Doctrine and Covenants 42:4–7

President Thomas S. Monson:

“First, to young men of the Aaronic Priesthood and to you young men who are becoming elders: I repeat what prophets have long taught—that every worthy, able young man should prepare to serve a mission. Missionary service is a priesthood duty—an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so very much. Young men, I admonish you to prepare for service as a missionary. Keep yourselves clean and pure and worthy to represent the Lord. Maintain your health and strength. Study the scriptures. Where such is available, participate in seminary or institute. Familiarize yourself with the missionary handbook Preach My Gospel.

“A word to you young sisters: while you do not have the same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service” (“As We Meet Together Again,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2010, 5–6).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:11

President Boyd K. Packer:

“This common procedure occurs whenever leaders or teachers are called or released from office or whenever there is reorganization in a stake or a ward or a quorum or in the auxiliaries (see D&C 124:123, 144; see also D&C 20:65–67; 26:2). It is unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“We always know who is called to lead or to teach and have the opportunity to sustain or to oppose the action. It did not come as an invention of man but was set out in the revelations … ([see] D&C 42:11). In this way, the Church is protected from any imposter who would take over a quorum, a ward, a stake, or the Church” (“The Weak and the Simple of the Church,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2007, 6).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:14

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

“The scriptures say, ‘The Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach’ (D&C 42:14). This teaches not just that you won’t teach or that you can’t teach or that it will be pretty shoddy teaching. No, it is stronger than that. It is the imperative form of the verb. ‘Ye shall not teach.’ Put a thou in there for ye and you have Mount Sinai language. This is a commandment” (“Teaching, Preaching, Healing,” Ensign, Jan. 2003, 41).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:22

President Ezra Taft Benson:

“‘Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else’ (D&C 42:22). To my knowledge there is only one other thing in all scripture that we are commanded to love with all our hearts, and that is God Himself. Think what that means!

“This kind of love can be shown for your wives in so many ways. First and foremost, nothing except God Himself takes priority over your wife in your life—not work, not recreation, not hobbies. Your wife is your precious, eternal helpmate—your companion.

“What does it mean to love someone with all your heart? It means to love with all your emotional feelings and with all your devotion. Surely when you love your wife with all your heart, you cannot demean her, criticize her, find fault with her, or abuse her by words, sullen behavior, or actions.

“What does it mean to ‘cleave unto her’? It means to stay close to her, to be loyal and faithful to her, to communicate with her, and to express your love for her” (“To the Fathers in Israel,” Ensign,Nov. 1987, 50).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:22–24

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

“Why is lust such a deadly sin? Well, in addition to the completely Spirit-destroying impact it has upon our souls, I think it is a sin because it defiles the highest and holiest relationship God gives us in mortality—the love that a man and a woman have for each other and the desire that couple has to bring children into a family intended to be forever. Someone said once that true love must include the idea of permanence. True love endures. But lust changes as quickly as it can turn a pornographic page or glance at yet another potential object for gratification walking by, male or female. True love we are absolutely giddy about—as I am about Sister Holland; we shout it from the housetops. But lust is characterized by shame and stealth and is almost pathologically clandestine [obsessively secretive]—the later and darker the hour the better, with a double-bolted door just in case. Love makes us instinctively reach out to God and other people. Lust, on the other hand, is anything but godly and celebrates self-indulgence. Love comes with open hands and open heart; lust comes with only an open appetite.

“These are just some of the reasons that prostituting the true meaning of love—either with imagination or another person—is so destructive. It destroys that which is second only to our faith in God—namely, faith in those we love. It shakes the pillars of trust upon which present—or future—love is built, and it takes a long time to rebuild that trust when it is lost. Push that idea far enough—whether it be as personal as a family member or as public as elected officials, business leaders, media stars, and athletic heroes—and soon enough on the building once constructed to house morally responsible societies, we can hang a sign saying, ‘This property is vacant’” (“Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 44–45).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:30

Elder D. Todd Christofferson:

“To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes” (“Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” Ensign or Liahona,Nov. 2010, 16).

