Come Follow Me 21: Doctrine and Covenants 51-57

Come, Follow Me Lesson 21: Doctrine and Covenants 51-57 

 As we read the D&C, we need to remember that it’s the Lord’s book.

See D&C 18:34-36: They are His words; they are given by His Spirit; We’ve heard His voice and know His words.

How can we say that we have heard His voice?

Teachers encourage students to develop their own voice.

Author’s and artists have their own voices.

Do you recognize people’s voices in their communications, in their writings, and in their work?
Do you recognize the voice of the Lord?

Gathering Saints, or the House of Israel, and building up Zion are spiritual as well as temporal works.


What are we doing spiritually and temporally today to gather Israel and to build up Zion?

The Lord wants us to develop skills and attitudes that will help us be more productive and help us gather Israel and establish Zion.

How are we doing in our stewardships? Are we faithful? (See D&C 51:19)

Are we prayerful? Are we working on having contrite spirits? How are we keeping His ordinances? (See D&C 52:15)

Are we doing the things that He has appointed for us to do? (See D&C 54:2)

Everything is in the Lord’s timing. He commands and revokes according to His omnipotent will. We can lose privileges through disobedience. Promises can be kept in reserve until we are ready for them, both individually and as a people. (See D&C 56:4)

This is true for the also for the City of Zion. It isn’t currently the center place of the church. That blessing was revoked, at least for the time.

Are we working on becoming prepared to build that city and to build a temple there?


(Read D&C 52:42-44)


We should be developing the law of consecration in our own attitudes, beliefs, desires, and behavior. Everything really belongs to the Lord, and things are given to us as a stewardship. The Earth is His, and everything in it is His.

Some of the principles of the law of consecration are discussed in D&C 51. The lesson brings out that those who consecrated to the Lord’s church usually were given everything back, plus more. But at that point it no longer was considered their personal property, but their stewardship.

Then if they left the Church, they could only take with them what was deeded to them. If they had great surplus which they gave to the Church it belonged to the Church. This is the same as if someone had paid tithes and offerings to the Church, then left the Church and regretted His donations. He freely gave those to the Church and are no longer his to take.

The principles of consecration and stewardship are vital to the Lord’s work.

Read quote by Elder Cook.

Watch a Sacred Trust

How are you a steward? What (or whom) are you a steward over?

Parable of the talents.

Section 52: Are we obeying His ordinances? Is my spirit contrite/ Is my language uplifting?

Are we standing fast in what the Lord has asked us to do?  


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