Will a Man Rob God?

My thought on Elder Kikuchi talk "Will a Man Rob God?"

Well, it looks as if I’m the one to start it this week and I’m late because my schedule is so full.
I’ve been reading and pondering these talks but just don’t have a spare minute to sit and type. Even now I should be getting something cleared up on a “Keepers” email group.

Tithing, something you begin to obey out of fear and obligation and many months hate to do, but in the end find great blessings in doing so.

I also believe tithing is one of the easiest commandment to be completely obedient in. You either pay 10% or you don’t. this is a commandment that is also easily taught from a very young age. How do you teach your children to pay it? Do you let them earn some money to tithe? I believe it is very important for children to earn money early on so they know that not all that dollar bill goes in their piggy bank and that some goes to the Lord through the Bishop.

The list that Elder Kikuchi gives us is a wonderful list of things we all need to do if we want immeasurable blessings, not just tithing paying blessings. I could just list the items like:

1. Pay your tithing
2. Have family prayer and individual prayer as well
3. Family and personal scripture study
4. Keep the Sabbath day holy
5. Go to the temple
6. Sustain and follow leaders
7. Fast

But he puts in some adjectives I think are very important. His list:

1. Faithfully pay an honest tithe, both young and old.
2. Humbly hold regular individual and family prayers.
3. Devotedly have daily personal and family scripture study.
4. Thankfully keep the Sabbath day holy.
5. Gratefully go to the temple often, there offering thanksgiving.
6. Willingly sustain and follow the new leaders.
7. Hold a stakewide fast, including everyone in the affected communities who would like to participate.

Look at those adjectives: Faithfully, Humbly, Devotedly, Thankfully, Gratefully, and Willingly. WOW!

He quotes President Hinckley “While tithing is paid with money, more importantly it is paid with faith.” And also “This is not so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith.” “…take the Lord at His word in this important matter.”

I can’t recall and I don’t have time to look it up, but one talk spoke to making the decision today to do something and then you never have to make that decision again. Tithing is one such decision you can make today and never have to go back on it.

This is a very important lesson to teach our children.