Relief Society · Elders Quorum · 25 minutes
Elder Moisés Villanueva · Of the Seventy · Sunday Afternoon Session
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The Lord keeps His promise to open the windows of heaven for those who pay tithing, but His blessings often come in subtle ways and on His timing, so we learn to recognize them.
Skip retelling the full widow of Zarephath account and the propane tank story; mention them briefly and spend the time on the discussion about recognizing subtle blessings.
Before Sunday
Sunday: Elder Villanueva on tithing blessings
This Sunday we will discuss Elder Moisés Villanueva's October 2026 talk "Prove Me Now Herewith." He tells of a sister whose testimony of tithing weakened because the promotion she hoped for never came, and the counsel he gave her. Before Sunday, read Malachi 3:10 and ponder: what blessings has the Lord given you that you might have overlooked because they were not what you expected?
Pick one opening
Malachi 3:10 promises that the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing. When you picture that promise, what do you imagine the blessing looks like? Take a moment, and then let's hear a few answers. Keep those pictures in mind, because Elder Villanueva suggests the Lord's answer may look different from what we expect.
Malachi 3:10 promises that the Lord will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing. When you picture that promise, what do you imagine the blessing looks like? Take a moment, and then let's hear a few answers. Keep those pictures in mind, because Elder Villanueva suggests the Lord's answer may look different from what we expect.
Elder Villanueva tells of a faithful sister who came to him after sacrament meeting. She had always paid a full tithe, but she never got the promotion she hoped for or the raise she felt she had earned, and her testimony of tithing was starting to weaken. Before we hear what he told her, think about this: what would you have said to her?
Elder Villanueva was baptized at age 10. His mother had separated from his father and was supporting eight children, most of them young. Money was very tight. When the missionaries taught the law of tithing, she chose to trust the Lord's promise in Malachi 3:10 and pay a full tithe anyway. He calls it the change that took the greatest faith and sacrifice for his family.
Teach this first
The Lord promises blessings for paying tithing, and He keeps His promises (Doctrine and Covenants 58:31). But we sometimes expect those blessings to come in the form and timing we want, rather than His. Elder Villanueva, quoting Elder David A. Bednar, teaches that tithing often brings significant but subtle blessings that are easy to overlook. The Holy Ghost can help us see them.
Quoting Elder David A. Bednar, Elder Villanueva taught that "we often receive significant but subtle blessings that are not always what we expect and easily can be overlooked."
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Elder Villanueva's mother and the widow of Zarephath both gave from very little, trusting the Lord before they could see how things would work out. Elder Villanueva teaches that blessings come after the trial of our faith (see 1 Kings 17:13–16).
Ask the class
Counsel together
Last 3–5 minutes
This week, follow Elder Villanueva's counsel to that sister: write your own list of the subtle blessings the Lord has given you, and ask the Holy Ghost to help you see ones you have missed.
Elder Villanueva promised that when we live the law of tithing, the Lord opens the windows of heaven and pours out blessings that there shall not be room enough to receive (Malachi 3:10).
Your witness: Think of one blessing in your own life you did not recognize at first as coming from the Lord. Share it briefly and say what it has taught you about His promises.