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Tithing My Time
At the age of eleven, and a recent convert, I was taught by President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) the principle of tithing. That lesson remains with me.
Paying an honest tithe was second nature to me and had never been a problem. Then some years later my then husband, who had been less active for six years, became more and more antagonistic towards the Church. One day, he said that he hoped I was not paying his money to “that Church!”
Of course, I was tithing my housekeeping. I realised I needed to talk to the Lord and found a quiet place to kneel and to pray. The answer that came was, “I do not require tithing that is begrudged”.
My reply was, “I just pay my tithing. I have always paid tithing. What can I do?”
The quiet response came, “Tithe your time. Write to the missionaries from the Liverpool Stake and help strengthen them.”
I was obedient and did just that. My first letter was written to Elder Edward Goble from the Crosby Ward. It was a venture into the unknown for me, but I had been blessed with a talent for the written word, so I put pen to paper. The words came, and that first letter was written and mailed.
Since that day, I have been blessed to write many missionary letters through the guidance of the Spirit. Words come faster than my pen can write! Words of encouragement, hope and uplift, and there I stand, in awe of what those words teach. They have not come from me. I have been blessed to be an instrument in the Lord’s hands and tithing my time has been inspirational.
This adventure began during the 1970s, and although I’ve been able to pay my tithing again for many years, I have continued to write my missionary letters because it is a joy to touch lives for good.
It has been a wonderful experience, a rich blessing across five decades. How grateful I am that the Lord told me to tithe my time and write.