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One thing is required at the hands of this people, and to understand which there is no necessity for receiving a commandment every year, viz.: to pay their tithing. I do not suppose for a moment, that there is a person in this Church, who is unacquainted with the duty of paying tithing, neither is it necessary to have revelation every year upon the subject. There is the Law --pay one-tenth.
I like the term, because it is scriptural, and I would rather use it than any other. The Lord instituted tithing; it was practiced in the days of Abraham, and Enoch and Adam and his children did not forget their tithes and offerings. You can read for yourselves with regard to what the Lord requires. I want to say this much to those who profess to be Latter-day Saints -- if we neglect our tithes and offerings we will receive the chastening hand of the Lord. We may just as well count on this first as last. If we neglect to pay our tithes and offerings we will neglect other things and this will grow upon us until the spirit of the Gospel is entirely gone from us, and we are in the dark, and know not whither we are going.
Source: John A. Widtsoe Smith, ed. Discourses of Brigham Young, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1978. 174.
Tithing is a commandment from God, but it wasn't well received by the saints. The leadership stressed many times that tithing was to be paid.
Tithing is used to serve two purposes, to benefit the member and to help build up the kingdom of God.
Members are told that if they pay a full tithe, the Lord will reward them with both spiritual and temporal blessings.
Failure to be a full-tithe payer will prevent a member from receiving a temple recommend.
The principle of tithing is taught from the time members are children.