Church History Matters

046 Consecration and the Beginning of Church Finances

Jan 16, 2024

Dive into the intriguing history of church finances and the crucial concept of consecration. Discover how this guiding principle has shaped the financial practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from its early days. Learn about Joseph Smith's role in establishing community guidelines and the evolution of communal living. The podcast also contrasts scarcity versus abundance while emphasizing unity and voluntary participation. Personal stories enrich the discussion on how these principles continue to support marginalized members.

57:54

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Quick takeaways

The financial journey of the Church illustrates a profound evolution from struggling with resources to developing a robust financial reserve through historical challenges.

Consecration, a foundational principle, underscores the church's financial practices by promoting resource sharing for community benefit rather than mere monetary giving.

Historical lessons from early church attempts to practice consecration highlight the need for structured guidelines to ensure effective communal resource management.

Deep dives

The Financial History of the Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has garnered significant financial reserves over time, but its financial history reveals a journey through challenging times. Initially struggling, the church has developed a financial system rooted in the principles established in early revelations. Understanding this history is crucial for grasping the church's current financial practices, especially in light of recent media scrutiny regarding its finances. This discussion emphasizes that the church's financial approaches cannot be separated from their historical development.

Intro

2min

Consecration and Church Finance

9min

Foundations of Community: Early Church Organization

13min

The Evolution of Consecration Principles

11min

Principles of Abundance and Community Support

12min

Lehman Copley's Faith Journey

5min

Unity and the Imperative of Voluntary Consecration

3min

The Evolution of Consecration and Church Business Practices

3min

In the last few years the finances of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been in the media spotlight—and not always in positive ways. It’s no secret that the Church today has amassed an impressive financial reserve to ensure the accomplishment of its purposes. But it was not always so. There have been some narrow straits through which the Church has had to pass to get to where it is financially today. It is quite compelling history actually—which is why we wanted to dedicate a whole series to exploring this fascinating and important topic.

In this episode of Church History Matters, Casey and Scott go back to the beginning of Church finances to explore the undergirding principles in the original revelations that have gotten us to where we are today. And among them all there is one particular principle that looms larger and is more responsible for the Church’s financial success than any of the others, and that is consecration—a law shrouded with some degree of mystery and confusion in the minds of many. So, we want to at least begin dissecting what it is and what it isn’t in this episode.

For show notes and transcript for this and other episodes go to https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/church-history-matters-podcast/

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Church History Matters

046 Consecration and the Beginning of Church Finances

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Financial History of the Church

Understanding Consecration

Historical Context and Evolution of Consecration

Principles Behind the Law of Consecration

Challenges and Lessons from Consecration

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts