Many Are Called

In the scriptures there is this little sentence repeated several times in different places. Many are called but few are chosen. You know how you read something in the scriptures for a long time, years sometimes, and you just don’t get it? The words don’t make sense in your brain? And then one day, snap! You get it and you understand but then after that little bits and pieces still continue to come?

That is how it has been with “Many are called but few are chosen” for me.

You can find it in

Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:1-14, D&C 121:34 and Romans 8:28 alludes to it.

In 2005 James E Faust gave a talk in conference that talked a little about it but it still didn’t altogether click for me. He Said:

“We are called when hands are laid upon our heads and we are given the priesthood, but we are not chosen until we have demonstrated to God our righteousness, our faithfulness, and our commitment” (“Called and Chosen,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 55 James E Faust).

Part of the reason it probably didn’t click at the time is that he gave that talk in Priesthood Session of conference and so I didn’t apply it to me. Now that I understand more about God’s Priesthood and how I have access to Priesthood power myself it makes more sense. Actually a lot of things make more sense but that’s a topic for another day.

How I Now Understand It

So, let me tell you a little analogy that came to me and turned on my lightbulb.

Imagine you are doing some hiring of people to work for you. You get 100 applications and 40 of the applicants look like they would be a good candidate so you bring all 40 in for an interview. (Many are called)

You spend some time with each candidate one on one asking further questions and end up offering work to 3 of them. (Few are chosen)

The ones that you hire may have done something extra or a few of the ones you interviewed weren’t completely eligible at the time but might be in the future. They needed to have certain skills to get the job.

Requirements To Be Chosen

Anyway, that’s how I see it now. And D&C 90:24 spells out what is required to be chosen.

24 Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.

Study the scriptures and words of prophets = search

Pray daily but always have a prayer in your heart remembering the you are a child of the Living God = pray always

Have faith that all is going to work for your good = be believing

Be obedient to the commandments and repent or in other words make frequent course corrections = walk uprightly

Serve others, minister to them, be kind and love them = remember the covenant

These are the things that are required to be chosen and I am working on them every day. Some days I do better than others but I know with the help of Jesus Christ I will be able to stay on track and be a recipient of His grace.

Photo by Cathy Mü on Unsplash

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