Conference Talk of the Week

Overview

Elder Jorge T. Becerra connects Alma’s warning about an “awful dilemma” to the problem of being double-minded, wavering between God and other priorities. He teaches that one way the Lord helps us become single-hearted is the law of tithing and offerings: like Adam and Eve offering the “firstlings,” we show we are putting God first. Through his own experience of choosing to pay tithing despite financial pressure, and teachings from President Gordon B. Hinckley and Elder David A. Bednar, he testifies that obedience brings spiritual illumination, direction, and increased spiritual capacity.

Three Key Takeaways

• 1Alma’s “awful dilemma” can describe double-mindedness, instability that comes from divided commitments, so discipleship requires learning to put God first.
• 2The Lord’s pattern is to offer the “firstlings” (not leftovers); paying tithes and offerings is a modern, practical way to place God first and avoid wavering.
• 3Honoring tithing invites spiritual power and light: the Holy Ghost can bring direction and perspective (“windows of heaven”) as we obey with sacrifice, even in hard financial circumstances.

Reflection Questions

• Where do I notice double-mindedness in my life right now, areas where I try to serve God while protecting a different priority?
• When it comes to tithes and offerings, do I treat them as “firstlings” or as something I get to if there is enough left, what does that reveal about my trust in the Lord?
• What specific kind of spiritual illumination or direction am I seeking, and how might consistent, faithful tithing be part of the Lord’s way of giving it?