Disturbances to get gain

Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their employ, therefore, they did stir up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might get money according to the suits which were brought before them; therefore they did stir up the people against Alma and Amulek. (Alma 11:20)

This verse talks about the dangers of law-craft becoming a means of stirring people up to disturbances, in order for the lawyers to get gain, but I think it can apply in other ways too. Anyone who stands to profit from an increase in disturbance may become suspect.

For instance, what good is a big army in peacetime? Preparation is important, but how much is too much? Nibley (who worked in Army intelligence) later wrote of his concern when he saw army leaders being sad when WWII was over because they would be out of a job…until they discovered the idea of little brushfires wars around the world.   Likewise, those who sell weapons have an interest in conflict becoming armed and dangerous.

Disturbance is news, so those who report the news have a sort of motivation not only to find the conflict to report it, but also to continue talking about it and hashing it over as much as possible, all while publicly tsk-tsking over what goes on. The 24-hour news cycle was a model created in the 80s that also created a constant demand for material to report. The news cycle means not only reporting events, but also reporting reaction to those events from all kinds of stakeholders in the story and even those who are not involved. Competition between news providers means they must deliver the latest news in the most compelling manner to stay ahead. They get dollars for capturing eyeballs to sell to advertisers.

Social media enables those who gather a large following to make money from online advertising.

Sharing on social media may start with sharing valuable perspective that may otherwise go unheard, but there is a darker side. When emphasis on conflict becomes a primary means of capturing and holding attention--as followers are gripped with curiosity and want to see what happens next—when a social media person’s involvement is devoted mostly to taking sides in controversies—and followers are encouraged to take action to attack and shame those they consider enemies, then social media advocacy is stirring up disturbance.

I think it behooves us to keep these things in mind and be careful not to let ourselves get stirred up to anger. Part of charity is to not be easily provoked. We need people with those qualities even more now.

When Hiram Page was deceived by Satan

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I was recently reading over D&C 28 about the principles given to Oliver Cowdery of how he was to act and also with reference to Hiram Page and the deceptive revelations through his seer stone.

The Church’s new publication Revelations In Context has a neat essay about the overall principle of how all things must be done in order.

As I was reading different things about the story of Hiram Page, it became apparent that there were a number of things going on. 1) Hiram Page had his own seer stone. 2) He was receiving competing revelations, commandments, and prophecy from it. 3) He had written those things done, so he had competing writings as well. 4) He was teaching those things to others, setting himself up as a competing authority, even if he didn’t realize that was what he was doing.  That’s a lot of competing aspects.  I have to wonder if he would have been let alone if he had just used the seer stone for personal revelation, rather than general revelation.

In D&C 28, Oliver Cowdery was told of Hiram Page, “those things which he hath written from that stone are not of me and that Satan deceiveth him.” (v11).  In what way had Satan deceived Hiram Page?

The next verse gives some insight:

For, behold, these things have not been appointed unto him, neither shall anything be appointed unto any of this church contrary to the church covenants. (v12)

Evidently Hiram Page felt his gift with his seer stone meant he was appointed to receive those things for other people in the church. So the Lord had to tell him he wasn’t appointed.  It is tempting to think a special spiritual gift means we have been appointed to make some major contribution.  It gratifies the ego.

Happily, the next verse tells us some principles about how the Lord appoints people in His kingdom. “For all things must be done in order, and by common consent in the church, by the prayer of faith.” (v13)  Callings come by leaders in authority, by common consent by the members, and by ordination or setting apart. It’s a great safety feature in the kingdom of God, since it prevents a charismatic individual from usurping leadership and leading people away.  These principles are supposed to be a barrier to that occurrence, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen from time to time that people allow themselves to get led away anyway.

Throughout D&C 28, the Lord gives His response in the form of other principles to Oliver Cowdery to counteract various competing aspects of Hiram Page’s supposed revelations.

1)   Oliver was to be obedient to the things Joseph Smith received (not Hiram Page)(v3). 

