Elder Neil L. Andersen: ‘Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven’
‘Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives’
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 193rd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 30, 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Elder Neil L. Andersen: ‘Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven’
‘Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives’
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday afternoon session of the 193rd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 30, 2023.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday afternoon session of October 2023 general conference about the blessings that come into individuals’ lives as they obey the law of tithing. The following is a summary of what he said.
Elder Andersen’s talk summary
“With all the Lord gives to us, He has asked us to return to Him and His kingdom on earth 10% of our increase. He has promised us that as we are honest in our tithes, He will ‘open … the windows of heaven, and pour … out a blessing’” (Malachi 3:10).
The windows of heaven can open both temporally and spiritually. Some blessings are subtle and easy to overlook. “Trust in the Lord’s timing; the blessings always come.”
The world speaks of tithing in terms of money, but it is principally a matter of faith. “Being honest in our tithes is one way we show our willingness to put the Lord first in our lives, above our own cares and interest.”
These sacred funds do not belong to the leaders of the Church, but to the Lord. “His servants are painstakingly aware of the sacred nature of their stewardship.”
In the last year, generous tithes and offerings were used to bless those in need, send missionaries throughout the world, build and maintain temples and meetinghouses, and sponsor five institutions of higher learning. “These blessings and so many more come in large measure from the young and old of every economic circumstance who pay an honest tithe.”
Notable quotes
The only permanent solution to the poverty of this world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The spiritual power of the divine law of tithing is not measured by the amount of money contributed, for both the prosperous and the poor are commanded by the Lord to contribute 10% of their income. The power comes from placing our trust in the Lord.
The added abundance of the Lord conveyed through your generous tithes has strengthened the reserves of the Church, providing opportunities to advance the Lord’s work beyond anything we have yet experienced. All is known by the Lord, and in time, we will see His sacred purposes fulfilled.
See the full text of Elder Andersen’s talk: ‘Tithing: Opening the Windows of Heaven’
Who is Elder Andersen?
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Elder Neil L. Andersen was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 4, 2009. He began serving as a General Authority Seventy in 1993, during which time he managed the development of the film “The Testaments of One Fold and One Shepherd” and supervised the initial launch of Mormon.org, now ComeUntoChrist.org.
- Elder Andersen served a mission in France from 1970 to 1972, presided over the France Bordeaux Mission from 1989 to 1992, and accompanied President Henry B. Eyring as he dedicated the Paris France Temple on May 21, 2017. In addition to English, he speaks French, Portuguese and Spanish.
- He met his wife, Sister Kathy Williams Andersen, while attending Brigham Young University. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on March 20, 1975, and are the parents of four children.
- Elder Andersen worked as an advertising executive and later as a vice president of Morton Plant Health System.
What has Elder Andersen done recently?
- During the April 2023 general conference, he spoke on focusing on Jesus Christ..
- ‘Teach and testify more frequently and more powerfully of Jesus Christ,’ Elder Andersen tells teachers
- Elder Andersen shares three characteristics that can help in keeping commitments
- Brazil’s capital city now home to nation’s 10th dedicated house of the Lord
Read more of Elder Andersen’s general conference addresses, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
