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Consecration

“Consecration,” Topics and Questions (2023)

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Gospel Study Guide

Consecration

To dedicate something for a holy purpose

Have you ever cared about someone so much that you would do anything for them? Dedicating yourself to that person takes time and perseverance, but it also deepens your relationship with each other.

This type of voluntary dedication reminds us of what it means to consecrate ourselves to the Lord. Through consecration, we dedicate ourselves to God because we love Him. And as we do so, we strengthen our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

What Is Consecration?

Consecration is setting something apart as holy for the Lord’s work. Latter-day Saints voluntarily dedicate their time, talents, and means to establishing the kingdom of God. As Elder David A. Bednar taught, consecration “is motivated by charity and produces an increased desire to serve.” In the temple, Church members covenant to live the law of consecration. The highest form of consecration is giving all we are and all we can become to building the kingdom of God.

Topic overview: Consecration

Related gospel study guides: Covenants and Ordinances, Sacrifice, Endowment and Sealing Ordinances, Caring for Those in Need

Section 1

Through Consecration the Lord Helps Us Become Holy Like He Is

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When we consecrate something to God, we dedicate it for the building up of the Lord’s kingdom. As we consecrate something to God out of our love for Him, it becomes holy.

While we can consecrate our time, talents, and means to the Lord, the “ultimate consecration is the yielding up of oneself to God.” In this sense, consecration is not really an event or a ritual of giving something up—it is a process that helps us come to know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. As we follow Jesus Christ’s example of living a consecrated life, we can become holy as He is.

Things to think about

  • It takes time and effort to consecrate ourselves to God. Consider reading Doctrine and Covenants 4:2 and pondering what it means to serve God with “all your heart, might, mind and strength.” How can you get a little bit closer to consecrating your “all” to the Lord? Could you consecrate something to Him that would help you know Him better? Act on any impressions you receive.

  • The Lord can also bless us by consecrating, or making holy, our trials. In the Book of Mormon, Lehi told his son Jacob that the Lord “shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” Read his words in 2 Nephi 2:1–2. How has the Lord consecrated your challenges to be for your good? How has He helped you use those experiences to bless the lives of others? Record any thoughts you have about how your trials have made you holier and brought you closer to Christ.

Activities for learning with others

  • In a 2017 worldwide devotional address titled “Prophets, Leadership, and Divine Law,” President Russell M. Nelson invited young adults to consecrate some of their time to studying about Jesus Christ. He said: “If you proceed to learn all you can about Jesus Christ, I promise you that your love for Him, and for God’s laws, will grow beyond what you currently imagine. I promise you also that your ability to turn away from sin will increase. Your desire to keep the commandments will soar. You will find yourself better able to walk away from the entertainment and entanglements of those who mock the followers of Jesus Christ.” Review President Nelson’s talk together and then listen to or sing the hymn “Take Time to Be Holy.” How can consecrating your time to studying about Jesus Christ help make you holy? Maybe you could share ideas with each other about how to better dedicate your time to learning about Him. Act on any impressions you receive.

  • Consecrating something to God for His use may sound difficult, but a consecrated life is actually built through the simple choices we make each day. In the April 2015 general conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “With patience and persistence, even the smallest act of discipleship or the tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life. In fact, that’s how most bonfires begin—as a simple spark.” Watch this video that shows how a bonfire is started. Or, if you’re in a place where it would be safe to do so, start a campfire together. Discuss the seemingly small, everyday things you could consecrate to the Lord to help you become more holy like He is.

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Section 2

In Temples, Latter-day Saints Covenant to Obey the Law of Consecration

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In the house of the Lord, Latter-day Saints covenant to live the law of consecration. By living the law of consecration, members help care for the physical and spiritual needs of others and further the work of the Lord on the earth. Keeping the covenant to live the law of consecration can bring many blessings, including “greater access to the power of God and to lasting love, peace, comfort, and joy.”

Things to think about

  • The law of consecration is eternal. It was lived anciently at different times by God’s followers and was restored in the latter days. You could read about consecration in Acts 4:32; 4 Nephi 1:1–3; and Moses 7:18. What do you think it means to have “all things common” and to be of “one heart and one mind” with others? How can you follow these ideals as you strive to live the law of consecration? Write down and then act on any impressions you receive.

Activities for learning with others

  • One way we can live the law of consecration is by helping others meet their temporal and spiritual needs. As a group, read Mosiah 4:26 and then sing the hymn “Have I Done Any Good?” Talk about ways you can help those in need through ministering, tithing, fast offerings, humanitarian projects, and other types of service. You could even plan an act of service as a group. You might also share with each other personal experiences that show how helping someone in need has blessed your life and brought you closer to Jesus Christ.

  • Another way we live the law of consecration is when we do our best to fulfill our Church callings and assignments. President Henry B. Eyring taught: “A call to service should be primarily a matter of the heart. It is by giving our whole hearts to the Master and keeping His commandments that we come to know Him. In time, through the power of the Atonement, our hearts are changed, and we can become like Him.” Invite group members to think of someone in their life who has served in a calling with his or her whole heart. Share with each other what you have learned from that person’s example of consecrated living and how you believe it has made a difference in others’ lives.

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