Many are called, but few are chosen

In Doctrine and Covenants 121:34, the Lord declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith that "there are many called but few are chosen." Then He queried, "And why are they not chosen?" The answer is hugely important if one wants to understand divine influence. It is that "their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world and aspire to the honors of men that they do not learn this one lesson--that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness" (verses 35-36).

Notice the emphasis on their hearts. Many are not chosen because they are motivated by the wrong things. They are seeking worldly things and recognition from others. This is keeping them from understanding and leading based on the principles of righteousness, which will give them access to the powers of heaven. To better understand this concept, consider what the Lord said to Joseph's father in Doctrine and Covenants 4:3, "If ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work." Those who have a desire to serve God will be called, but they must then go beyond that desire alone. They must be motivated to serve for the right reasons. Because once they are called and "embark in the service of God," they must "serve Him with all [their] heart, might, mind, and strength, that they may stand blameless before God at the last day" (verse 2).

Only those who desire to serve God for the right reasons with all their heart, might, mind, and strength, undistracted by worldly motives, will be able to harness the powers of heaven through the application of the principles of righteousness.

So, as you strive to serve God, give some thought to the following if you wish to draw upon the powers of heaven:

1. Do you view your calling as an opportunity to serve others in the Lord's way or to gain connections, recognition, status, influence, etc.?

2. Do you serve Him with all your:

   a) Heart: Symbolic of human will. What you want and the character and attitude with which you pursue your desires. The key question here is whether or not your heart is aligned with His.

   b) Might: Symbolic of the resources that one can draw upon to accomplish one's will. The key question here is whether or not you are willing to dedicate all your resources to pursuing His will (the law of consecration).

   c) Mind: Symbolic of one's knowledge and mental capacity. The key question here is whether or not you are applying your full mental faculties to the pursuit of God's will?

   d) Strength: Symbolic of one's physical capacity. The key question here is whether or not you are dedicating your energy and physical effort to pursuing the Lord's will?

If you serve in this way, it will help you to have the capacity to apply the principles of righteousness and draw upon the powers of heaven. We will examine these principles in the posts that follow