2)   Oliver could speak by commandment to the church, but not write by commandment. Instead, he was to write by wisdom (v5). I suspect this was to prevent Oliver from falling into the same error Hiram Page had, of thinking his writings had more weight than they did. Writing by wisdom is non-coercive, speaks to the mind, and requires the writer to develop good persuasive skills. It allows the reader to receive edification, not just instructions, and freely exercise agency.

3)   Oliver was told he should not command “him who is at thy head, and at the head of the church” (v6).  Commandments flow downward, not upward.

4)   Oliver was told Joseph had the keys of the mysteries and the revelations that were sealed (v7). The image of having a key helps cement in the mind the idea that the Lord can give a prophet a spiritual power that He does not give to others. Yet, at the same time, Oliver is promised his own revelations.

5)   Oliver was also told the location of the city of Zion was not yet revealed. This was to counter Hiram Page’s false revelation/prophecy that supposedly revealed it. It is interesting that the Lord would give a revelation to tell what He has not yet revealed. That would stop any speculative discussion or false claims on the subject.

6)   Oliver was told that the things Hiram Page had written were not of the Lord. That put an end to any notion the competing writings had any virtue to them.

It is interesting that although Oliver Cowdery was influenced by the things Hiram Page had, D&C 28 instructed Oliver to do the work to reclaim Hiram Page from his errors. To me, this sets out the principle that when one realizes they have been deceived by a false prophet, they need to try to reclaim them and explain the error and where the deception lay.  Those who have escaped the deception may be able to help those still in it.  I also notice this discussion is to be private—“between him and thee alone” (v11)—in order to prevent public humiliation and preserve dignity.

I appreciate how these principles keep the kingdom of God safe from wolves in sheep’s clothing who would devour the flock. It makes it so we aren’t tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine blowing every direction. It helps us know instructions have much more weight coming from above us in the church leadership than from other directions. It helps us know that writings from the prophet have more weight than other writings. It helps us know that when there is a conflict between outside guidance and prophetic guidance, we should choose to follow the prophet.  It helps us know better how to instruct each other without presuming to command.

Why is it so hard to do good things and so easy to do bad things?

This question ^ was asked recently in a book club I belong to with other members of the church.  It’s a fascinating one. It made me think.  

Mormon takes a chapter to observe on these facts in the Book of Helaman when he observes how people are quick to do evil and how slow to do good.  But asking why things are that way is a good question that I think worth examining.

I think it has something to do with energy input and entropy.

Doing good takes energy.  Our spirit has to impose a certain level of order on our mortal, corruptible bodies. It also takes energy to sustain that order over time, just like it takes energy to keep the clutter of life from choking our houses.  (Example: I come home from church with a bag of stuff that I have to take some time to put away. I’m imposing order things.)

Maybe I’m out of line relating this to the laws of thermodynamics and creeping entropy, but I find it a helpful metaphor.

The more order you impose on something, the more energy it takes.  For things to fall back into chaos, it takes practically no energy at all. You simply do nothing and wait.  It’s all downhill.

Doing good, you’re pushing uphill.  Imposing order.  Putting in energy.

And where that energy comes from that allows a fallen mortal to do that? That’s Christ and His grace.

Nothing to hinder prosperity but transgression

Once the Nephites had dealt with the threat from the Gadianton robbers, there is an indication that they had major societal reforms.

4 And they began again to prosper and to wax great; and the twenty and sixth and seventh years passed away, and there was great order in the land; and they had formed their laws according to equity and justice.

5 And now there was nothing in all the land to hinder the people from prospering continually, except they should fall into transgression. (3 Nephi 6:4-5)

I really wish I knew in what ways they had great order in the land. Did they organize the use of natural resources so there wasn’t any fights over that? Did they make sure everyone knew the laws so everyone had realistic expectations of their rights and privileges so no one infringed on others?  Did they have societal goals and go about to meet them in an orderly manner?  Did people act orderly without pushing through lines or getting in fights? Did families form properly and in the right way?

