It's Not About the Money.

In reviewing Elder Jorge T. Becerra’s recent conference talk, I was impressed with his experience with tithing that took me on a walk down memory lane as I developed my own testimony on paying tithing. As I’ve been reviewing conference talks, I’ve found that they may become the most important thing I read that day—guiding my thoughts and, at times, shaping what I choose to write.

This was one of those messages.

Elder Becerra felt prompted to sell his car in order to become current on his tithing. That was no small thing—he depended on that car for his work.

He chose to act in faith.

The car sold for exactly the amount he needed to pay off the car and become current in his tithing to the Lord. That alone would have been remarkable. But within days, someone approached him, needing a larger vehicle for a growing family, and offered to sell his smaller car to him if he would take over the payments. A tender mercy to be sure.

The Lord was aware—of his need, his sacrifice, and his faith.

That principle has played out in my own life as well.

After my divorce, I needed to learn a lesson on tithing. In order to keep peace as a couple, I had not been paying tithing on my income — it was “our” money. Looking back, that thinking was flawed. When I received my first paycheck on my own, I stopped in my tracks. If I hadn’t been paying tithing before, then what would hold me back now?

The question was simple: Would I pay it?

I sat down and looked carefully at my finances. I was short—exactly the amount it would take to pay my tithing on that check.

I didn’t overthink it. I pulled out my checkbook and wrote the check immediately so I wouldn’t be tempted to hesitate. I would figure the rest out later.

Very shortly after, I received an unexpected merit raise without explanation.

That moment settled something deep in me. The Lord is aware. He watches over us as we choose to follow Him.

I’ve seen that same pattern in my daughter’s life.

She came into a significant amount of money—first through a divorce settlement, and then as the sole heir after her father passed away. What impressed me most wasn’t the amount, but her question.

She asked how to pay tithing on such a large sum.

And then she did it.

A few months later, she told me she had paid an honest tithe on her “windfall.” I knew that hadn’t been easy. But I’ve also watched what followed. A promotion came at work. Her son’s father moved closer, and is taking an active role in parenting. They now co-parent without discord. There has been peace—real and noticeable peace. She sees it too.

Tithing isn’t something the Lord needs. It’s something we need. It teaches us where our heart is. It quietly asks: Do I love God more than the things of this world?

President Gordon B. Hinckley once taught that paying an honest tithe helps establish spiritual strength. At its core, it is simple obedience—the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Christ showed us what that kind of obedience looks like. He laid down His life in complete submission to the Father’s will.

That is the path we are on too—learning, step by step, to trust Him, to follow Him, and to place Him above all else.