Celestial Consecration

2 Philippians 2:6 - "who [Christ] thought it not robbery to be equal with God"
Romans 8:17 - "if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"
D&C 78:6 - "if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things"
D&C 84:38 - "he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father's kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him"

My goal in this post is not to explain the law of consecration.  See Elder Neal A Maxwell's talks "Swallowed up in the will of the Father" and "Consecrate thy performance" for an understanding of what the law of consecration really means.  Suffice it to say for now that the law of consecration is a celestial law that is necessary for our exaltation.  

I want to focus on the purpose of the law of consecration.  The question was once posed: how is it possible for all of us to have all that the Father hath without diminishing His glory or reducing His power?  The answer is the law of consecration.  The law of consecration is the way that we can all possess all that the Father hath.  Gods practice the law of consecration. In Smith and Sjodahl's commentary on the Doctrine & Covenants they wrote, "In celestial glory there is perfect equality. D&C 76:95, 'he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion.' But if they have not practiced equality here, they are not prepared to live under that law there." Remember, Elder Marion G Romney said, "The basic principle and the justification for the law of consecration 'is that everything we have belongs to the Lord.'"  So it is in this life, so it will be in the life to come.  The law of consecration is the means whereby we prove that we can be trusted with "all that the Father hath".  For how could the Father entrust us with everything if there was a chance we might "run away" with it?  If the Lord can not trust us with the "few" earthly things (few compared to what He has), how can He possibly trust us with all of the heavenly things?  

From these questions it seems clear to me that the law of consecration is central to the gospel.  It is essential to the plan of salvation.  It is a key to unlock the "mysteries of godliness".   No Latter-day Saint should be able to rest easy thinking that the law of consecration has been done away with and need not be studied.  The saints failed to live this law when the Lord provided a clear blue print of the United Order.  We all have a great necessity to understand the law of consecration better and find out how we can live it in our lives today.