by David Alvord
There may be some reading this post who may be familiar with the first two "isms", but are unfamiliar with the term "Consecrationism". Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will readily know what this word refers to. However, since this is a public site I will briefly describe what members of our faith are referring to when we talk of "living the Law of Consecration". Some church members mistakenly confuse Consecration with Communism. It is my intent to differentiate Consecration from Communism and Socialism. I am not writing for the Church officially, and so I alone am responsible for what is written.
Twice a year, members of our faith gather to hear from our leaders in a meeting we call "General Conference". Some twenty-thousand gather to the conference center, and millions of other Church members watch at Chapels or in their homes. Carved into the wood of the pulpit can be seen a representation of beehives. These beehives are a symbolic representation of the latter-day Saint concept of consecration. To understand consecration, you must first understand how a beehive works.
My intent is not to give a rich scientific description of beehives in this article. For the curious, Wikipedia does a wonderful job of describing the behavior of honey bees.
Instead, allow me to describe the economy of the hive in simple terms. The bees freely work towards the collective good of the colony. The most common bees are the sterile worker bees. It is interesting to note that not all worker bees perform the same task. Some stay at home to maintain the temperature of the hive. Others are sent out to collect pollen that is later used to make food for the young. The rest go out and suck up nectar in their little proboscis (beak) and return to make either comb (wax) or honey.
The drones are the males who simply have a reproductive role, and when compared to the workers aren't all that productive. The drones contribute little by way of symbolism exept perhaps to give us something to warn against. In an LDS hymn, the lyrics warn: "the world has no need for a drone". Nature, of course, has a need for the drone (someone's gotta fertilize those eggs)...but isn't it interesting that the worker bees overwhelmingly outnumber the drones. Whether you think it's evolution or creation, the point is: The economy of the hive would suffer should the drones start to approach the workers in number.
At the center of all of this work is the Queen Bee and there's only one per colony. She is the mother of all of the bees in the hive. She can lay up to 2000 eggs per day! Obviously the queen makes a significant contribution: she gives all of them life.
In summary, what are the attributes of the honey beehive?
1. The bees have the attributes that enable them to work towards the good of the collective.
2. The bees are not coerced, but are free to fly out and free to return.
3. The bees bless the entire planet by pollinating plants.
4. The bees have stingers, which are only used for protection.
5. The bees create something extremely sweet and good: honey.
So, what do Church members mean when we use the word "consecrate"? Sometimes it is used to describe a sacrifice or a singular event. A returned missionary may rightly say he consecrated two years of his life to the church. Most active members consecrate ten percent of their incomes to the church according to the Biblical law of Tithing (“Tithe” means tenth).
But what of the so called "Law of Consecration" or "Consecrationism"? This ism is understood by latter-day Saints to be the ideal system of government. Is it possible that humans could achieve this ideal? Unlike the honey bee, we humans are not born with the characteristics to have a consecrated form of government. Yet, we do believe that as children of God, we have the potential to develop those characteristics. After all, anciently it was achieved by Enoch and his followers at the city known as Zion.
"Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens." (Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - link to article) The word "Consecration" has a strong connection to the word Zion in our vernacular. Zion is a city that successfully practices the law of consecration.
Think, dear reader, for a moment about the advantages of such a form of government:
1. There are none that are unemployed.
2. There are none that are poor.
3. There is no need for money, the counting of money, the taxing of money, the protection of money, or the keeping of money.
4. There is no unnecessary duplication of goods.
5. There are laws but few lawyers.
6. There is no need for enforcement of work or enforcement of conscience.
7. The people are free. Zion may have walls to keep the wicked out, but there are no walls to keep her citizens in.
8. The people enjoy extreme prosperity.
It is important to note that consecrationism or “Zionism” is a free society, and must be free, for the Doctrine and Covenants warns that… “no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.” (D&C 134:2)
Communism is a jealous form of government.
Unlike Zionism, Communism wishes to take properties that are desirable in consecration and pervert them and exploit them. Communism cares little about the character of her citizens but would rather use fear and coercion to inspire action. The citizens of Communism are not free; walls are built to keep them in. Her workers are threatened at gunpoint. Religion is outlawed. Communist leaders do not contribute to the good of the society, but rather exploit the workers and rule with an iron fist. The people under communist rule are not prepared with the attributes necessary to create the ideal society, nor are they motivated to become such a people. Since few are prepared for collectivism, the productive part of society supports the unproductive part of society.
The communist leader wishes to reap the rewards of collectivism without giving the people liberty and the free exercise of conscience. The people are not inspired to serve the cause of their country. Tyranny depresses the human spirit and can create dissensions and insurgency. Large portions of the GDP are dedicated to the enforcement of her laws and the maintenance of order. Few inventions or innovations come out of communist societies and the Tyrants lust over the wealth of their free neighbors.
