237.2: Giving the Kingdom Our All (D&C Gospel Doctrine Lesson 14)

The Law of Consecration

Why is “mine!” often among our first words? One of the most sensitive, difficult, and important questions involves resource allocation. Who gets what? Who has the right to what? Is there a minimum of resources that every person deserves? What level of inequality is ethical? What makes possession ethical?

The Law of Consecration holds a complex status in Church practice and culture. Everyone understands tithing, but what is consecration? Is it the same as the United Order? Does it mean no one can have more than anyone else? We still promise to obey it, but how does that impact the way we live?

The powerful message of the Law of Consecration is that all things belong to the Lord, and that God desires that we use our property to care for those in need. This lesson will discuss:

• Scriptures relating to the Law of Consecration, including the themes of unity and equality in the New Testament and Book of Mormon
• The theology behind the Law of Consecration
• The historical context of this principle
• The realities of economic inequality today which make this principle so vital to understand and responsibly implement

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Student Reading:  Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–42; 51; 78; 82; 104:11–18; Our Heritage, page 26; 4 Nephi 1:3; D&C 49:20; D&C 105:5

Additional Teacher Reading: D&C 19:26;D&C 29:34–35;D&C 64:34; D&C70:14; D&C72:3–4; D&C83:5–6;  D&C 92:1;D&C 104;D&C 107:99;  Moses 7:18;Acts 4:32, 34–35;  4 Nephi 1:1–3, 12–13, 15.Psalm 24:1;Jacob 2:17

Jared, Jennifer, and Heber provide an insightful discussion.

Continue the conversation by posting your comments and questions here, in the facebook group, or email them to me at MormonSundaySchool at gmail.

You can access my Lesson Notes here.

You can access my Reading Notes here.

Resources

• Steven Harper’s discussion of the Law of Consecration
• Compelling video about wealth inequality in America
• TED talk on how wealth inequality harms societies
• Orson Scott Card parable about Consecration
• Economist article on problems with growing wealth inequality
• Inequality put in perspective, if the world were a village of 100 people
• Ways to help the poorest in the world
• Efforts to help and empower women–probably the most effective way to solve the world’s problems
• The Life You Can Save
• Kiva Microloans

Many thanks to Devin Roth for the beautiful bumper music. Check out his arrangement of hymns and other work at DevinRothMusic!

Thanks to James Estrada of Oak Street Audio for post-production and to Trent Oliphant for updating it for reissue.