Part 2-Budgeting: Building "A House of Order"-- Recap of our February Quarterly RS Activity!

The second part of our activity focused on budgeting and getting our finances in order as a way to have more peace in our lives and have the ability to give and share with others. As mentioned during the lesson, we are all at different places financially--and that is okay.

The scriptures and general authorities teach that we should get out of debt as soon as possible and avoid debt at all costs. Debt is something that binds us down and literally makes us "servants to the lender." As we strive to live within our means, have a plan, make sacrifices, and work diligently, we can become free from the chains of debt and experience peace from knowing that we are doing what Heavenly Father would have us do. We can have peace of mind and spirit and eliminate stress and worry from our lives as we have our finances in order and are able to take care of our family's temporal needs. We can then share and give to others more abundantly when we do not owe the bank, Visa, or Sallie Mae! ;)

As discussed in our lesson, every specific aspect one program or way of managing finances will not necessarily apply to every person or family--everyone is different. Take bits and pieces of what works for you. Some people are more disciplined and are able to use credit cards as a way to build points--and then pay them off completely each month by using money in their account and therefore not accruing debt. For others, that may not be the best option, and using cash (and debit cards) feels like the best way. Another way to manage over spending is to use the cash envelope system for categories such as entertainment, food, clothing, and gas.

Most importantly, we have been instructed by our Heavenly Father to live within our means and get our finances in order. It may feel overwhelming, stressful, and hopeless at times. But it is possible! Trust in the help that will come as we trust in Heavenly Father and seek His help.

Here are some ideas that were shared at our meeting. And as mentioned that night, much of the information was taken from Dave Ramsey, and you do not have to agree or follow everything he says. Read, learn more, give it a try, and figure out if it works for you.

For more information, check out Dave Ramsey online.

Here is one of the books mentioned as well: The Total Money Makeover

Tips and Ideas that will lead to Financial Peace---

all taken from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University program.

~Put God first--everything we have comes from Him! Tithing always comes first. Pray for help!

~Budget--- Have a plan! (Give-Save-Spend)

            -Make a new budget each month, as some expenses vary month to month.

            -Spend all $ on paper before the month begins—know where your money is going!

            -Use cash/envelope system for certain categories such as food, clothing, and entertainment.

~Avoid using credit cards—use cash or debit cards instead!

~Have an emergency fund so that you do not have to rely on credit or borrowing from family/friends during unexpected emergencies.

~Save ahead of time (a little bit month to month) for upcoming expenses or items you would like to purchase—that way you can pay in cash and it doesn’t rock the budget.

~Get out of debt ASAP using the debt snowball—make sacrifices where necessary.

~ “If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else.”

~Get our lives and finances in order so that we can experience peace and then be able to live and give like never before. Once we help ourselves in this way we are free to reach out and help others.

Step 1: $1,000 emergency fund ($500 with an income of $20,000 or less). This fund is for EMERGENCIES ONLY. This is the foundation so that when emergencies arise, credit cards won't have to be the go-to! This is the beginning of peace of mind, knowing that there is money in the bank in the chance of an unexpected expense.

Step 2: Pay off Debt using the Debt Snowball! List all debts in order from lowest balance to highest (excluding house mortgage). Pay only the minimum payment due on all debts except for the lowest balance. Pay as much as possible per month on the lowest debt until it is paid completely. Then apply what was being paid on the first debt to the next, creating a snowball effect. Continue this pattern as each debt is paid off. 

Step 3: 3-6 month Full Emergency Fund.  Once all debts are paid (aside from mortgage), begin saving 3-6 months worth of household expenses. This is considered a fully funded emergency fun in the event of loss of employment or more expensive emergencies. This is separate from saving for items to be purchased. The goal is to have a full emergency fund at all times. 

Step 4: Investing-- more info here. 

Step 5: Save for Children's College Fund-- more info here. 

Step 6: Pay off House EARLY! pay more and make extra payments in order to pay off home before the original pay off date.

Step 7: GIVE. Once our family finances are fully in order, we will have more opportunities to share and give in more abundance. 

