Magnifying One's Calling

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Evenson, William E.

Magnifying one's calling is a common exhortation among Latter-day Saints. In the oath and covenant of the priesthood the promise that "all that [the] Father hath" is given to those who are faithful in obtaining both the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods and "magnifying their calling" (D&C 84:33-39). Paul told the Romans that he magnified his office by teaching the gentiles (Rom. 11:13). Jacob taught his Book of Mormon people to magnify their callings (Jacob 1:19;2:2). And the Lord has given modern admonitions to Latter-day Saints to "magnify" or prepare to "magnify" their callings (D&C 24:3, 9;66:11;88:80).

Magnifying one's calling means taking callings seriously, following through responsibly, and realizing the importance of one's efforts. Magnifying one's calling does not mean to enlarge it beyond one's stewardship or to make it appear great in the eyes of others, although there is a need to give one's own calling appropriate personal importance.

In Paul's declaration to the Romans that he magnified his office, the Greek verb doxazo is used, meaning to make honorable or glorious, the same verb used by New Testament authors to exhort their readers to glorify God (cf. Matt. 5:16; Rom. 15:6). Thus, to magnify a calling means to make it honorable and glorious, even to glorify God through service. Jacob explained that magnifying callings meant that he and his brother Joseph took upon themselves "the responsibility [of] answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence" (Jacob 1:19). The Lord told William E. M'Lellin that if he, M'Lellin, would carry out his assignment fully as explained to him, including obeying the injunction to personal worthiness, he would thereby magnify his office (D&C 66:10-11).

Those who seek to respond to the Lord's admonition to magnify their callings take even the simplest calling seriously as an opportunity to glorify God and serve his children.

[edit] Bibliography

Millet, Robert L. Magnifying Priesthood Power. Bountiful, Utah, 1989.

WILLIAM E. EVENSON

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