From that time the spirit of gathering has rested richly upon the saints of the Most High, and tens of thousands have gathered from many nations of the earth. The Saints will continue until they are assembled in the places designated for them to occupy. Since the date mentioned, the spirit of the gathering also has been working among the Jews, and when all things are revealed it will undoubtedly be found that the spirit of gathering is working among the ten lost tribes of Israel, looking to the restoration promised to them in the predictions of their fathers. Thus in the purpose of God will be accomplished the gathering together in one, all who will serve Him and keep His commandments, that they may "learn of His ways and walk in His paths," that the earth may be "filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the mighty deep, when no man shall say to his neighbor, 'know ye the Lord,' for all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest."
TITHING.
Unlike other religious sects professing Christianity, the Latter-day Saints do not observe the law of tithing, the ordinances of baptism, confirmation or any other sacred rite merely because the Bible records that such observances were had among the ancient saints, but for the reason that in this age of the world, God has commanded us to receive these laws and ordinances.
The law of tithing was given in the early history of God's dealings with the children of men. Abraham paid tithes to Melchisedek, according to the statement of Paul to the Hebrews. The apostle also refers to the fact that the tribe of Levi had been selected from all the sons of Israel to officiate in that order of the priesthood which has to do with the outward ordinances of tithes and sacrifice, and notwithstanding there was a higher order, of which Melchisedek was the great High Priest, those bearing the higher priesthood were not exempt from the law of tithing. (Heb. vii:4-5.)
Jacob also paid one-tenth to the Lord. (Gen. xxviii:20-22.) During the administration of Moses as the leader and lawgiver under the Almighty to Israel, tithing was enjoined as a universal law to the people of God. "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad." (Lev. xxvii:30, 32, 33.) This did not require a selection of the very choicest product of the flock, the herd or the soil, neither did it justify a man in offering for his tithes the poorest or least valuable of his income. Of the flocks, each one "that passeth under the rod" was to be tithed. The custom was to pen the flocks in a corral, with a gateway too small for the passage of more than one animal at a time; and as they passed out, a man stood at the gateway with a rod in his hand, and as the tenth one of the flock went out, the man at the gate marked the animal with his rod. Thus every tenth one, whether it was good, poor or medium, was sanctified to the Lord as tithing; any disposition to offer as a tithe an inferior article was disapproved of by the Lord. In matters of sacrifice upon the altar, pointing to the sacrifice of the Great Redeemer who should be offered in the meridian of time to redeem a fallen world, Israel was positively forbidden to offer the blind, the lame or the bruised. "Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer; for it shall not be acceptable for you. * * * Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the Lord, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the Lord." (Lev. xxii:19, 22.)
The atonement symbolized by the sacrifices was one (the Lamb of God) free from blemish in every particular—"a pure and perfect being without spot or blemish." Not only was the offering upon the altar a reminder of the atonement as a fact, by the shedding of blood, but the character and quality of the offering must symbolize the perfect purity of the Son of God.
While tithing was not so directly pointing to the atonement, nor was it designed for that purpose, it is yet an offering to the Lord required by Him, to be used for righteous purposes and to prepare the heart of the tithe-payer to give his all to God, to consecrate all in the interest of human redemption. The Lord, in tithing, does not demand the best nor justify His people in offering that of the least value in any substance tithed. How penurious, mean and small-souled on the part of any saint it would be to offer for tithing that of the poorest value to himself, especially in the light of the fact that God is the Giver of all we enjoy, whether of a spiritual or physical nature, and in the face of His great liberality in not demanding a selection of the very best of any product which is tithed. If any man is tempted to pay the poorest calf, the poorest ton of hay, or a scabby sheep to rid himself of it, let him remember the word of the Lord to ancient Israel and the condemnation that followed when they robbed God in tithes and offerings.
These injunctions continued throughout all the history of Israel, from Moses to the Savior. Malachi says "And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?" (Mal. i:8.) It should be considered evil to offer such for tithing in our day. When Israel turned from their observance of this law, as from all others enjoined by the Almighty, the people were reprimanded severely, and were followed by the withering hand of God's displeasure. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, 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. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts, and all nations shall call you blessed, for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts." (Mal. iii:8-12.) Thus was the law of tithing given to Israel; thus were they to be blessed in its observance and cursed if they transgressed it. As the law was given anciently for the same purposes as in this dispensation, it would naturally agree in the blessings following its observances and the curses for its disobedience. When the Savior chastised the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, He evidently approved the law of tithing, for He said, "But woe unto you Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." (Luke: xi:42.)
It is erroneously supposed by many that the laws observed by Israel previous to Christ's atonement were almost entirely obliterated, being, as many think, all fulfilled in His mission on earth. A little reflection upon this subject will correct this error in the minds of all who are diligently and honestly seeking for the truth. The Ten Commandments themselves are pre-eminently a part of the Gospel of Christ. When the young man came to the Messiah to learn the way of salvation, he was enjoined to observe the commandments, "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery," etc. (Matt. xix;16-21.) Whatever was discontinued after the atonement was that which had been established to symbolize and teach the great atonement to come. The offerings of lambs and bullocks in sacrifice was dispensed with, as it had pointed to the coming atonement now fulfilled in the Messiah. It was replaced by the sacrament, the broken bread and the wine, both blessed and administered to the disciples and enjoined as a continuous ordinance to keep bright in memory the sufferings, atonement and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.