DC 104 Historical Background
Spring of 1834 brought
many difficulties for the young Church.
The Missouri saints had been driven out, the Church in Kirtland was in
debt, and both groups were charged with building temples. By the end of March, the Prophet Joseph and
many of the Brethren had returned from a month long mission to the east (D&C
103:37-40). The purpose of the mission
was twofold: preach the gospel, and
obtain moneys for debt relief. The
missionaries were more successful with the former.
In addition, work was
underway to form Zion¡¯s Camp to provide relief to the Missouri saints. Such an undertaking would require money both
for the camp and for the families left behind.
Pressed by these temporal concerns, the Prophet held out hope that Orson
Hyde, still on a mission in New York, could raise some money for the
Church. He wrote to Orson:
The fact is, unless we
can obtain help, I myself cannot go to Zion, and if I do not go, it will be
impossible to get my brethren in Kirtland, any of them, to go; and if we do not
go, it is in vain for our eastern brethren to think of going up to better
themselves by obtaining so goodly a land¡¦ and stand against that wicked
mob¡¦
Now, Brother Orson, if
this Church, which is essaying to be the Church of Christ will not help us, when
they can do it without sacrifice, with those blessings which God has bestowed
upon them, I prophesy—I speak the truth, I lie not—God shall take away their
talent, and give it to those who have no talent¡¦
We therefore adjure you
to beseech them, in the name of the Lord, by the Son of God, to lend us a
helping hand. (History of the Church,
2:48)
By ¡°lending us a helping
hand,¡± the Prophet meant money. That was
the issue. The finances of the Church had been organized by commandment into the
United Order or Firm, based in Kirtland.
¡°Two years earlier, in April 1832, the united order (or united firm) had secured a five-year loan for $15,000, an immense sum at the time, primarily for purchasing goods and property in Missouri. When the Saints were driven out of Jackson County, not only did they suffer staggering financial losses and abject poverty, but the united order also lost its collateral on this loan and its primary means of paying it back. Added to this were other debts incurred by the order on behalf of the Church in Missouri and in Kirtland.¡± (Stephen E. Robinson, H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2001] 3:295)
By the Spring of 1834, the Firm had an immediate need of $2000. In 2007 inflation adjusted dollars, that is
about $41,000. The Kirtland saints were
poor and numbered about as much as we have in a typical stake today. For them, $2000 was a lot of money. The Prophet recorded:
Thursday, April
17.—I
attended a meeting agreeable to appointment, at which time the important
subjects of the deliverance of Zion and the building of the Lord¡¯s House in
Kirtland were discussed by Elder Rigdon. After the lecture, I requested the brethren
and sisters to contribute all the money they could for the deliverance of Zion;
and received twenty-nine dollars and sixty-eight cents¡¦
April 21.—I attended conference,
and had a glorious time. Some few
volunteered to go to Zion, and others donated sixty-six
dollars and thirty-seven cents for the benefit of the scattered brethren in
Zion¡¦
April 23.—Assembled in Council with [the] Elders¡¦ and united in asking
the Lord to give Elder Zebeedee Coltrin influence over Brother Jacob Myres, to obtain the money which he has gone to borrow for
us, or cause him to come to this place and bring it
himself¡¦
About the last of April
I received, by letters from friends in the East, and of brethren in Kirtland,
the sum of two hundred and fifty-one dollars and sixty cents, towards the
deliverance of Zion. (History of the
Church, 2:50-61)
Brigham
Young
The first Bishops of this Church said they
believed with all their hearts, that
they understood temporal matters far better than the Prophet Joseph. Are
these the feelings of the people at the present time? They are not, but right to
the reverse. I could have said then, the same that I could say now, if Joseph
was living—if he could have been believed, and confidence could have been placed
in him, with regard to temporal matters, wealth would have been poured into the
laps of this people, to overflowing.
¡¦There was not enough confidence in the
people to satisfy them that the Prophet knew how to handle money, or what to do
with it; they did not believe he knew how to manage temporal affairs. This lack
of confidence brought poverty and distress upon the whole people. (Journal of Discourses, 1:74-75,
1853)
DC 104:1 a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church
¡°Why does D&C 104:1
say that the united order was an everlasting order
until the Lord comes, yet it is not practiced today?
¡°Stephen K. Iba, instructor at the Institute of Religion adjacent to the
University of Utah. Whenever a covenant or
commandment is entered into between God and his children, it should be
understood in terms of larger, eternal laws and principles. The Prophet
Joseph Smith
stated that ¡®we are looked upon by God as though we were in eternity. God dwells
in eternity, and does not view things as we do.¡¯ (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith,
comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, p. 356)
¡®For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts.¡¯ (Isa. 55:8–9.)
¡°These statements
suggest that God may have something else in mind when he uses words like
everlasting, eternal, Endless, or forever. ¡®Endless
torment¡¯ and ¡®eternal damnation,¡¯ for
example, do not mean there is no end to punishment, only that such punishment is
God¡¯s punishment. ¡®The punishment which is given
from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name.¡¯ (D&C
19:10.)
¡°A number of scriptures
in the Bible sustain this principle¡¦
¡°Early in the
Restoration, the Lord revealed the law of consecration and commanded the Saints
to be united in all things—doctrinally, spiritually, socially, and economically.
This law, they were told, would help them establish Zion upon the principles of
the law of the celestial kingdom. The united order was instituted to help
implement the principles of the law of consecration.
¡°Within three years,
however, the Lord chastened the Church for transgression and withdrew the
practice of the united order from the Saints. (See D&C 105:2–6, 9–13,
27–37.) Although the united order was suspended, some aspects of the law of
consecration remained.
¡°Aspects of the law of
consecration that are active today were mentioned by President Marion G.
Romney in general
conference: ¡®Full implementation of the united order must, according to the
revelation, await the redemption of Zion. (See D&C 105:34.) In the
meantime—while we are being more perfectly taught and are gaining experience—we
should be strictly living the principles of the united order insofar as they are
embodied in present Church requirements, such as tithing, fast offerings,
welfare projects, storehouses, and other principles and practices. Through these
programs we should, as individuals, implement in our own lives the bases of the
united order.¡¯ (Ensign, May 1977, pp.
