7/20/2017 - Section 51:3-20

July 20, 2017

Section 51:3-20

Law of Consecration, United Order, Covetousness, Charity, Missionary Life to Live As If You Are There Forever,

In v 3, Edward Partridge is given more specifics as to institute living the Law of Consecration: “…appoint unto this people their portions, every man equal according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs.” President J. Reuben Clark Jr. pointed out, this equality is of a special kind: “One of the places in which some of the brethren are going astray is this: There is continuous reference in the revelations to equality among the brethren, think you will find only one place where that equality is really described, though it is referred to in other revelations. That revelation (v3) affirms that every man is to be equal according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs,”  (see also D&C 82:17, 78:5-6) Obviously, this is not a case of ‘dead level’ equality. It is ‘equality’ that will vary as much as the man’s circumstances, his family, his wants and needs, may vary.” Oct Conf 1942   I wonder how I would fare—emotionally and spiritually—in living the Law of Consecration. I am pretty good at living in situations that are not ideal. But if I saw someone else within the law of consecration in a situation that gave them extra easy and comfort and beauty, I fear I would have to work hard not to feel ‘wronged’. When we were living in the Netherlands, we lived in a typical, older, Dutch duplex. Our front windows looked out to beautiful pasture lands—the view was comforting and refreshing and I loved it. The house—I did not love so much. It had a tiny Fisher-Price toy kitchen, it was drafty, our family was cramped, we could hear our neighbors through the walls, and what is worse, they could hear us. Then the O’Bryant’s moved to the Netherlands, and they found a Dutch mansion in the middle of a beautiful park. The Dutch were considering making the house a museum, but decided to rent it and get more funds. Renting to expats was very lucrative. We paid $500/month for our house (the company paid the rest of the $8000 monthly rent. The O’Bryant’s would be having their company pay their entire rent. The Dutch committee that oversaw the house/museum did not know the going prices for expats—or they would have charged 2 or 3 times as much. The O’Bryant’s came to me and asked me if the price was outrageous. I used to take walks through the open grounds of that house, and I used to stand back and dream of living in that house—and that was before I had ever seen inside. So I assured them they were getting a fantastic deal. I told them that was what we were paying for our cramped, drafty house. They stood back and talked as though the $8000 was too expensive. I, once again, told them in no uncertain terms, that this was an amazing deal. They ended up taking the house. That allowed me to eventually go inside the house. AMAZING!!! Huge rooms, huge house, and all beautiful. A staircase that could be in any movie. The kitchen must have been as big as our entire first floor. The dinning room’s ceiling was a dome and was painted as beautifully as any cathedral I had ever been in. Had I been more bold, I would have laid down on the floor and just contemplated it. For the rest of our time there (we moved away before the O’Bryant’s did) I struggled. This was the first time I fully understood the word ‘covet’. I don’t think I ever conquered that feeling while we were living there. And I felt sad, for now that the house was occupied…and occupied with people we knew, I had to stop going for walks in those beautiful grounds. I never want that feeling again of covetousness again. But what I don’t know is: did I conquer that feeling as the Lord would want me to, or did we just move away and my attention was diverted?

The other things that J Rueben Clark clarified: “The fundamental principle of this system was the private ownership of property. Each man owned his portion, or inheritance, or stewardship, with an absolute title, which he could alienate, or hypothecate, or otherwise treat as is own. The Church did not own all the property, and the life under the United Order was not a communal life….The United Order is an individualistic system, not a communal system.”  “The Bishopric would receive the property, distribute it in stewardships and receive the earnings of each stewardship: the Agent would see to it that property was not unduly accumulated, but that the needs of all were supplied”

V 9: “And let every man deal honestly and be alike among this people, and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded you.” P 111: “Under the united order everyone was alike in that they were independent and had full opportunity to used their gifts and talents in building the kingdom of God. They were also alike in that all had equal opportunity to benefit from whatever talents and abilities existed in the community. The idea that everyone was alike in goods possessed or income received is in error. The order was united in love, purpose, and commitment, but unity does not mean sameness. A couple with seven children has needs different from on just beginning married life.”

The Lord knew the Saints would not be there long-term, but His instructions to them are in v 17: “And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good.” Whether we are long term, or temporary, or somewhere in-between, we need to live as if there forever. That means in our efforts, in our improvements, in our service and in our friendships. That is good to always keep in mind, and it is truly important in a missionary calling. People can recall specific missionaries, by name, for the rest of their lives. When lives touch other lives, it is something that is not forgotten.

The Lord closes with the blessings that will come from following this new commandment:
v 19 “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.” What more than that needs to be said? And what a wonderful and amazing reward for simply doing our best in our callings and in living our lives one day at a time…one moment at a time?