WHO ARE THE ELECT OF GOD?
We learn in the
scriptures that we were elect or “chosen . . . before the foundation of the
world was” (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Timothy 1:9), to be part of the great latter-day
work of the Lord. Those who are of the house of Israel are given special
assignments to carry the gospel into all the world. When we receive our
patriarchal blessings and have our lineage declared, we are being told that we
are elect of God. We are designated to be part of the latter-day work.
The elect of God are
those who have heard the gospel, been baptized, and have made temple covenants
with the Lord under proper priesthood authority. Temple covenants are a key to
our election and a natural outgrowth of honoring our baptismal covenant.
Essentially, each of
us who have made covenants could put our name in that verse of scripture in the
Doctrine and Covenants which was given to Emma Smith and say, “Julie )or your
name), you are an elect lady, whom the Lord has chosen.”
Election is not based
upon gender but is available to all who fulfill the qualification of harkening
to the gospel and receiving ordinances and covenants (LDS Bible Dictionary,
s.v. “Election,” 662).
The temple is an
important key to our election. President Hinckley has said that the temple is
the reason for everything we do (See Russell M. Nelson, “Personal Preparation for
Temple Blessings,” Ensign, May 2001, 32: “The temple is the house of the
Lord. The basis for every temple ordinance and covenant—the heart of the plan
of salvation—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, every lesson,
all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to
proclaim the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to
proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead all lead to the
temple. Each holy temple stands as a symbol of our membership in the Church, as
a sign of our faith in life after death, and as a sacred step toward eternal
glory for us and our families). The ordinances of the temple are part of our
natural progression as we seek to fulfill our election or calling here on
earth. The booklets For the Strength of Youth, Personal Progress, and Duty
to God all have the temple as the cover illustration. These books are
written for youth who have made their first covenants with God and are being
prepared to make temple covenants. Those books are like a preparation course
which points young men and young women to the temple as the next most important
step in their lives. As a leader of young women, I am often asked how a girl
prepares for the temple. If she honors and keeps the covenant she has already
made at baptism, she is then preparing to make more covenants.
Any single adult
woman who qualifies for a temple recommend should be preparing to receive her
own endowment if she has not already done so. There is no “super” qualification
for those ordinances. Some women postpone those crucial and empowering
covenants, thinking that they are somehow tied to a mission or to marriage. In
reality, a mission or marriage is an outflow of the endowment and not the other
way around. If they are worthy and living the gospel, they should receive the
election that can be theirs through the temple and endowment.
WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ELECT AND CHOSEN?
Election is really an
opportunity to serve. As the elect of God, we are elected to serve in our own
homes and families first and then in the Church and the world. Those who belong
to the house of Israel have a special assignment or election to carry the work
of the Lord into all the world.
Years ago my husband
was elected to serve in our city government. When he won the election, the
people of our city expected that he would actually do something and serve
the people while he held that office. It was a trust that he carried with
him during his term of service.
We have each been
elected, elected by the Lord to serve in his Kingdom. We must honor our own
election. If we do not fulfill the terms of our election then it could be said
that we have been elected in vain. Anyone who is elected to anything is
expected to do something in return for their election. The purpose of
our election is to serve and lead.
When we know we are
elected we cannot, we must not, be passive observers of life. We participate
actively and work to make a difference on the earth.
In my scriptures study,
I have been particularly interested in the Lord’s first instructions to Adam
and Eve. Adam and Eve were the first “elect” people on the earth. They were the
first to make covenants and commitments to follow the Lord’s plan. To get them
started in living His plan, the Lord told them to “be fruitful and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion” (Genesis 1:28). When
He placed them in the garden, He told them to “dress it and to keep it”
(Genesis 2:15). Did you hear the action words? Replenish! Multiply! Subdue!
Dominate! Dress! Keep! There is nothing passive about those words. The Lord
never rescinded those instructions. He expected Adam and Eve honored those
instructions. They were personally obedient, and then they freely taught those
things to their children (Moses 6:58). (Julie B. Beck, “’Thou Art an Elect
Lady, Whom I have Called,’” in Rise to the Divinity Within You: Talks from
the 2006 BYU Women’s Conference [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2007], 25-27)