Come Follow Me LDS - Doctrine and Covenants 51-57
May 22, 2021
"Stewards, Talents and Consecration"
The Law of Consecration is the higher law designed for the people of Zion and a Promised Land. Getting there is a matter of becoming "one" as a people. The Parable of the Talents can teach us how we should be living the Law of Consecration today and how we can be increasing the "spiritual silver" that the Lord has given us by being good stewards as we help others. Also, how not to be a victim.
Raw Transcript
all right welcome to
quick media's come follow me series
we're covering sections 51
through 57 we're going to focus on
sections 51 and 52 here
very late in getting this out this week
i apologize for that but it's uh
it's been a big week for uh for quick
media and we've been working on a lot of
other initiatives
this week okay um before i get started i
just want to give a shout out
to you know we're a global podcast here
which is kind of fun we get a lot of
feedback and
from a lot of listeners around the world
but i specifically want to give a shout
out to a couple of different areas
where we have a pretty good strong
following and that is
uh first in africa where
we have a number of followers in south
africa
and ghana um mozambique
and a few other areas they're they're in
the african continent so a shout out
over there
we we love hearing the feedback that we
get from
our african brothers and sisters over
there the other is on the other side
of the globe and that would be over in
the polynesian islands
we've got a great following in samoa and
in tonga and some of the other in hawaii
and other places as well
so a shout out to the the polynesian
islands out over there and to our
polynesian brothers and sisters
all right so sections 51 here where
we're
again we're coming back on the theme
here where we talk about
the dispensation being laid out
line upon line and precept upon precept
and we've seen how we've moved into this
world here of this world this uh
um time frame here of of
early to mid uh 1831
where we're talking more and more about
zion we're talking more and more about
the idea of
moving up those four phases of the
priesthood that i talk about and getting
to that highest level
which is the melchizedek level and and
the area of
zion and community right
and we're going to continue with that
here so section 51
is is again kind of reinforcing the idea
of the law of consecration
keep in mind a little bit of context on
this that what's happening is the saints
are in kirtland
and uh and also over in new york and a
few other
places but primarily in those two areas
and
there's a lot of persecution happening
to the saints in
new york especially in the colesville
area and so
they are going to be coming over with
some urgency over to ohio
yeah onto some land right and and mostly
from layman copely
actually and so they're coming over into
this land and
it's they come urgently they don't have
everything with them perhaps and and
of their material goods they need places
to stay they need
land they to be able to build and to
improve and that kind of sets forth
the need again to talk about the law of
consecration how are the
current saints in the kirtland area
going to be able to help provide
for these saints that are coming over
from new york and
from other places as well and so that's
where section 51
kind of comes from here right how how do
we handle these types of things
now i think it's important to understand
that
the lord works with needs right
with the needs of the time and of the
period and we that we can see there's
changes in in some things that the lord
works with
as the saints develop in their their
the dispensation right we we we follow a
few different things today
than the saints did early in the 1830s
but the lord's leading them align a long
line upon line and precept upon precept
one of the things that they're really
focused on here is going to be the law
of consecration
but there's going to be changes with
this we should not confuse
the law of consecration here that we see
in 1831
with what happens later in 1833 right
when the saints move down to
missouri the state of missouri
they're going to have a different a
different
uh um something different is going to
happen
right they're going to be they're going
to be following different laws
and the reason is is because of missouri
law
right two year about two years later
here there are there there
are church members that leave the church
and here in 1831
where we get section 51 the way
the the law of the lord was here
for this time was that
the saints would deed over their
properties
to the church and then if you left the
church
you would you would not be able to get
your property back
right because that property is being
brought in and helping the community and
you're still left a steward over this
you're responsible for its production
for its success right and
and that's important to understand but
you would lose your property if you left
the church now in 1833
two years from now as we're going over
here
uh i think it's bates that leaves the
church and
and takes the church to court and the
church loses
and so what happens is is that the
the well well joseph smith changes the
section a little bit here
what we have today is the 1833 version
of section 51 where
there used to be an additional scripture
between verses 2 and 3
and where verse 5 was not included
uh in 1831. right so there's there's a
couple of changes here based on the
change that happened
according to law right sometimes you
have to work within those parameters
the other thing to understand is we get
later on
the uh we hear about the united order
for example that is something different
different rules that that
than what was being followed here in
1831 it's not all the same thing
so the lord works in different ways
based on the needs of the saints
so even though we hear oftentimes uh you
know especially right now
i i've heard a lot that the law of
consecration was never rescinded well
that might be true
but the policies around the law of
consecration
you know have changed they've changed
obviously
and in many ways yes we weren't
completely ready for this
and we don't live it completely but i
want to go over the principles of this
just a little bit
and that's what we're going to focus on
in in this episode so let's move down
here a little bit so verse 2
for it must needs be that they organized
according to my laws
that they be organized according to my
laws this is the people
if otherwise they will be cut off
okay now
well let's keep going down here i want
to i want to focus in here a little bit
on verse 3.
