It has been way too long since I have made a post. Finals are not exactly the most relieving events in a persons life. But I do have a special treat. That is, if you believe it to be so. Recently in my "History of Economic Thought" course, I wrote a paper on the Law of Consecration for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. It may not have much to do with finances per say, but it is quite interesting. I am posting it, with the intent that you read, or merely skim through it. It is 12 pages long, but I thought that it flowed quite nicely. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS! I love them!
Be Patient:
The Law of Consecration: The faithful who followed
Kurtis Drew Whiteley
Introduction-
The Law of Consecration, the United Order and the Order of Enoch. These titles are among those associated with communism or socialism. Many critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe that this, often times controlling and sadistic economic theory, benefited the few, and created loss for the remainder. The Mormon Church, as referred to by many due to its religious scripture, The Book of Mormon, introduced the Law of Consecration according to revelation received by the founder and Prophet, Joseph Smith. This is the history and track record associated with this theory amongst these latter saint members.
Church Beginnings-
The Church was founded by Joseph Smith, a young boy searching for the truth. During his time, 1920, in a small New York village, there were various religious revivals occurring. This confusion led his mind to pondering. After much thought and scripture study, he came upon a scripture in James, (Apostle) which promised all with pure intent, the ability to knowledge unfeigned from God.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that given to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5 King James Bible
Joseph Smith, being a young boy of 14, left for the woods to procure the truth. His mission was to know which of the many religious sects he was to join. Many proclaimed the fullness of the Gospel, but each believed different parts and pieces. While he was praying, God the Father and Jesus Christ visited him in vision, and proclaimed that a restoration of all things would begin. Amongst the many restorations, Joseph Smith was proclaimed the latter day prophet, and the church was organized and founded on April 6, 1830. The full and official name of the church was then announced as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Though this was the full name of the church, many referred to the members as Mormons, due in fact, to their holy writ of scripture called the “Book of Mormon”. This book, is described as an ancient record of the early natives of the Americas. Amongst these natives, prophets proclaimed the coming of Christ, his redeeming power and eventual visitation to the Americas.
The Book of Mormon was revealed unto the Prophet as golden plates, written in a foreign and untranslatable language. Through the divine power of God, Joseph Smith translated and published the records later called the Book of Mormon, Mormon being one of the many prophets, yet not the most important, in the record.
Amongst the many teachings of the church, missionary work was one of the most vital works performed. New members, after baptized, often were called to leave their families, land and profession for certain periods of time to proclaim the restoration of God’s Kingdom on the earth. Through this extraordinary work, hundreds of people came to believe the words of this modern prophet by asking God for themselves whether these things were true. With an answer directly from the Lord, each of these new members came with an overwhelming faith that the Kingdom of God was to be established and directed by Joseph Smith.
The Founding of Zion-
To say that the LDS church, once established was purely devoted to the spiritual development of each individual member is lacking. Each member was thought of as a spiritual and temporal need to the church. The church would later have to address, and help both of these needs of the members whether a widow crossing the plains with her children, or the sinner and their repentance process. Both are placed as top priority in the church’s eyes.
Once the church found themselves with hundreds of members, they understood that to gather these saints in one area would be a tremendous task. Where would they go? How would they sustain them? These were issues addressed to Joseph Smith in the beginning. In January of 1831, the church transferred their headquarters to Kirkland, Ohio. Those who were then members, were advised of the transfer, and asked to gather.
This transfer, was understood to be a temporary home, until a later, more permanent, settlement was provided. This permanent place was then later declared to be Jackson County Missouri. This gathering place was referred to as Zion.
No later than a year, hundreds of converts assembled in this land. A community was formed, wherein a general store and printing press were established. Along with these stores, much of the land was planted and cultivated by the members.
The establishment of Zion could be thought of as the “perfect city”. The coordinated efforts of all members is astonishing. Each plot was to be one mile square, whereby each block was ten acres. Each of these blocks contained within them 20 plots of land. Only one house was permitted on each plot of land. Each house also was not permitted to be within 25 feet of the street. In the middle of the community, they set aside land especially designated for the building of the bishop’s storehouse (later described and explained), churches, temples and schools.
The inner city was considered the residential area, while outside of this was designated farm land. This process was repeated over and over when each area was filled.
