{"id":26529,"date":"2013-06-09T09:00:02","date_gmt":"2013-06-09T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=26529"},"modified":"2013-06-08T15:59:38","modified_gmt":"2013-06-08T20:59:38","slug":"literary-lorenzo-snow-12-the-christmas-tithing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2013\/06\/literary-lorenzo-snow-12-the-christmas-tithing\/","title":{"rendered":"Literary Lorenzo Snow #12: The Christmas Tithing<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Augusta<\/a>It is nice to see our duties described in a way that makes clear their role in our communities. Take tithing, for example. Lorenzo Snow’s teachings in the current Priesthood\/Relief Society manual (lesson 12) clearly cover our obligation, outlining how much we must provide and how tithing is a commandment of the Lord. But the lesson doesn’t put obedience to this commandment in context. It doesn’t show how it works in our everyday lives and what its effects are on our community.<\/p>\n

I think this poem does put the commandment in context.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Augusta Joyce Crocheron, the author of this poem, traveled perhaps more than any other 19th century Mormon poet. Born in 1844, she traveled with her parents on the ship Brooklyn in 1846 from New York City to what is now San Francisco, California by way of Tierra del Fuego, Juan Fernandes Island and Hawaii, a journey of about 20,000 miles. In 1867 her family settled in Utah and three years later she became a plural wife of George W. Crocheron. But Crocheron is better known for her poetry, published in LDS and Utah periodicals and in a book, Wild Flowers of Deseret<\/i> (1881). She later compiled the book of biographies, Representative Women of Deseret<\/i> (1884), and a book of children’s stories, The Children\u2019s Book<\/em> (1890).<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

The Christmas Tithing<\/h3>\n

by Augusta Joyce Crocheron<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n
‘Twas near the happy Christmas time,<\/p>\n
\n
And all the country roads,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Were strung along with teams that drew<\/p>\n
\n
Full, high and plenteous loads;<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
The “Mormon” farmers bringing in<\/p>\n
\n
Their tithing for the year;<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
O, ’twas a sight to cheer the eyes,<\/p>\n
\n
A pleasant sound to hear.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
With willing hands they brought to Him<\/p>\n
\n
The tenth of what was given,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And knew His blessing would again<\/p>\n
\n
Unloose the stores of heaven.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
The sacks of wheat and flour by which<\/p>\n
\n
The “temple hands” were fed,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
The sweet dried fruits and honey comb<\/p>\n
\n
And apples, gold and red,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
The barrels filled with syrups pure,<\/p>\n
\n
Butter and creamy cheese,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Fluttering poultry\u2014what poor men<\/p>\n
\n
Were ever served like these?<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
Yet not alone for “temple hands,”<\/p>\n
\n
These tithings all were brought,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
In ev’ry Ward (ignoring creeds)<\/p>\n
\n
The poor and sad are sought,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Their names are learned and ev’ry one<\/p>\n
\n
On Bishop’s list enrolled,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
For each are gen’rous baskets filled<\/p>\n
\n
And, measured wood and coal;<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And busy men step in and out,<\/p>\n
\n
As the tithing wagons go<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Out through the gate to every Ward<\/p>\n
\n
Their portion to bestow.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
O, once I went to many homes,<\/p>\n
\n
And happy scenes were they,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
There busy worked the wives to get<\/p>\n
\n
All done for Christmas day;<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
For romping boys, were newly made<\/p>\n
\n
Full suits of Provo goods,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
For little girls, light wollen plaids,<\/p>\n
\n
And pretty home-made hoods.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
I saw the laborer’s sickly child<\/p>\n
\n
With dainty food was fed,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
As fresh and pure as e’er before<\/p>\n
\n
The epicure was spread.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
No happier driver takes a load,<\/p>\n
\n
Wher’er the things may go,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Than he who carries to the poor<\/p>\n
\n
On Christmas eve\u2014through snow.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
For well he knows, how eyes that closed<\/p>\n
\n
Expecting naught, shall wake,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And find a joyous Christmas gift,<\/p>\n
\n
And bless him for its sake.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
The many blessings tithing brings,<\/p>\n
\n
Not you or I can count,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
The little tenth from each one swells<\/p>\n
\n
To rich and large amount.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
O, blessings on the heart that gives<\/p>\n
\n
The duty that it owes,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And praise His love who made the law,<\/p>\n
\n
That like a river flows.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Through all our mountains and our vales,<\/p>\n
\n
Relieving first, the poor;<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And writes the giver’s name in lines<\/p>\n
\n
Forever shall endure.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Juvenile Instructor<\/i> v20 n24,
\nDecember 15, 1885, p. 384<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

In many ways the context Crocheron describes is very different from ours today. In her pastoral environment apparently farmers only pay tithing once a year. And tithing had specific purposes\u2014supporting the “temple hands” (those working on the construction of the temple) and supporting the poor.<\/p>\n

But despite the difference in context, much of the way of seeing tithing and donations is the same as how we think today. I like Crocheron’s characterization:<\/p>\n

\n
With willing hands they brought to Him<\/p>\n
\n
The tenth of what was given,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And knew His blessing would again<\/p>\n
\n
Unloose the stores of heaven.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

And her description of the universal nature of donations to the poor is great:<\/p>\n

\n
In ev’ry Ward (ignoring creeds)<\/p>\n
\n
The poor and sad are sought,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Their names are learned and ev’ry one<\/p>\n
\n
On Bishop’s list enrolled…<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

But best of all is Crocheron’s connection of all this with the Christmas season, and its joy in giving:<\/p>\n

\n
No happier driver takes a load,<\/p>\n
\n
Wher’er the things may go,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Than he who carries to the poor<\/p>\n
\n
On Christmas eve\u2014through snow.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

And Crocheron’s final lines sum up things nicely:<\/p>\n

\n
And praise His love who made the law,<\/p>\n
\n
That like a river flows.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
Through all our mountains and our vales,<\/p>\n
\n
Relieving first, the poor;<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n
And writes the giver’s name in lines<\/p>\n
\n
Forever shall endure.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is nice to see our duties described in a way that makes clear their role in our communities. Take tithing, for example. Lorenzo Snow’s teachings in the current Priesthood\/Relief Society manual (lesson 12) clearly cover our obligation, outlining how much we must provide and how tithing is a commandment of the Lord. But the lesson doesn’t put obedience to this commandment in context. It doesn’t show how it works in our everyday lives and what its effects are on our community. I think this poem does put the commandment in context.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":26619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2432],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-priesthoodrelief-society-lesson-lorenzo-snow"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/CrocheronAugustaBJoyce.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/111"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26529"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26529\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26763,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26529\/revisions\/26763"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}