Lesson 57: Doctrine and Covenants 41–44

Doctrine and Covenants 42:29–39

Consecrated unto the Lord

the Savior’s hands

A group of Church members living on Isaac and Lucy Morley’s farm had a great desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ and take care of each other. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord revealed the law of consecration to help the Saints take care of the poor. This lesson can help students increase their desire to live the law of consecration.

Possible Learning Activities

“You are my hands”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, shared the following:

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.

Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Are My Hands,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 68)

• What stood out to you from this story?

• In what ways can we be Jesus Christ’s hands?

Invite students to write “His hands” or trace one of their hands in their journal. Invite them to ponder their own desire to be the Lord’s hands. At the end of the lesson, they will have the opportunity to record their thoughts and feelings.

The law of consecration

In early 1831, members of the Church living in New York migrated to Ohio. Many of these Saints were poor and left behind many of their possessions. In Ohio, a large group of new members lived on Isaac and Lucy Morley’s farm. They had formed a communal group that they called “the Family.” One belief they shared was that all personal possessions belonged to everyone in the group. The Lord addressed their practices when He revealed His law to Joseph Smith. Among other laws, the Lord revealed principles of the law of consecration. Learning and living these principles was one way the Saints could be the Lord’s hands.

Invite students to share what they have heard about the law of consecration or ask what questions they might have. Students could look up a definition of consecration, or you could provide this one from Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes. (D. Todd Christofferson, “Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 16)

The Lord asked the Saints in Ohio to consecrate their belongings to Him by giving them to His Church.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 42:29–38, looking for why the Lord asked them to do this.

Students might identify the following reasons: to show the Lord our love for Him (verse 29), to care for the poor (verses 30–31, 34), to buy land where the Saints could gather when the Savior returns (verses 35–36), and to build meetinghouses and temples (verse 35). It may be helpful to explain that the New Jerusalem mentioned in verse 35 refers to “the place where the Saints will gather and Christ will personally reign with them during the Millennium” (Guide to the Scriptures, “New Jerusalem,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

• Why do you think the Lord invited the Saints to remember and care for the poor?

• What truths can we learn from these verses?

  In addition to the truths students identify, help them see that we serve the Savior by serving the poor and that the Lord asks us to consecrate what we have to Him to care for the poor and build His kingdom.

  To help students understand what they read, you might ask them to role-play what the early members of the Lord’s restored Church were asked to do. Organize students into groups of different sizes, like families. Distribute small objects, like candy or coins, among the groups, but do not distribute the objects equally. Give some groups more than other groups. You could even distribute the objects so that some groups get none. Invite students to demonstrate what should happen based on the Lord’s instructions in Doctrine and Covenants 42:29–35. Help students imagine the needs of the “families” and how to meet those needs. Consider providing a few possible circumstances their family is experiencing and how that might determine their needs. If helpful, a bowl could be used as the Lord’s storehouse. Also, one or two students could play the part of the council described in verses 31 and 34, whom the Lord called to make sure everyone received what they needed.

  As students share their answers to the following questions, look for ways to help them understand that the principles of consecration are the same for all of God’s covenant children in all dispensations. However, the specific ways God instructs His people to practice the law of consecration may differ.

• In what ways does the Lord ask us to consecrate what we have today?

• What are some examples of using your time, your talents, and blessings from God to help others?

• What are some ways we can care for the needs of the poor?

  For modern-day examples of members of the Church consecrating their time, talents, and money, you could show one or more of the following videos: “Fast Offerings: A Simple Commandment with a Marvelous Promise” (3:01); “Syrian Refugee—‘The Moment I Was Shot I Knew I Would Never Walk Again’” (2:39); “A Thousand Days” (4:32).

• What do you know about Jesus Christ that could motivate you to consecrate your time, talents, and means to Him?

• Why do you think the Savior wants us to serve Him by serving people in need? (For additional insights, you could look up one or more of these scripture passages: Jacob 2:17–19; Mosiah 4:21–25; Doctrine and Covenants 38:24–27; 104:14–17.)

• How do you think helping others in need helps us become more Christlike?

It may be helpful to inform students that in the temple endowment, members covenant to keep the law of consecration by dedicating “their time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed them to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 27.2, ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

If students drew an outline of their hand in their study journal, you could ask them to fill it during the following activity.

Take a moment to evaluate your desire to be the Lord’s hands. Pondering and writing in a journal is one way you could try to hear the Savior’s voice and what He is inviting you to do. You could reflect on and write about one or more of the following:

Consider displaying the following prompts for students to reflect on and write about.