It’s hard to know exactly what “great order” means, but at the same time it is broad enough to encompass a bunch of different types of orderliness at every level of society. I guess it can encourage us to try to imagine what great order looks like on a family level, on a community level, on a church level, on an employment level, on an industry level, on a regional, state, and national level.  It also encourages us to imagine what laws on each of those levels helped create that order.

The other impressive thing it says is that nothing could stop them from prospering continually except their own transgression.    Sigh. That’s always the rub, isn’t it? Humanity is astonishingly skillful at self-sabotage. When things get too easy, we tend to forget our blessings, forget to be diligent, forget the Lord, and look for shortcuts. Then we fall and land ourselves in trouble again.

Because of the great order in society, it bred a condition in which there were many merchants, lawyers, and officers in the land. (3 Nephi 6:11)  The prosperity meant there was plenty of surplus with which to buy things, so supply multiplied to meet the demand. Hence the many merchants.  There were still disputes, but solving it in an orderly way meant an increase in demand for advocates and experts in law. Hence the many lawyers.  And keeping order tends to require checkpoints, gate-keeping, bureaucracy, lines, waiting, etc., which helps people know what to expect and when and how, but that would require a great number of officers to oversee. Which is helpful, but progress can seem too slow with all that, and the human mind will then begin to fantasize about breaking the order to get what one wants faster and easier.

My conclusion is that it takes good, patient people to maintain that order over a long time.  It’s also lovely that we have Mormon’s assessment that with just and equitable laws it is only transgression that hinders us from prospering.

De-clutter with prayer

Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. (Alma 43:21)

If you are deep in trouble with clutter, you need the Lord’s help. You need miracles, and a bunch of them. You need the miracle of inner change that will help you change your circumstances. Those miracles can start with fervent, sincere prayer, constant prayer.

• Pray about your confusion of what to keep and what to let go.
• Pray for a different and better perspective of the purposes that your stuff should have in your life.
• Pray about your worries about what you might need “just in case.”
• Pray that you will be given the spiritual gifts of ingenuity and resourcefulness if a need for something you have let go suddenly arises.
• Pray to have the spiritual gift of discernment and to acquire better judgment about your needs than you now have.
• Pray to discover better criteria by which to judge how much is enough and what should be gotten rid of.
• Pray to have stamina and endurance—mental, emotional, and physical—to deal with all the decisions you must make about your stuff.
• Pray to be kind to yourself and not be judgmental of your past self as you begin to make different decisions from what you made in the past.
• Pray to maintain your motivation during times when progress seems slow. Pray for renewal of desire to de-clutter.
• Pray find disposal methods that are BOTH easiest AND wisest.
• Pray to be led to people who can teach you good habits of dealing with stuff and who will teach you both by example and by edifying words.
• Pray to find ways you can change your personal habits such that you won’t get in this predicament again.
• Pray to find people who will validate your efforts and celebrate with you over your efforts.
• Pray to feel peace and not fear.
• Pray to be able to overcome temptation and any obstacle that might stand in your way to de-clutter.

For a story about how praying helped someone de-clutter, you can read my post “Prayer: the powerful tool for overcoming the fear of de-cluttering” on my blog Zion Space.

For a post about how de-cluttering involves repentance, you can read my post “De-cluttering and repentance” on that other blog as well.

If you want to see how clutter is closely related to idolatry, you can read the chapter from my book here.

Projects like ravening wolves

Here’s a block of verses that can be applied in an unexpected way to our efforts to de-clutter:

15 ¶Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matt. 7:15-20)

Firstly, who are the false prophets when we are organizing and de-cluttering? They are the advertisers that tell us we NEED this and we NEED that or we won’t succeed/be worthwhile/be loved. They are the ravening wolves wishing to devour our dollars, wishing to sell us things even if we don’t really need them.

