This article was adapted from my new book, The Three Pillars of Zion. (Click here to receive a free sample.)
Could anyone have misunderstood President Packer’s Conference address when he called all priesthood holders to convert their authority into power? That call from an apostle hearkens to the priesthood call mentioned in the Priesthood Covenant and what is referred to as the Constitution of the Priesthood. It is the call that distinguishes those who are called from those who are chosen.
We now must awaken in every elder and high priest, in every quorum and group, and in the father of every home the power of the priesthood of the Almighty…. We need everyone. The tired or worn out or lazy and even those who are bound down with guilt must be restored through repentance and forgiveness.
Sisters, he said, are not excluded. “Unless we enlist the attention of the mothers and daughters and sisters-who have influence on their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers-we cannot progress. The priesthood will lose great power if the sisters are neglected.”
What is at stake?
Now, fathers, I would remind you of the sacred nature of your calling. You have the power of the priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary’s mischief will be that power. You will receive direction from the Lord by way of the gift of the Holy Ghost.[1]
The Constitution of the Priesthood
President Stephen L Richards called Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-46 “The Constitution of the Priesthood.”[2] Here is the constitution:
Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
Because 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 priesthoodare inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vainambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lordis grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthoodor the authority of that man.
We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtueof the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by loveunfeigned; by kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soulwithout hypocrisy, and without guile-
Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of lovetoward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.
Let thy bowels also be full of charitytowards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtuegarnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthoodshall distil upon thy soulas the dews from heaven.
The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.
This constitution contains some the greatest blessings and one of the harshest indictments pronounced by the Lordupon priesthoodholders. Endowed women are not exempt. The denouncement, “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen,” applies equally to them. Anyone who has entered into the new and everlasting covenantand received the priesthood blessings of the templeshould understand the principles contained in the Constitution of the Priesthood. Therefore, women can benefit from this discussion.
Two Groups
First, we must point out that the call referenced in the Constitution of the Priesthood hearkens to the calling in the oath and covenant of the priesthood:
For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling [not callings], are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.
They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God. [i]
This call is the call to eternal life, and to obtain the promise of that call, we must faithful fulfill all of our callings.
In the Constitution of the Priesthood, the Lorddivides the totality of priesthoodholders (and their female counterparts) into two groups:
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Those who respond to the call to eternal life,[ii] magnify their calling to eternal life, and thereafter obtain the promise of exaltation;
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Those who neglect or reject the call to eternal life, take casually or ignore that calling, and forfeit exaltation.
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There are only two choices, and each of us, male and female, belongs to one of those two groups. Why would “many” be placed in the second group? The Lord gives us the answer: “Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and [they] aspire to the honors of men.”[iii]
- Love of money!
- Love of power!
- Love of popularity, which is attention, recognition, and influence!
We could divide and define the groups as Zion people and Babylon people. Hugh Nibleytaught that these two groups are mutually exclusive; they represent two ways that are heading in opposite directions. We cannot choose to belong to both.[iv] To attempt to do so summons the Lord’s ominous denouncement: “Amen to the priesthoodor the authority of that man!”[v] This statement hangs over our heads like a sword. The implication is amen to the exaltation of that man!
A Satanic Strategy
Looking forward to our day, Nephi saw a frightening satanic strategy to carefully deceivemen and women. Nephi saw Satanlulling us into supposed carnalsecurity and thereby convincing us to abandon our birthright blessings, take our eyes off Zion, and quietly persuade us to sacrificethe promise of eternal life. Satan’s strategy was designed to trick us into minimizing our covenants, including the oath and covenant of the priesthood.
Satan’s tactic is one that he had employed anciently, one that he had taught to Cain. He has successfully used it ever since, convincing untold thousands that they can simultaneously focus on money, power and popularity and still be a Zion person. Because it is impossible to serveboth Godand mammon, Satan knows that he can thereafter dupe us into setting aside and abandoning our priesthoodcovenant, which will cause us to spiral downward into temporal and spiritual destruction.
Here is what Nephi prophesied concerning people who profess to love Zion while pursuing Babylon:
And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnalsecurity, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well-and thus the devilcheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.[vi]
Few prophecies are repeated more often by Latter-day Saints. We quote this verse regularly in classes; we trumpet it from the pulpit; and yet many of us will fall into the devil’s snare, thinking that the scripture applies to others. If we are not careful, we will fail in our priesthoodcalling, forfeit Zion, and fall short of eternal life. The chosen few are those who serve the one true God. But sadly there are “many” who are called but who will not be chosen because they worship the god of money, power, and recognition. According to the Constitution of the Priesthood, they will suffer the prophesied result: “Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man!”
