The Law of Consecration

This is last week's lesson:
Reading: a. 

Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–42; 51; 78; 82; 104:11–18; 

I have thought about this lesson, the law of consecration for two weeks now, and as usual, I've learned many new things.  I'm so glad we are encouraged to read the scriptures over and over, because if I were to stick with just my first scripture reading I don't think I would love life as I do.

Anyhow,  the law of consecration was and is a law given by God to help the both the spiritual and temporal needs of the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio.  The church was increasing in membership and many people left what they had in other countries and states to assemble with the Saints in Ohio and live the gospel they were just taught.  With this large influx of people, Joseph Smith needed to know what to do to care for their needs.  So, in answer to his questioning, the Lord revealed the law of consecration, summarized in the Church History in the Fullness of Times Student Manual.

One of the underlying principles of this new economic system was that the earth and everything on it belonged to the Lord, and man was a steward (see Psalm 24:1; D&C 104:13–14). Under the law of consecration members of the Church were asked to consecrate, or deed, all their property, both real and personal, to the bishop of the Church. He would then grant an “inheritance,” or stewardship, to an individual from the properties received. The size of the stewardship depended on the circumstances, wants, and needs of the family, as determined jointly by the bishop and the prospective steward (see D&C 42:32–33; 51:3). The family then administered its stewardship to the best of their ability. If they were industrious and successful, then at the year’s end they would have a net gain called a surplus (profit). Any surplus remaining beyond the wants and needs of the family was to be turned over to the storehouse to be used by the bishop to “administer to the poor and needy” (D&C 42:34). The law of consecration was designed to bring about relative economic equality and eliminate greed and poverty.27

Here are some of the spiritual underlying principles from our readings:

It is interesting that when Joseph asked about the law of the church, the Lord first gives to him the 10 commandments as given to Moses with some additional information. (DC 42:18-29): Thou shalt NOT kill, steal, lie, commit adultery, speak evil of thy neighbor, or do him any harm.  Thou shalt serve God and keep His commandments, love thy wife and repent.

Then following this reminder of commandments that instruct us on how to act regarding ourselves and other people, he gives both the prevention and remedy to problems that would occur from breaking the commandments (DC 42:30, 38-42)

 30 And behold, thou wilt remember the ^apoor, and ^bconsecrate of thy properties for their ^csupport that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken. 38 For inasmuch as ye ^ado it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me.
 39 For it shall come to pass, that which I spake by the mouths of my prophets shall be fulfilled; for I will consecrate of the ^arichesof those who embrace my gospel among the Gentiles unto the^bpoor of my people who are of the house of Israel.
 40 And again, thou shalt not be ^aproud in thy ^bheart; let all thy^cgarments be plain, and their ^dbeauty the beauty of the ^ework of thine own hands;
 41 And let all things be done in ^acleanliness before me.
 42 Thou shalt not be ^aidle; for he that is idle shall not eat the^bbread nor wear the garments of the ^claborer.

The law of consecration is supposed to prevent comparing ourselves and our things to others, thereby preventing pride, the poor, idleness.

Other reasons for the law of consecration:

Equality in all things will help advance the cause of the gospel and the sharing of the gospel (DC 78:4-7):

 4 For a permanent and everlasting establishment and order unto my church, to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven;
 5 That you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things.
 6 For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things;
 7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.

I really like verse 6: "if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things."  This reminds me of when Jesus fed the people before he taught them, realizing that their physical must be taken care of, as well as their spiritual needs.

The law of consecration gives people opportunities and abilities that they might not have otherwise without the resources of others, which would lead to benefitting all (DC 82:16-20):

 16 Behold, here is wisdom also in me for your good.
 17 And you are to be equal, or in other words, you are to have equal claims on the properties, for the benefit of managing the concerns of your stewardships, every man according to his wants and his needs, inasmuch as his wants are just—
 18 And all this for the benefit of the church of the living God, that every man may improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord’s storehouse, to become the common property of the whole church—
 19 Every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.
 20 This order I have appointed to be an everlasting order unto you, and unto your successors, inasmuch as you sin not.

The law of consecration follows an eternal truth: we must all be accountable for what we are given and be held accountable for what we do with what we are given. Also, remember that what we are given comes from God.  (DC 104:11-18)

 11 It is wisdom in me; therefore, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall organize yourselves and appoint every man his stewardship;
 12 That every man may give an account unto me of the stewardship which is appointed unto him.
 13 For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a bsteward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.
 14 I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.
 15 And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.
 16 But it must needs be done in mine own away; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.
 17 For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.
 18 Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.