But we can also apply this as we are trying to de-clutter, if we think of “false prophets” as also meaning “false projects.” Let me explain why this can help.

As I have helped a number of people de-clutter, I have observed that they are incredibly creative people. They have a lot of projects that they are working on, projects that are in various stages of completion, with a backlog of materials to use up. And as we go through their stuff, we run across things that could become functional if they were fixed. These people I help say, “Oh, I could do this and this and this to it and then I could use it.” They essentially create another project for themselves in an effort to ensure that they waste nothing. (The problem is, they already are drowning in real projects. They don’t need another project.) This doesn’t happen just once. It happens over and over again in a single de-cluttering session.

Most of the time, those projects are false projects.

This is why we should beware of false projects as well as false prophets. False projects come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. False projects appear to keep you from wasting resources, but really they waste your time and energy, devouring it so it can’t be used on higher priorities.

• False projects have little or no planning to them. They are taken on impulsively, without consideration for all the other projects in the works and all your other priorities in life.
• False projects have little if any thought about whom they will benefit and what the real payoff is.
• False projects are started with little thought of how much effort will be required to complete them. It is simply assumed that it should be easy, and the results will be “so cool.” Cool for who? Why?
• False projects have few if any resources assigned to them. This means you expect yourself to complete it without spending any money, and without taking any time away from everything else you have to do, and it can’t be delegated to anyone else. AND they are undertaken without tools that are best for the job. (Or the opposite may be true—the false project has so much time, money, and effort given to it far out of proportion to its importance and benefit, to the detriment of more important priorities.)
• False projects don’t have anyone asking for status updates about when they will be done.
• False projects have requirements that morph inexplicably over time into something more complicated and time-consuming and soul-sucking than you thought.
• False projects have a self-coercive quality to them; you feel like you have to do them to prove that you are good/organized/talented/dedicated/important/loving/etc. They are born out of insecurities and they batter us with guilt when we look at them sitting there.

False projects don’t have good fruits. As said before, they may have the appearance of benefitting us, but if examined carefully, it may be unexpectedly hard to explain what that benefit is.

How can you keep from getting pulled into a false project? How can you keep from getting into too many projects?

Here’s a simple practical solution. Make a list of ALL the projects that you have. Then try putting them in order from most important to least important. Pretend your family is a job and you have to explain exactly how each project will benefit you and the family.

Pretend your project is a product you are making to sell. Who will buy it? Who will the finished product benefit? If you can’t think of a customer who would “buy” it, then it is a false project. If you wouldn’t buy it, then why should you even do it?

What is your return on investment? What benefit do you expect from completing it? It has to be a reasonable benefit and it has to be defined.

Do you have a deadline for this project? If there is no deadline, there is no reason to push it forward.

What is the budget for the project? What time and money are you willing to spend on it? Why are you willing to spend on it?

Maybe the project was a good idea at first but circumstances changed and the project no longer fits current needs. Allow yourself to reconsider the project at various points to determine whether it is still viable or not.

Does the project fit with your abilities and interests? If it is something outside your abilities, then the project cost rises because educating yourself and experimenting are little mini-projects that have to be added to your project.

If you have determined that a project is a false project, do not be afraid to let go of it. You will feel better for it.

Life is short and you only have so much time in a day. We need projects that enrich our lives and help us increase our talents and skills so we can help others. We may not get to all we want to do in this life, but I have confidence that in the next life we will have all the opportunities we ever wanted to try new things and build all our skills that we never had time to develop in this life.

Stripling warriors and self-organization

We are pretty familiar with these verses:

16 But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites.

17 And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage.

18 Now behold, there were two thousand of those young men, who entered into this covenant and took their weapons of war to defend their country.

19 And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader. (Alma 53:16-19)

“they did assemble themselves together” (v16) I was reading this recently and for the first time it stuck me how extraordinary this was and it just seemed to get more amazing with every verse. It is hard for us to grasp it because it is written so matter-of-factly. I’ll try to explain.