94–95)
¡°Although the united
order was placed in abeyance, it is part of the everlasting gospel of Jesus
Christ. The principle is clear in the scriptures: The Lord is everlasting and
eternal; hence, everything he commands is everlasting and eternal, although a
particular commandment may not be practiced all the time, but only for the
period the Lord wills. So it is with the united order—it will be lived in full
when the Lord commands. It is his law, which is everlasting.¡± (Stephen K. Iba, ¡°I Have a Question,¡± Ensign, June 1986,
27)
DC 104:3 inasmuch as they were
not faithful they were nigh unto cursing
John Taylor
Before this revelation [on tithing] was given, God had revealed the
principle of the United Order, which, as you know, the people could not abide;
and when we come to think about it, it could hardly be expected that they could
do so, they having been in the Church but a short time, taken out of the world,
with all the prejudices and weaknesses that you and I have. But the time will
come when we will obey these things as they are given by the revelations of God,
and it will not be a hardship either; it will be a pleasure to those who are
under the influence of the Lord. (Journal
of Discourses, 22:11, 1881)
Orson
Pratt
As a people,
we did not strictly comply with that which the Lord required. Neither did they
comply in Kirtland. Many of those persons were called by name to enter into an
inferior order, afterwards called The Order of Enoch, in which only a portion of
their property was consecrated, and even they did not comply, but some of them
broke the most sacred and solemn covenants made before high Heaven in relation
to that order. The Lord said concerning them that they should be delivered over
to the buffetings of Satan in this world, as well as be punished in the world to
come. He also told them that that soul that sinned and would not comply with the
covenant and promise which they made before him in relation to their properties,
should have his former sins returned to him, which had been before remitted in
baptism.
This ought to
be an example for us who are living at a later period in the history of the
Church of the living God, and who ought, by this time, to have become thoroughly
experienced in the law of God. It is true we are not now required to consecrate
all that we have; this law has not been binding upon us since we were driven
from the land of Zion. The reason why this law was revoked was because the Lord
saw we would all go to destruction in consequence of our former
tradition in relation to property if this law had continued to be enforced after
we were driven out, hence he revoked it for the time being, as you will find
recorded in one of the revelations given June 22nd, 1835, after we were driven
from Jackson County. I will repeat the words—¡°Let
those commandments which I have given concerning Zion and her law, be executed
and fulfilled after her redemption.¡± Here you perceive that, for the
salvation of this people and of the nations of the earth among the Gentiles, God
saw proper to revoke this commandment and to lay it over for a future period, or
until after the redemption of Zion. Zion is not yet redeemed, and hence we are
not under the law of full consecration. (Journal of Discourses, 15:358-359,
1873)
DC 104:4 some¡¦ have broken the covenant through covetousness, and with feigned words
Hugh Nibley
The law of consecration
is inseparable from the law of God, the law of obedience, and the law of
sacrifice which the saints have already accepted.
Can it for any reason be
postponed? No! Those who have failed to keep it here and now are denounced:
"Inasmuch as some of my servants have not kept the
commandment, but have broken the covenant, . . . I have
cursed them with a very sore and grievous curse" (D&C 104:4). Why on
earth would anyone want to disregard it after accepting the gospel and bidding
farewell to the ways of the world? The answer: "by
covetousness and feigned words" (D&C 104:52)—unable to give up their
habits of greed, they pretended to accept what they did not accept. Of course,
they argued that the thing wasn't practical or convenient just then. When will
it be? Thirty years after the above revelation, Brigham Young, along with John
Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow, were still vigorously appealing to the saints to wake up. (Approaching Zion, edited by Don E.
Norton [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient
Research and Mormon Studies, 1989], 386)
Hugh Nibley
When the United Order
was dissolved in 1834, it was through no pressure from outside but because of
greed and hypocrisy ("covetousness, and with
feigned words," D&C 104:4, D&C 104:52) within the Church. Brigham
Young revived it again—the Brigham Young Academy at Provo was founded for the
explicit purpose, in his words, of countering "the theories of Huxley, of
Darwin, or of Miall and the false political economy
which contends against cooperation and the United Order."
But after him the old
covetousness and feigned words triumphed again as rich men quietly bought up
controlling shares of the cooperatives without changing the name¡¦ But while
attempts to implement it come and go, the covenant remains, and those who have
entered it must live by it or be cursed (D&C 104:3-5), for in this matter
God is not to be mocked (D&C 104:6). (Approaching Zion, edited by Don E.
Norton [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient
Research and Mormon Studies, 1989], 172 - 173)
Lorenzo Snow
We learn that the Saints
in that early period of our history, refused to be governed in those matters.
(Quotes D&C 104:4-6, etc.)
Hence we learn that the
Saints in Jackson County and other localities, refused to comply with the order
of consecration, consequently they were allowed to be driven from their
inheritances; and should not return until they were better prepared to keep the
law of God, by being more perfectly taught in reference to their duties, and
learn through experience the necessity of obedience. And I think we are not
justified in anticipating the privilege of returning to build up the center
stake of Zion, until we shall have shown obedience to the law of consecration.
One thing, however, is certain, we shall not be permitted to enter the land from
whence we were expelled, till our hearts are prepared to honor this law, and we
become sanctified through the practice of the truth. (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London:
Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 16: 276)
DC 104:5 he shall be cursed in his life, and shall be trodden down by whom I will
Lorenzo Snow
Speaking in regard to those who should disobey the principles of the
United Order after receiving it, the Lord says, ¡°I have decreed in my heart that
any man among you that shall break the covenant by which you are bound, he shall
be trodden down by whomsoever I will.¡± And he says, in regard to some parties who
turned away from this principle, ¡°I have cursed them with a sore and grievous
curse.¡± He says in another revelation, showing the sacredness of this order,
¡°Therefore a commandment I give unto you, and he who breaketh it shall lose his standing in the church, and be
turned over to the buffeting of Satan.¡± These are severe penalties, but it is in
consequence of his desire to prepare a people for celestial glory. Now, shall we
say that these matters do not pertain to us, and that we shall leave them until
we go back to Jackson County? I have sometimes thought that if the Latter-day
Saints did not open their eyes and attend to these things very strictly, we
should hardly escape these afflictions, but be persecuted as were our brethren
in Missouri. (Journal of Discourses,
26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 19: 347 -
348)
DC 104:9 the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption
Buffetings can occur in
this life or the next. However, this term is often applied to suffering for sin
after death. This raises the question,
is it possible to suffer in the spirit world and then be resurrected to a
kingdom of glory? Absolutely! King David, though guilty of murdering Uriah,
would not be punished forever. He
gloried in the knowledge that he would not be cast off forever, ¡°For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (i.e.
spirit prison)¡± (Ps 16:10). The
scriptures don¡¯t tell us which kingdom he will inherit, but they do tell us he
fell from his exaltation (D&C 132:39).
Even the mostly righteous will be turned over to the buffetings of Satan
to suffer for unconquered sins (see D&C 19:17-18). Remarkably, it is even possible to suffer the
buffetings of Satan and be resurrected to exaltation in celestial glory (D&C
132:26). The only souls who will be
turned over to the buffetings of Satan and are never redeemed (they are
resurrected but not to a kingdom of glory) are the sons of perdition. ¡°Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in
the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. For all the rest
shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and
the glory of the Lamb.¡± (D&C 76:38-39)
But who wants to be
turned over to the buffetings of Satan?
Even celestial glory in the day of redemption won¡¯t mitigate the promised
pain and the inevitable anguish of suffering Satan¡¯s
buffetings.
