I hope you enjoy some insights from my Come, Follow Me for Doctrine and Covenants 85-87, If you missed last week’s insight, for Doctrine and Covenants 84 click here for it. Please share this with your friends or use this picture to save this pin to read later:
The Law of Consecration
“It is the duty of the Lord’s clerk, whom he has appointed, to keep a history, and a general church record of all things that transpire in Zion, and of all those who consecrate properties, and receive inheritances legally from the bishop”
Doctrine and Covenants 85:1
The law of consecration is one of the foundational laws of the Celestial Kingdom. The fullness of the Law of Consecration is the United Order. The United Order is that each person would willingly consecrate all their goods to the church and they would be assigned stewardship according to their wants and needs, this stewardship they owned and was their inheritance.
Socialism is the devil’s counterfeit of the United Order and Conesecreation. It is not a free-will offering but rather by force. Satan has always liked to take something godly and introduce force into it. Living the United Order was revoked due to disobedience.
That being said, in the temple, we still covenant to live the law of consecration. Promising to use our time, talents, and money, and even our lives to building up the Kingdom of God. In plain English, we are to recognize that everything we have, including our life, are gifts from God, and we are covenanting to give everything back to Him. In exchange for living this law, the Lord promises the blessing of the Celestial Kingdom.
The question we must answer is simple. Am I keeping my covenants? Am I giving of my time AND my talents AND my money AND of my very life to build the kingdom? Or am I holding back? For an in-depth review of the Untied Order see this article: Why so many members are falling for Satan’s counterfeits of the United Order. Also, see this amazing talk by Marion G. Romney that explains this issue so clearly that after giving it at BYU the Prophet asked him to repeat it and give it again in general conference!
Apostates in open rebellion against Jesus Christ.
“And also their manner of life, their faith, and works; and also of the apostates who apostatize after receiving their inheritances.”
Doctrine and Covenants 85:2
Within the church, there are two states of people who leave the church. Those who fall away from activity in the Church are commonly called the less active, or the inactive. These people often still have testimonies of gospel doctrines or principles. Then there are Apostates who are in open rebellion. There is a difference between making mistakes, which everyone does, and rebellion.
When someone who is enlightened with all the blessings of the Gospel and they fall away, they start to criticize the Prophet, this leads to open rebellion. Once in open rebellion, they normally fight against God, and won’t stop. They cut the thread that binds them to the Prophet of God, and they become their own prophet.
President N. Eldon Tanner related the following that a young man told him.”You know, there are people in our state who believe in following the Prophet in everything they think is right, but when it is something they think isn’t right, and it doesn’t appeal to them, then that’s different.’ He said, ‘Then they become their own prophet. They decide what the Lord wants and what the Lord doesn’t want.”~Anoyomus (CR, October 1966, p. 98.)
Let us not fall into this trap of criticism and self-aggrandizing. Let us stay humble, and follow the Prophet. Let us harken unto the example of Brigham Young who when faced with apostates declared the need to bind ourselves to the Prophet and thereby to Christ.
A loving God speaks.
“Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares:”
Doctrine and Covenants 86:1
It is easy to forget the truths we have in the Church. The knowledge that God is not dead, that Jesus Christ leads His Church, and gives His prophets revelations.
Many Christians shout Gods not dead! But if you ask them, does He speak to Prophets? They will reply, He does not speak to prophets. Does He have a living body? They will reply, He does not have a body. Does He have passions? They will reply, our creeds say no. If He does not have emotions, how can he love us?!
We must either take the word of the creeds or the words of the Bible. No wonder that Christ declared unapologetically that the Creeds of Christianity were an abomination to Him.
We have a living, breathing, passionate, physical God that speaks to men today like in yesteryear. In the words of a modern apostle, David A. Bednar, “The heavens are not closed. God speaks—to us individually and to the leaders of His latter-day kingdom on earth.”
Stand Ye In Holy Places.
Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen.
Doctrine and Covenants 87:8
Doctrine and Covenants 87 was given on Christmas day, it contains a prophecy about the coming civil war almost 30 years before it started! It talks a lot about wars, death, and the last days. BUT it contains this counsel. To stand in holy places and BE NOT MOVED.
In our day we can see the prophecy in Doctrine and Covenants 87 being fulfilled as war, death, plague, and destruction sweep over the land. But as we stand in holy places like the temple and ward buildings, make our homes a holy place, and we are not moved in keeping our covenants we will find the power to endure this world!
“As you and I go to the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified.”
Thomas S. Monson