No one assembled them; they assembled themselves. This indicates the level of initiative they had. But not just initiative; they were unified too. (Can you imagine 2,000 of our young men today spontaneously deciding they have to do something about a national problem and assembling themselves for a meeting to discuss it?) Maybe they had some natural leaders among them who passed the word around that there was something important they all had to talk about. But in any case, they came together of their own volition.

And they entered a covenant to fight to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage. I really wonder how they got to that point of decision with so many young men gathered together. I’m trying to imagine how it happened. Some of them had to give speeches and voice their concerns and summarize their position and make the proposal of the cause they had to fight for. And the Spirit of the Lord must have been present too. (Would they have decided to make a covenant if it had not been?)

In any case, it is amazing that such a mass of young men were able to come to agreement that they should take action and that they all saw the need for a covenant and willingly took it. It is a great example of taking collective action, thinking seriously, taking responsibility, and making an extremely serious commitment.

One of the things about organizing in response to a threat is that it is very easy to make all kinds of resolutions when your mind is wrought up with concern about it, but at some point, other concerns come to take their place and then it is difficult to call forth the same fervor of feeling when it is needed to bring ourselves to action well after the first rush of enthusiasm has past. I imagine that it is the continual concern of all leaders to keep their people motivated so that they will act when the moment for action has come. Evil leaders try to keep their people in a continual foment of anger with recitals of the wrongs they suffered and calls for retribution. Good leaders have it harder because they refuse to use anger or hate and they depend upon their people to have proper feeling and be rational at the same time. So, I imagine that the stripling warriors were well aware that their concern might flag over time, but they knew how powerful a motivator it would be to keep a covenant. (They knew very well about how their fathers went to extraordinary lengths to keep their covenant.) So they decided to use the power of covenants to hold them to their determination to fight for their fathers and their country. The covenant would not keep their feelings wrought up; rather, it would become the motivator for the time when they might be less interested in fighting and when the drudgery of army life had begun to wear away their resolve.

Here are some more scriptures about organizing ourselves.

And thus I grant unto this people a privilege of organizing themselves according to my laws. (D&C 51:15)

I love that. We don’t have to wait to be commanded. We can organize ourselves as long as it according to righteous principles.

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing;….That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord; that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High….Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege. (D&C 88:119-122, emphasis added)

This has a number of important ideas about organizing ourselves. First, the importance of preparation. Evidently these things can’t be completely spontaneous but require some planning. Second, that everything be “in the name of the Lord,” which I think means something that the Lord would approve of. Third, a teacher is chosen from among the group so that there can be some leadership and order. Fourth, that everyone gets to have their say with the complete attention of the whole group. Fifth, that those speaking should do their best to edify the group (so that no one’s time is wasted). And sixth, that everyone in the group has equal privileges (so there has to be enough privilege that people want to participate, but not so much privilege that the operation of the organization becomes unwieldy or collapses under its own weight).

Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant that cannot be broken. (D&C 78:11, emphasis added)

It is notable that after the stripling warriors organized themselves, they sought for priesthood leadership, asking the prophet Helaman to be their leader. To me, this indicates that no righteous self-organization is complete without priesthood leadership.

In a number of ways church has done what the stripling warriors did. In Nauvoo, the women decided to organize themselves into a Relief Society and they went to Joseph Smith with their proposal and constitution and he led them to organize under the direction of the priesthood. The D&C scriptures above describe three separate ways that the church organized itself: establishing a storehouse, starting the school of the prophets, and building temples.

Organizing ourselves isn’t just for the young. It can be any age group that is concerned about something in society and feels the need to do something about it.

What I’m not sure about is how and when this can be applied in our lives. When is it appropriate to self-organize? I’ve had difficulty trying to come up with a way to apply this in life today and it seems to be for several reasons.

First, it seems that the cause for concern has to be serious enough to unite large numbers. This kind of organizing can’t be for unimportant or frivolous purposes. Sorry, but craft night is out.