DC 104:10 deliver him over unto the buffetings of Satan
The transgressor,
according to this verse, is excommunicated.
That is when the Spirit completely withdraws. That when the light goes out and the darkness
really sets in.
Elaine Cannon
I remember when someone
I loved was cut off from the Church. A friend called with a comfort and a
warning: "It will be worse yet, for a time, while the buffetings of Satan invoke
real trouble. I know. I watched it with my own wife. After her excommunication
the buffetings of Satan became real and terrible. Christ supports us but Satan
tosses us about when we step into his arena. If people knew this, they'd stay
far away from sin." (Adversity [Salt
Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987], 13)
B. H. Roberts
Of course to those who
hold lightly their standing in the church, suspension of fellowship, or
excommunication has no especial terror; but to the man of faith, whose full
hopes of eternal life with all its advantages stand or fall with his standing in
the church of Christ, no greater punishment can threaten him. He remembers that
the Lord hath said: ¡°Woe unto them who are cut off
from my church, for the same are overcome of the world.¡± And, again:
"Inasmuch as ye are cut off by transgressions, ye
cannot escape the buffetings of Satan, until the day of redemption.¡± The punishment, then, of excommunication is a
serious one in the estimation of the faithful. (Outlines of Ecclesiastical History [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1927], 379 - 380)
DC 104:11 appoint every man his stewardship
Joseph B. Wirthlin
Each of you has an eternal calling from which no
Church officer has authority to release you. This is a calling given you by our
Heavenly Father Himself. In this eternal calling, as with all other callings,
you have a stewardship, and ¡°it is required of the
Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship,
both in time and in eternity.¡± This most important stewardship is the
glorious responsibility your Father in Heaven has given you to watch over and
care for your own soul.
At some future day, you and I will each hear the
voice of the Lord calling us forward to render an account of our mortal
stewardship. This accounting will occur when we are called up to ¡°stand before [the Lord] at the great and judgment day.¡±
Each day on this earth is but a small part of
eternity. The day of resurrection and final judgment will surely come for each
one of us.
Then our Father in Heaven¡¯s great and noble heart
will be saddened for those of His children who, because they chose evil, will be
cast out, unworthy to return to His presence. But He will welcome with loving
arms and with indescribable joy those who have chosen to be ¡°true to the truth.¡±
Righteous living, combined with the grace of the Atonement, will qualify us to
stand before Him with clean hearts and clear consciences. (¡°True to the Truth,¡±
Ensign, May 1997, 16)
Thomas S. Monson
I recall that when I was the second counselor in our
deacons quorum presidency, I was considered a ward
officer. At ward conference, when we sat on the front row of our ward officer¡¯s
meeting, I remember the stake president saying, ¡°We will now call on Thomas
Monson, the second counselor in the presidency of the deacons quorum of this
ward, to give an account of his stewardship before the priesthood leadership of
this ward.¡± Twelve years old, shaking like a leaf, I had to go forward to the
same pulpit and give an account of my stewardship as the second counselor in the
deacons quorum. We were taught responsibility,
dependability, and accountability. We have not tapped that resource to a
sufficient degree. (¡°Seven Steps to Success With Aaronic Priesthood Youth,¡± Ensign, Feb. 1985,
24)
DC 104:13 it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable
If there is one principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ that goes directly to the very foundation of justice and righteousness, it is that great and glorious and God-like principle that every man will have to render an account for that which he does, and every man will be rewarded for his works, whether they be good or evil. (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, compiled by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], 69.)
Joseph F.
Smith
If I fail to observe the laws of the Church, I am responsible to my God, and will have to answer to him, by and by, for my neglect of duty, and I may have to answer to the Church for my fellowship. If I do my duty, according to my understanding of the requirements that the Lord has made of me, then I ought to have a conscience void of offense; I ought to have satisfaction in my soul, in the consciousness that I have simply done my duty as I understand it, and I will risk the consequences. With me it is a matter between me and the Lord; so it is with every one of us. (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, compiled by John A. Widtsoe [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1939], 249.)
Joseph
Smith
I have no doubt but that you will agree with me that men will be held accountable for the things which they have and not for the things they have not, or that all the light and intelligence communicated to them from their beneficent creator, whether it is much or little, by the same they in justice will be judged, and that they are required to yield obedience and improve upon that and that only which is given. (The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, p. 298; standardized)
¡°The message from the scriptures is clear: Earth is the Lord's; man is only a steward. And as a good steward, man is accountable and must be respectful of Earth and its inhabitants. There is no evidence that God intended man's authorized dominion over Earth to be taken as an entitlement to exploit Earth wantonly. Quite to the contrary, God counsels man through the scriptures to ¡®hurt not the earth¡¯ (Rev. 7:3Rev. 7:3), to care for the poor, and to be a prudent and responsible agent: ¡®It pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made to be used, with judgment, not to excess, neither by extortion¡¯ (D&C 59:20D&C 59:20). Certainly the pursuit of personal gain with disregard for the environment and the rights and welfare of others is a violation of God's will.¡± (David Clark, Of Heaven and Earth: Reconciling Scientific Thought with LDS Theology [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 198.)
God is responsible for our creation¡¦ not just the
making of our own bodies, but the whole of creation—the heavens, the earth, and
all that in them are. That simple fact alone should be basis enough for our
unending gratitude. When a man creates something through his own labor—a work of
art, a building, a piece of furniture, great music—we say that it is his. In
other words, we recognize that he has claim upon it, that he has stewardship
over it, that he has the right to do with it as he
wishes.
By that same principle, we should acknowledge that, because all that we see and know comes from the labor of God's hands, it is his. Therefore, whatever we have, or take, or use, or enjoy puts us automatically in his debt. In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord clearly stated that this is indeed the case: ¡°For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures. I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.¡± ("D&C 104:13"D&C 104:14D&C 104:13-14; italics added.) Note the possessive phrases used in those verses: ¡°which I have made,¡± ¡°my very handiwork,¡± ¡°all things therein are mine.¡± As the Psalmist said, ¡°The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.¡± ("Ps. 24:1Ps. 24:1.)
Think for a moment how that simple concept would alter people's thinking if they would really accept it. We clutch things to our bosom and say, ¡°These are mine.¡± Individuals rob, cheat, and steal, or they manipulate and maneuver so they may be able to claim things as their own. Figuratively, the rich sit on their velvet thrones, drinking from golden goblets, and ignore the desperate sufferings of the poor because they think that what they have received belongs solely to them. Nations go to war over lands that they did nothing to create.
If we truly believed that God was the owner of all things, that man was only a user and a borrower, our approach to life would alter drastically. A classic illustration of that principle was the man Job. After facing devastating losses of family, property, and health, he stated simply: ¡°Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.¡± ("Job 1:21Job 1:21.) Henry B. Eyring spoke of this natural human tendency to forget all that God has done for us: ¡°We so easily forget that we came into life with nothing. Whatever we get soon seems our natural right, not a gift. And we forget the giver. Then our gaze shifts from what we have been given to what we don't have yet. . . . The remembrance urged upon us by King Benjamin can be ours. Remembrance is the seed of gratitude.¡± (Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991], 116-117.)
