Elder Robert Giertz, Blue Springs, Mo.

Normally when someone talks about stewardship, the conversation usually centers on the importance of filing an annual financial accounting and the paying of tithes and free-will offerings.  Unfortunately, these steps alone seldom reveal the spiritual changes necessary to take place in the life of the individual steward that demonstrate a lasting difference.  The Reorganization has for some time been dwelling more on the written laws rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal the spiritual process that must take place in order that God can transform the natural man into spiritual man.  Often times our approach to stewardship has been through the head or more specifically, the pocket-book, without seeing the relationship that must first exist in the heart of the perspective steward.  The carnal man will never come to knowledge of the truth until he experiences fully the new creature that evolves as he takes upon him or her the attributes of Jesus Christ as they abide in the Vine and the Vine abides in them. (John 15)  We must determine in our hearts that “we” are unable of ourselves to change.  The carnal man is an enemy of God, not his friend.  Christ is able to transform or change us only as we surrender completely our self-will and choose to allow the Lord to put within us the attributes of a divine spiritual natural.  This power to transform is from a willingness to be guided moment by moment by the direction of the Holy Ghost.  We must first exercise faith to step outside of own incorrect perceptions and traditions before we can see or enter the vision that Christ desires for us to implement using the spiritual tools He alone can give to us.  Our spiritual toolboxes will be filled only as our works and our desires are aligned to His Di-Vine will.  Our works will then manifest His will, not ours.  Those spiritual tools will assist us in being awakened so that we can arise from our spiritual sleep and put off those characteristics which restrain the power of God in our lives so that He may put on us the robe of righteousness that He offers to all that will repent and come unto Him.

The Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 13:9-12) tries to help us understand the dilemma we face.  He shows us that his experiences with the Spirit of God had convinced him that we know most things only “in part,” however, he was quick to point out “when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away with.”  Paul then describes this process as seeing through a glass darkly, because our vision is darkened by our natural tendencies. The restoration has struggled in the area of stewardship because we have understood only a part of that which is required of the stewardship of Zion.  Paul again voices his concern about the inability of some in the church to acquire proper spiritual insights (2 Timothy 3:7).  He tells the church that they are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  Paul then explains this process by saying, things which we see with our eyes are “Temporal,” but the things which are not seen with our eyes are the things “Eternal” or celestial in nature. (2 Corinthians 4:18). The natural man therefore can neither see nor understand things eternal or celestial because his carnal senses have been dulled by transgression. Alma the younger greatly complements these statements by Paul.  (Alma 14:103)  “Yea, he that repenteth and excerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing; unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God.”  Following the path described by Alma, will embrace these spiritual qualities; otherwise, our journey towards Zion will end up in that wilderness of confusion and frustration that many within the scattered body of Christ have followed.

Spiritual knowledge is only good if the wisdom we gain from it leads us to the practical application of that which knowledge demands.  Inspiration from on high must be followed by some perspiration from us.  Zion must be transformed from a vision to a reality in which that vision is made visible to the world as it becomes that Ensign to the nations.  In our quest for that stewardship which is required for Zion we must check from time to time that our spiritual Liahona is properly calibrated and that our direction of travel is still on course.  Our own spiritual liahona functions only when we are diligent and faithful to the instructions. 

The end result of our absolute surrender or yielding our hearts to our Lord and Savior is the accumulation of godly fruit which remains in the life of the disciple.  Many different kinds of fruit are associated with the change that comes in the born-again Christian, but one fruit in particular that should be self-evident is that of being a good and faithful steward.  This must be voluntary, never compulsive.  “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary surrender (Colossians 2:18).  The process of transformation from carnal to spiritual will always protect the sacredness of our agency.  We must choose to be stewards, but there are no short cuts.  The celestial response first requires of us a broken heart and a contrite spirit.  One of the greatest single barriers that prevents our exodus from Babylon is we have lost our passion or desire to be the True Disciples and Stewards of Jesus Christ because of the dark vision of our natural man tendencies.  Therefore we must learn to become heart-smart.  Christ must abide in us through the death of self until we achieve a full surrender.  Only then will the scales fall from our eyes and we will be able to proclaim as did king Benjamin: “When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God.”  (Mosiah 1:49).  The following will also become relevant to us:

Stewardship is not the mathematical calculation of how much we owe, but the demonstration, by our lives, that all things belong to God.

Stewardship is the Discovery, Accumulation, Management, and Distribution of all the gifts God has given to us ─ Elder Peter Smart, 2000.

Learning that enough is sufficient and that more than enough is surplus.
That our surplus should be returned so that those without sufficient will have enough.
In other words, Live Life Simply That others may Simply live.
Having enough has little to do with the amount of money a person has and everything to do with a sense of the boundless provision that God provides.