Ether 12: Faith, Hope, and Charity

The piece above is one of my favorite pieces of art. To me it represents our founding fathers being guided by our creator, to build a nation greater than all others on this promised land. For several years now, I've tried to use these three principles as my guiding compass.

As I continued to read the Ether chapters in the Book of Mormon today, I was comforted by the guidance given in Ether 12. It is made clear by Moroni that Faith, Hope and Charity are essential to our salvation. v28 Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness. 

Let me share some scriptures that touch on these attributes specifically.

Faith: 
v3  saying unto them that by faith all things are fulfilled
v12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracles among them
v29 O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith
v31 for after they had faith, and did speak in thy name, thou didst show thyself unto them in great power.

Hope: 
v4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.
v32  wherefore man must hope, or he cannot receive an inheritance in the place which thou hast prepared.


Charity:
v34 And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.
v35  if the Gentiles have not charity, because of our weakness, that thou wilt prove them, and take away their talent, yea, even that which they have received, and give unto them who shall have more abundantly.
 v36 If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful

 These scriptures tell me that in order to receive all the blessings the Lord has promised us, we must have faith that his promises are possible.  It reminds me of a book I read years ago, that said that believing in Christ, is different then believing in the powers of Christ. We must also remain hopeful and positive in life. That need for hope reminds me to Love other regardless of their downfalls and to have hope in humanity, even when the world is looking grim. Having no hope in your heart can harden it and give Satan a way in. Last, but not least is Charity. There is no action greater on this earth, then giving of yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. If we are struggling and can still give charity in any of these 3 ways, we will always have an anchor to the gospel and to Christ. When we loose hold of that anchor, we can become lost. Giving ourselves to others, gives us a purpose. It reminds us that all men and woman on earth are children of our Heavenly Father and deserve his love, regardless of where they come from, their circumstances or their sins. 

While I sat here and compiled this post, I've thought more about the actual picture above. It was made years ago for the Glenn Beck TV show on Fox. I wasn't a viewer at the time, so I don't have first hand knowledge of his thoughts and purpose behind the piece. I do know however, he is LDS and I can't help but wonder if he used this chapter as one of his inspirations.

Why Do We Pay Thithing In the LDS church?

Prior to reading 3 Nephi, I had confirmation and a testimony of the commandments and principles we've been taught by numerous prophets throughout the Bible and Book of Mormon, but reading the commandments and promises received directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ in 3Nephi, really resonated with me the past few weeks. One principle in particular, is the law of tithing. Because I've struggled with this commandment over the years and just recently started paying tithing, I felt the prompting to research more and share my findings and thoughts. 

In Proverbs 3:9-10 it reads  “Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine”.  In the Old Testament and throughout the scriptures we are asked to give a part of our resources, as a way to honor and show gratitude the the Lord for all he blesses us with.

We can also think of paying tithing as a way of being obedient to the Lord.  In both 3Nephi 24:10 and Malachi 3:10 it reads "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse … and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” If we have a knowledge of what the lord has promised us, why do we reject the outpouring of our Lord's blessings?  In most cases it comes down to faith or not wanting to sacrifice.  Regardless if we are rich or poor, paying a tithe is a sacrifice. If we have little money, we have little to give. If we make more money, there always seems to be more we have to pay out. An old phrase I've heard shared many times is "I can't afford TO pay tithing", others respond with "I can't afford NOT to pay tithing".  Ask yourself, what are YOU willing to sacrifice in this temporal world to have everlasting joy?  By being obedient members in the LDS church, we are choosing to have faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. Not only have I questioned the "why" of paying my tithing, but I've questioned the "why" on other things I thought were not significant or would not "harm" me in an obvious or BIG way.  What I've come to realize first hand, is that by finally surrendering myself to the lord and not questioning these seemingly "small" actions, I have been immediately blessed.

 

In modern times we are not only asked to give one-tenth of our income, but we are asked to give of our time. In order to do either, we must have our heart in the right place. It's difficult juggling life in this day and age, but not only are we asked to go to church on Sunday for three hours, but as members of the LDS church, we are asked to hold callings to run the church as a whole, but also our local services each week.  Because our clergy is not paid, as members we choose not only to give our money to the Lord, but our time as well. Giving money and the time required to successfully fulfill or callings, does nothing for us or the Lord spiritually if we do so with a hardened heart. 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always ha,ving all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work”.  

One of the last reasons I'll touch on is the happiness we can receive by giving to others. By paying a fast offering and a tithe, our local leaders are given the power to receive revelation on how the money collected can and should be distributed to those in need. In Mosiah 4:26, King Benjamin told his people “I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants". I love what Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Down through history, poverty has been one of humankind’s greatest and most widespread challenges. Its obvious toll is usually physical, but the spiritual and emotional damage it can bring may be even more debilitating. In any case, the great Redeemer has issued no more persistent call than for us to join Him in lifting this burden from the people.”

I testify to you that by living the comparison of times I haven't paid tithing and have paid tithing, I have experienced the personal blessings promised to us by our Heavenly Father.  As my obedience grows, I keep asking myself "do I want the full blessings promised to me by my heavenly father" and by asking myself that question more frequently, I find making the right choice easier and easier.  We all have struggles and this has been one of mine in particular, but I find comfort in knowing that my Heavenly Father knows where my heart lays and he knows I'm working at becoming more obedient to his commandments each day.