DC 104:16 it must needs be done in mine own way¡¦
I refer to what is known among us as the United Order. I know that many have thought that this has passed off; that it is a fantasy, an idea that cannot be carried out; that it is impossible, as human nature is constituted, to make it practical. Probably many among us entertain that idea. But I can assure you that this is not the case. It is the plan that God has devised, and I want to hold it up before you if I can, so that you will see it and understand that God has devised a plan that is far superior to that which men have concocted. And it can be and will be carried out. (Brian H. Stuy, ed., Collected Discourses, 5 vols. [Burbank, Calif., and Woodland Hills, Ut.: B.H.S. Publishing, 1987-1992], vol. 4, April 8, 1894)
I am, and I presume a great many others who are acquainted with the revelations of God, as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, are looking for the period of time to come, in the history of the Latter-day Saints, when we as a people shall possess a very different country from the one we are now inhabiting¡¦ we expect, just as much as we expect the sun will shine, when it arises on a clear morning, that the Lord will by and bye, take us back to the land [of Zion]. We do not expect that when that time shall come, that all Latter-day Saints, who now occupy the mountain Valleys, will go in one consolidated body, leaving this land totally without inhabitants. We do not expect any such thing. But we do expect, that there will be a period in the future history of the Church when many hundreds of this people¡¦ will go to the eastern portions of the state of Kansas, and also to the western portions of the state of Missouri to settle. And when that time shall come, if it be needful to carry out the commandments which Brother Snow read this morning, referring to the purchase of lands, we will have property and means sufficient to accomplish this work.
It was necessary some 47 years ago to purchase lands, and also for several years afterwards. But we did not do it then. It may be necessary for us in times to come, and probably will be necessary for us to purchase that whole region of country¡¦ And the land thus purchased will be no doubt, as far as possible, located in one district of country, which will be settled very differently from the way we now settle up these mountain regions. You may ask, in what respect we shall differ in settling up those countries when we go there to fulfill the commandments of the Lord? I will tell you. No man in those localities will be permitted to receive a stewardship on those lands, unless he is willing to consecrate all his properties to the Lord. That will be among the first teachings given. When this shall be done, the people will be, as the parable says, like unto one body—all equally poor, or all equally rich; in other words, they will be persons that can claim no property as their own, everything being consecrated. And the land being purchased, will be held on a different principle, from what it is now. Today fifty thousand dollars worth of real estate property is the most that can be held by a religious organization; but in that day the whole of our properties, amounting a very much larger sum, will be held in trust. For whom? For the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints, and for all this great company that will be gathered together. And there will be such a change in governmental affairs, that the trustee, whoever he may be, will only act as such as long as he is faithful; and if he becomes unfaithful it will be transferred to another¡¦ The properties they hold will not be their own, although it may be called so, as far as that is concerned. And when it shall be ascertained that an individual has consecrated everything he has, inquiries will be made as to the size of his family, and land will be apportioned to him accordingly—not to deed him the property, according to the Gentile practice; but rather that the extent of his stewardship may be determined. (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 21: 150 - 151)
In speaking of the exaltation of
the poor, the Lord did not intend to convey, as some may think, that he was to
take from the rich and make them poor, but that through this divine law there
would come an equality and in humility all would be made rich in the abundance
that would be gathered into the storehouse of the Lord, and every man should be
provided with an abundance.
¡°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.¡± (v. 17.) The abundance of the earth is so plentiful, through the mercies of the Father, that all could have ¡°enough and to spare¡± if the commandments of the Lord were strictly kept. (Church History and Modern Revelation, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1946-1949], 3: 25)
Marion G.
Romney
Since that eventful day in Eden, the Lord
has frequently reemphasized the fact that individual effort is the basic
principle in His economy—both spiritual and temporal. Let us never forget that
the Lord¡¯s way to provide for His saints is ¡°that
the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.¡± (D&C
104:16.)
The poor can be exalted when and only when
they are enabled to obtain independence and self-respect through their own
industry and thrift. Our duty is to enable them to do this.
¡°The rich are
made low¡± when they evidence their obedience to the second great
commandment—¡°Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself¡± (Matt. 22:39)—by
imparting of their substance ¡°according to the law
of [the] gospel, unto the poor and the
needy.¡± (D&C 104:18.) (¡°In
Mine Own Way,¡± Ensign, Nov 1976, 123)
I next address the present-day challenge to the words of the Lord recorded in Genesis: ¡°Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.¡± All my life I have heard the argument that the earth is overpopulated. Much controversy surrounded a 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, Egypt. No doubt the conference accomplished much that was worthwhile. But at the very center of the debate was the socially acceptable phrase ¡°sustainable growth.¡± This concept is becoming increasingly popular. How cleverly Satan masked his evil designs with that phrase.
Few voices in the developed nations cry out in the wilderness against this coined phrase, ¡°sustainable growth.¡± In Forbes magazine a thoughtful editorial asserts that people are an asset, not a liability. It forthrightly declares as preposterous the broadly accepted premise that curbing population growth is essential for economic development. This editorial then states convincingly, ¡°Free people don¡¯t ¡®exhaust¡¯ resources. They create them.¡±
An article in U.S. News & World Report entitled ¡°10 Billion for Dinner, Please¡± states that the earth is capable of producing food for a population of at least eighty billion, eight times the ten billion expected to inhabit the earth by the year 2050. One study estimates that with improved scientific methods the earth could feed as many as one thousand billion people. Those who argue for sustainable growth lack vision and faith. The Lord said, ¡°For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare.¡± That settles the issue for me. It should settle the issue for all of us. The Lord has spoken. (¡°Serving the Lord and Resisting the Devil,¡± Ensign, Sept. 1995, 4-5)
DC 104:18 if any man
shall¡¦impart not his portion¡¦he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in
hell, being in torment
The revelation from which this is taken was given in this dispensation for our guidance. In light of it, do you think that this matter of taking care of the poor is one that we can disregard and still obtain the blessings of the Lord? Not at all. We obey it, or we pay the penalty. (¡°Fundamental Welfare Services,¡± Ensign, May 1979, 96)
D. Todd Christofferson
We might ask ourselves, living as many of us do in societies that worship possessions and pleasures, whether we are remaining aloof from covetousness and the lust to acquire more and more of this world¡¯s goods. Materialism is just one more manifestation of the idolatry and pride that characterize Babylon. Perhaps we can learn to be content with what is sufficient for our needs. (¡°Come to Zion,¡± Ensign, Nov 2008, 37–40)
Mark E.
