Doctrine and Covenants 51-57 Insights and Teaching Activities

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INSIGHTS

ICEBREAKER

As an icebreaker for this block of scripture, I usually like to start with a little discussion. I've always loved to travel and see new places and go on backpacking trips and road trips. Maybe some of you share that same enthusiasm for seeing new places or experiencing new things. When you decide to go on a trip, how many of you are planners? Are you the type that likes to organize every detail, draw up an itinerary, highlight maps and plot out every aspect of your trip down to the minute?  If so, why do you do that?

On the other hand, do we have any "fly by the seat of your pants" people, who like to just take things as they come. Just jump in the car and go, and let the trip happen to you?  The "decide as you go" approach. Why do you do that?

Now I know what type of person I am. When it comes to a trip, I want the detailed itinerary. Especially if I'm planning a backpacking trip. I want to know the mileage that I'm going to be covering each day, where the water sources are, what the terrain will be like, how much elevation gain there will be, what the temperatures are going to reach. I don't like leaving things up to chance.

Now which of the two ways does God seem to work with us and his church as we travel through life. Does he give us an end from the beginning, fully mapped out, planned, detailed journey through life? Or does he seem to give us information as we go? Is he an "All at once" kind of being or a "little by little" kind of being?

Well, check out 2 Nephi 28:30 for the answer:

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

Apparently, God prefers to work with us on a "little by little" basis. Now that's not to say that he doesn't give us any information about the future. I mean, it is called "the plan" of salvation after all. But that's more about giving us a big picture view of things, an eternal perspective. The scriptures and the living prophets also provide us with guidance and prophecy and even patriarchal blessings help us anticipate future opportunities and responsibilities. But when it comes down to everyday living and navigating the challenges and opportunities of our day to day lives, He seems more apt to give us guidance as we go. Remember Nephi and the brass plates?

1 Nephi 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do".

Well that seems to be a pretty good description of how I feel most of the time. I usually don't know beforehand the things which I should do. And it's this way with the Church as well. God didn't hand over to the 14-year-old Joseph "the manual" with the complete handbook to the fulness of the restored gospel in the sacred grove. He didn't give him the thumb drive with the full download of the fulness. It came line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, and I believe it continues to be this way. The church has just kept right on receiving and adding guidance and help all the way down to President Nelson.  And it may take some humility to admit this about the church, but I believe that we still don't have ALL the truth God has to give. There is more to come.

TRANSITION

Well this to me is the Spirit of sections 51-57. These sections give us "here a little and there a little" kinds of truths. When we talk about BIG, IMPORTANT, GROUNDBREAKING sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that really seem to stand out in your mind, sections 51-57 usually aren't going to come up. But there are still some great and powerful things in these sections too. Scripture is scripture and every page has value and something to offer us. I would call these “line upon line" sections. In most cases, we've already been introduced to the big ideas of these sections. Things like consecration, preaching the gospel, recognizing truth--we've gone into great detail on these subjects. But God has more to say about these things. So, we're going to see him add a few more "lines" of understanding for us.

SEARCH

Case in point. Take a look at the following verses and see if you can find the "line upon line" phrase.  Here we go:

51:16-17

16 And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence;

17 And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good.

Now both verses really illustrate the principle, but the line I would specifically draw out is "And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years” Do you get what he's saying there? He says they aren't going to be there forever, that Ohio was to be a temporary stopping point for them. They're only going to be there for a "little season". Still, at this point, he's not going to tell them when they're going to leave, but that they should get to work AS IF they were going to be there for years. And that's kind of a cool principle actually. Even if we know we're only going to be in a certain ward, or calling, or responsibility for a short amount of time, we should act as if we are going to be there for years. In other words, put down deep roots, even if it's temporary. We might be tempted to think, "Oh, we're moving in and out of this area soon, best not to create ties, or really work our hardest". Let's just take a break. Or with a calling. I'm not going to be here for very long, why throw myself into it. God says, no matter what you think the time frame is going to be, throw yourself into it as if it was the last thing you were ever going to do. When my wife and I were first assigned to go to Arizona to teach, we were under the impression that it would be short term. But 4 years actually turned into 14. What if we had spent that entire time thinking, oh, next year we're leaving, next year we're leaving and decided not to put down roots? We would have missed out on some great opportunities and friendships over the years.

52:2

2 Saying: I, the Lord, will make known unto you what I will that ye shall do from this time until the next conference, which shall be held in Missouri, upon the land which I will consecrate unto my people, which are a remnant of Jacob, and those who are heirs according to the covenant.

What's the phrase? I, the Lord, will make known unto you what I will that ye shall do from this time until the next conference,

So, I'm just going to give you enough to get you to the next conference. Just for the next couple of months, and then, verse 4

52:4

4 And inasmuch as they are faithful unto me, it shall be made known unto them what they shall do;

So stay faithful, and then I will make more known unto you in the future

53:6

6 Behold, these are the first ordinances which you shall receive; and the residue shall be made known in a time to come, according to your labor in my vineyard.

The phrase? "the residue shall be made known in a time to come"

I'll give you some of my ordinances now, but there are more coming! So hang on.

55:6

6 And again, let my servant Joseph Coe also take his journey with them. The residue shall be made known hereafter, even as I will. Amen.

So here: The residue shall be made known hereafter, even as I will.  There's that word again "residue". The rest. The whole picture. The full guidance. I don't know about you, but I think most of us don't want residues, we don't want to wait for the rest. We want to know it all beforehand. But God gives line upon line.