One of the many problems the church had with the gathering follows. The church was established in this area on public land that could be purchased for $1.25 an acre. Though s reasonable price to the modern man, this was a higher price for the travelling converts to the church. Many of these converts had given up their previous livelihood for Zion, and arrived in Jackson County with nothing more than the shirts on their backs.
A plan was formulated by church leaders. In order that each family was provided for in a temporal sense, a new “law” was instated in February of 1831. This law is known by various titles, most notably the “Law of Consecration”. In the Great Basin Kingdom it states, “…this supposedly divine system was intended to produce economic equality and assure socialization of surplus incomes.”
Along with the establishment of Zion, persecution pursued. The ideas associated with the Law of Consecration provoked anger amongst non-member community members, politicians and others. The church was then pushed onward into other lands, primarily Nauvoo, where once more they established a city, built a temple, Joseph Smith their founder and prophet was murdered and were pushed out of the land, abandoning their possessions.
With these persecutions, many of the saints began to lose hope that Zion was ever to be fully built. Brigham Young, the eldest apostle of the church, was appointed as leader and prophet of the church, and began the long and treacherous journey westward.
The idea behind this journey was to find a suitable place to found a city unto their people. This idea of colonization is very American. Americans in the East dreamed of better tomorrows on the frontier with the freedom of land and opportunity. This was the same dream of the LDS church, but mainly the establishment, away from persecution, where they could practice their beliefs unchallenged by those around them.
The journey west was a treacherous one, where many gave up their lives for the betterment of the people as a whole. Suddenly and miraculously, they stumbled upon a humble and rather arid land. As far as the eye could see was nothing more than dry desert and sagebrush. But believing in the newly called prophet, Brigham Young, the members laid down their roots.
The land was later to be called Utah, the town was Salt Lake City, named primarily after the large inland salty lake that lay in the valley below. Using many of the first techniques, the people turned this dry and aid place into a bountiful region. Farms were developed, the land was cultivated and the people flourished.
Though, I have described a brief history of the saints, it is easy to comprehend the Saints objective. They believed in religious freedom, the building up of Zion and along with it, economic self-sufficiency through the law of consecration.
The Law-
The most basic belief among the members of the Church is that God created all things. (Gen. 1:1). Under this understanding, it is easy to believe that all things on earth are given unto man for their growth and sustenance on this Earth. Understanding that everything was given unto man, coincides with no private ownership of materials unto any inhabitants of the Earth.
This idea that no man owns anything that he possesses is a key root of this law. Without this knowledge, any person would and will find faults with this manifest. This law is rooted by the faith of those involved, and the belief that the needs of one’s self are no greater than the needs of another. Selflessness and charity are essential to the community of followers. Without such selflessness, jealousy and creed would crush and annihilate the process.
Under this law, members of the church were asked to consecrate all of their property to the Presiding Bishop of the church. After this donation of sorts, the bishop would than supply those members with an inheritance of the material consecrated. Each family’s needs were noted, and such provisions were allotted to them. This allotment given could be anything from farms, workshops or stores. Also, these could be appointments unto offices in the community that were needed such as doctors or teachers.
Unfortunately, the drawbacks associated with this law were large. Many of the members might have found themselves with more than needed according to the churches standards. Maybe some members arrived quite comfortable asset wise. In such an occurrence, the consecrated goods often exceeded the allotment received.
Other situations, involving the poor, would have the exact opposite affect whereby the consecration was small in comparison with the allotment. The ability for bishop to perform large allotments then consecrated by individual was only possible through the larger consecration of the wealthier.
The revelation below demonstrates this principle:
“And let that which belongs to this people be appointed unto this people. And the money which is left unto this people-let there be an agent appointed unto this people, to take the money to provide food and raiment, according to the wants of this people. And let every man deal honestly, and be alike among this people, and receive alike, that ye may be one, even as I have commanded you…And this shall be done through the bishop or the agent, which shall be appointed by the voice of the church. And again, let the bishop appoint a storehouse unto this church; and let all things both in money and in meat, which are more than is needful for the wants of this people, be kept in the hands of the bishop.” D&C 51:7-9, 12-13
As explained in the quote above, along with this first consecration upon arrival, church members were to bring to the storehouse any surplus their received at the end of the year. With this surplus, the bishop would redistribute the wealth among the poorer members of society. These less fortunate members were those who might be ill, or arrived too late in the year to begin the planting.
