“If Ye Have Desires to Serve God Ye Are Called to the Work”
Doctrine and Covenants 4:1–3, 5
1 Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
3 Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; . . .
5 And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.
President David O. McKay said:
“The following I take from Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It was recorded in 1829.
“‘Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.
“‘Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
“‘Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; . . .
“‘And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work’ (D&C 4:1–3, 5).
“When that revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he was twenty-three years of age. The Book of Mormon was not yet published; no man had been ordained to the priesthood. The Church was not organized; yet the statement was made and written without qualification that ‘. . . a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.’
“Another significant feature of this revelation, and others given about the same period, is the naming of essential qualifications of those who were to participate in the bringing about of this marvelous work. These qualifications were not the possession of wealth, not social distinction, not political preferment, not military achievement, not nobility of birth; but a desire to serve God with all your ‘heart, mind, and strength’—spiritual qualities that contribute to nobility of soul. I repeat: no popularity, no wealth, no theological training in Church government—yet a marvelous work was about to come forth among the children of men.
“Manifestly, some higher power was operating to bring about this marvelous work other than mere human and material means.”
(In Conference Report, Apr. 1954, 22–23.)