Petersen
I used to think the Lord was pretty harsh
in saying that if we are not willing to help the poor and the needy in his way,
we would be in danger of the torment of hell, but when I began to read that in
the light of Matthew, twenty-fifth chapter, and think of it along with the
Church welfare program, I began to understand what the Lord had in mind. You
remember the Savior said this:
When the Son of man shall come in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all
nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right
hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world:
For I was an
hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty. and ye
gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye
clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty,
and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee
in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in:
naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in
prison. and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them saying, Verily, I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it
not to me (Matt. 25:31-45).
(Conference Report, April 1947, pp. 98-103)
DC 104:19-46 The Dissolution of the United Order
¡°10 April [1834], a meeting of members of the united order in Kirtland agreed that the order should be dissolved and that each member of the order should have his stewardship allotted to him individually as private property. In this way, creditors who might have had a claim against assets of the order could not collect by seizing property allotted to its individual members. This was not an attempt to avoid paying the debts of the Church (se v. 78), but was done to protect Church property while gaining time to raise additional funds. Even so, actual dissolution of the order was postponed for two weeks, apparently in the hope that funds could be raised in time and dissolution could be avoided. On 23 April 1834, Joseph met in council with members of the order and received from the Lord Doctrine and Covenants 104. The Lord instructed that the order was to be dissolved and reorganized into two separate orders, one in Kirtland and one in Missouri, though members of the order were still to receive individual stewardships. In a separate, unpublished revelation received the same day, members of the order in Kirtland were instructed to forgive each other their personal debts to one another and their debts to the order. All of these developments, together with the Lord¡¯s financial instructions contained in Doctrine and Covenants 104, allowed the Prophet Joseph to meet the Church¡¯s most challenging financial problems, and, thus, to begin preparing for Zion¡¯s Camp.¡± (Stephen E. Robinson, H. Dean Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2001] 3:296-297)
Verses |
Member |
Property Received |
20-23 |
Sidney Rigdon |
Current residence and
tannery lot |
24-26 |
Martin
Harris |
Old John Johnson
lot |
27-33 |
Frederick G.
Williams |
Current residence and
half of printing office lot |
28-33 |
Oliver Cowdery |
Lot 1 adjacent to
printing office, half of printing office lot, and his father, William Cowdery¡¯s lot |
34-38 |
John
Johnson |
Current residence and
portion of previously inherited lands |
39-42 |
Newell K.
Whitney |
Current residences, the
store, the adjacent lot, and the ashery
lot |
43-46 |
Joseph Smith
Jr. |
Temple lot and Joseph
Smith, Sr. residence |
Why is it that the
property is divided among only 7 people? Shouldn¡¯t it be divided among all the
saints in Kirtland? As it turns out, the
United Order was only practiced by the leading Brethren of the Church. While converts would donate to the Bishop and
even receive an inheritance according to the principles of the law of
consecration, only the members of the United Order were to own things
collectively as the New Testament saints had ¡°all
things common¡± (Acts 4:32). This
select group were to consecrate everything to the order, while most
saints were not required this extensive a sacrifice. In this respect, the body of Church really
wasn¡¯t living the law of consecration in its fullest in the early days of the
Church. Elder Orson Pratt explains the
difference. He distinguishes between the
celestial law and the law of Enoch.
Orson Pratt
I have related these things that we may understand wherein we have once had the privilege of complying with the celestial law in regard to our property, and wherein a great principle has been put out in our midst. In all of our wanderings the celestial law has never been put in practice, as regards our property¡¦ Therefore when I speak of the Order of Enoch, I do not mean the order of ancient Enoch, I mean the Order that was given to Joseph Smith in 1832-1834, which is a law inferior to the celestial law, because the celestial law required the consecration of all that a man had. The law of Enoch only required a part. The law of consecration in full required that all the people should consecrate everything that they had; and none were exempt. The law of Enoch called upon certain men only to consecrate. (Journal of Discourses, 16:155-56)
DC 104:47-50 Kirtland and Zion each to have their own United Order
The way the United Order
was to be set up prior to 1834:
In addition to each
community within the united order having its own storehouse, or economic center,
there was a central storehouse into which the members of the Central United
Order Board turned their surplus, which became ¡®the
common property of the whole church.¡¯ This meant that the funds of the
central storehouse were to be administered for the benefit of the whole
system.
Though the program of
the central storehouse was not fully developed while the Saints were in Ohio and
Missouri, there can be little doubt that the Central United Order Board was
expected to play a vital role in the over-all operation of the
system.
First, in its
administration of the surplus funds of the central storehouse, the central board
could bring about a uniform standard of living among the members of the whole
system, based upon the existence of sufficient wealth in each community
storehouse to sustain its members on that standard. If the surplus of the
central storehouse was to be administered for the benefit of ¡®the whole church,¡¯ and if all stewards as heirs
truly had an equal right to acquire the blessings of the earth, it followed that
communities lacking in natural resources, etc., could apply to the central
storehouse for funds to develop industries and enterprises which would stimulate
their economic growth. Without taking from one community storehouse to give to
another, stewards could achieve and maintain an equal standard of living
consistent with the principles of the new economic order and not contradictory
to the incentive of those with wealth to obtain more.¡±
Persecution and
transgression made execution of this ideal impractical. The distance between Kirtland and Jackson
County was 700 miles. The division of
the order into two separate systems may also be seen as representing financial
independence between the first two stakes.
¡°When this
reorganization of the United Order in Kirtland came to an end is difficult to
determine. However, the word of the Lord in D&C 105:34 removed from the
Saints in Missouri the responsibility of living the law of consecration and
stewardship of property until after the redemption of
Zion.
¡°By 1837 the United
Order in Kirtland had definitely come to an end when a financial crisis struck.
This economic plight was one of many factors that led to an apostasy in the
Church, and forced Joseph to flee from Kirtland to save his life.¡± (Robert L.
Millet and Kent P. Jackson, eds., Studies
in Scripture, Vol. 1: The Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book Co., 1989], 183)
DC 104:51 The covenants being broken through transgression, by covetousness
Joseph Smith
The spirit of
speculation in lands and property of all kinds, which was so prevalent
throughout the whole nation, was taking deep root in the Church. As the fruits
of this spirit, evil surmisings, fault finding,
disunion, dissension, and apostasy followed in quick succession. (History of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2: 487 -
488.)
DC 104:56 if the properties are mine, then ye are stewards
Marion G. Romney
The basic principle and
the justification for the law of consecration ¡°is that everything we have
belongs to the Lord; therefore, the Lord may call upon us for any and all of the
property which we have, because it belongs to Him. ¡¦ (D&C 104: 14–17,
54–57)¡± (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., in Conference Report, Oct. 1942, p.
55)
The intent of the law of
consecration was that every man is to be ¡°equal
according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and
needs.¡± (D&C 51:3) Under it, every man, including the poor, was to
receive a ¡° ¡®portion¡¯ ¡¦ such as would make him equal to
others according to his circumstances, his family, his wants and
needs.