The beekeeper who does not let his bees fly freely will soon find that he gets no honey.
Capitalism is the most equitable system of government in a mixed society.
There may be some reading this post who may be familiar with the first two "isms", but are unfamiliar with the term "Consecrationism". Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will readily know what this word refers to. However, since this is a public site I will briefly describe what members of our faith are referring to when we talk of "living the Law of Consecration". Some church members mistakenly confuse Consecration with Communism. It is my intent to differentiate Consecration from Communism and Socialism. I am not writing for the Church officially, and so I alone am responsible for what is written.
Twice a year, members of our faith gather to hear from our leaders in a meeting we call "General Conference". Some twenty-thousand gather to the conference center, and millions of other Church members watch at Chapels or in their homes. Carved into the wood of the pulpit can be seen a representation of beehives. These beehives are a symbolic representation of the latter-day Saint concept of consecration. To understand consecration, you must first understand how a beehive works.
My intent is not to give a rich scientific description of beehives in this article. For the curious, Wikipedia does a wonderful job of describing the behavior of honey bees.
Instead, allow me to describe the economy of the hive in simple terms. The bees freely work towards the collective good of the colony. The most common bees are the sterile worker bees. It is interesting to note that not all worker bees perform the same task. Some stay at home to maintain the temperature of the hive. Others are sent out to collect pollen that is later used to make food for the young. The rest go out and suck up nectar in their little proboscis (beak) and return to make either comb (wax) or honey.
The drones are the males who simply have a reproductive role, and when compared to the workers aren't all that productive. The drones contribute little by way of symbolism exept perhaps to give us something to warn against. In an LDS hymn, the lyrics warn: "the world has no need for a drone". Nature, of course, has a need for the drone (someone's gotta fertilize those eggs)...but isn't it interesting that the worker bees overwhelmingly outnumber the drones. Whether you think it's evolution or creation, the point is: The economy of the hive would suffer should the drones start to approach the workers in number.
At the center of all of this work is the Queen Bee and there's only one per colony. She is the mother of all of the bees in the hive. She can lay up to 2000 eggs per day! Obviously the queen makes a significant contribution: she gives all of them life.
In summary, what are the attributes of the honey beehive?
1. The bees have the attributes that enable them to work towards the good of the collective.
2. The bees are not coerced, but are free to fly out and free to return.
3. The bees bless the entire planet by pollinating plants.
4. The bees have stingers, which are only used for protection.
5. The bees create something extremely sweet and good: honey.
So, what do Church members mean when we use the word "consecrate"? Sometimes it is used to describe a sacrifice or a singular event. A returned missionary may rightly say he consecrated two years of his life to the church. Most active members consecrate ten percent of their incomes to the church according to the Biblical law of Tithing (“Tithe” means tenth).
But what of the so called "Law of Consecration" or "Consecrationism"? This ism is understood by latter-day Saints to be the ideal system of government. Is it possible that humans could achieve this ideal? Unlike the honey bee, we humans are not born with the characteristics to have a consecrated form of government. Yet, we do believe that as children of God, we have the potential to develop those characteristics. After all, anciently it was achieved by Enoch and his followers at the city known as Zion.
"Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens." (Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles - link to article) The word "Consecration" has a strong connection to the word Zion in our vernacular. Zion is a city that successfully practices the law of consecration.
Think, dear reader, for a moment about the advantages of such a form of government:
1. There are none that are unemployed.
2. There are none that are poor.
3. There is no need for money, the counting of money, the taxing of money, the protection of money, or the keeping of money.
4. There is no unnecessary duplication of goods.
5. There are laws but few lawyers.
6. There is no need for enforcement of work or enforcement of conscience.
7. The people are free. Zion may have walls to keep the wicked out, but there are no walls to keep her citizens in.
8. The people enjoy extreme prosperity.
It is important to note that consecrationism or “Zionism” is a free society, and must be free, for the Doctrine and Covenants warns that… “no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.” (D&C 134:2)
Communism is a jealous form of government.
Unlike Zionism, Communism wishes to take properties that are desirable in consecration and pervert them and exploit them. Communism cares little about the character of her citizens but would rather use fear and coercion to inspire action. The citizens of Communism are not free; walls are built to keep them in. Her workers are threatened at gunpoint. Religion is outlawed. Communist leaders do not contribute to the good of the society, but rather exploit the workers and rule with an iron fist. The people under communist rule are not prepared with the attributes necessary to create the ideal society, nor are they motivated to become such a people. Since few are prepared for collectivism, the productive part of society supports the unproductive part of society.