Lesson: Temporal salvation for ourselves and others

George Albert Smith, Chapter 20,
Temporal salvation for ourselves and others

George Albert Smith became President of the Church as World War II was ending. The war had left many nations devastated, and thousands of people were without food and other necessities. In a general conference address, President Smith described their plight and urged the Saints to help relieve their suffering:

“They are all [God’s] children. They need us; they need not only our moral support and our religious teaching, but they need food and clothing and bedding and help of all kinds because, in many cases, they haven’t anything left. If you could see some of the letters that come into our office from some of the poor people over there, it would wring your hearts. People who have been taken away from their homes with the idea that they were going to be allowed to settle elsewhere, and all of a sudden deserted, and then when they returned to their homes, found them pillaged and robbed of what they had—everything—and left helpless, with no place to go.”

Because the Church had been in the practice of storing food for many years, it was prepared to help in these circumstances. Efforts to provide such help began near the end of 1945, when President Smith went to Washington, D.C., to make arrangements with the president of the United States, Harry S Truman, to send food and clothing to Europe. During their meeting President Truman said, “We will be glad to help you in any way we can. … How long will it take you to get this ready?”

President Smith surprised him by replying: 

“It’s all ready. … We [have been] building elevators and filling them with grain, and increasing our flocks and our herds, and now what we need is the cars and the ships in order to send considerable food, clothing and bedding to the people of Europe who are in distress. We have an organization in the Church [the Relief Society] that has over two thousand homemade quilts ready.”

President Smith reported to the Saints that as a result of these shipments, “many people received warm clothing and bedding and food without any delay. Just as fast as we could get cars and ships, we had what was necessary to send to Europe.”

 

^{Main topics}

If we are wise with our means, we will be prepared for hard times.

The Lord has directed us to work to earn our own livelihood.

Neither the rich nor the poor should set their hearts upon riches.

Through tithing and other offerings, we assist in the work of the Church and bless those in need.

If we are generous with our means, there is no need for anyone to go without.

 

^{When you think about each topic, ask yourselves these questions:}

^{Why is this principle important?
What makes it hard? (What are the obstacles to living it?)
What makes it easy, or could make it easier to live?
What are the blessings that come from living it?}

The answers may provide insight into why our church teaches principles and how you can live them better.

Conclusion

If we desire to be identified with the kingdom of our Lord, the celestial kingdom, this is our opportunity to prepare,—with love unfeigned, with industry, with thrift, with perseverance, with a desire to do all that is within our power to bless others, to give—not to be always feeling we must receive, but desire to give, for I say to you: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:35.]

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of giving, not only of our substance but of ourselves, and I thank my Heavenly Father that I belong to such an organization that has been so instructed.

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The Blessings of Tithing

God’s purpose in giving us commandments is to bless us. He wants to give us eternal life, the greatest of all His gifts (see D&C 14:7). To receive the gift of living with Him forever in families in the celestial kingdom, we must be able to live the laws of that kingdom (see D&C 88:22).

He has given us commandments in this life to help us develop that capacity. The law of tithing is one of those preparatory commandments.

Tithing has a special purpose as a preparatory law. Early in this dispensation, the Lord commanded certain members of the Church to live the higher law of consecration—a law received by covenant. When this covenant was not kept, great tribulations came upon the Saints. The law of consecration was then withdrawn. In its place the Lord revealed the law of tithing for the whole Church.

On July 8, 1838, He declared: “And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.

“… Those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever.”

The law of tithing prepares us to live the higher law of consecration—to dedicate and give all our time, talents, and resources to the work of the Lord. Until the day when we are required to live this higher law, we are commanded to live the law of the tithe, which is to freely give one-tenth of our income annually.

There are at least three ways that paying a full tithe in this life prepares us to feel what we need to feel to receive the gift of eternal life.

First, when we pay our tithes to the Church, our Heavenly Father pours out blessings upon us. Anyone who has consistently paid a full tithe knows that is true.

To those who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the Lord promises an abundance of blessings. Some of these blessings are temporal, just as tithes are temporal. But like the outward physical ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, the commandment to pay tithing requires temporal sacrifice, which ultimately yields great spiritual blessings.