President Spencer W. Kimball:

“Consecration is the giving of one’s time, talents, and means to care for those in need—whether spiritually or temporally—and in building the Lord’s kingdom” (“Welfare Services: The Gospel in Action,” Ensign, Nov. 1977, 78).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–34

President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“the United Order, or law of consecration, does not contemplate that the idler shall eat the bread of the laborer. While all shall share in common and none shall possess above another, yet all must give service and labor for the benefit of all” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:205).

President Marion G. Romney:

“The basic principle and the justification for the law of consecration ‘is that everything we have belongs to the Lord; therefore, the Lord may call upon us for any and all of the property which we have, because it belongs to Him. … (D&C 104:14–17, 54–57)’ (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., in Conference Report, Oct. 1942, p. 55)” (“Living the Principles of the Law of Consecration,” Ensign, Feb. 1979, 3).

President Marion G. Romney:

“(1) The cornerstone of the United Order is belief in God and acceptance of him as Lord of the earth and the author of the United Order. …

“(2) The United Order is implemented by the voluntary free-will actions of men, evidenced by a consecration of all their property to the Church of God. …

“(3) … The United Order is operated upon the principle of private ownership and individual management. …

“(4) The United Order is non-political. …

“(5) A righteous people is a prerequisite to the United Order. …

“The United Order exalts the poor and humbles the rich. In the process both are sanctified. The poor, released from the bondage and humiliating limitations of poverty, are enabled as free men to rise to their full potential, both temporally and spiritually. The rich, by consecration and by imparting of their surplus for the benefit of the poor, not by constraint but willingly as an act of free will, evidence that charity for their fellowmen characterized by Mormon as ‘the pure love of Christ.’ (Moro. 7:47.)” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1966, 97).

President J. Reuben Clark Jr.:

“The United Order has not been generally understood. … [It] was not a communal system. … The United Order and communism are not synonymous” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1943, 11).

President Marion G. Romney:

“In this modern world plagued with counterfeits for the Lord’s plan, we must not be misled into supposing that we can discharge our obligations to the poor and the needy by shifting the responsibility to some governmental or other public agency. Only by voluntarily giving out of an abundant love for our neighbors can we develop that charity characterized by Mormon as ‘the pure love of Christ.’ (Moro. 7:47.)” (“Caring for the Poor and Needy,” Ensign, Jan. 1973, 98).

President J. Reuben Clark Jr.:

“The dispensing of these great quantities of gratuities has produced in the minds of hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of people … a love for idleness, a feeling that the world owes them a living. It has made a breeding ground for some of the most destructive political doctrines that have ever found any hold, … and I think it may lead us into serious political trouble” (quoted in Marion G. Romney, “Church Welfare Services’ Basic Principles,” Ensign, May 1976, 121).

“Society owes to no man a life of idleness, no matter what his age. I have never seen one line in Holy Writ that calls for, or even sanctions this. In the past no free society has been able to support great groups in idleness and live free” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1938, 107).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:30–34, 54–55

During Joseph Smith’s day, some groups of people attempted to form communal systems in which the group shared ownership of all the wealth and resources. Prior to the revelation on the law of consecration, some members of the Church in Ohio had established such a group. Some of their practices were problematic:

“When [Joseph Smith] arrived in Ohio [he] discovered a group of about fifty people who had established a cooperative venture based on their interpretation of statements in the book of Acts, describing the early Saints as having all things in common (see Acts 2:44–45; 4:32). This group, known as ‘the family,’ … were members of the Church living on Isaac Morley’s farm near the village of Kirtland. When John Whitmer arrived in mid-January, he noted that what they were doing created many problems. For example, Heman Bassett took a pocket watch belonging to Levi Hancock and sold it. When asked why, Heman replied, ‘Oh, I thought it was all in the family.’ Levi responded that he did not like such ‘family doing’ and would not endure it any longer. [Levi W. Hancock, “Levi Hancock Journal,” LDS Historical Department, Salt Lake City, p. 81.]”

“The Prophet Joseph … realized the need to establish a more perfect system to meet the growing economic needs of the Church. Revenue was required to finance various Church undertakings, such as publishing revelations and missionary tracts. … Money, goods, and property were needed to help the poor and to assist immigrants who were sacrificing much to gather to Ohio, so Joseph inquired of the Lord” (Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manual, 2nd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 95).

The revelation recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 42, which revealed the Lord’s law of consecration, was one of several revelations that came in response to Joseph’s inquiry.