57:16

16 And unto the residue of both elders and members further directions shall be given hereafter. Even so. Amen.

That's an easy one.  "further directions shall be given hereafter"

Again, Little by little. Further directions coming "hereafter" rather than "now".

58:56

And I know this is cheating a little, but let's add section 58:56 to this mix as well. It's got such a good phrase in it.

56 And let the work of the gathering be not in haste, nor by flight; but let it be done as it shall be counseled by the elders of the church at the conferences, according to the knowledge which they receive from time to time.

Did you see it there? "according to the knowledge which they receive from time to time".

So there you have it, ample examples of the "little by little, precept upon precept" principle in these sections.

DISCUSS

That leaves us with a very important discussion question to examine: "Why does God do this?" Why doesn't he just give us all the information at once? Wouldn't it be easier that way? Why make us go little by little when it would be much more comforting and direct to let us know the end from the beginning?

Let your class wrestle with that one for a bit. I believe there's a lot of good answers to that question that they could bring up.

Here are a few of my thoughts.

One, if we go back to the initial verse I shared from Second Nephi, it says:

and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

Evidently, truth is earned through obedience, and conversely, it is lost through disobedience. God wants to see how we will act on the given truth, before he starts bestowing additional truth. If he gave it all at once, it would almost be like "casting his pearls before swine". He's going to hold off on giving us the deeper and more profound aspects of the gospel until we've proven ourselves deserving of it.

Another thought. Consider Doctrine and Covenants 19:22

22 For they cannot bear meat now, but milk they must receive; wherefore, they must not know these things, lest they perish.  Some things he holds back out of mercy and wisdom because he knows we're just not ready for it. Like you wouldn't feed a baby a giant steak and a baked potato. They're not able or ready to digest such foods.  So God is going to start easy with us--with just the milk, and then "little by little" start feeding us more and more solid foods of truth. There is accountability that comes with understanding. Therefore, out of a sense of mercy, he's going to ease us into those commandments and truths, lest we get overwhelmed with the instruction and responsibility.

Another thought. The "little by little" principle requires us to develop faith.  It teaches us to trust in God and walk by the light of our belief. Like with rock climbing. I have to have total faith in my equipment, that the rope is not going to break, that my harness is secure, that the anchor will not fail. If I don't have that faith in my equipment, then there are heights and views and accomplishments that I am going to miss.

I love this little story told shared by Elder Boyd K. Packer when he had been given a very specific instruction on what he needed to do, but couldn't see the way how. He says:

“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.

“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you’” (“The Edge of the Light,” BYU Today, Mar. 1991, 22–23).

So the "line upon line" principle can also act as a trial of faith, helping us to lean more and more on our Heavenly Father for direction.

There are many other reasons that your students might want to discuss, but the truth of the matter is:

TRUTH

God gives us truth line upon line, and precept upon precept.  If we act on the truth that we are given, he will provide us with more and more as we go.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Have you ever had a "line upon line" experience? A time when you felt God gave you additional understanding as you went, little by little?

CONCLUSION

Well, even though I'm an "end from the beginning" kind of guy, I'm very grateful for the way in which the Lord works with us. It does make perfect sense that he do it that way. Some things we're just not meant to get all at once.  Life, after all, is a journey, and great joy can come from the unexpected and the new. Like climbing a mountain, something is lost in just taking the helicopter to the top all at once. The growth, the strength, the experience, the new views around every bend would all be compromised by that approach. Remember the story of Jesus and the feeding of the five thousand. The purpose of that miracle was not to provide everyone with a free lunch, but was a symbolic lesson intended to teach us something about his word, his gospel.  They all ate and were filled, but there were still twelve baskets left over. What's the moral of the miracle? We can't eat all his truth at once. There is only so much we can consume before we are filled.  Still, we've got those twelve baskets waiting to provide us with nourishment for future feasts.  So we can take our time. Feast often and feast deeply on his words, but realize there is much, much more to gain in the future.  Enjoy the journey of truth, here a little, and there a little, until one day, we really will have the FULLNESS of his gospel.

That's a good principle to keep in mind as a teacher as well. As you teach your students, don't try to give them all twelve baskets at once. Pick a few truths, zero in on a few ideas, and realize that there will be more for them to learn at some future date. Don't feel like you need to feed them everything. It's impossible anyway. People reach a point where they are full and need some time to digest what's been taught.

TRANSITION

That's how we're going to have to approach sections 51-57. There are quite a few pages of scripture in this block, but a limited amount of time to teach them. So in the spirit of that, I'm not going to try and "cover" every single section and story and idea that's presented here. Rather, there are three specific "line upon line" truths that I'd like to draw your attention to. They're all topics that we've covered before and extensively, but the Lord is going to add a few more "lines" to these subjects. Those three topics are consecration, missionary work, and recognizing truth from falsehood. So first:

CONSECRATION

ICEBREAKER

If you're teaching the youth, sometimes it's kind of fun to play the "How Much can You Win" game. Here's how it works. You divide your class up into groups of 4 and give each individual player this handout to help them keep track of the 8 rounds of voting. The game itself is really simple. The object is to win as much money as you can. In each round, everybody in the group casts a vote. Before each vote they get about 30 seconds to talk to each other and discuss their strategy. Once the discussion time is up, they enter either an X or an O into the "vote" box without anyone else seeing and then wait for everyone else to be ready.  At a signal from you as the teacher, they all reveal their vote to their teammates at the same time. And here's how they'll score themselves. If all four people in the group voted O, then each person wins 1 dollar. However, if three people voted O, but one person voted X, then the person who voted X wins 3 dollars, and each of the O's lose a dollar. If two people vote O, and 2 people vote X, then the X's win two dollars, while the O's lose 2 dollars. If 3 people vote X and 1 person votes O, then each of the X's gain a dollar, and the O loses 3 dollars.  Now if everyone votes X, then everybody loses a dollar.   Whoever has the most money at the end of the game wins a treat.

