Editing Law of consecration

{{Short description|Commandment in the Latter Day Saint movement}}
{{Religious text primary|date=December 2010}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2010}}
The '''law of consecration''' is a commandment in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]] in which adherents promise to dedicate their lives and material substance to the church. It was first referred to in 1831 by [[Joseph Smith]].

== Origins ==
On February 4, 1831, Smith received a [[revelation (Latter Day Saints)|revelation]] calling [[Edward Partridge]] to be the first [[Bishop (Latter Day Saints)|bishop]] of the church.<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|51}}</ref> Five days later, on February 9, 1831, Smith received another revelation detailing the law of consecration.<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|42}}</ref>

As practiced by the Latter Day Saints in Smith's day, the law of consecration was for the support of the poor and to ensure that all members would be "equal according to his family, according to his circumstances and his wants and needs."<ref>[[Doctrine and Covenants]] 42:30; 51:3.</ref> Adherents were asked to voluntarily [[deed]], or [[Consecration#Latter Day Saints|consecrate]], their property to the [[Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)|Church of Christ]], and the church then would assign to each member a "stewardship" of property "as much as is sufficient for himself and family."<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|42|32}}</ref> If consecrated property became more than was sufficient for the assigned steward, the "residue" was "to be consecrated unto the bishop" kept for the benefit of "those who have not, from time to time, that every man who has need may be amply supplied and receive according to his wants."<ref>{{lds|Doctrine and Covenants|dc|42|33}}</ref>

Under Smith, members attempted to implement the law of consecration through the establishment of the [[United Order]], but it was never fully instituted due to conflict and disagreements.

== The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ==
During the 1850s, [[Brigham Young]], leader of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church), attempted to revive the law of consecration. The US Congress used this practice to delay granting land ownership to [[Utah Territory]]. Under scrutiny from the national press and facing advancing federal troops, the church dropped the plan in 1857 in favor of the [[Tithing (Latter Day Saints)|law of tithing]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Arrington |first1=Leonard J. |title=Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900 |date=1993 |publisher=University of Utah Press |location=Salt Lake City |isbn=0874804205 |pages=145–148}}</ref> Since that time, the LDS Church has not asked its members to give all of their property to the church: leaders of the church have taught that members "are not now required to live the law of consecration".<ref>[[Marion G. Romney]], [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1979/02/living-the-principles-of-the-law-of-consecration "Living the Principles of the Law of Consecration"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', February 1979.</ref> However, adherents [[covenant (Latter Day Saints)|covenant]] with God to accept the law of consecration as part of the [[temple (LDS Church)|temple]] [[endowment (Mormonism)|endowment]] ceremony.

In the 1970s, LDS Church [[apostle (Latter Day Saints)|apostle]] [[Bruce R. McConkie]] stated that "[t]he law of consecration is that we consecrate our time, our talents, and our money and property to the cause of the Church: such are to be available to the extent they are needed to further the Lord's interests on earth."<ref>[[Bruce R. McConkie]], [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1975/05/obedience-consecration-and-sacrifice "Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', May 1975.</ref>

Rather than fully living the United Order to keep the law of consecration, members are asked to [[Tithing (Latter Day Saints)|tithe]] their income to support the church, to pay a generous monthly [[fast offering]] to care for the poor, and to donate their time and talents in assisting in the operation of the church.

Adherents believe that the law of consecration will be fully practiced in the future, including during the thousand-year millennium after the [[Second Coming]] of Jesus.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/1979/05/qa-questions-and-answers "Q&A: Questions and Answers: 'Will the righteous members of the Church be asked to live the law of consecration?'"], ''[[New Era (LDS magazine)|New Era]]'', May 1979.</ref>

== Mormon fundamentalism ==
In some [[Mormon fundamentalist]] sects, including the [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] and the [[Apostolic United Brethren]], adherents live the law of consecration by deeding their homes and other personal property to the church, which then administers it to the members as needed.

==See also==
* [[Bishop's storehouse]]
* [[Tithing (Latter Day Saints)]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
*[[J. Reuben Clark, Jr.]], ''The United Order and the Law of Consecration'' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1945)
*{{Citation
 | last = Hirschi
 | first = Frank W.
 | year = 1992
 | contribution = Consecration
 | contribution-url = http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/EoM/id/5628 
 | editor-last = Ludlow
 | editor-first = Daniel H.
 | editor-link = Daniel H. Ludlow
 | title = [[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]]
 | publication-place = New York, NY
 | publisher = [[Macmillan Publishers (United States)|Macmillan]]
 | pages = 312–314
 | isbn = 0-02-904040-X
 | oclc = 24502140
}}.
*William O. Nelson, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1979/01/to-prepare-a-people "To Prepare a People"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', January 1979.
* Stephen B. Oveson, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2005/09/personal-consecration "Personal Consecration"], ''[[Liahona (magazine)|Liahona]]'', September 2009

{{Latter Day Saint movement}}

[[Category:Latter Day Saint practices]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint terms]]
[[Category:Mormon fundamentalism]]
[[Category:Christian law]]
[[Category:1831 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:1831 in Christianity]]
[[Category:Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)]]
[[Category:Economy and Christianity]]