Source Report--by Devon Stern

Title:

Harper, Steven C. “‘All Things Are the Lord’s’: The Law of Consecration in the Doctrine and Covenants.” The Doctrine and Covenants Revelations in Context: The 37th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium: 212-27.

Summary:

This article was about the law of consecration, not just in the 1830s, but today.  Harper explained that the law of consecration is still in effect.  The Lord does not compel any of us to live it, but it is an eternal law, the law of the celestial kingdom, that was revealed in this dispensation and will never be revoked.

It’s not about money, but rather about our hearts.  We could give all the money we can, but if we don’t give our heart then we are holding back the most important part.  If we give all our heart, we will receive all the Father has, the “riches of eternity” (D&C 38:39).

The law of consecration is based on agency, stewardship, and accountability.  We freely give all that we have, and the Lord gives it back to us.  In the early days of the latter-day church, members would write deeds giving their possessions to the church and then Bishop Partridge would write a deed giving it back to them.  It may seem pointless, but there was an important acknowledgement made in this act:  that we are not owners of our possessions, but stewards.  We give the Lord all that is already His and He gives us stewardship over it.  As stewards we are then accountable to Him for how we use His gifts.  This goes not only for material means, but for our time, talents, and anything with which the Lord blesses us.

Today we can still live the law of consecration as we choose to freely give of our surplus to the Lord and then act as wise stewards with all that He has blessed us, recognizing our accountability before Him for what we do with it.

Insight:

As we study the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that teach us of the law of consecration, we should keep in mind that this is not something that existed in the early days of the church, was done away with for a time, and will be brought back some day when Zion comes.  It is an eternal law, a law of the celestial kingdom, and if we desire to live there then we had better start learning to live it.  We also need to remember that it is not just about money.  The Lord doesn’t need our money–it’s already His.  What He needs is our hearts, because our agency is the one thing that is truly ours to give.

Quote:

“The express purpose of the law of consecration is the building up of Zion. . . . We do not wait until Zion is here to observe it; it is rather the means of bringing us nearer to Zion.” (Quoting Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, 390)

I chose this quote because the main point of the article is that we should be living the law of consecration today.  Many people are waiting for Zion to come before committing themselves fully to the law of consecration and the building of the kingdom, when the very purpose of the law is that of the building of the kingdom.  Zion will not bring us the return of the law of consecration; the law of consecration will bring Zion into our hearts.

Response:

This article got me thinking about what I’m doing with my stewardship.  The Lord has blessed me with many good things, including material possessions, talents, friends, family, time, and a testimony.  Am I being a “faithful and wise steward” (D&C 78:22)?  What good am I doing with them?  How am I using my agency to “do many [good] things of [my] own free will, and to bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27)?  What more could I give?

C. S. Lewis said, “the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare....If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small.  There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charities expenditure excludes them” (Mere Christianity, San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2001, 86).  Perhaps giving of our surplus means giving enough that we don’t get everything we would get otherwise.  Surrendering our wills to our Father in this way changes us and prepares us to receive the kingdom of God on earth and in heaven, and to receive all He has.