Now what this does is that it sets up a very interesting dynamic. The players will quickly realize that they will win more money individually if they can convince the other players to vote O but then they vote X instead.  So some players will spend the discussion time trying to convince the others that they are going to vote O, but they're lying. They go ahead and vote X anyway and win the extra money. Unfortunately, that tactic only works for so long. Eventually, the others realize that they are being deceived and so they start voting X as well. Pretty soon, everybody is voting X's and everybody is losing money every time because they don't trust each other anymore.  Now that doesn't always happen. Sometimes you get a group that realizes that the best tactic is for everyone to vote O. That way, everybody always wins, and at the end, they will all have the same amount of money. Everyone equal. But as soon as someone gets a little greedy, and they see that they can win 3 dollars at once, then things can fall apart rather quickly.  Well, when all 8 rounds are over, you tell them that you want them to combine the TOTAL amount of money they earned "as a group" and that whichever group collectively gained the most money are the winners. Inevitably some will protest and say they thought the game was about how much they could win individually.  But you explain that the YOU in How much can You Win was referring to You collectively as a group. So the group that was the least selfish, that could really trust each other are the ones who end up with the treat in the end.

Now this activity can then prompt some good discussion points:

What was the most advantageous way to vote in the end?

What got in the way of everyone working together?

What happened when somebody tried to deceive the others?

TRANSITION

This little game can actually illustrate some of the challenges that money and human nature present us with. Selfishness and greed seem to come rather easily to the natural man when he's thrown into a competitive atmosphere.  However, it is possible for all to "win", when everyone is willing to work together for the common good. I believe that's what the Lord was trying to accomplish with the early members of the Church and the law of consecration. 

SEARCH

Sections 51-57 are going to add a few lines to our understanding of consecration. And Section 51 is the section that most directly deals with the topic. We've already covered a number of the principles that are found within it. I think I even referenced verse 3 back with section 42 to establish the four standards of prosperity: family, circumstances, wants and needs. There are also some more practical instructions given here on the role of the bishop in distributing property, and goods and money to the poorer members of the church. The section heading tells us that many saints from the eastern states are beginning to arrive in Ohio and it became necessary to make definite arrangements for their settlement. So we're dealing with some very temporal, "definite" concerns here. Most of these saints have left farms and homes back in New York and Pennsylvania and they're just not sure what to do, where they are going to live and how they are going to live. So the Lord is going to help Bishop Partridge know how to manage these temporal concerns. Still, we've already been taught that no commandment is purely temporal, but that all commandments have a spiritual aspect as well. These sections are going to highlight both sides of that equation.

First, what is the ultimate goal of consecration? All of this practical, temporal instruction (which you can read and study for yourself in section 51) has a specific end goal which is certainly spiritual in nature. Find the answer in 51:9. What is it?

9 And let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people, and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded you.

The goal of consecration is unity. God wants us all to be alike, to receive alike, and to be one.  Zion is a unified society. Of one heart, and one mind. Unfortunately, when you introduce the elements of property, and money, and economics, it turns out that it's quite difficult to create unified societies.  Remember the "How much can you win" game that we played earlier. It's easy to slip into a divisive and competitive mindset.

Perhaps some of you are familiar with the French tripartite motto which has its origins in the French Revolution. The three principles that the French declare are the foundation of their society. Those three principles are liberte, egalite, and fraternite. Translated. Liberty, equality, and brotherhood. I think that we can all agree that these are important principles but creating a society or an economic system that balances all three is the real challenge. The first two terms almost seem to be at odds with one another and some argue that they're not even compatible.  How do we have liberty and equality at the same time? I once heard someone define Communism or Socialism as a system that sacrifices liberty on the altar of equality.  While Capitalism is a system that sacrifices equality on the altar of liberty. I know which of the two that I prefer, and think is the better system, but we all have to admit that both sides have their challenges. Perhaps part of the solution, or the tempering factor would be that third principle. Fraternite. Brotherhood or unity, is the only thing that stands any chance of bringing those other two forces into any kind of balance. When brotherhood is neglected; when care or concern for the well-being of ALL people within the community starts to fall by the wayside, both liberty and equality are forfeit.

We're going to talk economics for a little bit here because any government, community, or church has to come to terms with how it's going to run things economically. Now, I'm not an economics expert by any stretch of the imagination, I know these are complex ideas so forgive me if I oversimplify things. Many nations, and governments have tried to create various economic systems and -isms throughout the years in an effort to create sustainable communities and I don't mean to criticize or condone any of these systems.

Some have tried a government owned, government distributed system. This is basically where the state owns and runs everything. One of the major challenges with this system is that when you give a group of individuals that much power and latitude, it is very easy for corruption and abuse of power to creep in.

Others have tried a privately owned but government distributed system. In this case, people do own their own property, but wealth can be gathered and distributed to others through things like legislation and taxes. One of the great challenges of this system is that it can discourage innovation and initiative and foster complacency and entitlement.

Others have tried privately owned, and little to no government regulation. The challenges to this kind of system can be the creation of very imbalanced societies where the bulk of the wealth and power lay with a small percentage of individuals.

Now I know that there are many other subsets and combinations of these systems but let's just keep it at that.

