The Economic Bureau – A scriptural Analysis
Introduction
The buildings 7, 8 and 9 in the plat are for “The Sacred Apostolic Repository, for the use of the Bishop.” The three buildings comprise one of the four bureaus of the Melchizedek division in the plat and building design. The phrase “Sacred Apostolic Repository” bears significant symbolism, as does the title of “bishop.”[1] This section seeks to contextualize the terms in the KJV Bible’s sixteenth-century Early Modern English language,[2] in which the plat was worded, as well as in other sources of LDS scripture.
Scriptural Background
While the Old Testament does not expressly mention “bishop,” it does contain several references to the roles that bishops were expected to perform in the early church and at a time when the church was not separate from the state. The role alludes to a steward, who serves the community by managing resources. The role can also be equated to an overseer – not a supervisor over people, but one who is expected to manage resources under their care, such as the role Joseph was appointed to in Potiphar’s household (see Genesis 39:4). Proverbs 6:6-7 highlights the importance of the overseer to guide, motivate, and manage.
The term bishop is first seen in the Bible in the New Testament, probably due to the New Testament’s original writing being in Greek, the main intellectual language of the time. The word bishop can be traced back to the Greek word episkopos, literally meaning “overseer.” In Paul’s epistle to Titus (1:7), “a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre.” The verse emphasizes the great responsibility of the bishop as, among other things, being a steward or overseer. The bishop is to be sober, wise, and disciplined to properly manage the resources under his care.
Titus, the first bishop of the church in the Cretians, is instructed by Paul in Titus 3:14 to “let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.” The bishop is asked to properly assess the works in the community he serves, ensuring that whatever endeavors the participants embark on are positive and profitable. The bishop is expected to make the call on what is productive or unproductive, using the knowledge and resources they possess.
Talking of the new believers unto Christ, 1 Peter 2:25 says, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the shepherd and the bishop of your souls.” The bishop is a shepherd or minister whose role in the community is to help ensure the people’s activities are profitable and sensible, with the help of the other agencies.
D&C 42[3] provides much of the description of a bishop’s role, especially with regard to the Law of Consecration. After the saints have “consecrated substance” to the bishop, they will be accountable for their stewardship to the community, which they have received through “consecration.” In a modern business setting, it can be argued that the participants, having invested their wealth in the community through the community economic system, can thereafter seek loans to grow their business operations, for which they are accountable to the community. This accountability is to be assured through repayment of loans and the running of legitimate and sustainable businesses. D&C 42:33 says, “And again, if there shall be properties in the hands of the church, or any individuals of it, more than is necessary for their support after this first consecration, which is a residue to be consecrated unto the bishop, it shall be kept to administer to those who have not, from time to time, that every man who has need may be amply supplied and receive according to his wants.” The bishop has the authority to judge the participant’s wants in terms of loans or other assistance, based on information given to them by the village and district agents and other relevant parties in the community setup.
Doctrine and Covenants 46:27 says, “And unto the bishop of the church, and unto such as God shall appoint and ordain to watch over the church and to be elders unto the church, are to have it given unto them to discern all those gifts lest there shall be among you professing and yet be not of God.” The passage shows that bishops are ordained to be overseers of the church. In this capacity, their role is different from other overseers, in that they are expected to discern all those gifts that the participants profess and show and then harness these gifts to become profitable in the interests of the community. For those gifts that are not beneficial or are negative, the bishop is to discourage them and prevent their expression in the community.
Doctrine and Covenants 48:6 cites the role of bishops as overseers, allocators of stewardships, and holders of office, through which the community’s investments are to be managed: “And they shall be appointed to purchase the lands, and to make a commencement to lay the foundation of the city, and then shall ye begin to be gathered with your families, every man according to his family, according to his circumstances, and as is appointed to him by the presidency and bishop of the church, according to the laws and commandments which ye have received, and which ye shall hereafter receive.” Investment into the community is to be made by the participants according to their circumstances, their financial ability, and their willingness to invest. Additionally, the allocation of stewardships, in the form of economic opportunities (present-day loans or other assistance), will be made to the participants according to their circumstances, their knowledge of particular business fields, and the willingness and the needs of the community.
Doctrine and Covenants 51:4 says, “And let my servant Edward Partridge, when he shall appoint a man his portion, give unto him a writing that shall secure unto him his portion, that he shall hold it, even this right and this inheritance in the church, until he transgresses and is not accounted worthy by the voice of the church, according to the laws and covenants of the church, to belong to the church.” The first bishop was given the duty of receiving investment in the church and thereafter utilizing it to meet the needs of the community. In the same section, the bishop is given the power to remove participants whom they deem unfit to be in the community, based on the requirements of the community in matters of economic production and social integration among others. D&C 51:5 says, “And if he shall transgress and is not accounted worthy to belong to the church, he shall not have the power to claim that portion which he has consecrated unto the bishop for the poor and needy of my church; therefore, he shall not retain the gift, but shall only have claim on that portion that is deeded unto him.”
Doctrine and Covenants 107:68 states, “Wherefore, the office of a bishop is not equal unto it; for the office of a bishop is in administering all temporal things.” Such temporal things include administration of financial matters of the community, among other duties. The bishop is responsible for determining the continued presence of a participant in the community. D&C 51:4 describes this role, referring to those who are “not accounted worthy by the voice of the church, according to the laws and covenants of the church, to belong to the church.”