wherefore let my servant edward
partridge the bishop
over temporal things and those whom he
has chosen
in whom i am well pleased appoint unto
this people their
portions every man
equal according to his family
according to his circumstances and his
wants and his needs all right so
you have something here that is not
about
a final equality
right in other words okay the johnson
family
the smith family they're all going to
get exactly the same thing
on this no it's it's they're going to be
stewards over something different what
if you have just a a couple
an older couple they can't work the land
very well and they don't have any kids
with them
it doesn't make sense to give them a
larger acreage
of land especially if they're coming in
right because
they can't work it they don't have the
resources the labor to be able to do
that they're going to be in a different
circumstance
but if i'm a younger guy and i've got
my wife and i've got i've got four kids
and
a couple of them maybe i've got a couple
of teenage boys
that can really help and a couple of the
other women that can really help
in in all of the the laborious domestic
things that night early 19th century
families had to deal with well that
makes more sense because
i can be as a family unit more
productive on the land
right so that's that's different and i
have greater needs for
consumption right for food and for water
so this is not about an idea of
equity at the end right everything being
the same
it's a horrible idea that's that's a
horrible
unchristian principle right okay
so that's the first thing to understand
the other thing i i want to go over here
and is is the idea that
well let's go to four first here and
then i'm gonna go over i'm gonna go over
this idea of law of consecration a
little bit more
and let my servant edward partridge when
he shall appoint a man his
portion it's going to be different
portions give unto him a writing that
shall secure unto him
his portion okay a writing right
something that he's going gonna
may not be the deed i don't have a deed
but it's like okay this is what you are
in charge of right
that he shall hold it even this right
and this inheritance in the church
until till he transgresses and is not
accounted worthy by the voice of the
church
according to the laws and covenants of
the church to belong to the church this
is
how it was originally in in 1831 right
now let's keep going a little bit
further here
verse six and thus all things shall be
made sure according to the laws
of the land um
eight and the money which is left unto
this people let there be an
agent appointed unto this people to take
the money
to provide food and raiment according to
the wants of this people and then
nine finally and let every man
deal honestly this is crucial
in working with each other and be alike
among this people a like how well
we're here be alike among these people
and
receive a like this is again we talk i
talk about charity and relational
covenant this is really important
to understand in terms of the law of
consecration that you have to be able to
give and you have to be able to receive
because everybody's different this is
what it means
then it goes right into zion here which
is
in verse 9 that ye may be one
even as i have commanded you right so
we've been told
this is what we get again in the
intercessory prayer prayer in
john 17. it's it's about becoming
one a union and how do we do that well
we've just been
going over here the fact that there are
different needs and different wants
and different resources and different
different capabilities so when we work
in the church
in our ward for example we look for
those
gifts of the spirit and maybe even some
temporal gifts
where people can help other people out
so i've heard this a lot and i don't
fully agree with this
and and maybe i'm wrong i i don't know
but i i this doesn't seem to follow
along
my understanding of the law of
consecration
i've heard it said several times that
the law of consecration was kind of
removed
not you know or rescind it wasn't
rescinded but it was
we didn't accept it therefore what was
given to us in place of that was the law
of tithing i don't agree with that
i don't think that's true um
and and i think that when we look at the
law of consecration we need to look at
it
this we we keep thinking well it means
we're going to give all our material
goods and our land
and and that is the law of consecration
that's not true
that's not in principle what it is that
is only the temporal idea number one
and unless you give context even to that
you're not fully understanding because
you need to understand what it means to
be the steward of those things and
because here's the thing again what
happens if i'm the steward of land
a farmland and my family goes out and
you know we don't do a very good job
we don't produce that much and there's
not much there
and we struggle even feeding ourselves