What about God's system in comparison? And, we still have to admit that even God's system has its challenges and roadblocks. We call God's economic system consecration--and this is going to be very difficult for the early Saints to live and implement.  Many will try and fail. But what set's God's system apart

In consecration, who owns the property?  We discussed this back in section 42, but yes, people do privately own their property, but with one major qualification. They don't really feel like they own it or consider themselves owners of it. They give all to God. So property is God owned on terms of individual stewardship. The Saint sees themself as a steward over their own property.  Then, their property is individually or voluntarily distributed. It is the decision of the individual how much they are going to give. They covenant to give anything that lay above fulfilling the four standards of their family, circumstances, wants and needs. Those funds that they give can then be used by the church to help provide for the poor and to help them back to the road of self-reliance.

The challenge with consecration is that the responsibility for its success relies almost completely on the individual. It demands accountability. Which makes sense. That's one of the major purposes for our time here in mortality. But, people don't always do what they are supposed to. They don't always take responsibility. They don't always live according to God's laws.

CONSECRATION KILLERS AND CORNERSTONES

With that in mind, let's take a look at the things that can destroy consecration, and with it, unity. I call these: the Consecration Killers. Then, on the opposite end of every Consecration Killer, there is a Consecration Cornerstone. See if you can identify them by filling in the study guide here. Each verse is going to have either one or the other. Fill in the one that is explicitly mentioned in the verse and then on your own, determine what its opposite quality would be.

The first one is in verse 9 and precedes the phrase we just highlighted on unity. This verse holds a Consecration Cornerstone. In order for consecration to work, all individuals must be dedicated to what principle?

Honesty. Let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people. Dishonesty then is the consecration killer. One of the great deunifiers. And why is that? How does dishonesty destroy unity?

Well, have you ever been swindled by someone? or cheated? Has someone ever sold something to you that was not what they made it out to be? Has anyone ever used your money for something other than what you gave it for? How do these kinds of things make you feel towards those people? Does it make you feel closer to them? Does it engender unity? No. It creates conflict, anger, hatred even. Dishonesty breeds contention, and "contention is of the devil". When someone tells you a lie and you later find out about it, how does it make you feel towards that person? You lose trust in them. Dishonesty breeds distrust, while honesty breeds trust and confidence.  The sad thing about being betrayed by someone's dishonesty is that it affects our ability to trust anybody--especially if that lie comes from somebody that is close to us. We think, "Well if I can't trust my parents, my friends, or my church leaders, then who can I trust? When there is a breakdown of trust, there is a breakdown of community. There's a great little church inspirational video entitled "Honesty-You better believe it" that you could show at this point. I'll provide a link here and in the description below. The example of dishonesty used in the video revolves around cheating on a test in school. If you're teaching youth, then this will be very applicable. But the principle of it is also useful in teaching adults. What is the eventual outcome of cheating? When cheating is rampant, what effect does it have on the whole? Do you want to go see a doctor that cheated their way through medical school? Would you want to be a doctor that cheated their way through medical school? To get to the end of your program and start to actually practice medicine and realize you didn't really know how to be a doctor.  Students may be able to get by with good grades by cheating their way through school, but do not end up with an education. They know how to game the system but don't know how to really play the game of life.   Dishonesty hurts not only those that are lied to, but the liar as well. I remember one of my heroes for a long time was Lance Armstrong. I was pretty crushed when I learned about his dishonesty and the dishonesty that is rampant in his sport. It made me sad for anyone who loved that sport but knew they couldn't compete with cheaters. Or those who are drawn into drugs just so they can be competitive in a sport.  We've seen dishonesty in business bring down the whole corporations, and indeed the entire economy. Do you remember 2007? Dishonesty destroys relationships. I've seen dishonesty tear marriages, siblings, friends, and businesses apart. I remember in my ward growing up, there was a man who used his church relationships and trust to lure members of the ward into giving him their money promising big returns on investment. It turned out he was a conman, and was embezzling the money.  Some of my ward members even lost their homes in this scandal while he ended up in prison. Everybody lost, including him. Is there any doubt that honesty is the best policy? Honesty creates unity. Dishonesty destroys it.

Next one:

56:8 There are two consecration killers here. What are they? Pride and selfishness.

Pride is also a terrible unity killer.  Pride is competitive and comparative. It's never satisfied and always clamors for more and more. That's why it's so hard for a prideful person to give. Their ego is so tied up in their material possessions that giving away means that they become less. Prideful people can never consecrate because, in their mind, it will lower their status. Consecration would cause them to have to recognize something higher than themselves--the true source of their wealth, God.  But pride doesn't really care so much about God's judgment--only the judgment of their fellow man or how others see them. They relish the praise of men rather than the praise of God. What is it that drives a person to continue to accumulate more and more even far after their family, circumstances, wants and needs have been more than fulfilled? Pride. The focus is no longer on what I have, but on the fact that I have more of it than anybody else. I don't need that larger home, I don't need another vehicle, I don't need the fancier gadget, but those things give me the opportunity to lord it over others and show them how great and successful and smart I am. Selfishness goes hand in hand with this, which makes sense, because pride is completely obsessed with self. It's all about me. Selfishness was Cain's downfall. He wanted what his brother had, and he was bent on getting it no matter how much it was going to hurt anybody else. Selfishness is root cause of so many other sins. That's why one of the greatest Christian virtues is service. Service is all about others.  It is completely selfless instead of selfish. If consecration is ever going to work both selfishness and pride must be managed and conquered. 