Doctrine and Covenants 42:34, 55

“In 1831 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that members of the Church should ‘impart of [their] substance unto the poor, … and they shall be laid before the bishop … [and] kept in my storehouse, to administer to the poor and the needy’ (D&C 42:31, 34).

“More than 180 years later, bishops’ storehouses around the world continue to support bishops in the call to ‘be faithful; stand in the office which [the Lord has] appointed unto [them]; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees’ (D&C 81:5).

“Whether it is a building containing food and other supplies or a set of resources in the ward a bishop can draw from, bishops’ storehouses are being used to care for those in need.

“The Church manual, Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance (2009), says, ‘The Lord’s storehouse is available to every bishop and exists in every ward. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Lord’s storehouse is not limited to a building or a warehouse filled with commodities awaiting distribution.’

“Where a brick and mortar storehouse is not available, bishops can purchase needed commodities from local merchants using fast offerings” (“Bishops’ Storehouse Opens the Windows of Heaven,” Church News and Events, May 20, 2011, LDS.org).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:43–44

President Dallin H. Oaks:

“Latter-day Saints believe in applying the best available scientific knowledge and techniques. We use nutrition, exercise, and other practices to preserve health, and we enlist the help of healing practitioners, such as physicians and surgeons, to restore health.

“The use of medical science is not at odds with our prayers of faith and our reliance on priesthood blessings. …

“Of course we don’t wait until all other methods are exhausted before we pray in faith or give priesthood blessings for healing. In emergencies, prayers and blessings come first. Most often we pursue all efforts simultaneously” (“Healing the Sick,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 47).

Doctrine and Covenants 42:46–47

President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“To some members of the Church the saying that those who die in the Lord shall not taste of death has been a hard saying. They have seen good faithful men and women suffer days and at times for months before they were taken. But here the Lord does not say they shall not suffer pain of body, but that they shall be free from the anguish and torment of soul which will be partaken of by the wicked, and although they may suffer in body, yet death to them will be sweet in that they will realize that they are worthy before the Lord” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:186). (See also Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual,2nd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2001], 85.)

Doctrine and Covenants 42:48

President Dallin H. Oaks:

“As children of God, knowing of His great love and His ultimate knowledge of what is best for our eternal welfare, we trust in Him. The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and faith means trust. I felt that trust in a talk my cousin gave at the funeral of a teenage girl who had died of a serious illness. He spoke these words, which first astonished me and then edified me: ‘I know it was the will of the Lord that she die. She had good medical care. She was given priesthood blessings. Her name was on the prayer roll in the temple. She was the subject of hundreds of prayers for her restoration to health. And I know that there is enough faith in this family that she would have been healed unless it was the will of the Lord to take her home at this time.’ I felt that same trust in the words of the father of another choice girl whose life was taken by cancer in her teen years. He declared, ‘Our family’s faith is in Jesus Christ and is not dependent on outcomes.’ Those teachings ring true to me. We do all that we can for the healing of a loved one, and then we trust in the Lord for the outcome” (“Healing the Sick,” 50).

President Joseph Fielding Smith:

“No righteous man is ever taken before his time” (in “Funeral Services for Elder Richard L. Evans,” Ensign, Dec. 1971, 10).

Elder David A. Bednar:

“[There is] a principle that applies to every devoted disciple: strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives—even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted. …

“Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in moving mountains—if moving mountains accomplishes God’s purposes and is in accordance with His will. Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in healing the sick, deaf, or lame—if such healing accomplishes God’s purposes and is in accordance with His will. Thus, even with strong faith, many mountains will not be moved. And not all of the sick and infirm will be healed. If all opposition were curtailed, if all maladies were removed, then the primary purposes of the Father’s plan would be frustrated.

“Many of the lessons we are to learn in mortality can only be received through the things we experience and sometimes suffer. And God expects and trusts us to face temporary mortal adversity with His help so we can learn what we need to learn and ultimately become what we are to become in eternity” (“That We Might ‘Not … Shrink’ [D&C 19:18]” [CES devotional for young adults, Mar. 3, 2013], LDS.org). (See also Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, 2nd ed. [Church Educational System manual, 2001], 85–86.)