The practice of hiding up treasures unto the Lord

Samuel the Lamanite Prophesies of a Curse

and behold | a curse shall come upon the land |

saith the lord of hosts |

because of the peoples’ sake | who are upon the land | yea | because of their wickedness and their abominations |

and it shall come to pass |

saith the lord of hosts | yea | our great and true god |

that whoso shall hide up treasures in the earth shall find them again no more | because of the great curse of the land |

save he be a righteous man | and shall hide it up unto the lord |

for i will |

saith the lord |

that they shall hide up their treasures unto me |

and cursed be they | who hide not up their treasures unto me |

for none hideth up their treasures unto me | save it be the righteous |

and he that hideth not up his treasures unto me | cursed is he |

and also the treasure | and none shall redeem it | because of the curse of the land |

and the day shall come | that they shall hide up their treasures | because they have set their hearts upon riches |

and because they have set their hearts upon their riches | and will hide up their treasures | when they shall flee before their enemies | because they will not hide them up unto me | cursed be they and also their treasures | and in that day shall they be smitten |

saith the lord |

behold ye | the people of this great city | and hearken unto my words | yea | hearken unto the words | which the lord saith |

for behold | he saith | that ye are cursed | because of your riches | and also are your riches cursed | because ye have set your hearts upon them | and have not hearkened unto the words of him | who gave them unto you |

ye do not remember the lord | your god | in the things with which he hath blessed you | but ye do always remember your riches | not to thank the lord | your god | for them | yea | your hearts are not drawn out unto the lord | but they do swell with great pride| unto boasting | and unto great swelling | envyings | strifes | malice | persecutions | and murders | and all manner of iniquities |

for this cause hath the lord god caused | that a curse should come upon the land | and also upon your riches | and this because of your iniquities |  (Helaman 13: 17-23)

Surplus and the Law of Consecration

Under the law of consecration, after the first consecration of properties to the church, any surplus afterward obtained (called residue in the scriptures) was also to be consecrated.  In this way, the poor would be taken care of on a continual basis.

Poor and Rich Defined

The scriptural definition of “poor” is “having sufficient for one’s needs without any surplus,” whereas the scriptural definition of “rich” is “having more than is necessary for one’s needs.”  Keep this in mind.  (There is also a third class of individuals who do not even have sufficient for their needs.  These are known as the “needy”.)

Surplus, Rich and Riches

A surplus, then, makes one rich, according to the scriptures.  Riches, then, as described in the scriptures, is anything in surplus.

Result of Obedience to the Law of Consecration

When a people begin to live the law of consecration and continue to live it, they become blessed of the Lord in all things.  Initially, as the poor and needy are provided for by the consecrations of the rich, there is an evening out of the properties.  However, as time goes by, the former needy (who now have sufficient for their needs) start to generate a surplus, too, like the former rich (who are continually consecrating their riches, which are surpluses, to the poor and needy.)  All, then, start to generate surpluses.

As an entire society is converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and lives the law of consecration (such as what occurred with the Nephites when Jesus visited them), very quickly the poor and needy disappear to be replaced only by people having surpluses.  The question then must be asked, “What is to be done with these surplus properties?”  They cannot be given to the poor, as there is no more poor.

Hiding up treasures unto the Lord, a gospel law

When a people reaches this point, where they can no longer give surpluses to the poor because there are no more poor people (and this is Zion), they begin to live the law of hiding up treasures unto the Lord.  The ancient saints, then, took of their surplus wealth (precious metals, jewels, etc.) and buried them in the earth, consecrating them unto the Lord, to be used as He sees fit for a future day, a future need, a future generation, in which there would again be poor people in the earth in need of these treasures.

This was a standard practice, a law of the Lord.  Hoarding riches was contrary to the gospel.  Riches were always to go to the poor and needy.  Yet, as riches could not be given to the poor (as there were none), riches had to be donated to future people.  A hill was selected, a hole was dug, treasures were laid and a rock was placed.  The treasure was dedicated or consecrated to the Lord and then it was blotted from the mind.  It was no more thought of, whatsoever, nor any record of its location recorded.