That's why the Lord gives this warning to the rich in 56:16

16 Wo unto you rich men, that will not give your substance to the poor, for your riches will canker your souls; and this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!

I'm intrigued by the use of the word "canker" in that verse. Riches canker your souls. In plants and animals, canker is a kind of destructive inflammatory disease that slowly kills or rots its host. That's what riches can often do to our souls. That selfishness and pride can eat away at and slowly destroy our humanity and goodness.

That's actually the problem here in Section 56 with two of the members of the early church named Leman Copley and Ezra Thayre. Leman Copley had consecrated his land in Thompson Ohio to the Church and many of the Colesville Saints had settled there and were beginning to develop the land. Unfortunately, Leman began to doubt his faith and his pride and selfishness started to manifest. He ended up breaking his covenant of consecration and ordering those Saints that had already begun to set down roots and leave his land. He even charged them 60$ for being there. Apparently, Ezra Thayre was also wrapped up in this controversy in Thompson and failed to serve a mission because of concerns over property and money. It's evidence of the destructive nature of pride and selfishness.

But there is another consecration killer here in this section. Pride can work in two directions.  As Ezra Taft Benson said:

"Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up."

Ezra Taft Benson

Conference Report April 1989

That's the spirit of the next consecration killer in 56:17

17 Wo unto you poor men, whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men's goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with your own hands!

Greed will kill consecration. It's what lies on the other side of the selfishness coin. If selfishness is conflict with my fellow man produced by what I have, then greed is conflict with my fellow man produced by what I don't have.  But either way it's still conflict. If my hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men's goods and I feel entitled to taking something that is not mine, then the whole system of consecration will fall apart as well.  Then, if pride is the companion vice of selfishness, then what is the companion of greed? Look at the end of the verse. It's laziness. There are those who take but will not labor with their own hands. Laziness will also destroy consecration. Nobody likes to feel that they are being taken advantage of or being robbed. If I'm working hard and sacrificing and giving and serving others, and I see those sacrifices being used to prop up the lazy and wasteful lifestyle of another person, then that's going to engender strife. Satan can attack people from both sides of the train tracks.  Selfishness and pride tend to be rich man's diseases, while greediness and laziness tend to be the poor man's.  Now that's not to say that all rich people have those problems or that all poor people have those problems.  You can be rich and righteous, wealthy and worthy. I know of many prosperous people who are the most humble and giving people you will ever meet.  And then look at the Lord's message about the poor in verse 18:

18 But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.

So let's fill in the other side of our chart. I always like to look at the positive side of a principle.  If these are the consecration killers, what are the consecration cornerstones.

What is the opposite of pride? Humility. The opposite of selfishness? Generosity. Greed? Contentment. Laziness? Hard work.

TRUTH

Consecration will only work if those involved are committed to honesty, humility, generosity, contentment and hard work.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Are there any "consecration killers" lurking in your life?

Then, pick one of the consecration cornerstones you feel you most need to work on and commit to either the accompanying challenge or come up with one of your own with the help of the Spirit.

Honesty-Resolve to tell someone the truth that you haven't been totally forthright with lately.

Humility-Seek to understand, get to know, or spend time with a group of people you have had prejudices against, whether that is cultural or economic.

Generosity-Resolve to give a higher fast offering this month than you ever have before.

Contentment-Sit down and write a thank you note to God for what you have.

Hard Work-Choose an area of your life you know you could work harder at and dedicate at least one more hour this week to working on it.

CONCLUSION

I know these are tough things to talk about and even harder to apply. But if we could just get destroy dishonesty, pull down pride, squash selfishness, guard against greediness, and loathe laziness, imagine the kind of society that would create. It would be Zion.  If we could engrain these qualities deep into our collective character, THEN, yes, I believe consecration will work! I believe it's the only economic system that has any real chance of succeeding on a grand scale--the only system that can not only change our physical conditions but our hearts as well. Consecration puts the burden of responsibility on the individual, which in turn can inspire growth and righteousness in anyone that participates fully in it. Although we can't always control the actions of other people in this, we can all seek to do our part to make this system work.

Another line upon line principle from these sections.

RECOGNIZING TRUTH

ICEBREAKER

To introduce this section, I like to give them a pattern challenge. There are three of them and I usually give them a couple of minutes to try and figure them out. Do they recognize the pattern? If you'd like to try them out, pause the video and see what you can come up with.

But here are the solutions. For the first one with the odd shapes. The number within each shape represents how many other shapes it's touching. So if you count how many the shape in question touches, you come up with 6. For the "What letter comes next in this sequence" puzzle. The answer is S. Why? Because it's the first letter of each of the words in the question. What letter comes next in this sequence. So "S" for sequence would be the answer. Then for the "what number comes next?" puzzle, the answer is 41. Starting from the left, you are just adding the two previous numbers together. So, 5+2 is 7, 2+7 is 9, 7+9 is 16, 9+16=25, so 16+25=41.

TRANSITION

Well, the point is, that when you recognize the pattern, it makes it easier to know what to expect or what's coming next.

SEARCH

Now, can you find the word pattern in section 52? It actually appears three times.

The first time in verse 14

14 And again, I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived; for Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations.

So to help us not to be deceived, he's going to give us a pattern. A way of recognizing the truth.

Then in verse 19 he says

19 Wherefore, by this pattern ye shall know the spirits in all cases under the whole heavens.

So if verse 14 tells us that he's going to give us a pattern, and verse 19 tells that this was the pattern, what would you expect to find in between? The pattern. Obviously. So what is the pattern?

