THE ELECT AND THE CHOSEN

 

“To be called to be a member of the Church and kingdom of God on earth; it is to be numbered with the saints; it is to accept the gospel and receive the everlasting covenant; it is to have part and lot in the earthly Zion; it is to be born again, to be a son or a daughter of the Lord Jesus Christ; to have membership in the household of faith; it is to be on the path leading to eternal life and to have the hope of eternal glory; it is to have a conditional promise of eternal life, it is to be an inheritor of all the blessings of the gospel, provided there is continued obedience to the laws and ordinances thereof.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “Doctrinal New Testament Commentary”  3:326; see also D&C Student Manual p 298, commentary for 121:34)

I look back on the time I felt driven to join the Church. My motivation back then was very simple but today, after all the knowledge I have gained through the Church, I believe I was called.  I think of only one thing: “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Being called means to have been elected in pre-mortal life to have the privilege of being a member of Christ’s kingdom on earth.

Both Elder McConkie and President Harold B Lee claimed that the lives we lived in pre-mortal life very much determined the privileges we would have in this life, especially that we would be granted opportunities to accept the truth; that it is “reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth life was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here” (President Harold B. Lee, in CR October 1973, Ensign January 1974; see also “A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p 512 by Bruce R. McConkie)

We read in Doctrine and Covenants that “many are called but few are chosen” and it is so because their hearts are set on the things of the world (121:34-5). Somehow the glare of this earthly life blinds so many of us and in that glare we sell our birthright for a mass of pottage.

The membership number of the Church for 2025 is a little over 17.5 million. Compare that to the world population of 8.25 billion.  When you put that into perspective, you can see how privileged, valued, and special you are to be in the sheepfold of the Saviour’s flock. If you ever get tempted to leave, just remember: “I am the door of the sheep…..I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:7,11).

How dear to the heart of the Shepherd

Is the flock of His sheep;

With tenderness and love

He watches over those in His keep.

How much do they love their Shepherd!

How closely they stay by His side!

With every footstep they follow,

To forever with Him abide,

In all eternity wide.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Comforter by Yongsung Kim)

TESTIMONY OF THE FAITHFUL

 

 

I am learning how subtle the adversary is in his persecution of the faithful. I recently wrote about the enemy moving amongst the early saints of the Church who sought to discredit Joseph and the work of the restoration. We usually expect opposition to come from all corners of the world but I am convinced that is not so.

Unrighteous influence and unrelenting persuasion to abandon our convictions of the truth often come within the Church also. This is very much manifest through the well-meaning Saints who have themselves abandoned the Gospel and walked away from the Church.

I read today something jarring that has made me see how incredibly important it is for us to stand our ground where our testimony of the Church, the Gospel and our Saviour Jesus Christ is concerned.

Consider the adversary’s greatest push to destroy our faith in the beginning of ‘the end’:

“Lucifer will be perniciously zealous in manifesting his great power among his dominions at that day when the ambassadors of the Lord pass through every kingdom crying repentance (D&C 1:35).

“Lucifer’s technique will be to feed the sign-seeking multitudes of the earth with sensational exhibitions (Rev 16:14). He will show them fire coming down from heaven (Rev 13:13-14). He will raise up false Christs and false prophets, and so great will be their power that, ‘if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, according to the covenant (JSMatt 1:22; Matt 24:11-13).” 

-        Clean Skousen, Prophecy and Modern Times p 62

Who are the elect? Us, who have become the covenant people. But just because we have become  so, it does not mean that we cannot be deceived. The operative term in this scripture is, “if possible”. What would make it impossible for us to be deceived?

Firstly, if we build upon our testimonies on regular basis and allow the Holy Ghost to feed us spiritually we will come to the point where no counterfeits of the adversary would be able to match our convictions of the spirit. We will see the deception clearly.

Secondly, if we regularly resist the smallest attempts of anyone, even the well-meaning members of the Church who try to convince us to believe anything contrary to the guidance we receive from the leadership of the Church, we will build upon our resilience.

Thirdly, and most importantly, if we center ourselves upon Christ, we will know Him and His Gospel, it will be impossible to be deceived by the anti-Christs. May we study the scriptures intently that we might gain this knowledge and seek the witness of His character and greatness constantly to keep our testimonies burning so bright that nothing can extinguish them.

You sowed Your truth

Deep within my heart;

So deep, the enemy cannot

sever us apart.

 

You bid me to nurture the seeds of faith

So you can forever cherish my name;

You are my keeper of salvation’s flame.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Sower by Annie Henrie Nader)