Unity in God's House

God told Alma that his church was composed of "he that will hear my voice."¹ The Lord's house is all those who seek, obtain, and heed his word. By definition, this house is ordered because it is composed of those who obey God's orders-his word.

"Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion. Will I accept of an offering, saith the Lord, that is not made in my name? Or will I receive at your hands that which I have not appointed? And will I appoint unto you, saith the Lord, except it be by law, even as I and my Father ordained unto you, before the world was? (D&C 132: 8-11)

Note that men are not a part of this equation, except and unless their words are received explicitly from God. His appointments, which are his word, are what order his house. By definition, his word in the scriptures is the foundational source for this order. Any deviations from his word must necessarily come from his own mouth, such as when he commanded Nephi to divert from the command, "thou shalt not kill" and slay Laban. We find ample examples of men ordering God's house through preaching his word in the scriptures. For example, Alma went forth to divorce the church from their false notions and thus order it by preaching the word of God.

And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them. (Alma 4:19)

An example of what he taught is found in Alma chapters 5 and 6. The Lord tells us that at some point the Lord will send a servant to put the house of God in order once again. Some consider this prophesy to be fulfilled, though it is clear that such is not the case since at least one critical item (to give lands of inheritance to the Saints) has not occurred.

And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God; (D&C 85:7)

At any rate, we can rest assured that when God sets about to order his house again, he will do it according to the pattern he has always followed: His servant will preach God's word.

Though surface sameness can be achieved by unrighteous dominion of men, Zion cannot be built upon this principle. Unity in heart and mind, which Zion necessitates, can only be achieved when men choose to obey God's word. "And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them."² If all men took the word of God as their guide, we would have unity indeed.