¡°The land which you
received from the bishop by deed, whether it was part of the land which you,
yourself, had deeded to the Church, or whether it came as an out-right gift from
the Church ¡¦ and the personal property which you received, were all together
sometimes called a ¡®portion¡¯ (D&C 51:4–6), sometimes a ¡®stewardship¡¯
(D&C 104:11–12), and sometimes an ¡®inheritance.¡¯ (D&C 83:3)¡± (J. Reuben
Clark, Jr., in Conference Report,
Oct. 1942, p. 56) (¡°Living the Principles of the Law of Consecration,¡± Ensign, Feb. 1979,
3)
Orson Pratt
We have not yet learned the lesson that we
are but stewards over what the Lord places in our hands. We have not yet learned
the law which should govern and regulate these matters. Ever since we entered
these valleys every man has been for himself more or less. The merchant to trade
and traffic and gain all he could possibly rake and scrape together. The
mechanic, the farmer and the manufacturer have done the same; and each one, in
all the various branches of business that have been carried on in our Territory,
has been constantly grabbing here and grabbing there, each
trying to get rich the soonest and to become a millionaire without any great
exertion. (Journal of Discourses, 12:320-321,
1868)
DC 104:57 I have appointed unto you to be stewards¡¦ even stewards indeed
¡°¡¯In the Church a
stewardship is a sacred spiritual or temporal trust for which there is
accountability. Because all things belong to the Lord, we are stewards over our
bodies, minds, families, and properties. (See D&C 104:11–15.) A faithful
steward is one who exercises righteous dominion, cares for his own, and looks to
the poor and needy. (See D&C 104:15–18.)¡¯ (Ensign, Nov. 1977, p.
78)
¡°The assignment of
stewardship is usually thought of as growing out of the formal law of
consecration. (Since the law of consecration is founded on the truth that all
things belong to the Lord, under it we consecrate to the Lord all that we have.
The Lord thereafter appoints each man as a steward over a portion of property
sufficient for himself and his family. Each steward is accountable to the Lord for how he
manages his stewardship. [See D&C 42.]) But the principle of stewardship also applies
under our presently binding covenants of baptism and
consecration.
¡°Church members
recognize that we do not truly ¡®own¡¯ even ourselves. Everything we possess is
really a stewardship. Our time, our talents, our property, our families, our
Church callings and priesthood offices—all of these have been entrusted to us as
part of our individual stewardship, for which we are held
accountable.
¡°¡¯The responsibility to
perform [your] labor came to you from the Son of God. You are his servants. You will be held accountable to him for your
stewardship.¡¯ (Joseph Fielding Smith, Seek Ye Earnestly ¡¦
, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1970, pp. 235–36; italics
added)
¡°We would do well to
master the principles of stewardship in this life, for we must operate by them
both here and hereafter: ¡®It is required of the
Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship, both
in time and in eternity.¡¯ (D&C 72:3; italics
added)
¡°Ultimately, how we
manage the affairs of our family and priesthood responsibilities determines how
happy we are as citizens of the kingdom. It is primarily through these
stewardship roles that we will be judged to determine if we have done all things
that we were commanded—and have in fact kept our second estate. Latter-day
Saints who faithfully practice stewardship principles now will not only be
contributing to the eventual creation of a Zion society, but will also be saving
themselves: ¡®And whoso is found a faithful, a just,
and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit
eternal life.¡¯ (D&C 51:19) (R. Quinn Gardner, ¡°Becoming a Zion
Society: Six Principles,¡± Ensign,
Feb. 1979, 34-35)
DC 104:58 organize yourselves, even to print my words, the fullness of my scriptures, the revelations¡¦
¡°As a new year dawned in
January 1834, the Church was beset by persecution and violence, both in Ohio and
Missouri. On the evening of January 11, a group of brethren met in a prayer
meeting with the Prophet to ask the Lord for help and protection. Their requests
were itemized, and the fifth request read: ¡®That the Lord would protect our
printing press from the hands of evil men, ¡¦ that we
may print His scriptures.¡¯ (History of
the Church, 2:3.) Such a plea had special meaning relative to the press in
Ohio, for the W. W. Phelps printing press in Independence had been destroyed by
a mob just six months earlier, on 20 July 1833.
¡°On 23 April 1834, the
Lord again spoke to the Prophet about printing the new translation: ¡®And for this purpose I have commanded you to organize
yourselves, even to print my words, the fulness of my
scriptures, the revelations which I have given unto you.¡¯ (D&C
104:58.) Although more than the new Bible translation is involved in the scope
of this revelation, the new translation is included.
¡°Earlier plans did not
permit the JST to be published piecemeal, yet portions of the translation of
Genesis had already been published in The Evening and the Morning Star in August
1832 and in March and April 1833. Then, in July 1833, the Star announced: ¡®At no
very distant period, we shall print the book of Mormon and the [New] Testament,
and bind them in one volume.¡¯ However, hopes for this were postponed when the
printing press in Independence was destroyed the same
month.
¡°As the years passed,
the Prophet did not lose interest in publishing the JST, although he was greatly
hampered by persecution, the administrative duties of the Church, the lack of
financial and material means¡¦
¡°[By] September 1844
[the JST was still unpublished]. The JST would probably have been next, but the
Prophet had been unable to get it published. He worked diligently on it during
the closing years of his life when time would permit. Perhaps if he had not been
forced to leave the ¡®spiritualities¡¯ of the Church so often to attend to the
¡®temporalities,¡¯ he would have been able to see the translation of the Bible
through to publication as he had hoped to do.¡± (Robert J. Matthews, ¡°Joseph
Smith¡¯s Efforts to Publish His Bible ¡®Translation,¡¯ ¡± Ensign, Jan. 1983,
61)
DC 104:60-68 ye shall prepare for yourselves a place for a treasury
¡°In addition to the
storehouse, two treasuries were organized to receive monies donated to the
order. One treasury worked in harmony with the storehouse and was used to take
care of the poor, to purchase lands, to build buildings, and to satisfy the
needs of the Saints. All monies received from stewardship improvements were
placed in this treasury as fast as they were received. (D&C 104:68.) The
other treasury, the ¡®sacred treasury,¡¯
contained those things most holy and money earned from the sale of scriptures,
holy and sacred writings, and other sacred things. Monies in this treasury were
used for printing the scriptures and were consecrated to the Lord for his work.
