52. Tithing

A talk given by eight-year-old Michael Cleverly on Sunday, January 17, 1982, in the Primary of the Bountiful Twentieth Ward, Bountiful Utah South Stake. On Tuesday, January 26, he wrote the following account of the talk in his journal. The original spelling and punctuation have been retained. It was also published in the February 1982 issue of the Family Journal. At this time Michael was a third grader at Bountiful Elementary. He had been baptized four months earlier on Saturday, September 5, 1981. He was confirmed a member of the Church the following day.

On January 17, 1982, Sunday, I gave a talk in Primary. This how it went.

Lernzo Snow was the 5th preisdnt of the Church. When Lernzo Snow was presidnt of the Church, the Church had 2 problems. 1st the Church was in det. 2nd ther was a floud [drought] in Saint George. Lernzo Snow had been praying about both of theyes problems.

One day Hevanly Father told Lernzo Snow to go to Saint George. He did not know why he was going to Saint George. But he went Sain George. And when he got there they had a specil confnce. And Lernzo Snow got up and said, "I don't know why I came here." In his talk he read from the bible Malachi chapter 3, verses 8, 9, and 10.

(Note I am to tired to finsh my talk is continued next time.) That's all for today.

On Saturday, 6 February, Michael concluded his account of his talk:

(Finishing part of talk.) Then he stoped. Then he said “Know I know why I came here. It's to tell you two pay your tithing. If you will pay your tithing hevanly Father will open the windoes of hevan and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

So the people started to pay there tithing and hevanly Father opened the windows of heaven and it started to rain. This solved both problems there was no longer a drout and the Church was out of deat. I know these things are true in the name of Jesus Christ amen.