Second, we face an uphill cultural battle to organize ourselves because our culture values individualism over collective action. When purposeful movements grow beyond a certain point, naysayers argue that all the participants are “sheep.” Also, the movement undergoes greater scrutiny because naysayers will try to find fault with the movement to justify themselves for not joining in, even if it is a good cause. (There are people who fear becoming too passionate about a cause because they fear how it will affect the rest of their lives and take over. They forget the words of Christ that whosoever will lose his life for Christ’s sake will find it.)

There two ways that the Book of Mormon gives us insight on times that is not appropriate to self-organize—seeking revenge and forming secret combinations.

Mormon tells about how the Nephite armies of his day swore by all that was forbidden them to avenge the death of their brethren. It could be that these Nephites were taking their cue from the old story of the stripling warriors, but they were perverting it and applying it to a corrupted cause—revenge. This was why Mormon utterly refused to lead them any more. It would certainly offend him to find religious oaths taken for such an unjust purpose. Any good priesthood holder would want to decline to lead such a group with such a purpose.

Mormon also tells how groups of Nephites self-organized into secret combinations. In one case the goal was to assassinate the leader who had condemned their leader to death (see Helaman 1:9-11). In another case it was to deliver from the grasp of justice certain judges who had overstepped their authority and had prophets killed. (see 3 Nephi 6:25-30). In other cases the goal was to get gain and acquire complete control of the government so they could do what they wanted with impunity (see Helaman 6:21-23). These negative cases help us know what self-organization purposes should be avoided.

The Lord gives us the privilege of organizing ourselves and wants us to do it according to celestial laws. What causes do you see that seem to call for self-organization?

Bonus link only slightly related to this topic: The Theology of Counsels by Richard Bushman gives great insights on how revelation leads the church today and how counsels evolved. Check it out!

Power to the Saints in organization

4 And many shall be converted, insomuch that ye shall obtain power to organize yourselves according to the laws of man;
5 That your enemies may not have power over you; that you may be preserved in all things; that you may be enabled to keep my laws; that every bond may be broken wherewith the enemy seeketh to destroy my people. (D&C 44:4-5)

One of the things that makes it difficult to be a Saint is when we are so isolated from the mass of members that we feel we have no pull for good to influence others. In this scripture, we find that it is lawful organization that helps us have influence.

With organization, each person has a role, gets support in that role, makes a contribution in that role, and feels safe in it. Attacks are mostly diffused over the organization rather than concentrated on individuals. The organization can publicize problems affecting the organization and gain a greater voice. The organization can demand justice and positive change, as each individual uses their voice in the support of the others. The more the organization works effectively in united principle, the stronger its voice, the more it can influence in proportion to its numbers.

Individuals in the organization can then keep God’s laws in confidence that they can have social support from the organization, even if they don’t get it from the rest of society. When individuals are free to keep God’s laws, then every bond is broken that the enemy uses to destroy the Saints.

The purpose of this power is not to exercise compulsion, but to break the yokes and bonds that are meant to destroy us and keep us in sin.

Stewardship: A Foundational Principle of Zion

I love to organize. I have been doing it since I was very young when I used to arrange my toys carefully in the milk crate that they were stored in. Over time I learned various things about organization and various techniques, but I never really understood how the things I did fit into the framework of my religious beliefs until I really began to study the principle of stewardship. Learning about this principle opened up to me the deep ‘why’s of organization from a gospel perspective and even showed me what the purpose of it was.

I really think that in order to build Zion, we have to begin by understanding the principles upon which it is based and begin to practice them in our lives. Stewardship is one of these principles and it is something that can prepare us for Zion.

All things belong to the Lord

I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine. (D&C 104:14)

This world may talk of ownership; we may say that such-and-such belongs to us, but ultimately, the Lord owns it, He gives it to us, and…

We are stewards

…every man shall be made accountable unto me, a steward over his own property, or that which he has received by consecration, as much as is sufficient for himself and family. (D&C 42:32)

For me, learning that I am a steward took away any reason to be greedy. If I’m not the one who really owns something, what am I getting competitive and covetous about? Suddenly having what I needed seemed like enough. Stewardship helped me become more content.

