Zion and the Hundredfold Law
Sep 11th, 2009 by larrybarkdull
Joseph Smith said, “We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object.” Brigham Young laid the responsibility of Zion upon each of us, individually: “[Zion] commences in the heart of each person,” and Elder Matthew Cowley stated unequivocally that individually, we are Zion.
We cannot read the scriptures, especially latter-day scriptures, and avoid personal responsibility for becoming Zion people. Without reservation, our obligation is to accept every revealed Zion principle and put it into practice. To that end, President Benson laid the obligation of becoming Zion squarely on our shoulders. Zion, the priesthood society, he said, can only be brought about by Zion people. As more and more of us decide to embrace the principles of Zion, he said, the celestial order will finally exist among us, then we, individually and collectively, will be prepared to receive the Lord.
Zion is the standard among celestial and celestial-seeking beings. The celestial condition of Zion is the exact opposite of the telestial condition of Babylon; therefore, we are constantly faced with choosing between the two. We cannot have it both ways. Let us examine the Zion way of obtaining safety and security.
The Law of Restoration
Zion’s abundance flows from the law of restoration. This law becomes operational when we enter into the new and everlasting covenant at baptism, and the law reaches its zenith in the resurrection. Joseph Smith taught to the degree that we have sacrificed, suffered or been opposed or denied, we shall be restored. In fact, the Lord promised that we would be restored an hundredfold: “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.”
The promise of hundredfold restoration is repeated so often in the scriptures that we are obligated to consider it as literal. The apostle Paul wrote, “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
Here is how the law of restoration might work. Imagine sacrificing $10,000 to help a needy friend. Most of us would feel the acute sting of such a sacrifice. But suppose that the Lord were to restore to us $1,000,000. Suddenly, the $10,000 would become a non-issue. Herein is a key to Zion’s abundance.
Struggling with Zion and Babylon Principles
In a telestial world, especially one in which the philosophies of Babylon enjoy almost free reign, we struggle when we are confronted with celestial laws. Giving our way to prosperity is an example. We can point to nothing in our environment that suggests this law will work. In Babylon, we can no more make sense of less is more than we can of walking on water. So how do we square with the idea that giving away our time, talents and resources is the only way to achieve the unequalled prosperity of Zion and ultimately an inheritance in the celestial world?
Clearly, we must rely on the prophets to articulate celestial laws. Following is how King Benjamin summed up the law of restoration:
And behold, all that [God] requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you. And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?
Here is how we might portray the celestial law of restoration as it applies to Zion’s condition of abundance and prosperity:
- Our love of God motivates us to seek to serve him.
- Because God is not in need, he immediately asks us to transfer our service to his suffering or needy children.
- When we do what God asks of us, he accepts our sacrifice “unto the least of these” as if we had done it unto him.
- Our sacrifice creates something akin to a credit in our favor, which credit demands payment.
- God gladly assumes this obligation, which is actually an opportunity to bless us. He rewards us for our service: first, because he loves us; second, because we have obeyed the law upon which the blessing is predicated, and third, because our service has created an implied celestial deficit that needs correcting.
- Because God will not and cannot remain in a real or implied deficit position, “he doth immediately bless [us]; and therefore he hath paid [us]. And [we] are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever.”
- What is the result? We live forever in the condition of divine debt-celestial debt-debt that is structured so that we can receive an abundance of blessings.
This is the hundredfold principle. We are always rewarded beyond our sacrifice. God overpays his obligations, and therefore we find ourselves eternally indebted to him and we always enjoy an abundance of blessings.
New Math
We cannot make sense of the law of restoration or the hundredfold law for an obvious reason: the math doesn’t work. Let’s take the law of tithing, as an example. In the telestial world, ten minus one equals nine; but in the celestial world, because we are dealing with a celestial law and celestial math, ten minus one can equal eleven or fifteen or fifty or “an hundredfold.” But never nine!
For instance, in past articles we have cited the example of the kernel of corn. Given the choice of planting or eating it, we chose the Zion way of faith and planted it; that is, we gave it away. Our faith increased when we observed our seed grow into a stalk with several ears of corn. Now we had another choice: eat the ears of corn or plant (give away) the kernels. Once again, we applied the Zion principle of exercising faith and planting. Now the result of our faith and sacrifice was a great harvest-all from a single kernel. Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “As you give what you have, there is a replacement, with increase!” This in the hundredfold law: a most important principle of Zion that lends to safety, security and abundance.
What Doth It Profit to Cling to Our Stuff?
True safety and prosperity are only found in making the sacrifice of all things through consecration and by following Christ. Jesus sounded a warning against our tendency to step into the snare of the love of money: “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
When a wealthy young man went away sorrowing after having received the Lord’s answer regarding the price of becoming perfect, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Imbedded in the Lord’s explanation is an introduction to the law of consecration, which is founded on the law of restoration. This law is our safety net from the preoccupation of wealth, and it is a key to our becoming perfect.