(D&C 104:63-66.) Treasurers were appointed to handle the accounts in each
treasury. No one person could take items or monies from the storehouse or
treasuries. Access to the treasuries was only by voice of the order's members or
by commandment of the Lord. (D&C 104:64-72.) Thus, the storehouse and
treasuries belonged to members of the order, and a worthy steward had claim on
the storehouse and treasury. (D&C 104:62, 72)¡± (Susan Easton Black et al.,
Doctrines for Exaltation: The 1989 Sperry
Symposium on the Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1989], 105 - 106)
DC 104:64 the sacred things shall be had¡¦ and a seal shall be upon it
Unpublished, sacred scripture was to be kept with a seal upon it. Doesn¡¯t that sound familiar? What were the words of the Lord to the Brother of Jared about the revelation he received? ¡°Ye shall write them and shall seal them up¡± (Ether 3:22). What about the revelations in Revelation, ¡°I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals¡± (Rev. 5:1)? In Revelation, only the Lamb could open the seven seals. In the sacred treasury, the seal could be opened by the voice of the order or by commandment from the Lord.
The Brethren were to be very careful with the revelations. Where would we be if we didn¡¯t have the Doctrine and Covenants and the Joseph Smith Translation today? The care required to preserve the revelations came by divine mandate according to the divine pattern of protecting them with a seal.
DC 104:72-73 any man among you [may] say to the treasurer: I have need of this to help me in my stewardship
John Taylor
You know that, in this order it is not all
putting in, there is some taking out, and that is a point I want to get at; it
would be a very nice and beautiful thing if we could carry it out. If, as
described in the revelation, we could have a general treasury from which we
could all draw what we needed, and then return it, together with our tens,
fifties, hundreds and thousands, and all act as one family for the general
interest of all, it would be a very beautiful thing; but everybody is not so
honest, pure and upright as this state of things demands. If we had a general
treasury some would be very willing to go to the treasurer and request so much
to enable them, as they would represent, ¡°to carry out their stewardship,¡± and
he would have to hand it out to them according to the provisions made in the
Doctrine and Covenants; but that would in all probability be the last of it with
many. Would you business men like to have a system like that in the United
Order? You say you would like this order carried out as it is laid down in the
Book of Doctrine and Covenants, but I say you would not. Would you like every
man, simply because he was a member of the Order, to have power to go to the
treasurer and draw out what he thought proper, and use it just according to his
fancy? No, you would not, you could not and would not trust your neighbors as
far as that, for all men are not capable and all men are not honest and conscientious; if they were we should be nearly ready to be caught
up; but we have not reached that point yet, and consequently we have to do the
best we can. (Journal of Discourses,
17:179-180)
Lorenzo Snow
Now a whole people, enlightened by the principles of High Heaven in
regard to these matters—filled with the Spirit of God, with the spirit of
understanding, the spirit of philanthropy, every man seeking the interest of his
neighbor, having an eye single to the glory of God, putting his means into the
Lord's treasury, and no man saying that anything is his, except as a steward
before God—would be a pillar of financial strength, a sublime picture of holy
union and fraternity, and equal to the most extreme emergencies. Then when any
misfortune befalls a man, such as the burning of his property,
or failure or trouble in his department of business, he could go to the
treasurer and say, ¡°I have need of a certain amount to assist me in my
stewardship. Have I not managed the affairs of my stewardship in a wise manner?
Can you not have confidence in me? Have I ever misused the means put into my
hands? Has it not been wisely controlled? If so, give me means to help me in my
stewardship, or to build up this industry that is needed for the general
interests of the whole.¡± Well, it is to be given to him. There is confidence
reposed in him because of his past conduct, and the course which he has pursued.
He has due right in exercising his talents according to the light of the spirit
that is within him. He understands fully the circumstances in which he is
placed, and governs himself according to the obligations that rest upon him. He
is found to be a wise, economical manager; and he is assisted in his stewardship
to the extent of the means that he should have.
Now, were the Saints all acting in the spirit of these revelations, what
a happy community we would be! We would all be safe, and no man would need remain awake at night thinking what he should do
for his family to keep them from begging their bread, or going to the Bishop,
which perhaps is only one degree better. And there would be a union that would
be in accordance with the union of Enoch and his people, when they were taken to
the world above—a union pleasing to the Almighty, and according to the
principles of the celestial world. (Journal of Discourses,
20:370-371)
DC 104:74 Until he be found a transgressor¡¦ an unfaithful and an unwise steward
Lorenzo Snow
If a man was capable of managing merchandise to the amount of one
hundred thousand dollars, it would be proper that he should be made a steward
over that amount. If a man was not capable of managing extensive concerns, it
would be improper to make him steward over a large business. But every man would
receive a stewardship in proportion to his capacity to oversee it for the
general good. (Journal of Discourses,
20:370)
DC 104:78 concerning your debts—behold it is my will that you shall pay all your debts
President Ezra Taft Benson
Our inspired leaders
have always urged us to get out of debt, live within our means, and pay as we
go. (¡° ¡®Pay Thy Debt, and Live,¡¯ ¡± Ensign, June 1987,
3)
President Spencer W. Kimball
All my life from
childhood I have heard the Brethren saying, ¡°Get out of debt and stay out of
debt.¡± (in Conference Report, Apr. 1975,
166)
President J. Reuben Clark Jr.
Interest never sleeps
nor sickens nor dies; ¡¦ Once in debt, interest is your companion every minute of
the day and night; you cannot shun it or slip away from it; you cannot dismiss
it; it yields neither to entreaties, demands, or orders; and whenever you get in
its way or cross its course or fail to meet its demands, it crushes you (in Conference Report, Apr. 1938, 103).
(Scott Nash, ¡°Understanding Interest on Debt,¡± Ensign, Sept. 1997,
66)
Hugh Pinnock
Recently, some of you
have placed your money in an investment that has proven to be unwise or
unprofitable. Now is an opportunity for you to begin again. Don¡¯t let a mistake
injure you twice as it does if you harbor a past wrong or injustice and let your
anger destroy you.
Some of you have hurt
others, bringing pain, fear, and heartache to them. Now is the time to go and
express sorrow for what you have done, beg their forgiveness, and whenever
possible, restore that which has been taken. When? Now! It is God¡¯s design that
we pay our obligations. In the Doctrine and Covenants he said, ¡°Behold it is my will that you shall pay all your debts.¡±
(D&C 104:78; italics added.) (Hugh W. Pinnock,
¡°Beginning Again,¡± Ensign, May 1982, 12)
Franklin D. Richards
Get out of debt and stay
out of debt. In modern revelation, the Lord has given us these commandments:
¡°Verily I say unto you, concerning your
debts—behold it is my will that you shall pay all your debts¡± (D&C
104:78). And again: ¡°Pay the debt thou hast
contracted. ¡¦ Release thyself from bondage¡± (D&C
19:35).
President Joseph F. Smith advised the Saints to
¡°get out of debt and keep out of debt, and then you will be financially as well
as spiritually free¡± (In Conference
Report, Oct. 1903, p. 5).
In getting out of debt
and staying out of debt, there are certain basic principles that we, as
individuals and families, can apply, such as:
1. Live within your
income.
2. Prepare and use
short- and long-term budgets.
3. Regularly save a part
of your income.