A Test of Loyalties
President Ezra Taft Bensontaught, “When we put Godfirst, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our loveof the Lordwill govern the claims of our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.”[vii]
To Moses, the Lordrevealed our covenantal relationshipto God in the first three commandments:
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor servethem: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God. . . .
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.[viii]
These first three commandments allow no wiggle room; they demand our total allegiance to God.
We are allowed no other affections before God-no idolizing, adoring, or worshipping anything or anyone in front of God, and no taking upon us his name and then dishonoring him by placing our loyalties elsewhere.
In no uncertain terms, the Lordsaid we would not be held guiltless for such actions. We cannot suppose that we can enter the priesthoodcovenant, replace it in our minds and hearts with other affections, and then receive a few stripes at the day of judgment and go on to inheriteternal life. God demands our total loyalty to at least the same degree that a wifedemands total loyalty from her husband. “Thou shalt have no other gods [or affections] before me!”
A common hypocrisyis to expect total loyalty from Godwhile not returning total loyalty to him. Mortality is a perfectenvironment in which to test the depth of these loyalties. A pivotal test is the choice between God and mammon. Hugh Nibleyexplains that the Hebrew word, mammon means “financialactivity of any kind.”[ix] The Saviorwarned that we cannot choose both: “Ye cannot serveGod and Mammon.”[x] Some people try to simultaneously choose both God and mammon, but that defines them as mammon choosers, which categorizes them among the many who are called but not chosen. Gospel writers Leaun G. Otten and C. Max Caldwell explained:
There are many brethren who are called and given the rights or authority of the priesthood, but few of them are also chosen for an inheritance of eternal life. Those who are to receive eternal lives must first learn and apply the fundamental principles upon which the priesthood must function.[xi]
One of the first principles on that list would be fierce loyalty to God.
Zion people are classified as the few who are both called and chosen, those who distinguish themselves from the “many” by choosing and serving Godover mammonand remaining loyal to the end, enduring in the covenants “at all hazards.”[xii]
Restoration of the Constitution of the Priesthood
As we have mentioned, the verses contained in Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-46 have been referred to as the Constitution of the Priesthood. These verses are among the “plain and precious”[xiii] parts of the gospel that the Lordrestored in the dispensation of the fulness of times. Elder Neal A. Maxwellexplained that this section contains an “elaboration [that] is given nowhere else in scripture! It is a significant part of the fulness of the Restoration and includes counsel on how human foibles can keep us from gaining access to the powers of heaven and how power and authority are to be exercised.”[xiv]
We must come to grips with the implications of the Constitution of the Priesthood and cease rationalizing its meanings. Clearly, of the many that are called to eternal life, only a few will distinguish themselves in the priesthoodby abiding the principles listed in the constitution and thereby earn their eternal reward. President Packer has plainly issued a call to action:
Too many of our priesthood brethren are living below their privileges and the Lord’s expectations. We must go forward, confident of the supernal power of the priesthood. It is a source of strength and encouragement to know who we are and what we have and what we must do in the work of the Almighty.[xv]
Author’s Note
This article was adapted from my new book, The Three Pillars of Zion. Click here to receive a free sample.
[1] Packer, “The Power of the Priesthood, Ensign, May 2010, 6-10.
[2] Richards, Conference Report, Apr. 1955, 12.
[i][i] D&C 84:33-34.
[ii] McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 482.
[iii] D&C 121:35.
[iv] Nibley, Approaching Zion, 18-19.
[v] D&C 121:37; emphasis added.
[vi] 2 Nephi 28:21.
[vii] Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 349-50.
[viii] Exodus 20:3-7.
[ix] Nibley, Approaching Zion, 20-21.
[x] Matthew 6:24; 3 Nephi 13:24.
[xi] Otten and Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine and Covenants, 2:305.
[xii] Smith, History of the Church, 3:379, 380.
[xiii] 1 Nephi 13:34.
[xiv] Maxwell, Men and Women of Christ, 123.
[xv] Packer, “The Power of the Priesthood, Ensign, May 2010, 6-10.