Let's see. A quick note first though. Section 50 also taught us how to recognize truth from falsehood. But that section focused much more on recognizing the truth based on the message. That the message was understandable, that it edified and that it caused you to rejoice. The pattern in section 52 focuses more on the messenger. You'll know what is true by examining the character of the individual that's giving it. Read verses 15-18 to find the answer.

15 Wherefore he that prayeth, whose spirit is contrite, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances.

16 He that speaketh, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek and edifieth, the same is of God if he obey mine ordinances.

17 And again, he that trembleth under my power shall be made strong, and shall bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom, according to the revelations and truths which I have given you.

18 And again, he that is overcome and bringeth not forth fruits, even according to this pattern, is not of me.

So how will we know? Well, is the messenger a prayerful person? Do they seem to have a close connection with God?

Whose spirit is contrite. Are they humble? And this is apparently the key factor, because look how many times he says it and in how many different ways. In verse 16, whose spirit is contrite, whose language is meek, and in 17, he that trembleth under my power. All of these suggest humility. You'll know they're true messengers because they don't puff themselves up. They don't draw attention to themselves. They aren't worried about their ego or what other people think of them. They're not in a popularity contest. You sense in them a deep respect for God and a desire to draw people to Him, not them.

Another in verse 15, the same is accepted of me if he obey mine ordinances. He ends verse 16 with the same phrase. True messengers are obedient messengers. They walk what they talk. They live what they preach. They're not hypocrites but strive to live the gospel that they profess.

In verse 16, their language is not only meek, but it edifieth. So do their words build you up? Do they make you a better person? Do they increase your faith? The way they share the message adds to its beauty and meaning.

In verse 17. They bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom. If you remember Christ's teachings on the same topic. He warned his disciples that wolves in sheep's clothing would come among them, that false prophets would arise. His disciples then wondered how they would be able to tell the difference. Jesus' answer? By their fruits ye shall know them. True messengers bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom. So how do other righteous people view them? Are they praised by the faithful, or praised by the world? Do they give you wisdom and understanding?

If you can answer yes to all these questions, then you can know for sure that that messenger is of God, and you can trust them, and the wisdom that they teach. The pattern will work!

TRUTH

You will know true messengers by their prayerfulness, humility, obedience, edifying language, and their fruits of praise and wisdom.

LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES

Who is someone that you recognize as a true messenger of God?

Which of these qualities do you see in them?

How have their messages edified and blessed you?

CONCLUSION

When I consider this pattern, the people that immediately come to my mind are our modern-day prophets and apostles. I mean, just think about general conference. Think of how they speak. Do they speak arrogantly or humbly? When you study or look at the way they live or have lived their lives? Are they obedient or rebellious? Are they examples of what they teach? Think of their messages. Do they edify, do they teach wisdom? Are the fruits of their labors good or bad? Does living their counsels bring peace, happiness, and comfort? I testify that they do. They are true messengers from God. Now compare that to the way that a lot of other people try to convince you that what they are saying is true. Think of how many politicians, journalists, and celebrities try to convince you of something. Often, it's with shouting, or outrage, or ridicule, or self-promotion. There's usually not a lot of humility or contriteness shown. People on social media do much the same.  What are the fruits of these efforts? Are they positive? Do they cause real change and help people live better lives? I guess we all have to use our judgment to decide that but clearly there are many out to deceive.  Thankfully, we have our pattern to help us know how to recognize a true messenger of God when we see one.

One final quick "line upon line principle". The topic? Preaching the gospel.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL

ICEBREAKER

As a simple icebreaker, I like to give my students a simple quiz. In our seminary building (or you could do something similar with your church building or even your home) there are paintings hung in the hallway. We have some of the Savior, Joseph Smith, some Book of Mormon stories, and I know my students walk by them and see them every day. However, I'm often surprised by how many students that can't recall what the pictures are of. They see them, all the time, but they don't notice them. With that, I give them the following search question:

SEARCH

There is a common phrase that you find in each of the following verses in regard to preaching the gospel. Can you find it?

52:9

52:10

52:22

52:23

52:25

52:26

52:27

Did you find it? It's "preaching by the way" or some form of that phrase.

What does that teach us about sharing the gospel?

Hopefully it's something that we do "by the way". We may have some other destination in mind as we journey through life, but we should always be looking for opportunities to preach the gospel by the way. There are going to be people that God places along your way, along your path, that you can influence, that you can bless, that you can preach to. But I'm afraid we'll miss those opportunities if we aren't actively looking for them or praying for them. In a sense, we should all be "full time missionaries". Even if we are engaged in a completely different endeavor, like going to class, hopefully, preaching the gospel is something we can always be conscious of and looking for.

CONCLUSION

So, the point of this brief lesson. Preach the gospel "by the way", and opportunities will come.

TEACHING ACTIVITIES

Doctrine and Covenants 51-57

LESSON #1 Line upon line, we climb (Doctrine and covenants 51-57)

TRUTH:

As we act in faith on the truth God gives us, He reveals more—line upon line.

FIRE IN THE BONES:

To help you get some fire in the bones, consider how this lesson can help your students better understand how God gives guidance. The live in a world that demands instant answers and immediate clarity, but that’s not how God works. He invites us to live after a higher pattern—a pattern of faith, trust, and daily discipleship. Help your students to understand that it’s okay not to know everything right now. What matters most is that they act on the light they’ve already received. If they do, the Lord promises to give more.

OBJECT:

A ladder. And you could just set that up at the front of the class and later in the lesson you can use it to illustrate the principle that God guides us step by step. Here a little and there a little. Line upon line, we climb.

