November 8, 2026 | www.GospelofJesusChrist.blog | River Wilde
Scary, right? To live your life thinking that if you are not paying your tithing, you will be burned at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Where does this teaching come from, and what did Jesus actually teach about tithing and the end times?
First and foremost, this article is written not with the intent to jab at a religion. Rather, it is written for a great many people whom I love who are constantly worrying about things like this.
I would like to share FACTS and remove the anxiety that you might be experiencing… That’s it!
Here is the doctrine that is taught, so we can see the wording with certainty.
1. The primary source: Doctrine and Covenants 64:23
This is the passage that most directly connects tithing with being burned at Christ’s coming.
The LDS scripture states:
“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.”
Notice the final words:
“For he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.”
This is not a verse found in the King James Bible. It comes from the LDS Doctrine and Covenants. The wording promises protection to those who are tithed. But we need to examine what the Bible says about salvation, judgment, and the role of money.
2. How LDS leaders have reinforced this teaching
In an April 1983 General Conference address, LDS leader Hartman Rector Jr. connected failure to pay tithing with being burned at the Second Coming, describing tithing as a critical criterion of judgment.
When I lost my temple recommend because I was paying tithing directly to those in need rather than to the “Corporation of the Church,” I made the scripture study of tithing a major focus of mine.
What I had done felt right to me, so why was I being punished by not being allowed to attend the temple?
Let me ask all of you reading this: Do you know what Jesus taught regarding tithing when He was on the earth? Do you know that it is very different than what was being taught at the time, as recorded in the Old Testament?
Let me share my findings with you, so that you can begin to find some relief of your anxiety.
Tithing in the Old Testament Compared to What Jesus Christ Actually Taught (KJV)
In the Old Testament, tithing was a requirement under the Law of Moses. The Israelites were commanded to give a tenth of their agricultural produce, livestock, and increase to support the Levites, who had no inheritance of land like the other tribes. Leviticus 27:30.
Numbers 18:21 explains that these tithes were given to the Levites for their service in the tabernacle. Tithing was therefore part of a larger system established specifically for the nation of Israel, supporting religious service, worship, and the needs of the community.
In **Malachi 3:10, **God commanded Israel to “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,” promising blessings for their obedience.
However, this command was given within God’s covenant relationship with Israel under the Mosaic Law, not as a direct instruction to New Testament Christians.
New Testament Teachings
When Jesus Christ came to the earth, His teachings placed a much greater emphasis on the condition of a person’s heart than on the amount of money they contributed.
Jesus did acknowledge tithing while speaking to the Pharisees, who were still living under the Law of Moses. In Matthew 23:23, He declared,
*“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.” *
Jesus was exposing the hypocrisy of religious leaders who meticulously paid their tithes while neglecting the very qualities God desired from them. Notice that Jesus did not condemn their obedience to the law of tithing; rather, He condemned their belief that outward religious observance could substitute for genuine righteousness, mercy, and faith.
Jesus also taught that our relationship with money reveals where our hearts truly reside. In Matthew 6:21, He declared, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Later, in Matthew 6:24, He warned, “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Jesus was teaching that money must never become our master, nor should our relationship with God be **measured by our financial contributions. **
Consider the poor widow in Mark 12:41–44, who gave two small coins into the treasury. Jesus praised her because she gave sacrificially, even though her contribution was far smaller than those of the wealthy. His teaching was not about meeting a required percentage, but about the sincerity, sacrifice, and love behind the gift.
Perhaps the most important distinction is that Jesus never established a universal command requiring His followers to pay ten percent of their income to obtain salvation or avoid punishment at His return.
Instead, He taught generosity, compassion, and caring for those in need. In Luke 6:38, Jesus said,
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”
Following His resurrection, the apostles further explained the principle of Christian giving. In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul wrote,
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
This beautifully illustrates the difference between a legal obligation under the Old Testament covenant and the voluntary, heartfelt generosity encouraged among believers under the New Covenant.
From law to heartfelt generosity in giving and caring for the poor.
Given to the Poor and Needy, NOT to a Church
Example is one of the greatest teachers!
When we examine the ministry of the apostles following the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find no biblical record of the apostles collecting mandatory tithes from believers as payment for their service to God. Instead, they devoted themselves to preaching the Gospel, teaching the Word of God, and serving others.
