Mormonism and the United Firm

[mfbukowski]

Sacrifice is very basic. I "give up" two years of my life to receive the greater good of serving a mission. I give up a sack of grain to use as seeds to get back many sacks of grain to eat and trade.

Consecration gives up all to get back even more.

[David Bokovoy]

Sacrifice is very basic. I "give up" two years of my life to receive the greater good of serving a mission. I give up a sack of grain to use as seeds to get back many sacks of grain to eat and trade.

Consecration gives up all to get back even more.

Thanks, Mfbukowski. I appreciate your answer. I see the issue a little bit differently. I do not believe that consecration is about "giving up," that's "sacrifice." Consecration involves "using up" items for a sacred purpose.

As defined in the Lectures on Faith 6;7, the Law of Sacrifice stipulates giving up "all things" to God:

"Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things: it was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice & offering, & that he has not nor will not seek his face."

Once we have sacrificed everything to God, I believe we are then ready to live the Law of Consecration. After giving everything to God, including our time, talents, and property, we are left with nothing except that which the Lord lends to us as individuals to use as his stewards. Consecration then involves taking the Lord's gifts and using up his property to build the kingdom, creating a society that reflects the stipulations provided in the D&C for the eradication of economic disparity.

[WalkerW]

I do not believe that consecration is about "giving up," that's "sacrifice." Consecration involves "using up" items for a sacred purpose.

I love how Hugh Nibley summed up the temple covenants:

"The first is obedience, the restraint on the individual's power. The second is restraint on possession of things; the eternal spirit cannot be attached to them

[mfbukowski]

Consecration gives up all to get back even more.

Thanks, Mfbukowski. I appreciate your answer. I see the issue a little bit differently. .....

After giving everything to God, including our time, talents, and property, we are left with nothing except that which the Lord lends to us as individuals to use as his stewards.

Well I am not seeing how these are different, but the bottom line I think is that we agree on this one. If we have any area of disagreement, I think it might just be on timing and how we get from here to there, but we possibly even agree on that.

I am just not to sure on how you see this is all going to come together in practical terms, that's all.

[mfbukowski]

I love how Hugh Nibley summed up the temple covenants:

"The first is obedience, the restraint on the individual's power. The second is restraint on possession of things; the eternal spirit cannot be attached to them

[David Bokovoy]

Hey Walker,

Sacrifice requires giving up all that the Lord has blessed us with. Technically, it was never ours to give. Consecration, however, requires that we give up the one thing that is ours: our will.

Thank you. I believe that you've touched upon a very important concept in terms of "will." However, I still view the Law of Sacrifice as a surrendering of one's will, as well as everything else one possesses. As Elder Maxwell explained:

"So it is that real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! Such is the 'sacrifice unto the Lord... of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,' (D&C 59:8 ), a prerequisite to taking up the cross, while giving 'away all [our] sins' in order to 'know God' (Alma 22:18) for the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him." - Neal A. Maxwell, "Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness," Ensign, May 1995, 68.

Elder Maxwell repeatedly taught us that Jesus perfectly defined the Law of Sacrifice when in Gethsemane he declared, "Father, not my will, but thine be done."

I believe the distinction between these two laws, consecration and sacrifice is really very important. Once we have fully given up everything we possess to God, we are ready to act as stewards over his property, i.e. that which we have given up. The Law of Consecration stipulates that we effectively put to use the resources God has lent to us for the building of his kingdom (think of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25).

As taught by Jesus in the parable of the

[WalkerW]

Hey Walker,

Thank you. I believe that you've touched upon a very important concept in terms of "will." However, I still view the Law of Sacrifice as a surrendering of one's will, as well as everything else one possesses. As Elder Maxwell explained:

"So it is that real, personal sacrifice never was placing an animal on the altar. Instead, it is a willingness to put the animal in us upon the altar and letting it be consumed! Such is the 'sacrifice unto the Lord... of a broken heart and a contrite spirit,' (D&C 59:8 ), a prerequisite to taking up the cross, while giving 'away all [our] sins' in order to 'know God' (Alma 22:18) for the denial of self precedes the full acceptance of Him." - Neal A. Maxwell, "Deny Yourselves of All Ungodliness," Ensign, May 1995, 68.

Elder Maxwell repeatedly taught us that Jesus perfectly defined the Law of Sacrifice when in Gethsemane he declared, "Father, not my will, but thine be done."

I believe the distinction between these two laws, consecration and sacrifice is really very important. Once we have fully given up everything we possess to God, we are ready to act as stewards over his property, i.e. that which we have given up. The Law of Consecration stipulates that we effectively put to use the resources God has lent to us for the building of his kingdom (think of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25).

Nicely put. I agree with your inclusion of will in the law of sacrifice. I think I should have made it more clear with the concept of sacred purpose and intent. This implies sacred use. I have no argument with your post.

[mercyngrace]

bump

because I'm just sad to see this thread die...