not py pay their i ho inos ar are their name names to be r me meI corded ther there I It Is lall satti plainly bore In Inthe inI I I the which I 11 have not time timeto t to turn to now tha that except we I tinis law our nam nameS Ihal shall not b be found I written In the bk book of time the law of oC the Lord hen the Lord Ird shall gle give out ii Lor inheritances to his In Zion we se set hall not have a place there thre nor our Ihal t b because our names are not recorded In the bok book Let rae me lel toll you OU reason whY time the por poor should houM their tithing I Except they theO pay their 1 thing I little no as It may be bc they have no right to rocel receive assIstance from r those thoe who do observe this mm IR law Tine The Bishops ma may administer to thou those whole whose names not upon tine the thing tithing records T 5 ar but if they 10 It wi will be done out of off I f pure charity charlt and because tine the maYo maYon n t the least claim upon the Church for tor a as ast t The poor should observe the law lass not only because I it in 18 their duty q but because there Is a blessing nt at attached to I it and you OU do not want to toa a deprIve the poor of that blessing Ire I re remember member In the of my youth when the widow used to bring her tithing to tom v 4 tine tho storehouse of oC the Lord anti when m she wa was reproved for doing I it by men Q S who were employed in the tithing office omco a men Inen who should have had the spirit n of time the Gospel In their harts hearts to Ige age tine the widow to pay laY her tithes A as long longI r I 08 the Lord gave her substance This widow WS was told Wh Why you ou ought not notto c 1 to bring thing tithing here you ough ought to tot t l keep al nil that you ou can on get to take care carer r of yourself and your children You t do not understand said she what ou sa say Would you deprive mo me of oC n a nIL IL blessing 1 It Is through obedience to toI I the commands command of God that I 1 have pros prosS ered and that t I expect to prosper I It j i l S Is through obedience that I ep t to be beI I J f P J Ible to claim time the blessin blessing of oC the Al AI mighty upon my This WIS was time the testimony ot of the widow Now it Il hItS boon said that WO we not obey this In law because of oC time the ben belne fits wo we derive from I It but we should obe obey I it I It lI is the tho law IW ot of given us as I a law by which the of oC time the kingdom ot of Go God uta li bb carried on Wh there Is not a gO gov In the world that has not Is its lAW There Is not 1 a State In Inthis inthis this Union there Is not n a city n a town or 1 a village ne but has hns previsions for tor the raising of time the means necessary for tor Is Its government Tho They ni all have to submit to taxation inn In order ardor that revenue may maybe be rained for tor the tho making of oC streets ditches etc and tor tine the maintaining of Iro arid and guarantee guaranteeing Ing coO good government to the people Shall not therefore tine the kingdom ot of I God have Its revenue lass Is In It not and proper that tine tho Church of JeSus Christ ot of Sainta should have A revenue law The city or county levies taxes upon us What it have hao means with for tor That I may wih which to maintain tine the to tofO fO the poor to make mak roads to build and to do all 1 necessary for the happIness anti welfare ot of Is Iscle Its cle This law of oC thing tIthing Is the tho most just revenue law that ha hal imas ever been revealed to the children of oC men It Is not an embargo upon improvement like the taxation laws ot of our cities are Wh Vimy In Salt Sail Lake City If you oU build a KOo good house and beautify your grounds they wi will increase your our taxes ou have to vay Imy dearly for tor making improve meats ments and for beautifying antU build building Ilg ing up the tho countr Tine Tho Lord does not do that He chel gives a I lass w which tais falls 10 justy justly anti and equally upon al all men whether they tre are rich or poor That law requires tine the parent of oC one tenth or of your interest annually As 1 to what Is t the tenth ot of our Interest that thatIs II Is a matter which Is left lett largely to later the of oC mCI maca And God measure men by their consciences wil and b by the tho with which they respond to Hs hIs requirements I If we weare weare are nIggardly and attempt to 10 dicker with the Lord Ifo He wi dicker wih with us usand usand and when you undertake to do this wih with time the Almighty let rue me tel tell you OU ne He inns hns a decided advantage le He rules the ole ele elements ments and controls control ni all things and le lie cnn can bless bleBs or withhold Hs His blesing blessings from the children of oC men le He does not make this requirement of us because o oHe He needs meets the tenth ot of what we earn annually but It Ii is He us to obey Hm film In nl all things ObedIence 1 in better than sacrifice und and to hearken than the tat fat of rams Jesus came In Into into to the tho world to teach the great lesson of obedience to the Father I It Is lec that wo we should bo be obedient to the laws of God I if we expect to receive Ills blessIngs Is I desire to read n a little ancIent ScrIp ScrIpture Scripture ture that thal has hos been revealed anew In inthe the tho dispensation ot of the ot of i It IU bo be ed In Inthe time the Bible but I 1 rend I it out of time tho Book ook of oC because hl bOok forth In mind come our day therefore what Is said apples to us We o cannot say Iny Ol this ms given by to time tho ancient Jews and It docs cloe not apply to us Yet U will II lii the tho new timid has como come comoto cometo to us through tInt th Jos Joseph ph Smith and b by this you OU may k know lov that I it Is Intended for tor us ns as wel well as those unto whom Malachi spoke Lord says For r I om em time be Lord Ird I charae not therefore ye 0 sons Ions ot of Jacob are not con consumed sunned Even tram from tine tho days of oC your OUr fathers ye e are gon gone away from mine I and hn not kept kent them lie He I turn unto m me and ond I wi wiil return unto you OU the Lord Ird at hosts lut hut yo ye Q said whereIn shall we return Wi a rob God Yet ye e have hao rubbed robbed me mae nut But ye 0 say wherein have hac we robbed thee In thes tithes and offer Yo e are cursed wIth n a curle curse for tor ye hl have 0 ro robbed bed me oven oon this whole nu nit nuton ton tion C Let Iet us look nt at this just n a moment The Tho ancient Jews Jewa robbed God Cod They hey paid their thes tIthes on mint and anise and nud they tine i did not pay the ho ot of their th thIn In lag neither did they observe the tho thoi i weIghtier r maters matters of oC the tho judgment mercy anti faith These hese said the tho Savior ought ye C to have hac done dOM dOMand and not to leave time the other undone That Is they should tot nut only have |
