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Chapter Ninteen
THE UNITED ORDER
The word came to Joseph Smith as follows:
JSBHW, Vol. 11, Section LXXV, Page 204 (D & C 78) 1 "The
Lord spake unto Enoch,
saying: Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, who are
ordained unto the high priesthood
of my church, ....
....................
3 For verily I say unto you, the time has come, and is now
at hand; and behold, and lo, it must needs be that there be
an organization of my people, in regulating and establishing
the affairs of the storehouse for the poor of my people,
both in this place and in the land of Zion or in other
words, the city of Enoch,
4 For a permanent and everiasting establishment and
order unto my church, to advance the cause, which ye have
espoused. to the salvation of man, and to the glory of your
Father who is in heaven;
5 That you may be equal in the bands of
heavenly things, yea. and earthly things also. for the
obtaining of heavenly things,
6 For IF YE ARE NOT EQUAL IN EARTHLY
THINGS YE CANNOT BE EQUAL IN OBTAINING HEAVENL Y
THINGS;
7 For if you will that I give unto you a
place in the celestial world, you must prepare vourselves by
doing the things which I have commanded you and required of
you.
8 And now, verily thus saith the Lord. it
is expedient that all things be done unto my glory, that ye
should. who are joined together in th is
order;~
Note the underlined that informs us of the necessity of
having equality in things earthly that there be equality
also in heavenly things as was the city of Enoch and that
this was to be a permanent and everlasting establishment and
order unto Christ's church to prepare them for celestial
glory. And it was to be entered into as a bond and covenant
for their salvation:
D & C 82:9 "....1 give unto you directions how you may
act before me, that it may turn to
you for your salvation.
.................
11 Therefore, verily I say unto you, that it is expedient
for my servants ........TO BE BOUND TOGETHER BY A
BOND AND COVENANT that cannot be broken by
transgression, except judgment shall immediately follow, in
your several stewardships 12 To manage the affairs of the
poor, and all things pertaining to the bishopric both in the
land of Zion and in the land of Shinahah (Kirtland);
.................
14 For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her
borders must be enlarged; her stalces must be strengthened;
yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her
beautiful garments.
15 Therefore, I GIVE UNTO YOU THIS COMMANDMENT. THAT
YE BIND YOURSELVES BY THIS COVENANT , and it shall
be done according to the laws of the Lord.
16 Behold, here is wisdom also in me for your good.
17 And you are to be equal. or in other words. you
are to have equal claims on properties. for the benefit of
managing the concerns of your stewardships, every man
according to his wants and his needs, inasmuch as his wants
are just
18 And all this for the benefit of the church of the
living God, that every man may improve upon his
talent. that every man may gain other talents. yea. even an
hundred fold~ to be cast into the Lord's storehouse! to
become the common property of the whole church
19 EVERY MAN SEEKING THE INTEREST OF HIS
NEIGHBOR. AND DOING ALL THINGS WITH AN EYE SINGLE TO THE
GLORY OF GOD .
20 This order I have appointed to be an everlasting order
unto you, and unto your successors, inasmuch as you sin
not." (JSBHW, Vol. II, Section LXXXVI, Page 219 &
220)
The Essenes who lived during Christls time on earth also
lived the United Order:
Essene Gospel, Book Three, Page 12 "The Essenes lived on the
shores of lakes and rivers, away from cities and towns, and
practiced a communal way of life, sharing equally in
everything . They were mainly agriculturists and
arboriculturists, having a vast knowledge of crops' soil and
climatic conditions which enabled them to grow a remarkable
variety of fruits and vegetables in comparatively desert
areas and with a minimum of labor.
They had no servants or slaves and were said to have been
the first people to condemn slavery both in theory and
practice. There were no rich and no poor amongst
them. both conditions being considered by them as deviations
from the Law. They established their own economic system.
based wholly on the Law, and showed that all man's food and
material needs can~Sbe attained without struggle. through
knowledge of the Law.