ICEBREAKER:

Then for the icebreaker, first ask the question: How many of you are “planners” when it comes to travel?

Why do you do that?

Then ask:

How many of you are “decide-as-you-go” when it comes to travel?

Why do you do that?

Then finally:

Which of the two ways does God seem most to work with us?

Have a little discussion about that principle and then you can then show them 2 Nephi 28:30 and 1 Nephi 4:6 to emphasize the point that God seems to be more of a “little by little” kind of being. He doesn’t reveal all truth all at once or give us direction in one detailed itinerary. It’s line upon line, precept upon precept. You could display the ladder at that point.

HANDOUT: Another possible icebreaker activity you could use would be the following handout. It’s a brief letter tiles activity where you challenge your students to figure out the popular scripture phrase by arranging the tiles in the correct order in the boxes above.   And the answer to this puzzle is “Line upon line, precept upon precept”.

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

Once you’ve established that idea in their minds, send them into the scriptures to see if they can identify the “line upon line” phrase in the following verses:

51:16-17

52:2

52:4

53:6

55:6

57:16

58:56

Go through each of those verses with them highlighting and discussing the “line upon line” phrases.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

After you’ve shown them all of those examples of God’s “Line upon Line” nature, be sure to ask the following discussion question:  Why do you think God does this?" Why doesn't he just give us all the information at once? Wouldn't it be easier that way? Why make us go little by little when it would be much more comforting and direct to let us know the end from the beginning?

This should hopefully spark a lively discussion about the possible reasons for this pattern. The insight video gives you some thoughts that could help prepare you for that discussion. For example, I like to take them back to 2 Nephi 28:30 to show them that revealing truth little by little gives God the chance to see how we will react to the truths he gives us. It’s a test of our faith. He rewards our acting on truth, with more truth. I also like to take them to Doctrine and Covenants 19:22 to discuss the “milk before meat” principle. I also like to use the example of rock climbing to help them better understand the principle of faith in our journey upwards back towards God’s presence.

QUOTE:

Also, for a quote aligning with our theme, I like to relate the following story shared by Elder Boyd K. Packer. He said:

“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do.

“I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you’” (“The Edge of the Light,” BYU Today, Mar. 1991, 22–23).

VIDEO:

A video you could show to accompany this lesson: “Patterns of Light: The Spirit of Revelation”.  In it, Elder Bednar explains how God often reveals truth to us. He compares it to a sunrise , which comes gradually and not all at once, and walking in a fog, where you can only see a few steps ahead of you at a time. He suggests that that pattern of revelation is more common than receiving a lot of knowledge all at once. As they watch, invite them to keep the following question in mind:  What metaphors does Elder Bednar use to help us visualize how revelation works?

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-01-0012-patterns-of-light-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng

TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:

Have you ever had a "line upon line" experience? A time when you felt God gave you additional understanding as you went, little by little?

I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:

What’s one area of your life where you feel you need to trust God’s timing more fully?

TAKEAWAY:

Our takeaway slide reminds our students of our “big picture” principle. Line upon line we climb. Remind them that God never intended us to just “take the helicopter” to the top of the mountain in our lives. He intends us to climb, step by step. It’s in that journey of faith that we gain strength, understanding, experience, and joy. So keep climbing, little by little. Testify that as we move forward, the path will become clearer. So trust Him—and take the step.

LESSON #2  consecration killers and cornerstoneS (DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 51, 56)

TRUTH:  

Consecration works when we live with honesty, humility, generosity, contentment, and hard work—and it dies when we don't.

FIRE IN THE BONES:

I get the fire in the bones for this lesson when I recognize that the law of consecration isn’t just about money or property, it’s about unity. It’s about building Zion. It’s about becoming more like Christ. This lesson highlights the attitudes and things that can frustrate that unity and divide us as families, wards, and a society at large. Seek to inspire your students to eliminate the consecration killers from their lives and lay the consecration cornerstones deep within their character.

OBJECT:

All you need for this lesson is five bricks. Those five bricks are going to represent the cornerstones of consecration. On the backs of each of those five bricks place the cornerstones of consecration. Then, in the lesson, when you discuss those principles in opposition to the consecration killers, turn the bricks around displaying their labels of honesty, humility, generosity, contentment, and hard work.

ICEBREAKER/GAME:

For the icebreaker activity, I really like the “How Much Can You Win?” game that I described in insight video. It works really well and adds an element of fun to the lesson. But it also makes a profound point. Acting selfishly causes us all to lose, but when we work together, we collectively win and gain more.  I won’t go into all the instructions for how that game works here, but I invite you to watch that portion of the insight video for the details. Then at the conclusion of the activity, be sure to ask the following discussion questions:

•       What was the most advantageous way to vote in the end?

•       What got in the way of everyone working together?

•       What happened when somebody tried to deceive the others?

After the game, invite your class to open to section 51 and give them some background to the situation the Saints are facing. You should specifically point them to the Section Heading where we discover that many poor Saints from New York were arriving in Kirtland and wondering where they were going to live and how they were going to get by. The bishop, Edward Partridge, wanted some heavenly help on knowing how to help these new members using the newly revealed principles of the law of consecration. Also be sure to point them to verse 9 where we discover the main goal and blessing of living the law of consecration: unity—that ye may be one. At this point you could also discuss some of the challenges associated with the economic systems of socialism and capitalism and that consecration appears to be the best solution for handling both.  But, in order for consecration to work as intended, we have to eliminate the consecration killers. And there are five.

