Counted Worthy To Stand

One of the important injunctions given in the Doctrine and Covenants is the instruction to stand in the office or work or responsibility that the Lord has given us. The Church in general was given this command: “Thou shalt stand in the place of thy stewardship” (42:53). Many other individuals were given a similar counsel:

      ·        (Oliver Cowdery) “Stand fast in the work wherewith I have called you” (9:14).

·        “My servant Edward Partridge shall stand in the office whereunto I have appointed him” (42:10).

·        “My servant Newel Knight, you shall stand fast in the office whereunto I have appointed you” (54:2).

·        “Let my servant Sidney Gilbert stand in the office to which I have appointed him” (57:6).

·        “Let my servant Edward Partridge stand in the office to which I have appointed him” (57:7).

·        “And also let my servant William W. Phelps stand in the office to which I have appointed him” (58:40).

·        (Frederick G. Williams) “Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you” (81:5)

·        (Sidney Rigdon) “Let him arise and come up and stand in the office of his calling, and humble himself before me” (124:103).

All these verses highlight the need for us to be faithful to whatever calling or responsibility that the Lord has given us. We need to take seriously our role in building up the kingdom, to not be moved away from doing our duty and serving the Lord where He has put us. Whatever our office—whatever our “assumed duty, task, or role” as the dictionary defines the word—we must work to perform it without faltering. We stand firm, stand strong, stand resolute in accomplishing whatever charge the Lord has called upon us to perform.

               Many other passages in the Doctrine and Covenants similarly highlight the need for us to stand in various ways. We are to “stand as a witness” and “stand as a member in the church” and “stand by my servant Joseph, faithfully” (5:2, 14:8, 58:60, 6:18). We want to “stand blameless before God at the last day” and “stand upon the land of Zion” and “stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (4:2, 59:3,

123:17). The Lord in particular emphasized the need for us to “stand… in holy places, and be not moved” (87:8, 45:32, 101:22). And how do we stand like the Lord wants us to? We have to be righteous to stand, for “the wicked shall not stand” (29:11). He also gave us instructions on how to stand when He invited us with these words: “Take upon you my whole armor, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth” (27:15-16). To stand spiritually we must put on the armor of God—protecting ourselves with faith and truth and righteousness and the Spirit—and then His promise is that He will help us to do so: “I will give him grace and assurance wherewith he may stand” (106:8).

               As we try to stand, the Lord declared that He will stand with us. He declared to Orson Hyde, “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you” (68:6). He also gave this comforting promise to Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail: “Thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever” (122:4). And we know that in the Millennium we have this to expect: “The Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh” (133:25). Surely these instructions to stand and these promises that the Lord would stand with us are meant for all of us—we must strive each day to live with faith and righteousness, to be true to the prophet and to our office, so that we can “be counted worthy to stand” (107:100).