An Account of Our Stewardship

One of the themes that we see in many sections in the Doctrine and Covenants is that of stewardship.  In the revelation that Brigham Young received, the Lord said, “Thou shalt be diligent in preserving what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward” (D&C 136:27).  Whether the Lord was speaking about properties or Priesthood callings or families, I think the verses that encourage faithfulness in our stewardships can be applied broadly.  And if there’s one common message among all of them, it is that we will one day have to give an account of it. 

               In most of the passages about stewards and stewardships, the Lord emphasized that some kind of report of that stewardship would need to be given by the steward.  In a revelation at the time the Book of Commandments was being put together, the Lord said, “And also, my servants who are abroad in the earth should send forth the accounts of their stewardships to the land of Zion” (D&C 69:5).  The Lord further said about those who would be “stewards over the revelations and commandments” that “an account of this stewardship will I require of them in the day of judgment” (D&C 70:3-4).  In a more general statement, the Savior declared, “It is required of the Lord, at the hand of every steward, to render an account of his stewardship, both in time and in eternity” (D&C 72:3).  In the same revelation the Lord said again, “And now, verily I say unto you, that as every elder in this part of the vineyard must give an account of his stewardship unto the bishop in this part of the vineyard” (D&C 72:16).  In a revelation speaking about temporal stewardships the Lord said, “That every man may give an account unto me of the stewardship which is appointed unto him.  For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.” (D&C 104:12-13).  In D&C 124 Robert Thompson was given an assignment and the Lord said, “But let him remember that his stewardship will I require at his hands” (D&C 124:14).

               In addition to the final judgment itself, we know of one event that will take place in the future that will involve stewards giving an accounting of their stewardships.  Joseph Smith taught that the place of Adam-ondi-Ahman is that place that Adam will come in the future “to visit his people” there and “all that have had the Keys must Stand before him [Adam] in this grand Council. . . . The Son of Man [Christ] Stands before him & there is given him glory & dominion.—Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ.”  All those who have held priesthood keys back to Adam will there gather to give an account of their stewardship in front of the prophets of old and the Savior Himself.  Surely that is not a meeting we want to be ill-prepared for.  All of the teachings about stewards and stewardships invite us to prepare now by fulfilling our role to the best of our abilities so that whenever we are asked for our accounting we will be ready and “found a faithful, a just, and a wise steward” and “enter into the joy of [our] Lord” and “inherit eternal life” (D&C 51:19).