The importance of investing in the community is highlighted in D&C 119. Those who do not invest in the community are not participants in the community, though they can enter the community as legal dependents or visitors. The property will be used by the bishop to satisfy the individual needs of the participants and the needs of the community as a whole. By investing in the community and following other community bylaws, participants will be able to live in a land of economic and social progress. Failure to do so will, however, result in breakdown, as D&C 119:6 notes: “And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law, to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept thereon, that it may be most holy, behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you.”
Brief Historical Perspective
In the middle ages and the early modern age, Europe was characterized by a union of church and state, whereby bishops held powerful political offices in government. To this date, senior bishops of the Church of England sit in the House of Lords, the legacy of this time. The language of the plat uses this same early modern Tyndall language, and so the responsibilities of the bishop must be understood in this context. Bishops were the eyes of the state as well as the church among the people, being the link between the monarch and government, in addition to being the executors of state decisions. It is their role as the chancellors, treasurers and actual operators of governments that informs their characterization in this article.
Main Terms
| Term/ Phrase | Origin | Definition | Context in Community |
| Bishop | Greek – Epi-skopos, literally “overseer”; Old English Biscoep | A bishop in early the LDS Church (such as Edward Partridge) was expected to serve the people by executing the Law, including the collection and utilization of resources placed under the community’s care. In early Christianity, the bishop was a steward of the local church, entrusted to guide it in keeping the Church’s ideals. | The bishop will be expected to mobilize the investment of net wealth by participants into the capital fund. Using other tools such as the commercial and investment banks, the bishopric will then utilize these funds to power economic production by offering easy access to credit and improved leverage and return on invested funds. |
| Overseer | Late – Middle English – oversee | To manage on behalf of | The three agencies that form the Economic Bureau will be expected to oversee the invested capital on behalf of the community. |
| Consecrate (wealth) | Latin – Conscrare, to make sacred, or dedicate to holy function | In the context of The Law (of consecration), consecration refers to the voluntary giving of the saint’s wealth to build up God’s kingdom (the community) | Consecration is synonymous with the voluntary investment that the participant makes into the capital fund, which thereafter helps build up the community by powering economic progress. This does not mean giving away, as the participant retains a deed to the “consecrated” property. |
| Sacred apostolic repository | Latin – reposit (place back) | A place where things can be stored; a store | The sacred apostolic repository was to store the “consecrated” wealth, hence sacred. Sacred can, in this case, be taken to mean what has been placed under the care of the bishop (apostolic) for the use of the community’s participants, generally and individually. |
| Storehouse | Latin – instaurare (store), to renew | Store/granary/repository. In biblical terms, the storehouse is a community place/structure where the people take their surplus for the community’s use, such as in Malachi 3:10, in which the storehouse is for use by those who serve in the temple. | The storehouse is a structure used by the community to collect wealth that has been “consecrated by the participants, for investment in other enterprises within the community. |
Conclusion
The Law of Consecration, which was revealed to joseph Smith on 9th February 1831 set down the need for new entrants into the community to invest what they could in the community, and enable it uplift their economic standards, while also helping less fortunate members. The Law was clear that communalism was not to be encouraged. While all things belonged to the community, each was to be a ‘steward over his own property.” In an earlier revelation (4 February 1831), Edward Partridge had been appointed a “Bishop unto the Church.” The Law placed him at the center of the administration of the community’s economic affairs. D&C 42:32 says, “And it shall come to pass, that after they are laid before the bishop of my church, and after that he has received these testimonies concerning the consecration of the properties of my church, that they cannot be taken from the church, agreeable to my commandments, every man shall be made accountable unto me, a steward over his own property, or that which he has received by consecration, as much as is sufficient for himself and family.”
The community’s approach to economic development is based on these scriptures. Communalism, which usually points to division of economic resources, is strongly discouraged, while economic production is incentivized. Through the pooling of resources and proper wealth creation tools – the capital fund, the commercial bank and the investment bank, wealth is leveraged several times over, even a hundredfold.
While none of the community’s agencies or bureaus rank over others, the primacy of the Economic Bureau in making the community an economic success cannot be overestimated. It is through its ability to create and leverage wealth that makes the community such an attractive proposition to incoming participants, while acting as a powerful engine for its other aspects – social, environmental among them.
[1] The bishop is a “common judge in Israel” (D&C 107:74). The bishop will make a judgment on the right investment and other economic decisions to enhance the wealth and well-being of the community.
[2] William Tyndale originated a new form of English through his translation of the Bible into English. As an ordained Catholic priest, he was well versed in theological matters and had strong reformist leanings. His linguistic prowess—he was able to communicate in eight languages—enabled him to translate a Bible which was easy to read for the masses and established his place as the most influential figure in forging modern English, ahead of Shakespeare.
[3] D&C 42 details a crucial revelation delivered to Joseph Smith about the Law. The Law detailed an economic system centered around the bishop as the overseer of the storehouse, in which stead he would drive the economic development of the community. This can be argued to stem from the bishop’s role as the official charged with managing the community’s temporal affairs. The revelation gives the bishop the authority to receive investment and to thereafter utilize it using the applicable investment and leverage tools (described as stewardship, purchase of lands, etc.), to improve the community’s economic standing.