I know of a couple who lived thousands of miles from the nearest temple. Although they earned little, they faithfully paid their tithing and saved all that they could to journey to the house of the Lord. After a year, the husband’s brother—not a member of the Church—unexpectedly came forward and offered them two airplane tickets. This temporal blessing made possible the spiritual blessings of their temple endowments and sealing. An additional spiritual blessing came later as the brother, touched by the couple’s humble faithfulness, joined the Church.

Tithing develops and tests our faith. By sacrificing to the Lord what we may think we need or want for ourselves, we learn to rely on Him. Our faith in Him makes it possible to keep temple covenants and receive eternal temple blessings. Tithing is a principle of faith more than a principle of finances.

Video Clip - Elijah and the widow of Zarapheth

 Second, all of us who have paid a consistent full tithe feel greater confidence in asking God for what we and our families need. He has promised blessings even greater than we can receive when we have been faithful to our covenant to pay our tithes (see Malachi 3:10).

 In the case of tithing, the Lord has said, “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.”

Would any of us intentionally reject an outpouring of blessings from the Lord? Sadly, this is what we do when we fail to pay our tithing. We say no to the very blessings we are seeking and praying to receive. If you are one who has doubted the blessings of tithing, I encourage you to accept the Lord’s invitation to “prove [Him] now herewith.” Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s laws and commandments.

Third, those who pay tithing feel an increase in their love of God and of all God’s children. That increase of love comes from understanding how the Father uses the tithes we offer to bless people in this world and for eternity.

Through His authorized servants, He expends the tithes with great care. The tithe payer helps the Lord build temples, where families can be sealed forever. The tithe payer helps Him send the gospel to people everywhere. The tithe payer helps Him relieve hunger and suffering in His own way through His servants. Any of those servants can tell you how love increased because tithing was used to bless people. And so can the faithful tithe payer.

The Lord desires that all His children have the blessings of tithing. Too often we as parents do not teach and encourage our children to live this law because their contribution only amounts to a few cents. But without a testimony of tithing, they are vulnerable. In their teenage years, they become attracted to clothes, entertainment, and expensive possessions and risk losing the special protection that tithing provides.

Fathers and mothers, as you prepare for tithing settlement I encourage you to gather your little ones around you and help them count their pennies. Help your young men and young women consult their records and take inventory of their annual increase. What a marvelous opportunity this is to plant the seed of faith in the hearts of your children. You will start them on a path that leads to the temple. The generations of your ancestors before you and your posterity after you will rise up and call you blessed, for you will have prepared your children to perform saving ordinances on their behalf. It is no coincidence, my brothers and sisters, that under the direction of God’s living prophet on the earth today, President Gordon B. Hinckley, temples are spreading over the earth. Keeping the commandments, which includes paying our tithing, will qualify us to enter those temples, be sealed to our families, and receive eternal blessings.

In a few weeks each of us will have the sacred opportunity to sit once again with our bishop and settle our tithing with the Lord. Your bishop will be gentle and kind. He will understand the challenges you face. If you cannot pay back what you missed paying in the past, go forward. Begin today. Share with your bishop your commitment to pay a full tithe in the future, and work out a plan to return to the temple as soon as possible. As soon as you have demonstrated your faith in paying tithing over a period of time and kept the other necessary commandments, you will be able to enjoy the eternal blessings of the temple. I plead with you, do not let this opportunity pass by. 
Sources:
Elder Henry B. Eyring, The Blessings of Tithing, Ensign June 2011
Elder Robert D. Hales, Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings, October 2002 General Conference

Lesson: Tithing

Gospel Principles

Chapter 32 Tithes and Offerings 

Taught by Kylie Hood

What is tithing

Anciently, Abraham and Jacob obeyed the commandment to pay a tithe of one-tenth of their increase.

In modern times the Prophet Joseph Smith prayed, “O Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou requirest of the properties of thy people for a tithing” (D&C 119, section introduction). The Lord answered: “This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever” (D&C 119:3–4).