If the Lord, in a future day, had a righteous servant or servants in need, even if it turned out to be the very servant who hid up the treasure, He could utilize that consecration for that servant, his family, household, tribe, etc.  As the Lord alone knew where it was—it could only be located through revelation and righteousness on the part of the receiver—the Lord alone would decide of its need and whether someone would be given it.  In other words, the Lord alone would serve as the bishop in charge of its dispersal.  We see by this that in time, under the law of consecration, the role of (mortal) bishops in receiving consecrations was to be phased out, to be replaced by the Immortal Bishop receiving consecrations.

For I will, saith the Lord, that they shall hide up their treasures unto me; (Helaman 13: 19)

Hiding up treasures unto the Lord was not optional; it was an actual commandment, a law of God, that when all needs were taken care of, surpluses were to be hidden up unto the Lord and forgotten about.  This was, in essence, the Lord’s banking provision. The earth itself was to serve as a bank, the Lord would be the banker, and there would be no further withdrawals on the account from the depositor.  It was a consecration, a gift, not a place to hoard one’s wealth.

For none hideth up their treasures unto me save it be the righteous; (Helaman 13: 19)

The wicked can only view this practice as absurd.  Why create wealth, riches and treasures (surpluses), only to bury them in the earth and forget about them?  In their eyes this is the absolute height of folly and no wicked person would ever participate in such a practice.  Only the righteous live this law.  It follows then, that as this was a practice that distinguished between the righteous and the wicked, under the more excellent law of Christ, righteous saints in the future will again perform this rite.

Consequences of Disobedience

Those ancients living under the law of consecration who did not hide up their treasures unto the Lord were accursed:

Cursed be they who hide not up their treasures unto me; (Helaman 13: 19)

There were two ways that this commandment could be broken.  1) A man could keep the surplus to himself (hoarding) and attempt to use it in excessive or riotous living.  2) A man could hide the treasure in the earth and make note of where it was, so that he could come back later and obtain it (using the earth as a safekeeping, a bank.)  Men who hid their treasures in this way would still be accounted as righteous by those who viewed them (as they appeared to be fulfilling the commandment of hiding treasures unto the Lord), but as their intent was selfish, they were accounted hypocrites and sinners by the Lord.

A Modern Parallel

The modern banking practice does not in the least resemble what these ancient saints did.  We open a bank account, deposit some money (often our surplus money) and expect to both receive interest and to be able to withdraw our money at any moment.  We know exactly were our money is and our chief concern is that our money grows and/or is protected from thieves and robbers.

So, as we face the prospect of losing every last penny we have by Summer of 2009, should we consider Samuel’s a double-fulfilling prophecy, first fulfilled upon the ancient inhabitants of this land and secondly to be fulfilled upon the modern inhabitants?

And he that hideth not up his treasures unto me, cursed is he, and also the treasure, and none shall redeem it because of the curse of the land. (Helaman 13: 19)

Our money is no longer redeemable in gold or silver, but at least we can still purchase goods with it.  Soon, however, we won’t be able to do even that.  Is this the reappearance of the ancient curse because we’ve been given the law of consecration and a sneak peek into the law of hiding treasures unto the Lord but have failed to do either?

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to encourage everyone to go out and seek buried Nephite treasure.  Nevertheless, that IS an option for the righteous poor who can obtain revelation from the Lord to that end.  One of the purposes of those consecrated treasures, is, after all, for the needy. Also, in case questions come up regarding the Relief Mine, although I make no claim of its authenticity, there is at least scriptural precedent in the burying of treasure for future, holy purposes.  So, the existence of such a mine is not outside of the gospel framework.

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How the Lord will clean his church: a possible scenario

Disclaimer: This is my opinion. I haven’t received inspiration, revelation or any such communication or confirmation from the Spirit concerning the following. It is just what I think will be the causes that allow the church finally to be sanctified, in preparation for the Lord’s Second Coming.

