Tithing Is Not A Payment Plan, It Is a Transformation in Faith

“Tithing is fire insurance” might be one of the most repeated lines in Latter-day Saint culture, and also one of the most misunderstood. I’m not interested in a fear-based reading of God that sounds like “pay up or burn.” I want to get honest about what the scriptures actually say, why the language is so intense, and what that phrase is really pointing to: a life that’s already aligned with Jesus Christ before the refining day arrives.

We start in Doctrine and Covenants 64 and walk through the Second Coming imagery, Babylon as the world, and the idea that sacrifice is a “today” decision. From there, we shift to the heart of the commandment: tithing isn’t a financial subscription that purchases protection. It’s a faith practice that forces a choice between worldly security and covenant trust. If money represents control, options, and survival, then giving God the first ten percent becomes a powerful spiritual re-ordering.

Then we go straight to Malachi 3, where the Lord says “prove me now herewith.” We break down the promises people quote all the time and what they can look like in real life: windows of heaven that include peace, answers, strength, and sometimes direct financial help, plus the promise to “rebuke the devourer” when setbacks threaten to eat your future. We also talk about why obedience increases personal revelation, why temple worthiness is part of the conversation, and how tithing shapes identity through covenant living.

I share personal experience and pioneer stories that highlight the same theme: the most valuable blessing of tithing isn’t money, it’s who you become when you choose God first. If something in you feels stirred, don’t ignore it. Listen, share this with someone who’s wrestling with trust, and then subscribe, leave a review, and tell me this: what would it look like for you to “test Him” fully?

Transcript

Doctrine And Covenants 64 Explained

Tithing As Alignment With God

Malachi’s Promises And “Test Me”