Also, these surpluses were used to purchase land for the church, or to construct temples and church houses.
According to this revelation it is clear that by the means of the whole, all shall be one, equal in wealth. This idea that none shall prevail over the other, presents complications. Along with this idea, the church believed in being self-sustaining. This meaning, all needs of each member of the community must be met only through the production and output of that specific society.
Often times, the church met much scrutiny on the matter of consecration, with good reason. When the church was established in Jackson County, the idea of self-sufficiency amongst non-members in the area caused much turmoil. As stated in the Great Basin Kingdom,
“The goal of colonization, of the settle village, and of resource development was complete regional economic independence. The Latter-day Saint commonwealth was to be financially and economically self-sufficient.” (Arrington, 1958)
Self-sufficiency for these members, though understood by many modern economists to be less sufficient, was thought to be the most effective way of establishing a colony along the journey westward. The belief amongst members revealed that God created each region with the goods and provisions necessary to provide for his people.
Though this idea of consecration of ones goods seems strange and lacks the incentives necessary to direct people’s desires toward the common good of all, it provided the ability of the members to provide one for another humbly.
Conflicts-
Though a member of the church, analysis of these ideals sends flashing red lights. I find myself believing in the more hands off methodology in economic theory. I believe that efficiency in a system comes through incentives. Incentives along with private property laws, drive an individual to compete with their competitors for the lowest price, thereby providing the consumer individuals with the lowest price.
In the law of consecration, it lacks only one part in my opinion. The other part I will discussion in the latter section. Private property, as I argued above, provides each individual with incentive to produce to the best of their ability. For example, a rich man who holds 100 acres of potato property must consecrate half of his land to the church for a new convert just arriving. This rich man has years of experience in the potato growing industry, but now can only grow 50 acres of potatoes to provide for the community. The new convert, on the other hand has never run a farm in his life. The inefficiencies in this make for less production in the society, and consequently higher prices for the individuals.
Along with the lack of private property, comes the idea of consecrating one’s surplus to the church at the end of every year. If I were a farmer during this period, I would have no incentive to produce anything over what was needed every year. For at the end of the year, that surplus would have gone in vain. No profit would be received for the consecrated surplus at the end of the year. More inefficiencies are inevitable.
Conclusion-
As a member of the church, I have a greater understanding of the underlying responsiveness to this economic theory. Though, no longer practiced, the law of tithing is in its place.
“Heavenly Father will help us provide for our daily needs of food, clothes, and shelter. Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people “will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads.” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2009)
This law, though difficult at times, is mainly focused on the faith of an individual and their ability to follow God. Sacrifice is proceeded by blessings. Without sacrifice, no blessing can be unleashed from heaven. We believe that every blessing received from the Lord God, is directly connected to the obedience of God’s commandments.
With this understanding, it is easy to see that members of the church, who trust and have faith unto these laws, will be under the belief that the blessings of heaven both emotional and physical will be bestowed upon them for their obedience.
The law of consecration worked because all believed in it. The coordinated efforts of church members for the betterment of the whole church provided for the efficiency to occur.
Though not a scholarly argument, I would like to add that the spiritual nature of this law is potent. This law was determined as directly revealed unto a prophet of God. Believing that God is the keeper of all things on this Earth leaves the believer content. If God is the creator and knows all things, then no doubt about efficiency should occur among the followers.
God would never place a person at the head of a farm that could not perform the duties at hand. Though the common man would believe that not all things are possible, the Lord provides opportunities to those whom he knows will be able to perform them. He never commands the impossible. Therefore, all that is commanded is possible and for the better of that man or people.
Would this theory of faith hold up as an argument in the court of law? Of course not, but my argument is not fully understood or believed by those in the higher courts. This is where I stand. Faith is the driving force of all things in the church. Without such faith, none of this would prevail, but with it, come empowerment and divine blessings.
Works Cited:
Apostle, J. t. (n.d.). Bible. In James, The Epistle of James. King James.
Arrington, L. J. (1958). Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of Latter Day Saints 1830-1900. Salt Lake City, UT: University of Utah.
Joseph Smith. (n.d.). Doctrine & Covenants. In J. Smith, Section 51. The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (1996). Our Legacy. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (2004). True to the Faith. Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (2009). Gospel Principles (p. 188). Salt Lake City, UT: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