• Words that describe your feelings about living the law of consecration

• Ways you would like to share what the Lord has given you to help others

• Any concerns you have about living the law of consecration and how you can turn to the Lord to overcome them

You might ask students to share their thoughts with the class and at home with their families. You might also share your own thoughts and testimony.

Additional Resources

What is the Lord’s way of caring for the poor and others in need?

Elder Dean M. Davies (1951–2021) of the Seventy taught:

Elder Dean M. Davies

Caring for the poor and needy is inherent in the ministry of the Savior. It is in everything He does. He reaches out to all and lifts us. … I invite each of us to become more like the Savior by caring for the poor and needy. (Dean M. Davies, “The Law of the Fast: A Personal Responsibility to Care for the Poor and Needy,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 55)

President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency explained:

President Henry B. Eyring

Because the Lord hears their cries and feels your deep compassion for [those in need], He has from the beginning of time provided ways for His disciples to help. He has invited His children to consecrate their time, their means, and themselves to join with Him in serving others. (Henry B. Eyring, “Opportunities to Do Good,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2011, 22)

Sister Sharon Eubank, who served in the Relief Society General Presidency, listed some examples of how the Church seeks to serve the poor and others in need today.

Sister Sharon Eubank

The Church responds to this charge [to serve] in a wide variety of ways, including:

• The ministering we do through Relief Society, priesthood quorums, and classes

• Fasting and the use of fast offerings

• Welfare farms and canneries

• Welcome centers for immigrants

• Outreach for those in prison

• Church humanitarian effort

• The JustServe app, where it’s available, that matches volunteers with service opportunities

These are all ways, organized through the priesthood, where small efforts collectively make a big impact, magnifying the many individual things we do as disciples of Jesus Christ. (Sharon Eubank, “I Pray He’ll Use Us,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 54)

How much help is the Church able to provide to those in need?

President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explained:

President Dallin H. Oaks

Our 2021 expenditures for those in need in 188 countries worldwide totaled $906 million—almost a billion dollars. In addition, our members volunteered over 6 million hours of labor in the same cause.

Those figures are, of course, an incomplete report of our giving and helping. They do not include the personal services our members give individually as they minister to one another in called positions and voluntary member-to-member service. And our 2021 report makes no mention of what our members do individually through innumerable charitable organizations not formally connected with our Church. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Helping the Poor and Distressed,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 6)

President Russell M. Nelson described what the Church is doing to help people in need around the world in his address “The Second Great Commandment” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2019, 96–100).

The following video is another helpful resource:

What is the Lord’s storehouse?

To learn about the Lord’s storehouse, see “Storehouse” in the Guide to the Scriptures (scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). You could also watch videos in the Media Library that show examples of how the Lord’s storehouse is used.

How can I learn about fasting and fast offerings?

For information, see the Topics and Questions article “Fasting and Fast Offerings” (topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org).

Supplemental Learning Activities

Law of consecration object lesson

Before class begins, use tape or a marker to make a line on six clear drinking glasses. Mark the line at a different height on each glass. Bring the glasses to class. Also bring a pitcher with more than enough water in it to fill all the glasses to the lines marked on them. (You may want to put coloring in the water so students will be able to see it easily.) Display the pitcher. Tell students that the water represents all the wealth and resources of a community.

Invite six students to come to the front of the room. Give each of them an empty glass. Pour water from the pitcher into the glasses. Fill one glass to the line you made on it, fill three glasses above the lines you made, and fill two below the lines you made. Explain that each glass represents a family and that the line on each glass represents the needs and righteous desires of that family. The glasses with water below the line represent families that do not have enough money or goods to support their needs.

Help students understand the Lord’s instruction in Doctrine and Covenants 42:32 by asking the six students to pour the water from their glasses into the pitcher. This represents Church members consecrating their properties to the Church.

Help students understand the role of the bishop by reading Doctrine and Covenants 51:3. Then pour water from the pitcher, filling each glass to its line.

Show students the water remaining in the pitcher. Help students understand the Lord’s instructions on what to do with the consecrated property that was left over. Students could read Doctrine and Covenants 42:33–36 and point out words or phrases that help them see what the Lord does with the extra resources.

Ways to serve God and others

It might be helpful for students to see examples of ways they can serve God and others. Students could choose which of the following videos they want to watch. They could make a list of ways to serve and seek inspiration on how to begin serving in their own lives.

King Benjamin teaches his people to serve

Consider showing the video “King Benjamin Teaches about Serving God” from time code 1:30 to 3:09. In this video, King Benjamin offers great reasons to work and serve others throughout our lives.