There’s a hidden gem of an ordinance that often goes unnoticed. It’s an extraordinary revelation tucked away in Doctrine and Covenants 88:139 – an ordinance that has the power to make your calling and election sure. Let’s take a closer look at this remarkable ordinance and what it means for us.
Unveiling the Ordinance
Making your calling and election sure is not some mystical event that occurs beyond our understanding. It’s a tangible ordinance, a powerful rite that we need to embrace. It’s an essential step on the path of fulfillment, following the ordinances of baptism and those received in the temple.
This ordinance may not be widely discussed in everyday conversations, but it’s right there in the scriptures. The backdrop to this revelation can be traced back to Kirtland, Ohio, where Joseph Smith established the School of the Prophets. The Lord, in Doctrine and Covenants 88, unveiled “the ordinance of the washing of feet” as a means to cleanse the participants “from the blood of [their] generation”.
The ordinance of washing feet is recorded in the New Testament, where Jesus humbly washed the feet of His apostles. While this act may seem out of place in the broader context, it holds a deeper, often overlooked significance. It wasn’t just an act of humility; it was a priesthood ordinance bestowing actual power upon those who would carry His message once He was gone. In a world rife with trials and temptations, the power that Christ demonstrated through this ordinance is still needed today. While the prophet and apostles have unique keys, this power is not reserved for them alone. It’s available for us to use in our personal lives, to stand firm against the challenges we face.
The Call to Lift Others
Christ’s act of washing the apostles’ feet was a lesson in humility and equality. He was not elevating Himself above them but was recognizing them as his peers and co-heirs to the Father’s Kingdom. It teaches us that having our calling and election made sure isn’t about our own personal elevation; it’s about lifting others up.
The ordinance is a call to lift others as Christ did, recognizing that, through this act, He had fulfilled His mission for them. In doing so, we become united in purpose, embracing the principles of Zion where there is no poor among them, and all things are held in common.
This ordinance of washing feet isn’t about leveling down to equality but elevating all to equality. It’s a celestial way of making everyone equal by raising them to a higher state. This is in stark contrast to worldly attempts at equality that often bring everyone down to a lower level of equality.
When we consider the words of Joseph Smith, who stated that those who received this ordinance were “sealed up unto eternal life,” we begin to fathom the profound implications of making your calling and election sure. It’s not merely a promise but the realization of that promise – a tangible connection to our eternal destiny.
In a world where we often seek to stand out and rise above the rest, this hidden ordinance reminds us that true greatness lies in our willingness to lift others up. By understanding and embracing the ordinance of making your calling and election sure, we can unlock the power to become not just disciples of Christ but peers and co-heirs to the divine inheritance He offers. It’s a call to unity, to equality, and to a higher, holier way of living.