Date of Revelation: April 23, 1834
Location: Kirtland, Ohio
Recipients: Joseph Smith and members of the United Order
Verses: 86 verses
Section Summary: The Lord reorganizes the United Order following covenant breaking by some members, establishes individual stewardships while maintaining collective consecration principles, and provides detailed instructions for managing Church properties and debts during a critical financial crisis.
Primary Doctrinal Principle: True consecration operates through individual stewardships within a collective covenant, where each person is accountable to God for their portion while contributing to the common good.
Secondary Principle: Breaking covenants through covetousness brings severe spiritual consequences, including being delivered to the buffetings of Satan until redemption.
Application Principle: The Lord's way of caring for the poor requires the rich to be made low through consecration, creating equality and abundance for all.
The United Order members faced a severe financial crisis. Some had broken their consecration covenants through covetousness and "feigned words" (v. 4). The order owed substantial debts, particularly for the temple lot and other properties. Members struggled between individual needs and collective obligations. Trust had been damaged by those who failed to live the law fully.
The Church was preparing for Zion's Camp (D&C 103 given February 24, 1834). Temple construction in Kirtland required significant resources. The Missouri Saints had been driven from Jackson County and needed assistance. The original United Order structure proved unworkable due to human weakness and geographical separation between Ohio and Missouri.
Kirtland's economy was strained by the influx of Saints. Local merchants extended credit but expected payment. Anti-Mormon sentiment affected business dealings. The frontier economy operated largely on credit and promissory notes. Legal pressures mounted as creditors sought payment for Church debts.
Andrew Jackson's presidency saw economic volatility and the Bank War. The American frontier expansion created both opportunities and instabilities. Communitarian experiments like the Shakers provided alternative economic models. The concept of corporate ownership was still developing in American law.
Dissolve the original United Order structure that had failed; assign specific stewardships to individual members; address immediate debt crisis threatening Church properties; separate Kirtland and Missouri operations; provide clear accountability for temporal resources.
Establish eternal principles of consecration and stewardship; create a pattern for future economic cooperation; teach the relationship between temporal and spiritual salvation; prepare the Church for greater collective efforts; establish the law of tithing's foundation (later given in D&C 119).
The revelation saved Church properties from creditors. Members received individual stewardships providing personal responsibility. The separation of Kirtland and Missouri orders prevented total financial collapse. Specific assignments clarified roles and responsibilities. The debt management plan provided hope for financial freedom.
This revelation established principles still governing Church welfare and finances. The concept of stewardship over consecration shapes modern Church programs. Individual accountability within collective goals remains central to Church organization. The promise of deliverance from debt through faithfulness continues to bless Saints. The pattern of temporal self-reliance supporting spiritual purposes endures.
The concept of Jubilee years and debt forgiveness echoes throughout (Leviticus 25). Individual stewardships mirror the tribal inheritances of Israel (Numbers 26:52-56). The treasury system parallels the temple treasury of ancient times (Mark 12:41-44). Covenant curses for unfaithfulness reflect Deuteronomic patterns (Deuteronomy 28). The principle of gleaning fields for the poor is expanded (Leviticus 19:9-10).
The revelation addresses modern economic challenges of debt and wealth inequality. Corporate structures and individual accountability within organizations reflect these principles. The welfare system of the Church implements these consecration principles. Modern stake and ward councils operate on similar organizational patterns. The principle of "enough and to spare" (v. 17) counters scarcity mindset.
Covetousness among some members created discord. Unequal sacrifice perception led to resentment. Geographic separation between Ohio and Missouri made coordination difficult. Lack of business experience hindered operations. External persecution pressure stressed the system.
No clear individual accountability existed in the original structure. Unclear property rights created confusion. Mixed spiritual and temporal authority complicated decisions. Insufficient capital base limited operations. Legal vulnerability exposed the order to external threats.
Clear property assignments gave each member specific responsibility. Personal accountability was established through individual stewardships. Inheritance rights were defined for posterity. Business name separation protected assets legally.
Common treasury for publishing preserved collective efforts. Committee governance provided checks and balances. Mutual support obligations continued among members. Shared spiritual purposes unified the separated orders.
Properties were saved from creditors through the reorganization. Publishing of revelations continued uninterrupted. Members had clear roles and responsibilities. Missouri and Ohio operations were successfully separated.
The pattern of bishops' storehouses emerged from these principles. Ward welfare systems follow the consecration model. The Church welfare program implements these concepts globally. Humanitarian efforts reflect the abundance principle. The Perpetual Education Fund embodies stewardship accountability.
1 Verily I say unto you, my friends, I give unto you counsel, and a commandment, concerning all the properties which belong to the order which I commanded to be organized and established, to be a united order, and an everlasting order for the benefit of my church, and for the salvation of men until I come—
2 With promise immutable and unchangeable, that inasmuch as those whom I commanded were faithful they should be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings;
3 But inasmuch as they were not faithful they were nigh unto cursing.
4 Therefore, inasmuch as some of my servants have not kept the commandment, but have broken the covenant through covetousness, and with feigned words, I have cursed them with a very sore and grievous curse.