Temple Worthiness And Revelation

A Real Story Of Choosing Tithing

Pioneer Faith In Hard Times

The Challenge To Pay Fully

SPEAKER_00 0:32

What if I told you that one of the most misunderstood commandments is also one of the most powerful tools and safety nets in your life? I'm sure you've heard it before, possibly joked about it, that tithing is fire insurance. But what does that actually mean? That's what we're discussing today during Todd Talks, Spirit by Design, where I help you develop the skills and faith necessary to overcome the chaos of the world in preparation for the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tithing is fire insurance. Is God saying pay up or burn? Now, I know several former televangelists that are in jail that would say this, yes, that's exactly what God was saying. I disagree. There is something much deeper happening, and I know because I've experienced the changes and blessings in my life by being a full tithe payer. Today, we're going to break this down in a very real way. I'll discuss what fire insurance actually means in doctrine, the promises tied to pain tithing, and real stories from pain tithes, where faith changed everything. By the end, I want you to ask yourself one honest question. Do I trust God enough to put him first, even when I don't think I can afford it? Let's start with the scripture that sparked the fire insurance phrase. In Doctrine and Covenants, section 6423, the Lord says, Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and 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. Then in verse 24, For after today cometh the burning. This is speaking of the manner of the Lord, for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble, and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of hosts, and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon. 25. Wherefore if you believe me, you will labor while it is called today. So he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming. Those verses were pretty intense, weren't they? In LDS theology, the second coming of Jesus Christ includes a cleansing, a symbolic and literal burning of the world to wipe wickedness off the face of the earth. Babylon is the term used for the world. So early members started saying, half seriously, well, I guess tithing is fire insurance. But here's the truth. Paying tithing isn't about buying protection or purchasing our way into heaven. That's not how it works. Or what this means. This means becoming the kind of person who is already aligned with God by the time of the second coming. A person who pays tithing is subjecting and subverting their own desires for that of the Lord and having faith in the Lord. Fire doesn't destroy what's already been purified. Tithing isn't a transaction, it's meant to be a demonstration, a faithful transformation. That's why you should know that tithing is all about trust. Tithing is simple by definition. It's 10% a tithe of your increase or income. Spiritually, it's one of the hardest commandments to live. I know. I remember several years ago where I did not have enough faith in tithing to be a full tithepayer. And you know what? We struggled financially. We struggled spiritually, we struggled emotionally. Tithing stresses and tests your faith because it hits your security, fear, control, and mainly it hits your finances. Money represents survival, control, options in this world. Why do you think so many people destroy their lives over money? Because it means options. God says, give me the first 10%, not what's left over. That's not a financial test, it's a test of your heart, a test of your faith. President Russell M. Nelson taught that when we choose God over worldly security, we unlock spiritual power. So the real question becomes: do I trust God more than I trust my bank account or my budget? That leads us to the promises made about tithing, one of the boldest in all of Scripture. In the book of Malachi, chapter 3, verses 8 through 10 or 11, it says, 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 be meat there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open 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. There's a bunch of blessings in there. But as I put emphasis on, the Lord says, Prove me now herewith. He literally says, Test me. That's what he's saying. In this instance, he's saying, test me. So let's break down the promises. He says he'll open the windows of heaven. What does this mean? It's blessings. Not always financial, not always money. Sometimes those blessings look like peace and chaos, answers you couldn't find before. A new job, strength when you were overwhelmed. And sometimes it is straight up financial benefits. Cash money. I've actually had that happen to me. Protection. He says he will rebuke the devourer. How many times have you avoided a financial disaster you didn't see coming or had something that lasted longer than it should? That's the devourer being held back. Third, clarity and direction. When you live the law of tithing, something shifts. You think clear, you feel guided, you listen to the spirit. You don't feel guilty or worried about money. Why? Because obedience invites revelation, and obedience breeds the attitude of acting on received revelation. And isn't that the whole point I've been trying to get across in all these Todd talks? Getting yourself into a position to receive and act on personal revelation. When you do that, you're living the life that God wants for you. Following his purpose for you. And when that happens, the blessings are abundant. Fourth is you get access to the temple. Being a full tithepayer is a requirement to worthiness to enter the temple. Temple isn't just a building like a chapel or any other building, it's where identity becomes clear. You make covenants in the temple that strengthen your life. And it's a place where you can more reliably feel the spirit in your life, which again is important to receive and act on personal revelation. Why? Because the temple is literally the house of Jesus on the earth. So let's get real. Real stories. Okay, my own story is probably the closest real story I can tell you. I already admitted that at one point in life I wasn't a full tithepayer. I'd choose groceries or whatever bill was coming about as opposed to paying tithing. I struggled and worried about money all the time. Money never seemed to be enough. I bounced checks. Then Tiffany and I made a simple decision. We were going to trust God and be full tithepayers. He said to test him, so we did. We paid tithing, not knowing how we'd pay all the bills, not knowing where food would come some months, and something miraculous happened. Money showed up when we weren't expecting it. We paid our bills, and there was always enough. Since that time, my faith has been strengthened even more. We've been blessed financially, spiritually, emotionally, all because we chose continuously and consciously to be full tithepayers. So I believe our faith in pain tithing unlocks the windows of heaven and that blessings will always come. Why? Because it's a promise from the Lord. He says, test me. Then when you test him, he answers. He does what he says 100% of the time. Again, I keep using it. There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven upon which all blessings are predicated. Well, one of those laws is tithing. God says, test me, be a full tithe bearer, and I'll bless you. You do so, and he blesses you. Done. End of story. There is no response other than he will bless you. It's not even a question of whether he will bless you. I've lived it. I have faith and knowledge that these blessings work. Early pioneers also struggled constantly, especially the farmers. There were accounts of members paying tithing during drought when crops were failing. Logically, it made no sense. Why give 10% when you might lose everything? But many did, and repeatedly they recorded crops surviving when neighbor fields failed, rain coming at critical moments, and resources stretching beyond explanation. Not every story ended in abundance, but nearly every faithful account includes one thing. They were sustained. Stories like these are abundant throughout history. So let's bring it back to the beginning. Fire insurance. It's a phrase. But here's the truth behind it: it's not about escaping destruction. It's about becoming someone who walks with God, trusts him fully, and lives in alignment with eternal law. That way when Christ comes, you're not scrambling and you're ready because your life already is a reflection of your faith in him. Blessings. So let's end with this challenge. Tithing is one of the only places that the Lord says, test me. So I challenge you, take him up on his offer. Test him, not casually, not halfway, fully. See what happens, not just with your finances, but in your peace, confidence, and spiritual power when you pay a full tithe. 10% of your income. Because in the end, the real blessing of tithing isn't about money, it's about who you become. And I know it works. This is Todd Talks. And if this hit you, if I stirred something inside of you, don't ignore it. Take one step. Act in faith. And let God prove what He's already promised. You know, this is Todd Talk Spirit by Design. I hope you are able to enjoy the blessings that Tiffany and I have been able to enjoy by following this law. It's a true, real fact that the Lord will bless you when you test him. And as always, have a blessed day.