Consecration
Consecrate (from the root qâdâsh, קָדַשׁ)1 means “to set something or someone apart as sacred or holy; to pronounce clean; to purify or sanctify” (see T&C 82:16; T&C 123:5). The antonym is desecrate. Do not “perform anything” for the Lord until you have “in the first place” prayed to consecrate your performance. “In 2 Nephi 14:3 Nephi teaches you how to live the law of consecration. You don’t need others to join you. You don’t need a city to live where all things are held in common. You only need your own pure intent, acting no hypocrisy, consecrating your performance to the Lord for the welfare of your soul.”2 Speaking in January 1841 of a new location for Zion, “the Lord required a temple to be built in Nauvoo and once again offered to establish a protected place for the saints to gather. The Lord offered: And you shall build it on the place where you have contemplated building it, for that is the spot which I have chosen for you to build it. If you labor with all your mights I will consecrate that spot that it shall be made holy (T&C 141:13). Essentially the Lord said, ‘Are you going to build the temple in Nauvoo? I will command you to do it. And if you do it, I will consecrate that spot. I will make that spot holy for you. I will make it so your enemies cannot move you out. I will come there and I will restore to you what has been lost: the fullness.’”3