Of course God would be able to give everyone everything, so why doesn't He?  He will.  But for now, we not equal in worldly things so that we can learn to win battles we have within of pride, comparisons, envy, stealing, lying, adultery and even killing.  As we give to others and expect nothing in return, we grow closer to the Savior, the one who gave us everything He had to give.


So, are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint required to give everything they have to the church and receive back only what we need to live on?  No. At least not in the fullest sense described in the Doctrine and Covenants above.  We are asked to give 10% of our income that helps support the growth of the church in various ways and we are also asked to give a generous fast offering (amount determined by individuals or families) to help people who cannot supply their own needs.  Any giving beyond that (of time, talents or finances) is certainly welcome, but is up to individuals and families according to their abilities.

Belief determines the value of scripture and vice versa

Readings: 

Our Heritage, pages 23–25, 41, 58.

Note: after reading what I typed, I'm not sure that it will all make sense, but I don't know how else to get it out of my head to the computer.  Let me know what you think.

I have enjoyed pondering the topic for the Sunday School lesson this week.  The readings are very short. Basically, the lesson is about Joseph Smith using and reading the Bible, translating The Book of Mormon, revealing and recording the sections in the Doctrine and Covenants and clarifying and adding to some passages in the Bible.  So, we are to reflect on the divine mission that Joseph Smith had in bringing forth doctrine that help us understand our purpose in life and understand God and Jesus Christ.

I guess I've pondered a more basic question: How does one accept the scriptures brought forth through Joseph Smith are the word of God, just like it's generally accepted that The Bible is the word of God?  I've pondered on the most is the cycle of belief/faith and reception of knowledge/wisdom that comes with involving scripture in life.  Here are some of the issues of the cycle, as I've thought about so far (by no means exhaustive):

Belief in God.  Do you believe in God?  If so, then how do you believe He communicates to you?  Through thoughts, feelings, prayer, other people, scripture?  How do you know what you know about God?  Through other people? Or the source Himself?  The scriptures purport to be the word of God, from God.  If you believe that, and want to know God, then you should read the scriptures.  In turn, the more you read the scriptures the more your belief in God increases and solidifies.

The purpose of life.  The scriptures are not just a historical record of people during peace, war, personal crisis or personal peace.  They are a record of how these people lived through all these times being dependent (or not) upon God and Jesus Christ for guidance, comfort and hope.  While reading through how people of the scriptures dealt with all their issues, we figure out how to deal with ours.  Invariably, the scriptures teach that if you depend upon the Lord, you will be blessed to bear your burdens, have a greater understanding of labor and life and the purpose of it all.  One of the most amazing things about the scriptures is how you can read through them one time and find it completely applicable for your situation and then read them a year later and find the same scripture applicable for a different situation.

The doctrine.  The definition of doctrine is: "a principle or body of principles that is taught or advocated," (Collins Dictionary).  As one comes to know God and the purpose of life, there is a discovery of certain laws or statues to live by in order to continue to make sense of life.  Such doctrines are: forgiveness, mercy, work, faith, pre-earth life, after-earth life, creation, relationships, and much, much more. Guiding doctrine is found in the scriptures, because why would God leave us without some sort of direction on how to live and what our purpose is?  We are his children, He would not do that.  When doctrine is sought in the scriptures, doctrine is found, which brings you more and more to the scriptures for guidance.

There are many other beneficial cycles as a result of reading and implementing the scriptures.

So, here is the question that I think this lesson really asks: How do you get to the point when you really know the Bible, The Book of Mormon and all other scriptures are valid and true, enough to implement their teachings in your life?

Society seems so infatuated with infallible proof.  If you can't produce verifiable proof then why should something be believed?  Well, how can you ever prove something given from God, let alone God himself? Just because someone says He exists based on their experience, doesn't make that experience your own, so therefore their experience is fallible to you.

However, should you consider asking God if the experience of that person really did happen, and you receive an affirmative answer from Him (feelings, thoughts, events), then you have your own infallible experience.

My point is this: knowing that God exists, that He knows your purpose in life, that He has doctrine to help guide you through life, that the doctrine is in the scriptures, is extremely individual knowledge and experience.  Millions of people have millions of different ways and times where the same knowledge of God is revealed to them by the Holy Spirit, and to each of them that knowledge becomes infallible.  As individual as that process is, the search for more truth about God unifies all the different seekers who have real intent.

The same process can be used to know the scriptures are the word of God. It is generally accepted that the Bible is the word of God.  So, when a church comes to light that says there are three additional books of scripture that are also the word of God, there needs to be some exploration and testing.  This process, like the process of knowing God exists, is highly individual and comes at different times and ways.  No one can really prove to you that God exists, you have to have the experience of receiving that answer yourself.  Although the books of scripture have a traceable record, historical sites you can see now, and the verification of scriptural people can be shown, the veracity of the doctrine in books can only come through spiritual confirmation.  For instance, you can go to the Holy Land and see the place where archaeologists, scientists and religious leaders think the tomb of Christ is.  But does that prove that he was really resurrected from the dead?  No.  One has to have that miracle revealed to him/her as a truth, by the Holy Spirit.

Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are three books of scripture, and clarifications/additions to the Bible, that Joseph Smith brought forth or helped bring forth, by the power of the Holy Spirit, under the direction of Jesus Christ, and by the will of God.  Joseph records testimony that he actually saw God, the Father and his son, Jesus Christ.  He records repeatedly the truthfulness of his vision, as well as all experiences and revelations he received in bringing scripture and doctrine to light.  There are many records describing translation, events frustrating that process and people who would support or discount the veracity of it all.  So, how do you know?

You ask the Being who knows everything to reveal that knowledge to you.

This can be done, and perhaps should be done, at any time of the searching process, the beginning, middle and end.  What are you asking? Is there a God? Is the Bible the word of God? Is The Book of Mormon the word of God?  Did Joseph Smith really see God and Jesus Christ? Are there prophets today? Was Joseph Smith really a prophet?  Did Joseph do everything he did because he was really following the will of God, or was he just starting a church for himself?  All these questions are important and good, but you can't expect for the answers to come just because you ask the question, otherwise the answer wouldn't hold much value.  Work is required. Reading, studying, praying, learning a little more, reading studying, praying, learning a lot more, continually adding to the knowledge you learned yesterday and verifying what you learn with the Holy Spirit.

Why would God give you an answer to the question of whether he really exists, or whether the books declared as his words are, in fact, really His words, if you are not going to do something good with the answer?

Moroni, the last prophet in The Book of Mormon, put it this way:


 3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

 4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Essentially, if you really want to have direction in your life, God is willing to provide it. Put in some work and ask for it.

In the readings, there is a story of two little girls who rescue some pages of what we know now as the Doctrine and Covenants, from being destroyed.  What motivates these girls to risk danger to themselves, just to protect what is purported as scripture?  They received their answer that those pages were the word of God and they were willing to act on the answer they received.

I know that The Bible, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price all contain the word of God, by my own work and asking for confirmation through the Holy Spirit of truth.  Which means that I believe that Joseph Smith was all he said he was and because of his work and effort and the will of God, he brought forth truths including: pre-earth life, after-earth life, baptism, priesthood, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, eternal marriage, apostles and prophets, continuing revelation and much more.  I have asked about all these things and while I believe all of them, I am continually learning more about them as I study the word of God, both through scriptures and the words of current prophets.

Many aspects of "gathering"

Readings:  

Doctrine and Covenants 29:1–8; 33:3–7; 37; 38:24–41; 52:2–5, 42–43; 57:1–3; 110:11; Articles of Faith 1:10;

"Gathering" is in important theme in the infancy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it's basically the purpose of it's restoration: to gather people to Christ with the proper ordinances and covenants.  Here are a few of the verses regarding gathering from the reading:

29:7-8

 7 And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;
 8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked. 

33:3, 6-7

 3 For behold, the field is white already to harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard.
 6 And even so will I gather mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, even as many as will believe in me, and hearken unto my voice.
 7 Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

110:11

11 After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

From all these verses we understand that the general gathering of the House of Israel (all tribes is to commence by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and that this is a major purpose of this newly organized church.

When I read the other verses in the readings I was reminded that "gathering" meant two different things that are generally recognized in the church and I wondered if there was possible a third meaning.

In 38:24-41; 52:2-5, 42-43; 57:1-3, the Lord tells the Saints that, because of persecution and the development of the church, they needed to relocate to Ohio and then to Missouri.  In this sense, the gathering of the people is to gather where ever is necessary for protection, safety, building and togetherness.  We are told that gathering to Zion is gathering as a church to Christ and also gathering in our own stakes or congregations for strength. I have also heard that Zion can be wherever you are as long as you are living the principles of the gospel.

But I had a more individual thought, or rather a more active thought regarding the frequency of gathering and it began with this scripture, which I absolutely love:

29:1-2

1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;
 2 Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.

or in Matt 23:37

37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

The word "often" in Matthew is what really gets me thinking about the Savior gathering me to Him.  I wonder that if every time I feel the spirit, or feel direction from Him, or comfort, or even a little chiding, if He is gathering me to him and covering me with his wing, just like a hen would to her chick.  This is an incredibly tender thought for me and one that will hopefully prompt me to humility and repentance, so that I am one of those that will "hearken to my voice and humble" myself, because I think I could bear the injustice, fear, cruelty and hardship in this world a lot better from under the protective wing of my Savior.