BECOMING A TREASURED PECULIAR PEOPLE
Dissecting
¶ And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.
Takeaway: Exodus 24:3 shows us that ordinances create a covenant people, and common consent creates a united people. Together they form a pattern: God speaks, we receive, and we answer with one voice. Ordinances anchor our obedience; common consent anchors our unity.
Cross‑reference words:
- “Judgments” » Ordinances
- “Voice” » Common Consent Scriptures taken from the Topical Guide list
1. Most Poignant Scriptures
A. Ordinances (Judgments » Covenant Order)
"All the people answered with one voice."
- God reveals His words and His judgments (ordinances), and we respond in covenant obedience.
"No person is to be ordained … without the vote of that church."
- No one is ordained without the sustaining vote of the Church.
"fill all these offices and approve of those names."
- The Saints are commanded to fill offices and approve names—ordinances and callings move forward only when the body consents.
“turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.”
- God promises to the people.
B. Common Consent (Voice » United Will)
“All the people answered with one voice.”
- God answers the "Peculiar People", the covenant people.
"Being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men."
- The early Saints acted “being assembled with one accord.”
“All things shall be done by common consent.”
- We make ordinances with one another in fellowship, sacrament, song, and discussing LDS doctrine regularly.
"Therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law."
- The voice of the people is to choose righteousness.
"They did assemble themselves together to cast in their voices."
- The voice of the people determines leadership and direction.
2. Why These Scriptures Matter
A. Why “Judgments” = Ordinances
In Exodus 24, “judgments” refers to the revealed laws, ordinances, and covenant terms God gives His people. Ordinances are not random rituals; they are God’s way of binding us to Him and binding us to each other.
- They establish order.
- They establish identity.
- They establish belonging.
When we receive ordinances, we are not acting alone—we are stepping into a covenant community shaped by God’s revealed will.
B. Why “Voice” = Common Consent
When Israel answered “with one voice,” they were not merely agreeing—they were entering unity.
Common consent is not democracy; it is covenant harmony.
- We listen together.
- We discern together.
- We sustain together.
- We move forward together.
This is why the Lord commands that all things in His Church be done by common consent: unity is not optional—it is the covenant pattern.
3. Principles
Principle 1 — Ordinances anchor our obedience.
God reveals His will, and ordinances give us a way to embody that will.
Through ordinances we say, “We will do all the words the Lord has spoken.”
They turn belief into covenant, and covenant into discipleship.
Principle 2 — Common consent anchors our unity.
When we answer with “one voice,” we are not erasing individuality—we are aligning our hearts with God and with each other.
Unity is not forced; it is chosen.
It is the fruit of shared covenant, shared revelation, and shared responsibility.
4. Application to Our Spiritual Growth and Well‑Being
A. Ordinances shape us into a covenant people.
As we honor our ordinances—baptism, sacrament, priesthood, temple—we are continually saying:
“All that the Lord has said, we will do.”
This builds spiritual stability, moral clarity, and covenant identity.
B. Common consent shapes us into a united people.
When we sustain leaders, approve callings, and participate in the work of the Church, we are practicing:
- humility
- unity
- shared stewardship
- spiritual maturity
Common consent teaches us to listen to the Spirit together and to move forward together.
C. Together they form a covenant pattern for our homes.
In our families, our ministries, and our communities, we grow when:
- we honor God’s ordinances,
- we speak with one voice in our commitments,
- we seek unity in decision‑making,
- we sustain one another in righteousness.
This is how ordinances make common consent—and how common consent makes us whole.
5. One Action Step for Us This Week
Practice common consent in your home or ministry:
Choose one decision this week that you will make together—listening, discerning, and acting with one voice.
This is how we practice heaven on earth.
Our Responsibilities as Priesthood Holders
By President Joseph Fielding Smith
President of the Church
General Conference Talk April 1971
"We are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our commission is to represent him. We are directed to preach his gospel, to perform the ordinances of salvation, to bless mankind, to heal the sick and perhaps perform miracles, to do what he would do if he were personally present—and all this because we hold the holy priesthood."
6. Why This Talk Matters for Our Bible Study
President Smith’s teaching becomes the priesthood frame for everything we have explored in:
- Exodus 24:3 — ordinances (“judgments”) and common consent (“one voice”)
- D&C 26:2 — all things done by common consent
- Acts 15:25 — assembled with one accord
- Mosiah 29:26 — the voice of the people choosing righteousness
President Smith explains why these patterns matter:
Priesthood is representation.
We do not act for ourselves—we act in His name, in His stead, and for His glory.
This means:
- Ordinances are not rituals; they are ambassadorial acts.
- Common consent is not voting; it is unified discipleship.
- Our covenant obedience is not private; it is representative service.
Everything we do in this study—ordinances, unity, covenant, obedience—flows from this priesthood identity.
7. How This Talk Integrates With Ordinances & Common Consent
A. Ordinances: We Represent Christ
President Smith teaches that priesthood holders perform ordinances because we act as Christ’s representatives.
This aligns perfectly with:
- “All the judgments” in Exodus 24:3 » God’s revealed ordinances
- D&C 20:65 » ordination requires the sustaining voice of the Church
- Zephaniah 3:9 » serving God “with one consent”
Principle:
Ordinances are the way Christ continues His ministry through us.