and that might be because of health that
might be because
we're lazy whatever reason it is and
you know the other family down the road
here a couple acres away they
they they just produce like crazy or
maybe they've got better soil or or
better
who knows what or they're harder workers
it doesn't matter regardless right
things are still going to be out of
whack that's important to see
because there is meritocracy and there
is
also luck right there are different
things that play into this
and so it's not an issue of
equity that's not what it is is the way
i see it
but the principle of the law of
consecration
is that we're going to give our talents
and and think of
talents in the term of the parable of
the talents
not as tap dancing
not as singing not as playing the piano
right not as craft those are all things
you can do
but that's not what the parable of the
talents is about this to me is
all about the parable of the talents and
charity
becoming one right so going back to the
parable of the talents again
one servant is given five talents that's
five pieces of silver
that's what that is it is it is pieces
of silver it's spiritual
capital and maybe temporal capital even
another servant is given two so between
those two the reason you give
two different examples there is because
some people
are given more and some people are given
less
we get this idea even when we come into
the world
right what if you're born in a modern
time and in a nice suburb and
and a strong family and you have the
gospel
and all your needs are taken care of
well that in many ways you've got a lot
more talents
a lot more pieces of silver
right maybe maybe you're gifted in
in some way physically maybe you're a
great athlete
that's a that's a talent that is a piece
of silver
maybe you're really smart
right maybe you're given great health
regardless of what it is you we want to
look at this that there is disparity
some people have more of something and
some people have less
and i believe that is why you have the
five and the two especially
yes there's a third servant that has one
i'll get into that in a minute but
let's look at that in a way that the
the servant that has five and the
servant that has two they're both going
to go out and what do they do
what are they doing they're investing
their talents right a talent is
spiritual capital
or physical capital it's their capital
and what are they investing it in if you
look at that
parable i believe what they're investing
it in is other people
that's what that means right they're
going out and they're investing what
they have
temporal or spiritual and you know
they're spiritual gifts that they've
been given
remember we leave we read in moroni or
we read in in corinthians
we read in the doctrine and covenants
about how some people are given this and
some people given this spiritual gift
and some people are given this
so why is that always pulled together
with faith hope and charity
because charity is taking what you have
the spiritual gifts you've been given
the silver
that you've been giving the spiritual
silver that you've been given
and going out and investing it in other
people because when you do that
if i'm if i'm the servant that has five
pieces of silver
and i go out and i help others and then
then what happens is
now that other person might have two
more pieces of silver or maybe
i can give five pieces of silver to them
in a sense
because i'm investing in that person
and now i come back to the lord my lord
as this servant right as his steward
and i not only bring back my five that i
had originally that he gave me
but i've got five more because i've got
somebody else that i have worked with
and shared my gifts with
that's the law of consecration
that's how i see it that's how i see the
principle there and then
somebody who has less maybe maybe i'm
the person that only actually has
two silver pieces
spiritually it's okay
i can go out and i can invest in another
person with what i have
and now i come back and and i've got
another person
and i and they've got two of those
spiritual gifts
that i've been able to share and i can
come back to my lord
who if of who i am the steward and and
now i've doubled i've doubled the amount
of silver i've doubled the amount of
spirituality
i've doubled the amount of glory
right i've doubled the amount of
righteousness
now i can also say that i'm doing that
with myself i'm taking the two
pieces of silver that's been given me
and
i'm working toward getting two more
even with myself because i am gaining
more spiritual gifts
as i work on it and now i i had two and
now i come back to the lord and i've got
four within myself even right so
that that is a way to look at that
that's not as much about the law of
consecration because we're helping
others
but that is the same principle i think
that you would look at and the reason
it's important to see that
is because the third servant who's the
