Put On Thy Strength, O Zion
Elder David A. Bednar
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“Put On Thy Strength, O Zion”
Elder Bednar uses the parable of the royal marriage feast to teach that, through the righteous use of our moral agency, we can choose to be chosen of the Lord.
Parable of the Royal Marriage Feast depicts rebellion to the king’s invitation — refusing to attend or being inappropriately attired.
Symbolizing God’s call and individual responses, it concludes: “For many are called, but few are chosen”.
God does not have a list of favorites nor a limit to “the chosen.”
“Instead, our hearts, our desires our honoring of sacred gospel covenants and ordinances, our obedience to the commandments, and, most importantly, the Savior’s redeeming grace and mercy determine whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen.”
Each should evaluate temporal and spiritual priorities sincerely and prayerfully to identify what impedes blessings from Heavenly Father and the Savior. “The Holy Ghost will help us to see ourselves as we really are.”
“As we appropriately seek for the spiritual gift of eyes to see and ears to hear, I promise that we will be blessed with the capacity and judgment to strengthen our individual covenant connection with the living Lord.”
“You and I ultimately can choose to be chosen through the righteous exercise of our moral agency”