Jesus Called Twelve Apostles, “Gave Them Power,” and Sent Them to Teach and Minister “to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel”
Matthew 10:1, 5–8, 20
1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. . . .
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. . . .
20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
President Gordon B. Hinckley said:
“The word apostle, in its origin, literally means ‘one sent forth.’ If that definition were stated to say ‘one sent forth with certain authority and responsibility,’ it would properly describe the calling as it was given at the time our Lord walked the earth, and as it has been given in our time.
“Luke records concerning the Master ‘that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
“‘And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles’ (Luke 6:12–13).
“It is significant to me that the Lord chose those who should walk next to Him only after He had prayed all night concerning the matter.
“Matthew records:
“‘And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. . . .
“‘These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them: . . .
“‘As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
“‘Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. . . .
“‘For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you’ (Matt. 10:1, 5, 7, 8, 20).
“This same office of Apostle was restored to the earth when the Church was reestablished in this dispensation. In the revelation on Church organization received in April of 1830, Joseph Smith was spoken of as one ‘who was called of God, and ordained an apostle of Jesus Christ, to be the first elder of this church;
“‘And to Oliver Cowdery, who was also called of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to be the second elder of this church, and ordained under his hand’ (D&C 20:2–3).”
(“Special Witnesses for Christ,” Ensign, May 1984, 50.)