SEARCH ACTIVITY/HANDOUT:

Now you give them the handout and invite them to read the following verses:

51:9

56:8 (which has two in it)

56:17 (which also has two in it)

What actions do these verses suggest will throw a monkey wrench into the gears of consecration. Also, encourage them to fill in what they think are the opposite principles—the cornerstones of consecration. The actions that allow that law to function as intended.  This will lead you into the real meat of the lesson. Discussing those principles and how and why they help or hinder the law of consecration.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:

And that can be the discussion question you might ask for each of those consecration killers.  How does dishonesty destroy unity?  How does pride? How does selfishness? Greed? And laziness do it?  I think you’ll find this leads to some fruitful discussion with your class.  Also, invite them to share what they feel the opposites would be. What are the cornerstones? This is the point where you could do the object lesson, I suggested at the beginning with the five bricks you have displayed.

VIDEO:

A video you could show in conjunction with the principle of honesty is the following called: “Honesty, You’d Better Believe It.” It does a great job of illustrating the blessings of honesty and the problem of dishonesty. You might want to ask them as they watch to ponder how “cheating” as a form of dishonesty destroys unity. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-05-0011-honesty-you-better-believe-it?lang=eng

QUOTE:

A quote you might share coincides with the discussion of the consecration killer of pride.  Ezra Taft Benson once said:

"Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us. There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up."

Ezra Taft Benson

(Conference Report, April 1989)

TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:

As you display that list of principles, ask: Are there any "consecration killers" lurking in your life?

I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:

Pick one of the consecration cornerstones you feel you most need to work on and commit to either the accompanying challenge or come up with one of your own with the help of the Spirit. And on that slide, I give a number of suggested actions they might consider taking to combat the consecration killer they feel they might be struggling with.  

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide serves as a reminder of the 5 cornerstones of consecration, which hopefully you already have displayed on the bricks that you brought in. Testify of the wisdom of the Lord’s inspired system of economics—that consecration can and will work, as long as each individual is committed to the principles that sustain and uphold it. Encourage them to do their part as far as it is possible and promise them that the Lord will bless them as they do so.

LESSON #3  A PRACTICAL PATTERN (DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS 52)

TRUTH:

We can recognize true messengers by their prayerfulness, humility, obedience, edifying language, and their fruits of praise and wisdom.

FIRE IN THE BONES:

There are a lot of voices out there competing for our attention and support and it’s not always easy for us to determine who is telling us the truth and really has our best interest at heart. This lesson can help to equip our students to discern who to listen to, who to trust.

OBJECT:

For an object. Just bring in something that has a pattern on it. And what is a pattern? A repeated design. It’s easy to tell what’s going to come next when there is a pattern to it. It’s predictable. It flows. The same thing applies to gospel patterns. There are certain ways in which God works that are predictable and easy to follow. This lesson presents us with a pattern of recognizing true messengers.

ICEBREAKER/HANDOUT:

For an icebreaker activity, I like the pattern recognition challenge. See if your students can recognize any of the following patterns. You can do this is a handout as well if you want to give each person a chance to fill in their answers. I’ll include that in the downloads this week. And the solution to the first is that each shape bears the number of how many other shapes it touches. The second solution is the letter S, because it mirrors the instruction phrase. Which Letter Comes Next In This Sequence? W L C N I T S. S for sequence. The answer is right there in front of them. And then the answer in the final pattern is 41, because each number is the product of the two numbers that precede it. 5+2 is 7, 2+7 is 9, 7+9 is 16, 9+16=25, therefore 16+25=41.

Then, challenge them to find the word “pattern” somewhere in section 52.  And we see it in verses 14, 18, and 19. And at the beginning of these verses the Lord tells us that he’s going to give us a pattern on how not to be deceived by the adversary. And at the end of those verses, he says that “by this pattern, ye shall know the spirits in all cases under the whole heavens.” In other words, this pattern he gives us is going to help us to know true disciples and messengers of Jesus Christ—who is seeking to deceive us, and who is telling us the truth. So what would you expect to find in between verses 14 and 19? The pattern.

SEARCH ACTIVITY:

What is it? What qualities does a person who is teaching the truth possess? Just let them find them and share them. And they will. They are prayerful. They are humble. They are obedient. Their words edify. And they bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom.

VIDEO:

For a video suggestion. I would just simply show a clip from one of the brethren speaking in the most recent general conference. Invite your students to ponder whether they can sense any of the qualities of true messengers reflected in the words, tone, or character of whose speaking. Do they feel that they are listening to a true messenger. You may even want to bear your own personal testimony of the living prophets after you watch.

QUOTE:

Elder Dale G. Renlund:

“We will not be deceived when we seek and take counsel from trusted individuals who are themselves faithful disciples of the Savior”

Dale G. Renlund

(Conference Report, April 2025, “Personal Preparation to Meet the Savior”)

TAKE IT TO HEART QUESTION:

Who in your life do you consider a true messenger of God? What qualities do you see in them?

I WILL GO AND DO QUESTION:

How can this pattern help you feel more confident in seeking and recognizing true messengers of God?

TAKEAWAY:

The takeaway slide encourages our students to use the pattern just revealed to us in section 52. Testify to them that God has given us a pattern to help us know who we can trust in a world full of noise and deception. Just like recognizing a puzzle’s pattern helps us to predict what comes next, learning to recognize these divine traits—humility, obedience, prayerfulness, edifying words, and good fruits—can help us know when a messenger is truly from God. Promise them that if they seek out and follow the true messengers God places in our lives—especially the living prophets—they will be protected, guided, and lifted in ways that bring lasting peace and clarity. The pattern works!