To the rich young man, the Lord said, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor.” Although the rich man was clearly a good man, who had lived the commandments, he could not bring himself to accept the law of consecration, which would have covered him in safety and security, and would have opened the door to perfection. Truly, it is hard for a rich man-or for that matter, a proud, selfish, power-hungry, recognition-seeking man-to lay aside the things of this world and still achieve heaven.
Safety and Perfection in Consecration
We learn several important principles of Zion from the incident of the Savior and the rich young man:
1) Perfection hinges, not on living the commandments alone, but on living the Law of consecration.
2) The ultimate test of discipleship is the Law of consecration.
3) The law of consecration was instituted, in part, for our safety, because pursuing and hoarding wealth can result in the loss of exaltation.
4) The law of consecration is hard to live, but it is harder for a rich man.
5) Only divine intervention can save the rich, who are those who have too much of what they do not need or deserve, but that intervention is not necessarily guaranteed.
6) Consecrating our excess to the poor tends to stockpile treasure in heaven, where treasure is needed.
7) The law of consecration makes us truly safe and secure. The Lord invited the rich young man to “come and follow me,” which implies true safety. If we are with the Lord, we are safe.
8) Consecrated sacrifices earn “an hundredfold” return. If that is true, the rich young man would have received hundredfold more blessings than he sacrificed to bless the poor, and in the process of giving, the Lord would have kept the young man safe; he would have achieved perfection, and he would have earned eternal life.
Thus sang the psalmist: “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.” Deliverance, preservation, safety, blessings, protection, strength, and health-these are the blessings of consecration.
The Hundredfold Law
The incident of the rich young man disturbed the apostles so much that they began to search their souls. Evidently, they wondered if they had fully complied with the laws of sacrifice and consecration so that they might obtain eternal life. Jesus offered them an astonishing promise: “And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” Here the Lord makes two divine promises connected with consecration: 1) an hundredfold return, and 2) the promise of eternal life. Those who live this celestial law will be blessed a hundred times their sacrifice, and they will inherit exaltation!
Whatever we give the Lord in service to his kingdom, his children, or in personal sacrifice are restored to us “an hundredfold.” That is the celestial law of Zion. Jesus’ apostles had firsthand experience with the hundredfold law on at least two occasions: first, when Jesus fed the five thousand and second when he fed the four thousand. Each time, Jesus required the apostles to bring (consecrate) all that they could to the Lord. Then when Jesus blessed their offering, the resource multiplied and fed many.
Of significance, in each instance, Jesus instructed the apostles to gather up the fragments and take note of the resulting quantity. Amazingly, the five loaves and two fishes had not only fed thousands, the fragments now filled twelve baskets! An hundredfold return!
The laws of restoration, consecration and the hundredfold law are celestial laws that we must live by faith in a telestial world. When we sacrifice and consecrate our time, talents and resources to build the Kingdom of God, to promote the cause of Zion, and to bless the lives of others, we invoke these celestial laws of abundance upon which Zion people and a Zion priesthood society are built. What the Lord said to his disciples, he repeats to us: “freely ye have received, freely give”; “feed my lambs…feed my sheep.”
Of the “many” who are called to eternal life, only a “few” will actually achieve it, and when they do it will be because they made a consecrated effort, allowing the law of restoration to engage, which triggered the powers of earth and heaven to work together to return an hundredfold reward and the promise of eternal life.
Author’s Note
This article was adapted from The Three Pillars of Zion. You may receive a free sample at www.PillarsOfZion.com.
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.60
Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p.118
See Matthew Cowley, Matthew Cowley Speaks, p.30
See Ezra Taft Benson, “Jesus Christ-Gifts and Expectations,” New Era, May 1975
See Hugh Nibley, Approaching Zion, p.30
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.296
We are tempted to describe abundance in terms of finances, and it can certainly include such blessings; but abundance and prosperity more often refer to blessings that lend to safety, security and an outpouring of divine favor.
See Gen 26:12; 2 Samuel 24:3; Matthew 13:8-23;19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 8:8; D&C 98:25; 132:55
Boyd K. Packer, “The Candle of the Lord,” Ensign, January 1983
See Mark 6:35-44 and Mark 8:1-9
What do you think of the phrase that is often used: “I’ll sign up for a shift at [wherever our ward has been given a service assignment]; I need the blessings.”
I think that is often said just as a cliche by the good people I have heard say it. But I asked a member of our temple presidency what he thought of us agreeing to serve because we are in need of blessings; he responded to the effect that he thought the Lord might say “Who do you think you are? I have already given you so much.”
In my mind, we approach the gospel first telestially, then terrestrially and finally celestially. There is no need to judge anyone’s motivation for service. We serve from the point of view of duty then understanding and finally love. But making that leap does not come all at once. If we need blessings and serve for that reason, my feeling is that the Lord will still bless us in an effort to take us to the next level. It all about education down here.
Wow, I love your answer! I know I have often served out of duty and never felt it was wrong. I think and hope I am progressing in my motives. Your answer gives me a lot of peace. Thank you.