The communist leader wishes to reap the rewards of collectivism without giving the people liberty and the free exercise of conscience. The people are not inspired to serve the cause of their country. Tyranny depresses the human spirit and can create dissensions and insurgency. Large portions of the GDP are dedicated to the enforcement of her laws and the maintenance of order. Few inventions or innovations come out of communist societies and the Tyrants lust over the wealth of their free neighbors.
The beekeeper who does not let his bees fly freely will soon find that he gets no honey.
Capitalism is the most equitable system of government in a mixed society.
“If men were angels, no government would be necessary” said James Madison. To this statement I would agree, except to say that there is a system of government in heaven. Jesus refers to this fact when he says “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”. But I agree with Mr. Madison’s sentiment; that governments are necessary to rule when we have a mixed society. By mixed, I mean that we have a mixture of people with differing degrees of morality and differing degrees of productivity. At present in the world, and in America, some are productive while others are unproductive. Some are lawful while others are unlawful. Some are generous while others are thieves.
So to borrow again from James Madison, let me declare another statement: If all men were Saints, Consecrationism would be possible.
But, sadly, all men are not Saints. And although, it is much less efficient that a Zion society, Capitalism is the most equitable and produces the best results in a group of people as diverse as we currently are.
In a Capitalist society, you get what you work for. You can ascend to great heights or descend to great depths. Every man or woman earns the wages of the life they lead. While luck and timing play some part, most people are paid in proportion to the contributions they have made to society.
But Capitalism has waste. As much as 8% of the U.S. GDP is dedicated to the financial sector. Almost a tenth of our wealth, as a country, is used to keep money working and flowing. Individually, we each spend countless hours in paying bills, investing, banking, and paying taxes. We argue, dicker, and spend great amounts of resources in protecting our hard-earned money. I own a small business, and about a third of my resources go into making sure I am billing and collecting.
The collection of taxes is another place where waste is prevalent. Instead of the government only doing that what it is commissioned to do, by necessity, a lot of time and resources are spent in collecting taxes.
Wasted time, greed, and corruption are the side-effects of this form of government. We pay a price to have this form of government.
Another article could be written about the costs of an immoral society, but to mention a few: prisons, police, and social workers all become necessary in a society where many lack morals.
But the most redeeming feature of Capitalism is one that is shared by Zionism: her people are free! A free people have a tendency to create more, produce more, and invent more than an oppressed people. When the unproductive segment of society feels the consequences of not being productive, they more often join the ranks of the productive.
Capitalism is not the ultimate form of government, but the best form in a mixed society.
Zionism is the greatest form of government, but who can be trusted to be at the head of such power?
If the wrong leader were at the head of Zionism, the system could easily be exploited and look like Communism. There must be one who is worthy to be at the head of such an ideal organization. The leader of this form of government must be benevolent and be committed to the freedom of her citizens. The leader must be incorruptible and pure.
Such a leader does exist:
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
Like the queen that has given life to all members of the hive, the one worthy to rule in this form of government is He who has given his life for all of us. By doing so, He has given each of us life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, we are gathering together the Saints to build Zion, the New Jerusalem, in preparation for the return of the Savior.
We believe the church to be the woman spoken of in the Book of Revelations (Rev 12) that is great with child (pregnant). The child or “man child” spoken of is the political kingdom of God; the same kingdom that Christ will come to rule and reign. When at last, Jesus’ prayer that the father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven will be answered.
Until He, whose right it is to reign, comes, we must support Freedom and the Constitution and oppose Communism or Socialism (Communism-lite).
Let there be no confusion. Zionism or Consecrationism look a lot different from Communism and Socialism. Christ would make us free, Communism would do the opposite. Capitalism and Democracy are inferior to the form of government that will be upon the shoulder of Christ, but will offer the best hope of freedom and happiness until we are prepared to receive a more excellent form of government.
Until that day, the Constitution must be supported:
And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood.” (D&C 101:77–80.)
No constitution on earth has endured longer than this one. We seek, and usually find, the answers to today’s questions in this document of yesterday. It was and is a miracle. Both Washington and Madison referred to it as such. It is an inspired document written under the guidance of the Lord. James Madison, commonly called the father of the Constitution, recognized this inspiration and gave the credit to “the guardianship and guidance of the Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously dispensed to this rising republic.” (Petersen, Prologue, p. 95.)
We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to ensure a nation where liberty could abound and where his gospel could flourish. Joseph Smith said, “The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard—it is founded in the wisdom of God—it is a heavenly banner.”
-Elder Tanner, Ensign ,1976, May (If They Will But Serve the God of the Land)
