Of Human Potential

How many times have I recited Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants?  I can't count them. As I began to read it this time, I was struck by the head notes: Valiant service saves the Lord's ministers. I have taught and tried to practice the principles of magnifying one's calling for many years.  I have, myself, and have heard a number of other priesthood leaders emphasize the need to apply our heart, might, mind and strength and all the virtues listed in the last three verses, but I had never focused on the end of verse four. We apply ourselves that we might bring salvation to our souls.

I have been trying lately to remember what it was that turned me from a smorgasbord Mormon to a dedicated priesthood man.  I now distinctly remember that I came to the conclusion that I would spend my life doing the will of the Father as expressed by the counsel of the Brethren, the teachings of the scriptures and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  I determined that I did not need to have every doubt satisfied before I could commit myself to that practice.  I also determined that I was not putting God to the test, so if bad things happened or good things that I hoped for did not come to pass, I would not blame God and try to punish Him.  I had seen that in others and it always turned out badly. I was not placed here to test God, but to be tested by Him.

In this context, salvation to the soul is not just being saved by grace, but , as Brad Wilcox put it in a recent article in BYU Magazine, being changed by grace. I had never considered myself to be of the material to be a priesthood leader or scholar.  Neither of those were my goal.  What I wanted was to know what the scriptures said about my situation and what I had to do to qualify to be considered a good and faithful servant. To do this I began to read everything with an eye to what steps were involved for a particular commandment, counsel or principle and what blessing was associated with those steps.

For example, I pulled out my patriarchal blessing and underlined the passages that made promises and double underlined the passages of counsel to accomplish those promises.  When I read the scriptures I found the same pattern often applied.  For instance, Section 93 of the D&C has five requirements in the first verse to achieve the promise of seeing the Lord's face and knowing that he is and that he is the true light.  Jacob 1:17-19 has three principles for magnifying our callings in the priesthood and avoiding the mistake of trying to magnify the calling of someone else, lest we become critical of the work of another.

The first time I was called to serve as a counselor was a complete surprise to me.  After a while, I realized that the Lord chooses those who are willing to magnify their callings.  I have also come to realize that even if we are not called to a position of responsibility, we must continue with the same determination to serve others and to approach the counsel and commandments with equal dedication.  I have also come to realize that this approach has fixed in me not just a testimony of the Church, the Gospel and the Priesthood, but a love for them and for the Savior.  I now seldom have doubts, but some things are unclear from time to time, so those things I either research until I find what I need to know, or I shelve it until, as always happens, I later gain some insight into the issue.

Most often I find that the doubt or mystery is nothing that will affect my salvation, and I am really only concerned with those things that will allow me to fully use the amazing resources that remain untapped in my own body and brain as well as the spiritual blessings that are yet to be discovered.  I see so much of human potential that is utterly wasted.  It sickens me to go into a casino or see a young person completely absorbed in electronic media that the potential within these people is ignored.  I believe that finding the will of God and complying with it to the best of my abilities will get me farther in life than any other pursuit.  That has more than proven to be the case thus far.