Application:
When we baptize, bless, administer, or anoint, we are not performing tasks—we are extending the ministry of Jesus Christ into the lives of His children.
B. Common Consent: We Unite Under Christ
President Smith’s phrase “to do what he would do if he were personally present” explains why common consent matters:
- Christ would never act without unity.
- Christ would never impose leadership without sustaining love.
- Christ would never divide His people.
Thus:
- “One voice” in Exodus 24:3
- “One accord” in Acts 15:25
- “Common consent” in D&C 26:2
These are not administrative procedures—they are Christlike patterns.
Principle:
Common consent is how we align our will with Christ’s will as a people.
Application:
When we sustain leaders, approve callings, and support decisions, we are practicing the unity Christ Himself would establish if He were physically among us.
8. How We as a Peculiar People Live This Calling
A. We do righteousness for His glory, not our own.
President Smith’s teaching reminds us that priesthood is not status—it is stewardship.
We act:
- in His name
- by His authority
- for His purposes
- under His direction
Principle:
A peculiar people does not seek praise—they seek to reflect Christ.
B. We protect our covenant identity by not serving organizations contrary to the restored gospel.
This is not about hostility; it is about loyalty to covenants.
As ambassadors of Christ:
- We cannot represent Him and simultaneously represent causes that oppose His doctrine.
- We cannot sustain Zion while strengthening Babylon.
- We cannot preach covenant unity while supporting organizations that undermine the restored gospel.
Principle:
Priesthood loyalty is covenant loyalty.
Application:
We evaluate every association, partnership, and affiliation through the lens of:
“Does this help me represent Christ, or does it pull me away from Him?”
C. We live as representatives of Christ in all things.
President Smith’s list is our pattern:
- preach His gospel
- perform His ordinances
- bless mankind
- heal the sick
- perform miracles if needed
- do what He would do
Principle:
Priesthood is not a title—it is a lifestyle of Christlike action.
Application:
In our homes, ministries, workplaces, and communities, we ask:
“What would Christ do here, and how do we represent Him faithfully?”
9. How This Strengthens Our Spiritual Growth and Well‑Being
When we embrace this priesthood identity:
- Ordinances become sacred privileges.
- Common consent becomes joyful unity.
- Covenant obedience becomes our spiritual protection.
- Our separation from worldly organizations becomes clarity, not isolation.
- Our service becomes Christlike, not performative.
- Our discipleship becomes purposeful, not passive.
We grow because we are aligned with Christ.
We flourish because we are united with each other.
We endure because we are anchored in covenant.
10. One More Action Step for Us This Week
Choose one priesthood responsibility—ministering, blessing, teaching, sustaining—and consciously perform it as
Christ’s ambassador.
Not as a duty.
Not as a task.
But as a representative of the Holy One.
Takeaway
President Joseph Fielding Smith’s declaration—“We are ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ”—is the priesthood lens through which our entire Bible study on ordinances and common consent comes into focus. Ordinances give us our commission; common consent gives us our unity; priesthood responsibility gives us our identity as a peculiar people who act for the glory of Christ and the holiness of the Father.
Closing Summary
“A People Who Answer With One Voice”
Our study has shown that ordinances shape our covenant identity, and common consent shapes our covenant unity. In Exodus 24:3, we see the pattern: God speaks, we receive, and we answer with one voice. This pattern continues through the restored gospel—every ordinance, every sustaining vote, every act of priesthood service is an expression of our willingness to say, “All that the Lord has said, we will do.” President Joseph Fielding Smith’s reminder that we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ brings the entire study into focus: ordinances are how Christ continues His ministry through us, and common consent is how we unite under His direction. As a peculiar people, we protect our covenant identity, we choose righteousness, and we move forward together in the unity of the faith.
Final Thoughts
“Representing Christ in All Things”
As priesthood holders and covenant disciples, we do not act for ourselves—we act in His name, in His stead, and for His glory. This means our obedience is not private; it is representative. Our unity is not administrative; it is spiritual. Our separation from organizations contrary to the restored gospel is not isolation; it is loyalty to the covenants that define us. We are called to be a people who do what Christ would do if He were personally present: preach His gospel, perform His ordinances, bless mankind, heal the sick, and lift the weary. When we honor ordinances and sustain one another with one voice, we become a people who reflect His holiness and extend His ministry into every corner of our lives.
Testimony
“We Stand as His Ambassadors”
I testify that ordinances are the Lord’s chosen way of binding us to Him and binding us to each other. I testify that common consent is the covenant pattern by which we grow in unity, humility, and spiritual maturity. I know that when we act with one voice, we act in the Spirit of Christ. I know that the holy priesthood is His authority and His trust, given so that we may represent Him with purity, courage, and love. As a peculiar people, we are set apart to do righteousness for the glory of Christ and the holiness of the Father. May we live as His ambassadors—faithful in ordinances, united in consent, and steadfast in covenant loyalty—until the day He returns and finds us still answering with one voice: “All that the Lord has said, we will do.”
In Jesus Christ name, amen.
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