4. Use your credit
wisely, if it is necessary to use it at all. For example, a reasonable debt may
be justified for the acquisition of a home or education.
5. Preserve and utilize
your assets through appropriate tax and estate planning.
I know that by following
these simple, basic principles it is possible to get out of debt and stay out of
debt. (¡°Personal and Family Financial Preparedness,¡± Ensign, May 1979,
39)
DC 104:79 obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith
Gene R. Cook
At a stake conference,
Brother Garcia came to me in private and said, "I have a serious problem. I'm
unemployed. I'm an engineer." He then told me about his career and the money he
had made earlier. He said, "I've been a good member and I've been to the temple.
But I have been unemployed for a long time. I went to my bishop for help, and my
bishop told me that what I needed was more faith and diligence and to humble myself. Can you believe that?"
And then he laughed somewhat sarcastically. (The bishop had helped him and his
family with the necessities, but he wanted more.)
This humble bishop,
uneducated but most inspired, had given him the correct answer to his problem of
unemployment. But he expected some sympathy from me. He was talking to the wrong
man.
I could see his was not
a humble heart. I told him, "Brother Garcia, you have misunderstood. The Church
doesn't plan to help you out at all. In fact, I'm going to tell you that the
bishop gave you the right answer right from the scriptures." I was really very
blunt with him. Then I tried to give him some direction as to what to do. He
said, "As you know, in this country one-third of all men are unemployed. You
talk as if with faith and humility all could have jobs. That isn't possible, is
it?" I said, "There may be some unemployed from other faiths, but there need not
be one among the Latter-day Saints." I bore testimony that the Lord would help
him and, shared the passages just mentioned: "Verily I say unto you, concerning your debts—behold it is
my will that you shall pay all your debts" (D&C 104:78).
I asked him if he was
out of debt. He said no and that he never really had been since he had been
married. I told him that he couldn't expect the Lord to be of much assistance if
he didn't plan on obeying him. We then read verse 79: "And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before
me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of
faith."
I asked, "Brother
Garcia, what are the three keys?"
He answered rather
sheepishly, "To humble yourself, be diligent, and the prayer of
faith."
I then said, "Now, the
Lord doesn't usually repeat himself immediately in the next verse, but he did in
this case, perhaps because he thought we wouldn't get it," and then we read
verses 80 and 81: "And inasmuch as you are diligent
and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts
of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your
deliverance.
"Therefore
write speedily to New York and write according to that which shall be dictated
by my Spirit; and I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt,
that it shall be taken away out of their minds to bring affliction upon
you."
"Brother Garcia," I
said, "the Lord will soften the heart of the one to whom you are in debt or the
heart of the one who does the employing. Who will send the means for your
deliverance?"
He answered, "The
Lord."
I said, "Brother Garcia,
you will notice that the Lord summarizes it all again in verse 82: "And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon
my name, behold, I will give you the victory."
I expressed my love and
testimony to him and then left him.
I returned to that same
city about a year later. In a priesthood leadership meeting, for some reason I
began to say something about this fellow, not remembering I was in that very
same city. (If I had remembered, I probably wouldn't have been bold enough to
talk about it.) I started to say something, without using his real name.
Suddenly a man stood up right in the middle of the congregation. He said, "Elder
Cook, the man you're talking about is my friend, and he is sitting right here
next to me. He's too modest to tell you this, but I will." And then he told this
story.
He said Brother Garcia
had been so taken aback by our earlier conversation that at first he was
offended. Financially things became worse for him. For a month to six weeks,
things just went downhill. He then began to think about what the bishop and I
had said about humility, diligence,
and the prayer of faith. He began to
realize that the bishop's counsel was correct and that he should follow
it.
He humbled himself to
the dust and finally told the Lord, "I will receive any employment you give
me."
Sometimes in
unemployment situations, we are not humble enough to take whatever work might
come as a "starter." But the process won't begin unless we remove our prejudices
and conditions and humble ourselves.
The man continued, "He
understood that he had to really go out and diligently hustle, which he had not
done. He then went in and out of every place searching for employment with the
prayer of faith. He was praying and fasting that the Lord would deliver him up a
job."
Brother Garcia then
stood up himself and continued saying, "You may be surprised to know that the
job that came to me was to mow lawns. 'I must sustain
my family,' I said to myself." (Here was an engineer who took a job mowing the
lawns of some rich man's property. He really had to humble himself to handle
that, but he decided to do so.)
He then said, "One year
has gone by, Brother Cook, and I'll tell you this glad news. I now have the
major operation in this city for handling lawn maintenance. In fact, I was
contracted by the municipality about six months after that experience with the
bishop, and I now do all the lawns for the whole city. I now have twenty men
working for me. (Raising Up a Family to
the Lord [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993],
254-257)
DC 104:80 I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt
¡°It is refreshing, in
this day of doubt and depression, to find a ray of hope touching our financial
affairs. Many are in debt, sought by those to whom they owe money; perhaps haled into court because they cannot
pay.
When the Lord spoke to
his children in these latter days he said:
There is a law, irrevocably decreed in
heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are
predicated—
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it
is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated. (D&C
130:20-21)
¡°A message of hope was
given to debtors in the Doctrine and Covenants:
¡¦And inasmuch
as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will
soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means
unto you for your deliverance¡¦
And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful
and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory." (D&C
104:80-82)
¡°That was given as a
promise. Will not observance of the requirement make this promise effective
today?¡± (¡°A Promise by Weston N. Nordgren,¡± Improvement Era, 1931, Vol. Xxxiv. September, 1931.
No. 11)
DC 104:81 Therefore write speedily to New York
¡°The Church¡¯s unsecured
loans were held by New York banks. Here
the Lord promises, if Joseph is diligent and humble, to soften the hearts of the
lenders to allow him to renegotiate the loans.¡± Stephen E. Robinson, H. Dean
Garrett, A Commentary on the Doctrine and
Covenants, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2001]
3:303)
DC 104:82 Inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful¡¦ I will give you the victory
Wilford Woodruff
In these days, when the holy Priesthood is restored to us, we have no excuse for saying that our minds are not satisfied, for
the blessings are given to us; they are within our reach, and it is your
privilege and mine to enjoy them.
I feel to rejoice greatly in the blessings of the Gospel that are given
to us, and that we can behold so visibly the hand of God in his dealings with
this people. He has fought our battles and given us the victory.
We are all sensible of our imperfections; but, notwithstanding these
things, the Lord has been true to his word; he is fulfilling his word, and has
been doing this from the beginning. When I look at these things, my heart
rejoices, and I feel to give thanks to the Lord and to aid all I can in the
building up of his kingdom. We can enjoy the true comforts of the Holy Ghost. We
should honor our calling and be true to the covenants we have made. If we attend
to our duties and walk humbly before the Lord, we shall be satisfied with life
and with the manifestations of the goodness of God unto us. (Journal of Discourses,
8:269)