Everyone should have a stewardship

It is wisdom in me; therefore, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall organize yourselves and appoint every man[, woman, and child] his stewardship; (D&C 104:11, brackets added)

There are many aspects to our stewardships. Everyone has the stewardship of time and energy to use as they think proper. There is the stewardship of our family—spouse, younger siblings, children, etc. Then there is the stewardship of space, money, property. Then there is the stewardship of our employment, educational opportunities, and church callings. There is the stewardship of our knowledge and the gospel doctrine and our testimony. There is the stewardship of our talents and abilities.

Stewardship is intended for personal development, self-improvement, and to serve others

And all this for the benefit of the church of the living God, that every man may improve upon his talent, that every man may gain other talents, yea, even an hundred fold, to be cast into the Lord’s storehouse, to become the common property of the whole church—(D&C 82:18)

Faithfulness required

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man [, woman, and child] be found faithful. (1 Corinthians 4:2, brackets are mine)

Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward. (D&C 136:27)

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. (Mosiah 4:27)

Set in order your houses; keep slothfulness and uncleanness far from you. (D&C 90:18)

40 But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth….
42 You have not taught your children light and truth, according to the commandments; and that wicked one hath power, as yet, over you, and this is the cause of your affliction.
43 And now a commandment I give unto you—if you will be delivered you shall set in order your own house….see that they are more diligent and concerned at home, and pray always, or they shall be removed out of their place.
(D&C 93:40,42-43, 50)

The principle of stewardship is at the foundation and so we really can’t start learning about it too early. When we teach children to clean their rooms and make their beds and do their laundry, we need to start by teaching them the principle of stewardship and explain to them what their stewardship is. Then we need to teach them how to do the tasks that are a part of their stewardship and be willing to guide them through it until they can do it on their own.

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; (D&C 88:119)

Organization allows us to be prepared. Preparation allows us to anticipate needs and plan ahead for long term needs instead of being at the mercy of circumstances.

Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. (D&C 132:8)

123 See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous; learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires.
124 Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated. (D&C 88:123-124)

These verses are not a random list of things to do that were just crammed together. They are actually a list relating to various aspects of individual stewardship, beginning with the most important aspect of interpersonal relationships.

Relationship stewardship

• Love one another
• Learn to impart
• Cease to find fault

Temporal stewardship

• Cease covetousness
• Learn to impart
• Cease to be idle
• Cease to be unclean

Stewardship of our bodies

• Cease to be unclean
• Don’t sleep too long
• Retire to bed early
• Arise early

I have to add that keeping the Word of Wisdom also helps us be faithful in the stewardship of our bodies.

Faithfulness should be observed regardless of stewardship size

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. (Luke 16:10)

11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:11-12)

This is why it is important for us to avoid covetousness. It is very easy want another person’s stewardship while neglecting the one we have.

We will be held accountable for our stewardship

And also, my servants who are abroad in the earth should send forth the accounts of their stewardships to the land of Zion (D&C 69:5)

And an account of this stewardship will I require of them in the day of judgment. (D&C 70:4)

Accountability and responsibility increases with the size of the stewardship

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48)

Reward for good stewardship

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matthew 25:21)

And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. Amen. (D&C 78:22)

Punishment for bad stewardship

1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. (Luke 16:1-2)

47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. (Luke 12:47-48)

And even the bishop, who is a judge, and his counselors, if they are not faithful in their stewardships shall be condemned, and others shall be planted in their stead. (D&C 64:40)

Stewardship in church callings

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled…not given to wine,…not given to filthy lucre;
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. (Titus 1:7-9)

The priests and teachers shall have their stewardships, even as the members. (D&C 42:70)

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10)

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. (1 Timothy 4:14)