5 For I, the Lord, have decreed in my heart, that inasmuch as any man belonging to the order shall be found a transgressor, or, in other words, shall break the covenant with which ye are bound, he shall be cursed in his life, and shall be trodden down by whom I will;
6 For I, the Lord, am not to be mocked in these things—
7 And all this that the innocent among you may not be condemned with the unjust; and that the guilty among you may not escape; because I, the Lord, have promised unto you a crown of glory at my right hand.
8 Therefore, inasmuch as you are found transgressors, you cannot escape my wrath in your lives.
9 Inasmuch as ye are cut off for transgression, ye cannot escape the buffetings of Satan until the day of redemption.
10 And I now give unto you power from this very hour, that if any man among you, of the order, is found a transgressor and repenteth not of the evil, that ye shall deliver him over unto the buffetings of Satan; and he shall not have power to bring evil upon you.
Understanding the seriousness of covenant keeping helps us approach our temple covenants with appropriate reverence. The principle of church discipline protecting the innocent while offering redemption to the guilty guides modern councils of love.
11 It is wisdom in me; therefore, a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall organize yourselves and appoint every man his stewardship;
12 That every man may give an account unto me of the stewardship which is appointed unto him.
13 For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.
14 I, the Lord, stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.
15 And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine.
16 But it must needs be done in mine own way; and behold this is the way that I, the Lord, have decreed to provide for my saints, that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low.
17 For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.
18 Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment.
Recognizing God's ownership changes how we view possessions—we are managers, not owners. The principle of "enough and to spare" counters modern scarcity mindset and hoarding behaviors. Our use of abundance determines our eternal state.
19-26 [The Lord assigns specific properties to Sidney Rigdon (tannery lot), Martin Harris (land for proclaiming the word), and instructs Martin to devote money according to Joseph Smith's direction]
27-33 [Frederick G. Williams keeps his residence and shares the printing office with Oliver Cowdery; both receive stewardship over publishing]
34-38 [John Johnson receives his house and manages lot sales for building up the city]
39-42 [Newel K. Whitney appointed over the mercantile establishment as a stewardship for the order's business]
43-46 [Joseph Smith Jr. receives the temple lot and inheritance for his father's support]
The principle of specific stewardships continues in Church callings—each person has a defined responsibility. Support for aged parents (Joseph Smith Sr.) models family responsibility. Business enterprises can serve kingdom purposes when consecrated.
47-53 [The Kirtland and Missouri orders are separated for practical necessity; each to operate independently but maintain the same principles]
54-62 [Treasury established for publishing; committee appointed to manage affairs; warnings about eternal life]
63-77 [Truth, light, and Spirit interconnected; the world lies in bondage of sin; God's word is certain and unchangeable]
Sometimes organizational changes are necessary for survival and growth. Publishing truth remains essential to the Church's mission. The interconnection of truth, light, and Spirit guides our search for knowledge.
78 And again, verily I say unto you, concerning your debts—behold it is my will that you shall pay all your debts.
79 And it is my will that you shall humble yourselves before me, and obtain this blessing by your diligence and humility and the prayer of faith.
80 And inasmuch as you are diligent and humble, and exercise the prayer of faith, behold, I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, until I shall send means unto you for your deliverance.
81 Therefore write speedily to New York and write according to that which shall be dictated by my Spirit; and I will soften the hearts of those to whom you are in debt, that it shall be taken away out of their minds to bring affliction upon you.
82 And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory.
83 I give unto you a promise, that you shall be delivered this once out of your bondage.
84 Inasmuch as you obtain a chance to loan money by hundreds, or thousands, even until you shall loan enough to deliver yourself from bondage, it is your privilege.
85 And pledge the properties which I have put into your hands, this once, by giving your names by common consent or otherwise, as it shall seem good unto you.
86 I give unto you this privilege, this once; and behold, if you proceed to do the things which I have laid before you, according to my commandments, all these things are mine, and ye are my stewards, and the master will not suffer his house to be broken up. Even so. Amen.
Debt elimination remains a priority for spiritual and temporal freedom. The Lord assists those who humbly work toward financial independence. Sometimes consolidation loans can provide relief, but should be used sparingly. Faith and practical action work together for deliverance.
From Old English *stiweard*, literally "house guardian," from stig "hall, pen" + weard "guard"
Webster 1828: Stewardship — "The office of a steward; the management of domestic concerns"
In D&C 104, stewardship transforms from mere management to sacred accountability. Each person receives specific properties not as ownership but as divine trust, accountable to God for their use.
The United Order represents the temporal implementation of celestial law—unity in purpose while maintaining individual stewardships. It's not communism but consecration, requiring both collective commitment and personal accountability.
In D&C 104, covenant breaking through "covetousness and feigned words" brings cursing. Sacred covenants with God involve both temporal and spiritual obligations, with severe consequences for violation.
Transgression specifically refers to covenant breaking through covetousness. It results in being "cursed in life" and "trodden down," with ultimate delivery to Satan's buffetings.
