Magnify the Office: Calling, Affliction, and the Work of the Ministry in D&C 24

A magnifying glass does not make a thing larger. It makes it clearer. The detail was always there. The glass just brings it into focus so you can see what you were missing.

That is what it means to magnify a calling. Not to make yourself look more important. To make the purpose of your office visible and effective. To bring the work into focus so others can see what God is doing.

D&C 24 is a revelation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery about this very thing. Magnify your office, be patient in afflictions, and attend to your calling. The Lord knows your limitations and will provide what you need.

What Does It Mean to Magnify Your Calling LDS

The Lord begins by reminding Joseph that he has been lifted out of his afflictions. The calling is a result of grace, not merit. But grace is not a license for complacency. Joseph is told he is not excusable in his transgressions and to go his way and sin no more.

The command to magnify his office follows. The word magnify in this context means to make the impact of the calling larger. Not the status of the person. The reach of the work.

Behold, thou wast called and chosen to write the Book of Mormon, and to my ministry; and I have lifted thee up out of thine afflictions, and have counseled thee, that thou hast been delivered from all thine enemies, and thou hast been delivered from the power of Satan and from darkness.

D&C 24:1

D&C 24 Meaning of Temporal Labors

The revelation also addresses the balance between temporal work and spiritual duty. Joseph is told to sow his fields and secure them before going to the churches. The Lord does not ignore practical needs. He requires basic stability before the spiritual work begins.

But then comes a verse that has stayed with me. In temporal labors thou shalt not have strength, for this is not thy calling. Joseph was not built for business and farming. He was built for the spiritual work.

I find this freeing. I am not expected to be good at everything. The Lord knows what I am built for. What I am not built for, he will provide through others. My job is to attend to my calling and trust that the wherewith will come.

Verse 8 is a sobering promise. Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many. The calling does not exempt a person from suffering. It often invites it. But the promise is not the removal of the trial. It is the presence of the Lord even unto the end of thy days.

This connects to Custom Cuts: Individual Callings and the Strength of the Church in D&C 23, where the same principle is applied to five different men. Each calling is shaped to the person.

How to Be Patient in Afflictions LDS

Oliver Cowdery receives his own instruction. He is told that his glory is to be found in Christ, not in himself. Strength is promised to those who are willing to be the voice of the gospel both day and night.

The section ends with a pattern for the ministry. The elders are told not to require miracles unless specifically commanded. The goal of the work is not spectacle. It is conversion. Miracles serve a purpose, but they are not the attraction.

There is a reference to the pruning of the vineyard. Pruning looks destructive and cuts away living branches, but the purpose is to produce more fruit. The Lord prunes his servants to make them more effective.

Meaning of Pruning the Vineyard in D&C 24

I think about what pruning has looked like in my own life. Things I thought were losses turned out to be clearing. Relationships I grieved turned out to be preparing me for something I could not see. The pruning looked like damage. It was surgery.

D&C 24 is a chapter about focus. Know what you are called to do and do it. Do not worry about what you cannot do. Accept that affliction will come and endure it with patience. Let the Lord prune what needs to go and magnify what remains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does magnify your calling mean making your role seem more important?

No. In the scriptural sense, magnify means to make the purpose of the office more visible and effective. It is about increasing the impact through faithfulness rather than the status of the person holding the calling.

What does it mean that Joseph was told he would not have strength in temporal labors?

This means his primary strengths and his divine mandate were spiritual. It teaches that we should not judge our worth or our calling by worldly achievements.

Why is it necessary to sow the fields before doing church work?

This emphasizes self-reliance. The Lord expects his servants to provide for their basic needs so they are not a burden on others and can focus on spiritual duties.

How do we handle the afflictions promised in this section?

The key is not to avoid affliction but to endure it with the knowledge that the Lord is with us. The affliction is often the refining fire that prepares a person for the weight of their calling.

Closing

A magnifying glass brings the detail into focus and that is the work of a calling. Not to make yourself visible but to make the Lord's work clearer to those who need to see it.

D&C 24 tells us to magnify the office, accept the affliction, and trust the provision. The lens is already in your hands.

— D.