I Have Counted the Cost

As Sidney Rigdon became convinced of the truthfulness of the restored gospel, he warned his wife Phebe of how their lives might change if they accepted it. One source records their conversation: “‘My dear, you have once followed me into poverty; are you again willing to do the same?’ She answered, ‘I have weighed the matter; I have contemplated … the circumstances in which we may be placed; I have counted the cost, and I am perfectly satisfied to follow you. Yea, it is my desire to do the will of God, come life or come death.’” They knew that “the cost of their conversion would probably include their home and their living” but they nonetheless were baptized and accepted that cost. I am impressed in particular by Phebe’s words and her willingness to give up—like so many of the other early Saints—the comforts and riches of this life for the gospel. It should be the same for us, that come life or death we too are willing to do the will of God and keep His commandments.

               Phebe’s statement likely had reference to one of the parables of the Savior. In teaching the people the cost of discipleship, He said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-30). Clearly the Lord wants us to be fully committed to Him and His gospel and to recognize the great cost in terms of worldly things to following Him: He wants our time, our means, our sins, and our whole devotion when we accept Him. He would rather have us build no tower at all than to construct half a tower that we never finish.  

I believe this parable is related to the one the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 101:44-54 in which He said,  “A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants: Go ye unto my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive trees; And set watchmen round about them, and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower, that mine olive trees may not be broken down when the enemy shall come to spoil and take upon themselves the fruit of my vineyard. Now, the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them… and began to build a tower. And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves: And what need hath my lord of this tower? And consulted for a long time, saying among themselves: What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?” The servants were instructed to build a tower and set watchmen upon it in order to protect his vineyard. They started to build the tower but after laying the foundation they began to be slothful and did not want to fulfil the commandments they had been given. This is similar language to the other parable in which “after he hath laid the foundation” he did not finish it. But in this revelation the focus is on the cost of not building the tower, for when they failed to finish it “the enemy came by night, and broke down the hedge; and the servants of the nobleman arose and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works, and broke down the olive trees.” Yes, there is a great cost—like that of building a tower—to devoted discipleship, to following the Savior, to keeping His commandments and making covenants. And the Lord wants us to understand that before covenanting with Him, to be willing like Phebe to “do the will of God, come life or come death.” But we should also recognize that there is a great cost to not choosing Him and not symbolically building a tower in our own lives, for that spiritual tower will protect us from the enemy of our souls and the wickedness of the world. Ultimately if we do our best to build that tower here, He will grant us a building far greater in the world to come: “And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father” (Doctrine and Covenants 81:6).