Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abstain from tea and coffee, along with other drinks and substances. We refer to this as the “Word of Wisdom.“
The question often comes up, “Why don’t you drink coffee?” This seems to be the one that really hangs people up. Abstain from cocaine? Makes sense. Alcohol? People can see it. COFFEE?!?!?!!?! People are befuddled.
This isn’t an easy question to answer, but I wanted to write my thoughts on it. The REAL reason we don’t drink coffee.
Do we not drink tea and coffee because it makes us healthier? Do we avoid coffee because it’s addictive? Do we avoid coffee for our body’s health?
Maybe.
Is that the primary reason we don’t drink coffee?
NO.
Why do we pay tithing?
Why do we partake of the sacrament on Sunday?
Why do we avoid going to the store or other activities on Sunday?
Why do we do any number of things the world finds peculiar?
It’s because we have made covenants with God to obey His commandments. That’s it. That’s why we do what we do. To be obedient to God.
Maybe it makes us healthier, maybe keeping the sabbath holy renews our spirits, maybe not swearing keeps our minds clean, maybe tithing brings us blessings. But are any of these maybes the real reason we do anything? It shouldn’t be.
We do these things because we love the Lord and have covenanted to follow Him. End of story. The world might call it restrictive, but from my personal experience, it is the EXACT opposite. It is freedom.
Imagine this hypothetical scenario: Every dollar you make in your entire life, you give 10 cents of it back. You do this from the day you can sell lemonade on the corner until you are 50 years old. Every dollar you make, 10 cents you give away. Every $1000, give away $100. For your entire life.
No matter how much you’ve given by the time you are 50 years old, whether in that time you’ve made millions and millions of dollars, or, like most, you’ve earned a respectable living, but what amounts to something like 1.5 million dollars in that time ($50,000 a year for 30 years).
And at 50 years you are given an unimaginable mansion. A mansion worth $100,000,000,000 ($100 billion for those who lose track of that many zeroes) on a private island with everything you could ever want or need.
Who wouldn’t take this offer?
You get to live in this mansion for the rest of your life but not only that, your life has been extended. You get to live 1000 years with no sickness or ailments.
It gets better, everyone you love and care about gets to be there with you.
Are you catching onto this hypothetical yet?
This is the principle of tithing.
You give ten percent of what you earn in this life. This amounts to almost nothing in comparison to the rewards. An eternal inheritance of life, substance, and family.
If the world knew this was the pattern, who wouldn’t give up their measly 10 percent of earnings?
Elder Melvin J. Ballard said: “Do we not hope and expect to have an inheritance in the celestial kingdom, even upon this earth in its redeemed state? [D&C 88:25-26; 130:9.] What are the terms under which we may obtain that inheritance? The law of tithing is the law of inheritance. It leads to it. No man may hope or expect to have an inheritance on this celestial globe who has failed to pay his tithing. By the payment of his honest tithing he is establishing a right and a title to this inheritance, and he cannot secure it upon any other terms but by complying with this and other just requirements; and this is one of the very essential things.”
President Joseph F. Smith: “By this principle (tithing) the loyalty of the people of this Church shall be put to the test. By this principle it shall be known who is for the kingdom of God and who is against it. By this principle it shall be seen whose hearts are set on doing the will of God and keeping His commandments. Thereby sanctifying the land of Zion unto God, and who are opposed to this principle and have cut themselves off from the blessings of Zion. There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle for by it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful.”
I know most think members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are eccentric bordering on insane to pay 10% of all they earn. I know most I tell are shocked. But if I truly believe this is Christ’s church, how insane would I be to give up an eternal heritance in His kingdom for any millions of dollars? That would be real insanity.
If you love God, you seek Him. If you love the earth, you seek it. If you love eternity, you seek it.
I often get overwhelmed by how messed up the time we live in can be. Where do we start in fixing things? The environment, abuse, hunger, racism, hatred, war, and so on. Where to begin?
I once listened to a well-known podcast. The topic came up: How do we really make the world better? They were talking about a person in a run-down county, in a run-down town that is addicted to drugs and whose family has lived in squalor for generations. How do we pull that person out? He has a family history of substance abuse and physical abuse. He has grown up in a poisonous way. How do we help him? How do we help so many people out there who are stuck?
It hit me as I was listening to this, I know how we fix this. I know how we solve hunger, and hate, and war. I know how we drag that person out of his tough life. I know how we make the world a better place. It’s a plan that the world will never get behind but, unbeknownst to the world, the plan is already in motion.
Look at the truly amazing organization of Christ’s Church, in the most simplistic way.
Every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is asked to give 10% of their increase (income) to the Church for the purpose of building up the Church by constructing church buildings, building temples, maintaining these buildings, producing printed materials, running websites and all other ways the Church spreads its message.
How does that help the poor? Each month every member of the Church is asked to fast one day. We are asked to take the money we would have spent on food that day and donate it to the church. This donation is called a “fast offering” and is used by the local church to help those in the area in need. Examples include meals for a young single mother, rent for a young person tough on their luck, or money to purchase furniture for a family who lost everything in a fire. It’s up to the discretion of the bishop in that area how fast offerings are used. This is a simple program that would revolutionize the world if everyone followed it: fasting and helping the needy.
These are principles God has given us to live by and one is to help the poor and needy. Now, just imagine. Imagine a world where EVERY PERSON gave 10% of what they make. Now consider if every person fasted one time per month and donated that money to someone who could distribute it around the world to those who need a meal every day? First, with 10% of the world income going to one place, there would be a great increase. That money could be used to spread messages of peace and love. Then, the excess could be used to help communities and people in need. The fast offerings would go to help all those who need food, housing, and security.
Communities need to change. There needs to be a focus on giving, not taking.
What about addiction? The answer is The Word of Wisdom. This is the policy handed down to the people by Christ Himself. It is the seemingly unbelievable advice to (GASP) not poison yourself. This means no alcohol, which has destroyed so many families. This means no tobacco, which kills so many. This means no drugs, which cause crime and desperation. What if the world stopped drinking coffee? (Woah, too far!) But think about it for a moment… A world where people don’t need a beverage in the morning just to feel enough energy to get through the day. If people didn’t use any of these substances, wouldn’t the world be a better place? Surely, no one can argue that point.
This comes down to something many people are not willing to accept. People, in general, are too selfish to give up 10% of the money they worked hard to earn. Many people in prosperous countries are unwilling to sacrifice two meals in a day, once a month. People refuse to give up alcohol because it’s how they have fun! They refuse to give up coffee because it’s how they get through the day. The last and ultimate thing people seem unwilling to do: Truly embrace Jesus Christ.
It’s amazing how the secular world espouses Christian values while devaluing where those values come from: Jesus Christ.
Christ is love (1 John 4:8). Christ is light (John 8:12). Christ is truth (John 14:6). Charity is the pure love of Christ (Moroni 7:47).
With a focus on Christ, comes a focus on others. He is the light of the world and without Him there is darkness. Why are we surprised by the darkness in the world when we have collectively turned from His light? The structure of Christ’s Church is meant to help us to help others. It’s meant to provide ways to get people out of their negative circumstances. It’s meant to help us collectively elevate to a higher plane.
If we tithe, fast, meditate, pray, and serve more, we could be better. This is all Christ asks of us.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest cause in the world”
Douglas D. Holmes
“Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own self destruction. Only the gospel will unite men and women of all races and nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and salvation to the human family.”
No Coincidences 