This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 51-57, which includes principles of consecration and stewardship.
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Doctrine and Covenants 51
“‘Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh’ (Matthew 24:44; see also Doctrine and Covenants 51:20).
“What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would meet the Lord tomorrow — through our premature death or through His unexpected coming — what would we do today? What confessions would we make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear?
“If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2004 general conference, “Preparation for the Second Coming”
“‘And whoso is found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward shall enter into the joy of his Lord, and shall inherit eternal life’ (Doctrine and Covenants 51:19). The part of this promise ‘shall enter into the joy of his Lord’ is even given to us for this life while we are here on earth. And if we are faithful and just and a wise steward now, we ‘shall enter into the joy of [our] Lord’ and Savior now and prepare ourselves for eternal life. Now, brethren, we determine where we will be when we leave this mortal life, because when the hour of redemption has come, the hour of preparation has passed.”
— The late Elder Jacob de Jager, then a General Authority Seventy, April 1976 general conference, “Shout It from the Rooftops”
Doctrine and Covenants 52
“In June of 1831, as calls were being extended to early Church leaders, Joseph Smith was told that ‘Satan is abroad in the land, and he goeth forth deceiving the nations.’ To combat this distracting influence, the Lord said that He would give us ‘a pattern in all things, that [we] may not be deceived’ (Doctrine and Covenants 52:14).
“Patterns are templates, guides, repeating steps or paths one follows to stay aligned with God’s purpose. If followed, they will keep us humble, awake and able to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit from those voices that distract us and lead us away. The Lord then instructs us, ‘He that trembleth under my power shall be made strong, and shall bring forth fruits of praise and wisdom, according to the revelations and truths which I have given you’ (Doctrine and Covenants 52:17).”
— The late Elder Paul E. Koelliker, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2012 general conference, “He Truly Loves Us”
“We live in a day when many people are faced with calamities and are in need of help due to the devastating effects of earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and other natural disasters. The Church is reaching out to these people through humanitarian aid. Church members faithfully give generous fast offerings each month and perform service in a spirit of love. They literally offer helping hands in the Lord’s way. They follow the commandment of the Lord to ‘remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple’ (Doctrine and Covenants 52:40).”
— The late Elder Koichi Aoyagi, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2010 general conference, “Helping Hands, Saving Hands”
“Heavenly Father tells us in the Doctrine and Covenants, ‘I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived’ (Doctrine and Covenants 52:14). To avoid deception, we should watch for patterns of righteousness in our lives. I would like to mention three: prayer, scripture study and service to others.
“When we have learned the importance of prayer, the habit of daily prayer can be reproduced in the lives of others by teaching and good example. …
“Scripture study helps us increase our understanding of the pattern of righteousness. …
“Giving loving service is another beautiful pattern of righteousness often learned in our homes. The scriptures teach of the importance of service, and leaders testify of its importance.”
— The late Sister Janette C. Hales, then the second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, April 1991 general conference, “A Pattern of Righteousness”
“One dollar given for a welfare assessment or a fast offering, one day of volunteer service, a visit (even without the loaf of bread), multiplied by a million and one-half members, can relieve much suffering.
“Thus, though frontiers of welfare needs stretch before us different in scope from those of 1842, but similar too, the challenge for Relief Society today remains as then: to search out the poor, to minister to their wants, to prevent problems by learning, teaching and practicing the principles of welfare. The Lord spoke plainly when he told Joseph Smith:
“‘And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple’ (Doctrine and Covenants 52:40).”
— The late Sister Marian R. Boyer, then the first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, October 1981 general conference, “Relief Society in Welfare”
“The importance of caring for the poor and the needy is dramatically emphasized in the revelation received by the Prophet in Kirtland, June 7, 1831, in which the Lord paired off the brethren He was sending to Missouri. These brethren, all but destitute, were to make their way as best they could across four states. The Prophet himself walked almost the whole distance from St. Louis to Independence, a distance of about 300 miles. Nevertheless, and not withstanding the fact that they were facing these hardships, the Lord thus concluded His instructions to them:
“‘And remember in all things the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted, for he that doeth not these things, the same is not my disciple’ (Doctrine and Covenants 52:40).