third servant what does that third
servant do that
third steward well they've only got one
and as important as it is here as we
just saw here in verse nine right and
let every man deal honestly
and be alike among this people operate
the same way
work in the same eternal principles
and receive alike
that ye may be one
right so if i've got the one
talent i've got the one piece of silver
and i i i maybe i haven't been given
much
overall but instead of of going out and
saying
i'm going to go out and and spread what
i have
a goodness that i have because that's
going to increase
right the whole idea is increasing that
the number of of pieces of silver to
bring back to the lord that spiritual
silver back to the lord
but instead i'm going to turn around
what am i probably going to do
right what does that third servant do
well they bury it in the ground
i would look at that honestly especially
looking at today's
environment as victimhood to some degree
look they have five they have two maybe
i'm envious
and again i'm not just talking about
temporal wealth i'm talking about
everything
instead of saying lord i am
grateful for what i have been given
and now i'm going to increase that
amount
by sharing it with others or
increase it by by by learning myself to
grow and to progress
to increase the number of spiritual
silver
talents that i have
what i see there is as the as the the
parable of the talents it it's like the
law of consecration everybody has a
different amount
that's why it's important that that
parable is set up that way
and we talk about stewardship here later
on in in in in the verses here
now verse 10 real quick and let that
which belongeth to this people not be
taken and given unto that of another
church
what are we talking about here we're
talking about a another
congregation right um i i think i'm
pretty sure that's what they mean right
it's it's we work within wards award
budget
we we have a ward missionary fund
right we we we look at uh bringing in
fast offerings
to help other members of the ward and
that's a really good way to do that
we we make it more intimate we make it
closer
as we try to centralize things so much
there's there's a law
sociologically that happens that when
you get beyond certain numbers in groups
you start losing individuality
it's not just a matter of being able to
manage it from the top you know we think
about moses and jethro and breaking
things down into
hundreds and fifties and tens but it's a
matter of the individual
and how they are represented because the
further away you get from that
right the u.s for example right you've
got well over 300 million people here
that's a problem to try and continue to
centralize everything you're you're
moving further and further away from the
individual
right that's a problem so the way that
the war that you know there's still
church-wide funds but there's also board
funds and stake
funds and it brings it much closer to
the individual i think that's the right
way to do that so that's what that's
talking about i think
right is is is at a local level you want
to keep that at a local level as much as
possible
now toward the end here in verse 16 and
i consecrate unto them this land for a
little season
until i the lord shall provide them for
them otherwise and command
them to go hands that goes with verse 17
here
and the hour and the day is not given
unto them being
when the lord will return wherefore let
them act upon this land as for years
and this shall turn unto them for their
good
right so we're getting the the balance
here
the other side of the coin of looking at
the signs of the times
i think right i can become a doomsdayer
right and and i can i can i can i can
act as if everything is going to end now
um because i see signs and i think
i see things breaking down and those
things are all happening right i mean we
see
signs and trends of things that are
happening no doubt
but he's telling us this on the other
side of that okay but
i'm not telling you when i'm coming
don't act as if
i i don't don't don't retreat so to
speak
don't focus so hard on everything that
you don't
act every day as you should as if i'm
not gonna be there
act as if in your life righteousness
that as if i'm going to come
tomorrow but as far as your
everyday living right that's the way i
see it
um act act act upon this land
as for years as if it's going to be a
while
don't don't stop living this is the way
i see that
and then we get the idea again of the
steward here as we were talking about
with the
parable of the talents i think it's a
really important way to look at this the
parable of the talents
it combines charity the idea of charity
and relational covenant
with the law of consecration here 19 and
whoso has found a
faithful a just and a wise steward
think about the the talents of the par
the parable of the talents
shall enter into the joy of this lord
and shall inherit
eternal life right so it's kind of