Stewardship in government

86 Let them importune at the feet of the judge;
87 And if he heed them not, let them importune at the feet of the governor;
88 And if the governor heed them not, let them importune at the feet of the president;
89 And if the president heed them not, then will the Lord arise and come forth out of his hiding place, and in his fury vex the nation;
90 And in his hot displeasure, and in his fierce anger, in his time, will cut off those wicked, unfaithful, and unjust stewards, and appoint them their portion among hypocrites, and unbelievers; (D&C 101:86-90)

If we believe that one of our government representatives has been overstepping his authority or neglecting his stewardship, we are within our rights to call for an accounting and if they are found unfaithful, it is justice that their stewardship be taken away.

Considering issues in terms of stewardship can bring greater clarity of vision to our decision-making. I know this is true, because I have seen it in my life. When I get confused and off track it is generally because I have forgotten these principles. I know that Heavenly Father wants us to take care of our stewardships and grow in our abilities so that we can build Zion. I know that He will help us as we do our best.

Why an organized religion? (part 1) On Order

Recently I was talking with a good friend who expressed her dislike for organized religion. If I understood her sentiments correctly, her dislike arose from the idea of having anyone tell her what to do. She said that if other people needed churches to help them be moral, then that was fine, but she could be spiritual on her own.

For the record, I want to make it clear that I was not offended. Rather, I felt a measure of concern.

Having been part of an organized religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) for my whole life, and having enjoyed the benefits of it, I felt that perhaps there are some misunderstandings out there about the purposes and methods of organized religion. People have questions about why there is a need for groups to gather together to worship, when worship is such a personal thing between an individual and God. People wonder why there is a need for an authority figure, and wonder just how much power the authority figure has or should have over the group. America has such a tradition of individual liberty with balance of power and government of the people by the people for the people that an unopposed authority figure seems undemocratic somehow.

In hopes that I can iron out some of these misunderstandings and answer some of these questions, I am going to embark upon a series that examines the underlying principles of my church’s organization (since it is the one I know the most about) with the help of modern scripture.

It seems to me that the first principle and reason for organized religion is that the Lord Himself is a God of order.

8 Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.
9 Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name?
10 Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?
11 And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was?
12 I am the Lord thy God; and I give unto you this commandment—that no man shall come unto the Father but by me or by my word, which is my law, saith the Lord.
13 And everything that is in the world, whether it be ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me or by my word, saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your God. (Doctrine & Covenants 132:8-13)

Imagine the community of heaven, with the innumerable spirits in attendance upon our Heavenly Father. Do they all rush in and crowd about, pushing and shoving, yelling and waving their arms to catch His attention? Would this be heaven? No, it would be a madhouse. So we must envision people acting orderly and quietly, with reverent dignity. As God loves all His children the same, He wants to give each His attention, so He establishes rules by which His children can come to Him with assurance of His approval. (“I give unto you this commandment—that no man shall come unto the Father but by me or by my word, which is my law, saith the Lord”) This principle is the same on earth too. Our church is supposed to be an extension of heaven’s order. No one comes to Heavenly Father except through Jesus Christ and His word.

If something is to be done in an orderly manner, you must first know what is to be done, and then you must know the orderly way to do it.

There are a lot of people that think that they can serve God any old way and He’ll approve. They think that God doesn’t have an opinion or a preference about it, least of all any specific requirements. The scripture above seems to make it clear that God actually does have a very strong idea of what He wants us to do, and since He is God, and God is holy, we can be assured that what He wants is the right thing. He has such a strong opinion about it that He won’t accept anything except what He asks for. (“will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed?”) The things He asks for He gives as laws, or commandments.

Knowing that order and organization is an integral part of heaven and not just for earth life helps us reconcile ourselves to the prospect of adding order and law and organization to our lives. Organizing in the Lord’s way on the earth means that when we get to heaven and join that society of angels we will be perfectly familiar and comfortable with the way things are done.