Elder Carl B. Pratt: The Lord's richest blessings
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181st Annual General Conference — Church News coverage
The richest of the Lord's blessings come to those who pay an honest and full tithe, Elder Carl B. Pratt of the Seventy said during the Sunday afternoon session of general conference.
"Regular tithe payers find their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ strengthened and develop a firm abiding testimony of His gospel and of His Church," he said.
Drawing from Malachi 3:8, Elder Pratt spoke of the question, "Will a man rob God?"
"We are all indebted to the Lord," he said. "Let us not be accused of robbing God. Let us be honest and pay our debts to the Lord. All He asks is ten percent."
Regardless of the condition of family finances, Church members pay their tithing in full because it is the Lord's commandment, he said.
"This is what the Lord expects of all His people," Elder Pratt said. "He expects us to pay tithing, not from our abundance, nor from the 'leftovers' of the family budget, but as He commanded anciently, from the 'firstlings' of our income, be it scarce or abounding."
Tithing is more than a matter of money, Elder Pratt said, but more a matter of faith — faith in the Lord.
"He promises blessings if we obey His commandments," he said. "Let us show our faith in the Lord by paying our tithing. Pay it first, pay it honestly, teach our children to pay tithing even on their allowance or other income, and then take them with us to tithing settlement so they know of our example and our love for the Lord."
It is through paying tithing families will obtain blessings — in all forms — to help strengthen their family.
"I testify that He fulfills His promises, and if we faithfully pay our tithing we will not lack for the necessities of life," Elder Pratt said. "But He does not promise wealth. He blesses us with wisdom to manage our limited material resources, wisdom that enables us to live better with 90 percent of our income than with 100 percent."
The Lord's richest blessings are spiritual, and they often have to do with family friends and the gospel, he said.
"Tithe paying fosters in us a generous and forgiving heart, a charitable heart full of the pure love of Christ. We become eager to serve and bless others with an obedient heart submissive to the Lord's will," he said. "Regular tithe payers find their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ strengthened and develop a firm abiding testimony of His gospel and of His Church. None of these blessings are monetary or material in any way, but surely they are the Lord's richest blessings."
