Equal in Earthly Things

by Autumn Dickson

In Doctrine and Covenants 78, the Lord is establishing a practical system to help the Saints live the Law of Consecration. Here is some of what the Lord said regarding the Law of Consecration.

Doctrine and Covenants 78:4-6

4 For a permanent and everlasting establishment and order unto my church, to advance the cause, which ye have espoused, to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your Father who is in heaven;

5 That you may be equal in the bonds of heavenly things, yea, and earthly things also, for the obtaining of heavenly things.

6 For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things;

The Institute Manual explains what it means to be “equal in earthly things;” being equal is not about having the same. It’s about having “equal claim on resources” according to what they need. The Lord explains that the Law of Consecration advances the cause of the salvation of man.

When you originally study the Law of Consecration, it is easy to see how it would benefit the poor and further the cause of salvation. It’s really hard to study the gospel when you don’t have the necessities of life. It’s hard to feel peace when you’re worried about feeding your kids or where you’re going to sleep. Having your needs met at a basic level allows you to step out of that state of anxiety and into a place where you can more readily accept heavenly things.

When we continue studying the Law of Consecration, it also becomes easy to see how this law isn’t just about the poor. It’s also about bringing salvation to those who are doing the giving.

The Lord has no ego. He wants to lift each of us up to where He is. He is driven by love for us. He isn’t worried about remaining over us and controlling us. He isn’t constantly plagued by the desire to have more. He isn’t trying to separate Himself from others by having more.

If we want to enjoy the kingdom He has created, we have to be like Him.

Doctrine and Covenants 78:7 For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you.

I’m going to repeat what I said right before this verse. If we want to enjoy the kingdom He has created, we have to be like Him. We have to prepare, or in other words, we have to become like Him. And according to verse 7, we prepare ourselves by doing what He commands.

Let’s make this a little more concrete in regard to the Law of Consecration.

One of the aspects of heaven many of us are desperately seeking is a feeling of safety. We want to know that everything will be okay tomorrow. We want to know that we will have everything we need. We want to know that we are safe in the hands of the Lord.

Interestingly enough, we don’t have to wait until heaven to receive that feeling of safety. The Lord has already made promises about taking care of us here. He has already promised that we will have what we truly need. The true problem lies in the fact that we do not yet fully trust Him. I speak from personal experience.

We are taught that we will continue to be the same people on the other side. So what does that look like in the context of what we’re talking about?

It looks like the fact that I am holding myself back from enjoying the blessings that have already been offered to me here on earth. Is it possible that I may continue to hold myself back from enjoying the blessings offered to me on the other side? Will I continue to worry? The Lord has already promised me safety; He has already promised to take care of me. If I cannot trust that promise here, what makes me believe that I will suddenly be able to enjoy that promise on the other side? I interfere with my ability to enjoy the Celestial Kingdom and all of its blessings when I do not change to trust the Lord.

This also goes for any ego that arises as a result of having many things on earth. Always being worried about having more, being worried about whether people notice that you have more, garnering your joy from the idea that you have more than the next guy will hold you back from the enjoyment that the Lord wants to offer. There is innate beauty and happiness found in serving others who need help, in recognizing that the stuff we have here is for everyone, and there is innate beauty and happiness in being free from that ego.

The Law of Consecration (as well as our covenants in the temple) were given to us to further the cause of salvation; it was given so that we could be more prepared to enjoy the blessings of the Lord.

 

 

Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR’s 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award.

The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Doctrine and Covenants 77–80 – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.