Doctrine and Covenants 29:7—Who Are the Elect?

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “the elect meant to be elected [chosen] to a certain work” (History of the Church,4:552).

“In a general sense, the elect are those both within and without the Church who love the Lord and are with full purpose of heart doing all within their power to live close to the directions of his spirit.

“President George Q. Cannon [who was a counselor in the First Presidency] said, ‘All mankind are elected to be saved. No man is a tare unless his conduct makes him such.’([Gospel Truth,]1:140.) The elect outside of the Church are the ‘sheep’ who hear the voiceof the Master Shepherd, obey that voice, and are received into the Church (Mosiah 26:21–28). These are the elect whom the missionaries are admonished to gather (D&C 29:7)” (Hoyt W. Brewster Jr.,Doctrine and Covenants Encyclopedia[1988], 148).

Doctrine and Covenants 29:35–39—What Is Agency? Why Is It So Sacred?

Agency is the freedom to choose and act, andDoctrine and Covenants 29:35–39illustrates how important and sacred that freedom is to our Heavenly Father. Rather than violate their agency, He allowed one-third of His children, led by the devil, to rebel. Our mortal probation is organized to preserve our agency.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained what is necessary for agency to exist: “Four great principles must be in force if there is to be agency: 1. Laws must exist, laws ordained by an Omnipotent power, laws which can be obeyed or disobeyed; 2. Opposites must exist—good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong—that is, there must be an opposition, one force pulling one way and another pulling the other; 3. A knowledge of good and evil must be had by those who are to enjoy the agency, that is, they must know the difference between the opposites; and 4. An unfettered power of choice must prevail” (Mormon Doctrine,2nd ed. [1966], 26).

Summarize the Doctrine