bringing that whole idea here
together
and then in 51 we come down and we start
seeing more and more about again
we're talking about the law of
consecration that is the phase four
of of the uh uh four phases of the
priesthood
it's talking about zion well in zion you
have a promised land you have this
oneness as far as how you're going to
live the parable of the talents
you also have a promised land that you
are working toward which is a
representation of
exaltation and so we get this in verse 2
saying
i the lord will make known unto you what
i will that you should do from this time
until the next
conference which shall be held in
missouri
upon the land which i will consecrate
unto my people
which are a remnant of jacob and those
who are heirs according to
the covenant okay the remnant of jacob
we're starting to talk about the people
of israel the gathering of israel
there's this idea of gathering israel to
a consecrated land
right temples a new jerusalem
zion the law of consecration these are
all things that are being brought
together here
we see in verse 5 here similar language
and it shall also in as much as they are
faithful
be made known unto them the land of your
inheritance right so that is
exaltation spiritually physically
temporally that is the new jerusalem
where that's going to be
and then of course there are
consequences for your decisions
it's not all grace all the time
and inasmuch as they are not faithful
they shall be cut off
even if i will as seen with them good we
have to be obedient
we have to grow we have to do something
with the spiritual talents
with the spiritual silver
now going back to the parable of the
talents here with with 12 and 13
and 14 and let my servant
lyman white beware for satan desireth to
sift him as chaff
well that's prophetic right there
and 13 and and and behold
he that is faithful shall be made
ruler over many things
that is the parable of the talents
right that's that's if i am
over five and i'm faithful i'm going to
be ruler over more it's the same idea
it's it's it's it's not the end that is
equal
it is the opportunity that is equal we
all
need to go through a process of growth
and becoming through living righteously
and dealing with adversity
and you can see this pattern with
the parable of the talents with the law
of consecration here's 14 and again
i will give unto you a pattern in all
things
that ye may not be deceived
for satan is abroad in the land and he
goeth forth
deceiving the nations
don't take your spiritual capital
and hide it don't be a victim
be a good steward right
otherwise in 18 and again he that is
overcome
and bringeth not forth fruits that's the
servant with one
piece of silver even according to this
pattern
is not of me right wherefore by this
pattern ye shall know the spirits
in all cases under the whole heavens
okay and then we get the first
ordinations to
the office of high priest that come
through here
which is it's like the fourth phase of
the of the priesthood
is what it is it's going right along
with that that that makes all the sense
in the world to me
and again it's all about the second
coming the royal procession
coming in and getting ready for that by
gathering israel
to a promised land becoming one as a
people
through the law of consecration right
the law of consecration then is we do
this all the time i think that tithing
is a
part of the law of consecration you're
giving something
to someone someone else you're
contributing to the church
that helps all members of the church
right your fast offerings is part of you
know i'm talking about temporal things
here but your fast offerings
are part of the law of consecration you
might have a little bit more you're
giving
to somebody who has a little bit less
your
calling is part of the law of
consecration
because you are giving of your gifts
that you have
be it one two or five talents
of spiritual capital you're giving to
those around you
so that you can grow that capital you
can invest it in other people and grow
it
and and where they may be deficient in
an area you may have
more and you're sharing that with others
and so that culminates here in verses 42
to 44 to end section 52
and thus even as i have said if ye are
faithful
ye shall assemble yourselves together to
rejoice upon the land of missouri
which is the land of your inheritance
which is now the land of your enemies
sounds like the
children of israel having to move into
the lands of the canaanites
but behold i the lord will hasten the
city in its time
and will crown the faithful
think of the stewards with joy and with
rejoicing
behold i am jesus christ the son of god
and i will lift them up
at the last day even so amen again
thinking of the brazen serpent is where
i think you you need to go with that
phrase all the time
i'll talk to you next time
Come Follow Me LDS
Doctrine and Covenants 51-57
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