The Apostle Paul even worked with his own hands as a tentmaker to support himself (Acts 18:3), declaring,
“Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you” (**2 Thessalonians 3:8, KJV). **
Paul also proclaimed, “I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel” **(Acts 20:33, KJV). **
The apostles taught about tithing, but they never established a requirement that Christians must pay ten percent of their income to the apostles to remain worthy before God or receive salvation.
Their ministry was centered upon freely sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not demanding money from those seeking eternal life.
Suddenly the teaching of being burned at His coming if you do not pay tithing does not fit into the gospel that He taught when He was on the earth.
Do you want to know a true teaching that has everything to do with salvation, and is actually the only thing required for a person to live with God, in Heaven forever? As important as this is, this church doesn’t even teach this gospel principle correctly.
Jesus Christ taught that in order to receive eternal salvation, (living with God forever in Heaven) we must become born again.
In John 3:3 (KJV), Jesus declared,
*“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, **he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ***
Being born again is not accomplished through paying tithing, performing religious ordinances, belonging to a particular church, or earning God’s approval through good works.
It happens when a person sincerely believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, recognizes their sinful condition, repents, and places their faith and trust in Him as their Lord and Saviour, accepting His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection as the only means of salvation.
Receive the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23),
They are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
They are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1), and their eternal salvation rests in Jesus Christ. Being Born Again means passing from spiritual death into everlasting life.
Think of what I am teaching in a simple fashion.
Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of all mankind.
He is offering salvation as a gift.
Each person has free agency and must choose to accept this gift, ignore it, or outright reject it. The atonement is not imposed upon anyone.
How does a person accept the gift of the atonement into their life? It happens when a person has a new spiritual rebirth, and becomes “Born Again.”
Jesus promised in John 3:16,
*“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” *
Ephesians 2:8–9 confirms,
*“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” *
We cannot earn salvation, regardless of how righteous we are on earth. Neither the amount of tithing nor even the lack of tithing has NOTHING to do with our salvation… NOTHING!
Our salvation ONLY is made possible through the act of the atonement, the sacrifice that He made for those who would come to realize that it is only through Him that we can have our sins forgiven, and “qualify” to live with Him forever in Heaven. Our good works demonstrate our spiritual rebirth; they are not the cause of it.
Baptism is NOT the same as being Born Again. According to the King James Bible, being born again is a spiritual transformation that takes place when a person places their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Water baptism does not produce the new birth; rather, it is an outward expression of the faith and spiritual transformation that have already taken place within the believer.
Something was so profound to me as I learned about the Gospel of Jesus Christ that He taught when He was on the earth.
You know the story of Nicodemus in the Bible. I would consider him to be someone who was “very elect.”
Nicodemus was a highly respected Pharisee, a ruler of the Jews, and a deeply religious man who possessed considerable knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures and the laws of God.
He was among the religious elite of Israel, a man who had **devoted his life to studying, teaching, and observing God’s commandments. **
He is a perfect example of how I would describe some members of the Mormon church.
But when Jesus came to him, He did not compliment or recognize all of the good things that he had accomplished in life. Instead, He warned Nicodemus two different times… You must be Born Again to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
So, to all of my Mormon brothers and sisters, I must ask that you ponder the same question… ”Have you been Born Again?” THIS IS THE IMPORTANT TOPIC OF YOUR LIFE…NOT paying tithing, so that you will not burn at His coming.
There is an urgent, troubling fact that you must address. If being Born Again is so important, CRITICAL, and the only requirement to enter heaven, WHY is my church NOT teaching me that?
I invite you to ask GOD this very question, for it is through Him that you will find ALL truth.
I invite you to consider this teaching that Jesus shared while teaching His gospel. These consequences are substantial and are worth taking note of:
Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
What Was Jesus Teaching?
Jesus was delivering a very serious warning: Simply claiming to be a Christian, attending church, performing religious works, or even doing remarkable things in His name does not automatically mean that a person has been saved.
Notice that these individuals believed their religious accomplishments qualified them to enter heaven. Yet Jesus declared, “I never knew you.” And the consequence was denying that person entrance into HEAVEN. Good, religious people who thought that they were heaven-bound because of their good works, tithing, etc. were being denied HEAVEN because they had not had the spiritual rebirth that He taught.
