Put in Trust.

Today's scripture:

But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts."  -1 Thessalonians 2:4

At first I was mostly thinking about what a privilege it is to have the Gospel, and how I am silly about being apprehensive sharing it with others. But as I typed, I started thinking about what it means to be put in trust. In legal terms, a trust is a mechanism for controlling the distribution and transfer of property. If I were to put my house in trust, for example, I would transfer ownership to a trustee, who would have a fiduciary duty to distribute the income from the house to my designated beneficiaries. (I realize this is very simplistic; it has been five years since I took Trusts class, and I haven't looked at one since then.) The trust is governed by the rules set up at its creation.

In that sense, any and all of us who are called to the work are trustees of God's Kingdom upon the earth. We are given a stewardship, and all of the attendant knowledge, revelations, and blessings, but we also have a fiduciary duty to distribute the fruits of the Gospel to those designated by our Trustor, Jesus Christ (i.e. to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples). And since anyone who desires to serve God is called to the work (D&C 4:3), that means every single member of the Church who desires to serve is a trustee of the Kingdom. No one is given the Gospel of Jesus Christ only for their own benefit. In fact, when we sign onto the deal, we covenant to "keep His commandments," to "bear one another's burdens," to "comfort those who stand in need of comfort," and to "stand as a witness of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places." (D&C 20:77, Mosiah 18:8-9) Those are the fiduciary duties we have as Trustees of His Kingdom, and more may be added upon us as we accept callings within the Priesthood and Auxiliary organizations of the Church.

So not only does God trust me with His Kingdom, he has given it to me in trust, with the solemn duty to share it with all of His children who will listen. The trial of my heart will be whether I carry out my duty or give in to the pressure to "please men" instead of God.