D&C 42:30-42
Doctrine & Covenants > Section 42
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Questions
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Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Verse 39
This verse, situated in the text as a kind of conclusion to the law of consecration, forces one to think carefully about the role of economics in the revelations. It is perhaps far too common to talk about consecration as a kind of revealed economic order or revealed political system, but this verse in particular suggests that such an approach is oversimplistic in that it ignores a major facet of the Lord's intentions with consecration. Consecration is a question, at the very least, of (1) fulfillment of prophecy and (2) the relationship between the Gentiles and Israel. These somewhat surprising facets of consecration (as revealed in the Doctrine and Covenants) call for careful interpretation of verse 39.
From the Book of Commandments
First, it should be noted that the text here differs in a few points from the "original" version of the text as published in the 1833 Book of Commandments:
- "For it shall come to pass, that which I spake by the mouths of my prophets shall be fulfilled; for I will consecrate the riches of the Gentiles, unto my people which are of the house of Israel." (Book of Commandments 44:32)
What are the differences between the two texts?
(1) The Doctrine and Covenants version adds the word "of" after the word "consecrate": "for I will consecrate of the riches of the Gentiles...." (2) The Doctrine and Covenants version adds the phrase "those who embrace my gospel among" between "of" and "the" (just before the word "Gentiles"): "I will consecrate of the riches of those who embrace my gospel among the Gentiles...." (3) The Doctrine and Covenants version adds the phrase "the poor of" between "unto" and "my people": "I will consecrate of the riches of those who embrace my gospel among the Gentiles unto the poor of my people...." (4) The Doctrine and Covenants replaces the word "which" with "who": "unto the poor of my people which are of the house of Israel."
All four of these changes seem, on close analysis, to be clarifications rather than modifications of the text, made in order to forestall drastic misinterpretations of the text's intentions (though it should be noted that changes in the preceding nine verses seem often enough to be genuine modifications rather than clarifications, made in light of the change in the Saints' situation with respect to Zion). A brief analysis of each change might be profitable:
(1) The addition of the word "of" might seem minor, but it softens what might be called the "violence" implied in the "original" text: whereas the 1831-33 version of the text might be read to imply that everything the Gentiles have will be taken from them and handed over to Israel, the "of" makes it clear that the Gentiles will retain something of their substance, even as their riches are used to outfit Israel in whatever ways are needed. ( (2) The addition of the phrase "those who embrace my gospel among" is more drastic a change, and it alters the significance of the verse more substantially. Though one might presume from the 1831-33 text, if it were read in abstract from the surrounding text, that the Gentiles were to be impoverished with or without their consent, the change makes it quite clear that the riches to be consecrated are to be those specifically belonging to the Gentiles who embrace the gospel. (3) The addition of the phrase "the poor of" is also more substantial. While the 1831-33 text might be taken to suggest that the Gentiles are to be impoverished while Israel is to be made rich, this change makes it clear that the shift of goods from the Gentiles to Israel is a question of transferring the excess of the Gentiles to the impoverished of Israel. (4) The change from "which" to "who" seems only to be a simple grammatical correction, of no particular importance.
For it shall come to pass, that which I spake by the mouths of my prophets shall be fulfilled
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