I will try to keep this post short and to the point. There are three things I believe will cause the church to be cleaned of all the hypocrites:

• The Law of Consecration
• The Practice of Plural Marriage
• The Brass Plates (and other new scriptures)

The Law of Consecration As anyone who has read my anarchy articles ought to know, I believe the Lord has intentions of bringing his church into tribal anarchy. The current food crisis (as well as other things that are fast coming) may be the catalyst in bringing us back into the practice of the law of consecration. As the church is largely plugged into the Babylonian system, relying upon it for virtually everything, the current crisis will cause Babylon, and all connected to it, to suffer tremendously. This may be the impetus for the more righteous LDS to desire again to disconnect itself from Babylon and live the law of consecration. However, our current society is largely incompatible for the law of consecration to work properly, unless the current society is completely broken up and replaced by anarchy. I believe that we may be in the stage just before all this happens, namely, that the Lord is going to use the current crisis to initiate tribal anarchy so that the law of consecration will have no impediments and his people can worship him as he intended.

Both tribal anarchy and the law of consecration will naturally clean out many church members (hypocrites, who say they will follow the Lord, but in reality will only follow him so far) because many members are addicted to both money and statism.

The Practice of Plural Marriage The raid on the FLDS has brought a lot of attention to the practice of polygamy recently, essentially vilifying it anew in the eyes of all people. As eyewitness testimony makes its way to the populace of all the horrifying conditions these people were subjected to, the general public will intensify its repugnance of the practice. This plays into the hands of Satan well, as it may be that the whole “gay marriage” push for legality, an obvious plan of the devil, may end up legalizing polygamy, something Satan doesn’t want. So, by putting polygamy in a bad spotlight now, if polygamy ends up becoming legalized, he can then incite the masses against the saints who will have no moral basis to refuse to participate in the practice, creating persecution of a level experienced only by saints of previous dispensations. This may cause another mass exodus from the church, as it will no longer be worth it to remain a member. Also, many members will not want to be a part of a polygamy practicing church, regardless of the persecution.

The Brass Plates The plates of brass are prophesied to go to every nation, kindred, tongue and people of the seed of Lehi. It is my belief that these plates will be revealed before the Second Coming, not after. When the remnant of the church is left, after the mass exoduses from the law of consecration and the re-establishment of the practice of polygamy, the people may be sufficiently righteous to finally receive more of the word of God. The plates of brass, when revealed, will further put a split between the saints left in the church and all other Mormons who have broken away, as well as all other churches, be they Christian or other. Additionally, other ancient scriptures may come forth which will try the faith of those left, as they will undoubtedly contain new laws or information that the saints will need to live. As the LDS now have a hard time believing and living the Book of Mormon alone, more ancient scripture will put us in a further bad light before the world and make it that much harder to be a LDS. This may finally get the last of the hypocrites out of the church, making the church justified, purified and sanctified.

Afterward

What the church will look like at this point is anyone’s guess, but I don’t think it will quite look like it does now, though it will probably resemble the scriptural organization much more closely. One thing I believe is that this sanctified remnant church will be empowered to finally establish the New Jerusalem and actual stakes of Zion in preparation of the Second Coming. And in case anyone is wondering, yes, I believe the scriptures are very clear that the New Jerusalem (in Independence, Missouri) must and will be built prior to the Lord’s coming, not after. But the present unsanctified church cannot do it.

I have passed these thoughts through what4anarchy and he doesn’t think these scenarios are out of the realm of possibility. Time will tell.

Next Anarchism/Anarchy article: How I get out of jury duty

Previous Anarchism/Anarchy article: My take on the FLDS raid

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Scriptural Discussion #6: Tribulation Upon Church

TRIBULATION UPON CHURCH

Peter said, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4: 17)

The Lord said, “That through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world;” (D&C 78: 14)

The Lord said, “Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her. But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.” (D&C 97: 25-26)

The Lord said, “Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.” (D&C 112: 24-26)

Discuss.

Next Scriptural Discussion: #7 AFFLICTIONS—CAN BE SWALLOWED UP IN JOY OF CHRIST

Previous Scriptural Discussion: #5 TEACHERS—MUST BE SANCTIFIED

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