Stewardship

 The other day in my reading I didn't have a lot of time to read, so I just opened up a page and cross referenced topics and story features from things I remembered (my most common way of scripture study; to cross reference every reference that isn't already done in the footnotes, a challenge because you need to know the references from memory, because they aren't written anywhere!) The topic that intrigued me was on stewardship.
  Oftentimes you'll see in my blogs an * which in most cases are notes to me and others that there will be a future post on a topic. So, as in last night's foreshadowing, here is my commentary quickly on stewardship...
  The verse I opened to was Alma 18:6, "For he had slain many of them because their brethren had scattered their flocks at the place of water; and thus, because they had had their flocks scattered they were slain." It's very educating to look at parallels of action between the learned and ignorant, righteous and iniquitous, light and dark, etc. The actions are in many cases similar and are used as allegories of systems. Many of the things wicked kings do to punish their subjects are the same things righteous kings do to chastise them, at least in the root of the concepts. This example is the king killing those who didn't care for his sheep. As stewards, we are going to be accountable for taking care of our 'sheep' whatever that is in our life. 
  In Jacob 5 there's much on this topic. In Luke 15:8-10, the parable of the woman and the silver pieces is given. As Talmage mentions in Jesus the Christ, it's a parable also discussing the ecclesiastical stewardship of the children of Christ. We are given the Priesthood, therefore the commission, and our souls are in subjection to how well we fulfill that commission (Jacob 2:19). Jacob 2 is really great in that it shows a leader explaining his role as a leader(as well as Msh. 2:18), and giving the people an understanding of why he does what he does. 
  The role of *record keeping is also one of stewardship! (3Ne. 23; Alma 37:[1-12])
  Stewardship is to provide a task on the behalf of another. The item may be a soul in its own right, or simply matter to 'be acted upon', but all things fall in someone's stewardship, and all must be accounted for. *Husbandry is a form of stewardship that I will discuss later. 
  The point of this post is to point out that no one is exempt from responsibility, and that we are under full obligation to fulfill the tasks we've been given in conjunction with that stewardship. Only by becoming stewards of what we have, even if it's small, then shall we be 'good and faithful servants' and be invited to 'be ruler[s] of many things' and to enjoy 'the joy of thy [L]ord'. And, like missions, once we have reported in our stewardship, we shall be added upon. This goes back with all topics; revelation (Alma 12:10-11, D&C 50:24), or kingdoms (Alma 20:26-27), or anything (Matt. 25:14-30)! Always ask oneself, 'Who/what is in my stewardship? What can I do for them today?