-- May 17, 1899
President Lorenzo Snow received revelation in St. George prompting him to emphasize tithing (see D&C 119). (1)
Lorenzo Snow's revelation at St. George on necessity for church members to pay full 10 percent tithing, which conference votes to accept on May 30. Tithing is now on annual income only. However, individual general authorities and local leaders continue to differ about whether tithing should be on gross or net income. Text of revelation is part of his published sermon but never canonized by addition to D&C. (2)
-- Monday, May 29, 1899
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] 2 p.m. Afternoon session of officers meeting of Y.M.M.I.A., Pres. Lorenzo Snow presiding. Pres. Lorenzo Snow said, we are going to visit you in your stakes and tell you what the Lord has put in our hearts to tell you. Spoke upon the law of tithing, and said, if we don't obey it, this will not be a land of Zion to us. We don't half obey it. If the saints had paid an honest tithing during the past two years, there would be a million dollars in the treasury of the Church that is not there now. It is a question, he said, whether people who don't pay an honest tithing are entitled to go into the temple and receive blessings there. In conclusion he invoked the blessings of the Lord upon the young men present. (3)
-- Thursday, Jun 8, 1899
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] Speaking of the distribution of our literature in the world, Pres. Snow said the difficulty now confronting us is the lack of means. If the people would pay a just tithing, he said, there would be no trouble. (3)
-- Monday, Jun 12, 1899
[Apostle Rudger Clawson] 10 a.m. Second day of Salt Lake Stake Conference at the assembly hall, general priesthood meeting. Prest. Snow was the first speaker. Read from Section 85, Book of Covenants, bearing upon the law of tithing, also from Section 101. Said we have come here today to tell you exactly what the Lord expects of you and me with reference to the law of tithing. Speaking of the saints in Jackson County, said that God made certain promises to themâ€"namely, to bless and multiply them in that land, if they would observe to keep the law of consecration, but they failed to do it and God permitted their enemies to drive them out. Had they observed to keep His law, the Latter-day Saints would be the wealthiest community on the earth today. Said, "Brethren, you and I will never be called to go to Jackson County until we shall be willing to accept the law of consecration. After the people had failed in keeping this law, they were placed under another law, namely, that
of tithing, and we are now ... under that law."^1 He then read the revelation on tithing from the Book of Covenants. Not more than 50% of the tithing has been paid, said he, and also further remarked that, if a full tithing had been paid during the past year, there would be $1,000,000.00 in the treasury that is not there now. He said, "A part of a tithing is no tithing at all, any more than baptizing half the body constitutes a baptism. It is now time for the people to wake up and do their duty in this matter." Prest. Jos. F. Smith also spoke upon the law of consecration and tithing. (3)
Footnotes:
1 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Chronology of Church History, http://scriptures.lds.org/chchrono/contents
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - Stan Larson (editor), A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic diaries of Rudger Clawson, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1993
Mormon Tithing Timeline /Chronology
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