Page 13 They were adept in prophecy for
which they prepared by prolonged fasting. In the use of
plants and herbs for healing man and beast they were
likewise proficient .
They lived a simple regular life, rising each day before
sunrise to study and commune with the forces of nature,
bathing in cold water as a ritual and donning white
garments. After their daily labor in the fields and
vineyards they partook of their meals in silence, preceding
and ending them with prayer. In their profound
respect for all living things they never touched FLESH FOODS
nor did they drink FERMENTED LIOUIDS. Their evenings were
devoted to study and communion with the heavenly
forces .
..................
Their way of life enabled them to live to advanced ages of
120 years or more and they were said to have marvelous
strength and endurance. In all their activities they
expressed creative love.
They sent out healers and teachers from
the brotherhoods. amonst whom were Elijah! John the Baptist
J ohn the Beloved and the great Essene Master.
Jesus ."
But in the:Dispensation of the Fullness of Times all could
not live the United Order righteously:
D & C 104:1 "Verily I say unto you, my friends, I give
unto vo~s 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
....................
47 And now, a commandment I give unto you concerning Zion,
that you shall no longer be bound as a united order to your
brethren of Zion, only on this wise
48 After you shall be called the United Order of the Stake
of Zion, the City of Kirtland. And your brethren, after they
are organized, shall be called the United Order of the City
of Zion.
49 And they shall be organized in their own names, and in
their own name; and they shall do their business in their
own name, and in their own names;
.................
51 And this I have commanded to be done for your
salvation, and also for their salvation, in consequence of
their being driven out and that which is to come.
52 THE COVENANTS BEING BROKEN THROUGH
TRANSGRESSION, BY COVETOUSNESS AND FEIGNED WORDS
53 THEREFORE! YOU ARE DISSOLVED AS A
UNITED ORDER WITH YOUR BRETHREN, that you are not bound only
up to this hour unto them, only on this wise, as I said. by
ioan as snali be agreed by this order in council, as your
circumstances will admit and the voice of the council
direct .
54 And again, a commandment I give unto you concerning your
stewardship which I have appointed unto you.
55 Behold, all these properties are mine, or else your faith
is vain, and ye are found hypocrites, and the covenants
which ye have made unto me are broken;
56 And if the properties are mine, then ye are stewards;
otherwise ye are no stewards.
.................
68 And all moneys that you receive in your
stewardships! by improving upon the properties which I have
appointed unto you, in houses. or in lands. or in cattle, or
in all things save it be the holy and sacred writings. which
I have reserved unto myself for holy and sacred purposes,
shall be cast into the treasurv as fast as you receive
moneys! by hundreds, or by fifties! or by twenties, or by
tens, or by fives .
69 Or in other words, if any man among you obtain five
dollars let him cast them into the treasury; or if he obtain
ten, or twenty, or fifty, or an hundred, let him do
likewise;
70 And let not any among you say that it is his own:
for it shall not be called his, nor any part of it.
71 And there shall not any part of it be
used, or taken out of the treasury! only by the voice and
common consent of the order. "
According to the following, it is evident that the Prophet,
Joseph Smith was unconcerned with worldly wealth:
T & S, Vol. l & 2, Page 569 "When Br. Joseph stated
to the general conference the amount and situation of the
property of the church, of which he is trustee in trust by
the united voice of the church, he also stated the amount of
his own possessions on earth; and what do you think
it was? we will tell you; his old Charley horse given him in
Kirtland: two pet deer: two old turkeys two young ones; the
old cow given him by a brother in missiory, his old Major,
dog; his wife, children, and a little household furniture,
and th~s is the amount of the great possessions of that man
whom "G od has called to lead his people in these
last days;"
For those who could not live this order righteously the
spiritual blessings would be limited:
D & C 70:14 "....in your temporal things you shall be
equal, and this not grudgingly , otherwise
the abundance of the manifestations of the Spirit shall be
withheld."
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