By Angie Kleven

The beginning of December 2004 found me and my three young children without a single penny to our name. In just one day, our entire income vanished. It was an incredibly difficult time—one of the hardest we’ve faced—but it was also deeply defining, and it’s a month we will never, ever forget.

Our church teaches that everything we have comes from God and ultimately belongs to Him. One way we show our gratitude and faith is by returning 10 percent of our increase through tithing. Each December, we’re invited to meet with our local clergy to account for whether we’ve followed this commandment. Many promises are attached to tithing, including this one found in Malachi 3:10:
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

This ties directly into the Law of Cause and Effect. That law says nothing happens by chance—every effect has a cause. Once we understand this, we can begin to create our lives more intentionally. If we want a specific outcome, all we need to do is learn the cause—and do it. To eat the nut of a walnut, the shell must be cracked. To multiply, we first must master addition. To get from one place to another, our car must be fueled. Likewise, the Law of Tithing operates under the Law of Cause and Effect: when we pay our tithing, we unlock the blessings God has promised.

At the end of that year, after our sudden loss of income, I still owed $30 to complete a full tithe for the year. I didn’t have it. Of course, we needed food, clothing, and shelter—but I believed with all my heart that tithing was essential for our spiritual survival, and that if I obeyed, God would bless us and provide.

So I prayed. I asked God to show me a way to earn the money. Within days, an opportunity came to participate in a marketing survey. I was paid $50 in cash. I immediately paid the $30 in tithing, then used the remaining $15 for groceries.

After that, the windows of heaven opened—and what followed was nothing short of miraculous.

One day, our vacuum broke. The very next day, a brand-new one appeared at our home. On another day, when I had no money for gas, we found $300 left anonymously on our doorstep. We received more than a month's worth of food from a local storehouse. Wrapped Christmas gifts appeared at our door. Money came in the mail. Our broken camera was replaced by a new digital one. I needed transcription equipment for a new job—it was donated anonymously. Just before Christmas, men from our church arrived with baskets and boxes overflowing with food and gifts. Our cupboards and fridge couldn’t hold everything. There were boxes stacked high on the floor. Our little tree was buried in presents, and the living room overflowed with unwrapped treasures.

That night, my children and I knelt in prayer, thanking God for every blessing. I explained to them that what we were experiencing wasn’t random. It was a direct result of the tithing we had paid weeks earlier. We had chosen faith, and in return, we were shown God’s love and abundance.

When the new year began, our income was restored, and we were able to provide for ourselves again. That month, I understood in a profound way the message from Doctrine & Covenants 130:21:
"And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to the law upon which it is predicated."

Since then, we’ve had our share of lean months—but never again have we been left completely without.