The treasury serves specific purposes—primarily publishing revelations and supporting Church leaders. It operates on "common consent," establishing the pattern for modern Church financial management.
"The earth is full, and there is enough and to spare" (v. 17) contradicts worldly scarcity mindset. Abundance exists when shared according to God's law.
Being delivered to Satan's buffetings represents withdrawal of divine protection, allowing the adversary to afflict the transgressor. This continues "until the day of redemption," suggesting a long but not eternal duration.
Topic: "All Things Are Mine: Understanding Divine Ownership"
Opening Question: If God owns everything, what do we actually own?
Main Points:
Activity: Create a personal stewardship inventory—list possessions and how they serve God's purposes
Discussion Questions: How would your spending change if you saw yourself as God's financial manager? What's the difference between needs, wants, and abundance?
Topic: "Breaking Bad: The Danger of Covenant Breaking"
Key Concepts for Youth:
Interactive Element: Case studies: "Is this covenant breaking?" Discuss modern examples of "feigned words"
Personal Challenge: Identify one area where you can be more honest in your discipleship
Topic: "Economic Discipleship: Living Consecration Principles in Modern Capitalism"
Discussion Framework:
Practical Exercises: Create a 5-year financial plan incorporating consecration principles; identify professional skills for kingdom building
For Younger Children: Tell about the early Saints sharing everything; use toys to show sharing vs. hoarding
For Teenagers: Discuss what our family would consecrate if asked; how does our family share abundance?
Family Activity: Create family stewardship assignments like D&C 104; each person identifies talents/resources for family/others
Parent Teaching Moment: Share how you've tried to live consecration in your life
Topic: "Temporal Self-Reliance and Collective Consecration"
Practical Discussion Points:
Action Items: Create ward skills database; establish debt elimination support groups; develop abundance sharing networks
Covenant Application: How do temple covenants relate to temporal consecration?
1. What possessions do I struggle to see as God's rather than mine?
Consider: Which material things have the strongest hold on your identity or security?
2. Have I ever used "feigned words" in my discipleship? How can I be more authentic?
Consider: Times when you've pretended greater faith or commitment than you felt.
3. What debts (financial, emotional, spiritual) keep me in bondage?
Consider: The Lord promises deliverance "this once"—what needs addressing now?
4. How would I respond if asked to consecrate everything tomorrow?
Consider: What would be hardest to give up? What does that reveal about your heart?
5. What abundance do I have that I'm not sharing?
Consider: Time, talents, resources, knowledge—where is there "enough and to spare"?
1. How can our family better recognize God's ownership of our possessions?
Discuss: Family prayers about stewardship, teaching children about tithing, family consecration projects.
2. What would our family's "stewardship assignments" be if we lived the United Order?
Discuss: Each person's unique contributions, talents, and responsibilities to the family.
3. How do we avoid covetousness in a materialistic world?
Discuss: Social media influences, peer pressure, advertising, keeping up with others.
4. What family debts need addressing for spiritual and temporal freedom?
Discuss: Financial planning, debt elimination strategies, living within means.
5. How can we teach children the principle of "enough and to spare"?
Discuss: Sharing toys, family service projects, generous fast offerings, helping neighbors.
1. Research the people mentioned—what happened to their stewardships?
Study: Sidney Rigdon, Martin Harris, N.K. Whitney, Oliver Cowdery's later lives.
2. How did the Kirtland Safety Society (1837) relate to these economic principles?
Research: The banking crisis and its impact on consecration efforts.
3. What happened to Church finances after this reorganization?
Study: Development from United Order to tithing system (D&C 119).
4. How do modern Church welfare programs implement these principles?
Research: Bishops' storehouses, welfare farms, humanitarian efforts.
5. Study other religious communal economies—how did they compare?
Research: Shakers, Harmonists, Brook Farm, kibbutzim.
1. Create a personal financial plan based on D&C 104 principles—what changes?
Consider: Budgeting as stewardship, generous giving, debt elimination, building reserves to share.
2. Identify three ways to share your professional skills for kingdom building.
Consider: Pro bono work, Church service, mentoring, skills-based volunteering.
3. Develop a debt elimination strategy with specific timeline—when will you be free?
Consider: Snowball method, extra payments, lifestyle changes, increasing income.
4. List your "stewardships" and evaluate your management—where can you improve?
Consider: Time, talents, possessions, relationships, callings, opportunities.
5. Find someone in need and share from your abundance this week—who will it be?
Consider: Ward members, neighbors, community organizations, global humanitarian needs.
Compare D&C 104:11-18 with Acts 4:32-37. How does the early Christian church's approach compare to the United Order?
Read Malachi 3:8-10. How does tithing relate to the consecration principles in D&C 104?
Study 4 Nephi 1:1-3. What allowed the Nephites to have "all things common" successfully?
Examine Luke 16:19-31 (Rich man and Lazarus). How does this parable relate to verse 18?
Consider D&C 119. How did the law of tithing replace the United Order? What principles remain?