“Since these brethren, in their extremity, could not qualify as His disciples without remembering ‘the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted,’ what will be our plight, brethren, if in our affluence we fail to remember them?”
— The late President Marion G. Romney, then the second counselor in the First Presidency, October 1972 general conference, “Caring for the Poor and Needy”
Doctrine and Covenants 53
“What is the meaning of these scriptural cautions and commandments not to be ‘of the world’ or the modern commandment to ‘forsake the world’ (Doctrine and Covenants 53:2)? President Thomas S. Monson summarized these teachings: ‘We must be vigilant in a world which has moved so far from that which is spiritual. It is essential that we reject anything that does not conform to our standards, refusing in the process to surrender that which we desire most: eternal life in the kingdom of God’ (October 2011 general conference, ‘Stand in Holy Places‘).”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2017 general conference, “The Plan and the Proclamation”
Doctrine and Covenants 54
“Some seem to value God’s love because of their hope that His love is so great and so unconditional that it will mercifully excuse them from obeying His laws. In contrast, those who understand God’s plan for His children know that God’s laws are invariable, which is another great evidence of His love for His children. Mercy cannot rob justice, and those who obtain mercy are ‘they who have kept the covenant and observed the commandment’ (Doctrine and Covenants 54:6).”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2009 general conference, “Love and Law”
“The faithful member of the Church learns that in times of economic stress the Lord helps those who have sought him early (see Doctrine and Covenants 54:10). But those members who haven’t begun early in their religious life may resolve to seek the Lord more diligently. We learn to recognize the Lord’s hand in helping us. In hard times we have a chance to reevaluate and reorder our priorities in life. We learn what is most important to us. The way is open to strengthen faith and testimony.”
— The late President James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1982 general conference, “The Blessings We Receive As We Meet the Challenges of Economic Stress”
Doctrine and Covenants 56
“So many in the game of life get to first base, or second, or even third, but then fail to score. They are inclined to live unto themselves, denying their generous instincts, grasping for possessions and in their self-centered, uninspired living, sharing neither talent nor faith with others. Of them the Lord has said: ‘And this shall be your lamentation in the day of visitation, and of judgment, and of indignation: The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!’ (Doctrine and Covenants 56:16).”
— The late President Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, April 1979 general conference, “And Peter Went Out and Wept Bitterly”
“The Lord’s way is designed to help each of us prepare for our own needs and also to care for those in need in such a way as to preserve or restore their independence, industry and self-respect. It decries those who are wantonly idle, ‘whose hearts are not broken, whose spirits are not contrite, and whose bellies are not satisfied, and whose hands are not stayed from laying hold upon other men’s goods, whose eyes are full of greediness, and who will not labor with [their] own hands!’ (Doctrine and Covenants 56:17). It rejoices, however, in seeking out and ministering to the blessed poor, ‘who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite’ (Doctrine and Covenants 56:18).”
— The late Elder Victor L. Brown, then the presiding bishop, April 1976 general conference, “The Church and the Family in Welfare Services”
Doctrine and Covenants 57
“In this last dispensation, the Lord has taught the importance of complete dedication to His service and strict obedience to His commandments as emphatically as He did during His earthly ministry. For example, in 1831, the first year after the Church was organized, the Lord revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was visiting the Saints then assembled in Jackson County, Missouri, that they were in ‘the land of promise … the place for the city of Zion’ (Doctrine and Covenants 57:2). This good news heightened the enthusiasm of the Saints, who were already eagerly anticipating the blessings of Zion as it would be in its glory.
“At this juncture, to calm them down a little and impress upon them the fact that the establishment of Zion would depend upon their obedience to His law, the Lord said to them:
“‘Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning this land unto which I have sent you.
“‘For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.
“‘For after much tribulation come the blessings. …
“‘Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart’ (Doctrine and Covenants 58:1–2, 4–5).
“The Lord was reminding the Saints there that there was some tribulation ahead before they could enjoy the promised blessings of Zion as it will be in its glory.”
— The late President Marion G. Romney, then the second counselor in the First Presidency, October 1978 general conference, “A Disciple of Christ”