The First Presidency has explained that “one-tenth of all their interest annually” refers to our income (see First Presidency letter, Mar. 19, 1970).

When we pay tithing we show our faithfulness to the Lord. We also teach our children the value of this law. They will want to follow our example and pay tithing on any money they receive.

Why we pay tithing
To help build the Kingdom. Out of gratitude to God for all He gives us. As a way to retain the remission of our sins. To prepare for the Law of Consecration. To change our hearts.

Why our attitude is important

It is important to give willingly. “When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of a part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed” (Stephen L Richards, The Law of Tithing [pamphlet, 1983], 8).

The Apostle Paul taught that how we give is as important as what we give. He said, “Let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

How our tithes are used

1. Build, maintain, and operate temples, meetinghouses, and other buildings.
2. Provide operating funds for stakes, wards, and other units of the Church. (These units use the funds to carry out the ecclesiastical programs of the Church, which include teaching the gospel and conducting social activities.)
3. Help the missionary program.
4. Educate young people in Church schools, seminaries, and institutes.
5. Print and distribute lesson materials.
6. Help in family history and temple work.

Other offerings

Other offerings include fast offerings, for missionary work, the Perpetual Education Fund, temple construction, and humanitarian aid.

Members also offer their time, skills, and goods to help others. This service allows the Church to help needy members and nonmembers around the world at community, national, and international levels, especially when disasters occur.

Consider tithing a 10th of your time...11 hours a week!

We are blessed
The Lord promises to bless us as we faithfully pay our tithes and offerings. He said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith … 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” (Malachi 3:10).

Latter-day revelation tells of another blessing for those who tithe: “Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming” (D&C 64:23).

The blessings we have been promised are both material and spiritual. If we give willingly, Heavenly Father will help us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter.

Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people “will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them” (“Inspirational Thoughts,” Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7).

The Lord will also help us grow “in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).

Those who pay their tithes and offerings are greatly blessed. They have a good feeling that they are helping to build the kingdom of God on earth.

How have you been blessed from paying tithing?

Photo credit

Lesson Recap: Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually

Elder Robert D. Hales Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Taught by Cheryl Wentzel

What does being a provident provider mean to you?

New uses for old things? "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without"? Feeding the poor, looking after the widows, avoiding excess. Yes, all these and more.

President Hales gives up this definition:

All of us are responsible to provide for ourselves and our families in both temporal and spiritual ways.

To provide providently, we must practice the principles of provident living: joyfully living within our means, being content with what we have, avoiding excessive debt, and diligently saving and preparing for rainy-day emergencies.

When we live providently, we can provide for ourselves and our families and also follow the Savior’s example to serve and bless others.

Our world fraught with feelings of entitlement

When we go into debt to buy things we can't afford...we give away some of our precious, priceless agency and put ourselves in self-imposed servitude.

Money we could have used to care for ourselves and others must now be used to pay our debts. What remains is often only enough to meet our most basic physical needs.

Living at the subsistence level, we become depressed, our self-worth is affected, and our relationships with family, friends, neighbors, and the Lord are weakened. We do not have the time, energy, or interest to seek spiritual things.

Avoid and overcome patterns of debt, addiction to worldly things

1. Learn that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”
2. Learn to say to one another, “We can’t afford it, even though we want it!”
3. Or, “We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it!”
4. Communicate with our husbands. As we counsel and work together in family councils, we can help each other become provident providers and teach our children to live providently as well.
5. Pay a full tithe, and fast offerings.
6. Ask ourselves, “Is the benefit temporary, or will it have eternal value and significance?”

Turn to the Lord
The appetite to possess worldly things can only be overcome by turning to the Lord. The hunger of addiction can only be replaced by our love for Him. He stands ready to help each one of us. “Fear not,” He said, “for you are mine, and I have overcome the world” (D&C 50:41).

As children of God, our deepest hunger and what we should be seeking is what the Lord alone can provide—His love, His sense of worth, His security, His confidence, His hope in the future, and assurance of His love, which brings us eternal joy.

Thanks Cheryl! Very timely in this uncertain economy.

Ellen King