I’d like to share one more thing that has helped me on my spiritual journey of learning the truth. Some of you may be thinking, “But what about modern-day prophets and NEW gospel teachings?” Where do they fit into all of this?
Learn from the teachings of Paul:
Galatians 1:8–9 (KJV):
8 “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
9 “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”
Paul repeats the warning for emphasis. The standard is the Gospel that has already been received in full—even the appearance of an angel does not authorize changing it.
Jesus Christ taught the FULL gospel when He was on the earth. This is the standard to which all gospel principles should be tested. If what a new “prophet” or leader teaches is in harmony with what Christ taught, we can establish it as truth.
But if it is different, “let him be accursed.” Not even an angel has authority to change the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not even Paul, nor any other apostle living on the earth at the time has the authority to change the Gospel that Christ taught.
This was substantial for me to learn. It answered so many questions, and gave me a ROCK to establish what was true, and what was simply from a man.
A true man of God would be teaching the members of his church something so incredibly wonderful about the end times, rather than the false doctrine of being burned due to failing to pay tithing.
Briefly, let me share what you should be looking forward to. The final seven years on earth will be disastrous and the most trying time that has ever been for the people living upon the earth. This all must happen, and THEN Jesus Christ will return for His second coming.
But the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us of a rescue plan that God has in place for those who are Born Again, or are “in Christ” as the scriptures state. It is referred to as the Rapture. Let me show you:
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
The KJV does not use the word Rapture; its actual expression is “caught up.”
1 Corinthians 15:51–53 KJV
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
This reveals the astonishing speed of the transformation: **“in the twinkling of an eye.” **
The dead are resurrected as they are caught up to meet Jesus in the air. Those, “in Christ” (Born Again) who are living on the earth, will join them, their bodies being changed in a twinkling of an eye… ”Comfort One Another with These Words.”
This is what you should know about the “end times.” This is what you should be taught by a church leader. And the proper way of being born again can determine who actually makes it to heaven, and who is denied. TITHING is insignificant in relation to our salvation. Being Born Again is PARAMOUNT.
In my further studies, I have found it fascinating to learn of the two Judgments that will come after our death:
The Judgment Seat of Christ (for all of those Born Again)
Crowns of Glory are given for our good works.
No sin is to be judged because of the atonement of Jesus Christ
All are allowed entrance into heaven.
The Great White Throne Judgment (For those who did not accept the atonement of Jesus Christ)
They are responsible for ALL of their sins.
Because of this, they will all be sent to the Lake of Fire for eternity.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is so simple, so fair, and NOT focused upon fear. I invite you to learn about it. I thought that I knew it all, but most things that I had learned are not in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ, recorded in the New Testament.
You do not need to change religions. The church may be the right place for you to be right now. However, you do need to know what is true, especially if not knowing the truth would keep you out of heaven.
There is a good chance that many of you have already been “born again” but just don’t understand what actually happened. If you believe that you are heaven-bound solely because of accepting the atonement of Jesus Christ, you are spot on.
If you attribute the glory of going to heaven not only to Jesus Christ but also to all of the things that you have done personally, or believe that some church or temple ordinances are also required for salvation, you are not yet quite there. So… GET THERE… Tonight!
**The way forward is simple. **Jump on your knees and ask God to direct you in fulfilling this important command of His… Being Born Again. Between the two of you, you will come to know whether you are there or not, and if you are there, STOP worrying where you will be after you die. God wants us to KNOW right now if we are going to heaven or not.
I have found so much peace in learning of His gospel. No more fear. No more uncertainty. No more feeling inadequate or wondering if I had done enough, or repented properly for all of my sins. That is all gone now, because my ticket to heaven comes from Jesus Christ’s sacrifice SOLELY. My responsibility has been to accept His gift, by having faith in what He has done for me.
Like the thief on the cross, we are granted access to heaven from Jesus Christ directly, when we accept Him as our Savior and Redeemer. For he had no good works, no baptism, no temple ceremonies; he had NOTHING to contribute, but his contributions were not what was necessary to be told that, “Today, ye shall be with me in Paradise”. All because of Jesus Christ, and his acceptance of the gift through faith. What a priceless promise.
Discover more from The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
