This last week my Doctrine and Covenants class was in D&C 124, a wonderful--albeit very long--revelation that includes some important instructions regarding the construction of the Nauvoo Temple. The Lord instructs the Saints to send "swift messengers, yea chosen messengers" to the scattered Saints, "and say unto them: Come ye, with all your gold and your silver, and your precious stones, and with all your antiquities; and with all who have knowledge of antiquities, that will come, may come, and bring the box tree, and the fir tree, and the pine tree, together with all the precious trees of the earth; and with iron, with copper, and with brass, and with zinc, and with all your precious things of the earth; and build a house to my name for the Most High to dwell therein" (D&C 124:26-27). In other words, the Lord wanted all of the Saints to come and contribute what they had to the construction of that important edifice. The Saints were asked not only to bring their means, but also their labor and skills to help build the Lord's house. Hence, when they walked into the temple to receive their endowments and other blessings, they would see the places where they had labored and perhaps even the items that they had consecrated to the kingdom to furbish the Temple.
As I was teaching these verses, it hit me that we don't really do this the same way anymore. Wisely, the Lord has not asked me to donate my construction "skills." When I donate to the Temple fund, I don't know which of the many temples my meagre contributions are going towards. Other than a small patch of grass on the south side of the Mount Timpanogos Temple that I helped to lay in 1996, my experiences don't match those of the Saints who built the Nauvoo Temple with their blood, sweat, skill, and treasure.
But yesterday as I was cleaning the chapel at 8:20 in the morning, the Lord taught me how I could be like those early saints. Admittedly I have never really enjoyed chapel cleaning. It is always early in the morning on a Saturday when I would rather be sleeping in, and so sometimes I have not contributed to that task with the kind of willingness that I ought to have manifested. As I was vacuuming carpets yesterday morning, though, my mind went back to those verses in D&C 124. In an instant, I began cleaning with a different kind of dedication. I was cleaning the Lord's house where both I and others were to worship the following day. I wanted it to look beautiful. I wanted it to look like and feel like the house of the Lord, and that meant taking the time to vacuum up those extra crumbs that were harder to get up. It was a lesson to me about consecration. Giving up a few minutes of extra sleep or study was hardly a great sacrifice, but it would allow myself and others to worship the Lord in greater reverence. I could walk into the chapel and see the areas where I had cleaned, consecrating my small offering to the Lord in holiness.
We talk about the Law of Consecration as a big thing, a grand idea that is full of excitement and possibilities. But most of the time, consecration is picking up a hammer in 1843, or picking up a vacuum in 2015. It is paying our tithing freely, and then giving of our time and efforts freely to make Zion and her houses presentable to the Lord. We build Zion by giving what we can, the best that we can, wherever and whenever we are asked. We build Zion wherever we are, and then when we see those small tokens of our devotion, we are reminded that we give of ourselves because we love God and desire to worship Him in reverence.
Brett
I remember said piece of sod at the Mt. Timpanogos Temple -- I'm pretty sure I was there too, along with Mom and a host of other folks. While the Lord doesn't ask His Saints to actually construct the temples any more, I love the idea that so many times we are given the opportunity to add our small efforts together with those of others in the construction of these great and holy edifices.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't unlike the Lord's plan for the growth of His church -- we are all called to do what we can and He will sanctify our labors to His own ends. This reminds me of the D&C sections which speak of spiritual gifts -- to some it is given one thing and to others another. Together, however, these gifts and talents help create a masterpiece, not through any real genius of our own, but through the grace and guidance of Him who is on high. Truly, "by small and simple things, great things are brought to pass."
How blessed we are to have the Lord's trust and guidance as we work to strengthen our own testimonies as we strive to build up His kingdom. It's practice for what will come in the eternities, I imagine, and I'm pretty sure I'll need all the practice I can get. :)