{"chapter_no":"2","chapter_title":"Duty is Called, Desire is Chosen","book_id":"2","book_name":"The Story of James","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"216","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":4,"page_content":"

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Chapter 2<\/p>

Duty is Called, Desire is Chosen<\/h1><\/p>

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Duty alone has neither the strength nor the will to make <\/i>the <\/i>great<\/i>er<\/i> things <\/i>happen<\/i> in<\/i> the gospel—
The majority of tasks that need to be done in the gospel are not explicitly defined for us<\/i> in <\/i>the Church<\/i> or
in the scriptures<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>

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Like James, the other young men sitting on the bench during the game had received a
special invitation to come to the camp. Each of them had the basics—the required permission
and authority from camp organizers to enter the game and participate. In many respects, they
were like a group of Aaronic Priesthood boys sitting quietly in a church classroom moments after
hearing that a volunteer was needed for an upcoming service project in the ward. Each had the
same priesthood, and the same general category of Church calling—the foundation upon which
one can legitimately act in the name of God. As one of the starters fouled out of the game, a call
to action came, but no formal calling was extended. No coach had been appointed for the
scrimmage game, so a leader had to rise up from among them. It was the moment for an able-
bodied man to sense the opportunity, to see what was needed, and then to step forward, lead, and
act. And James did just that. He stepped forward on his own without waiting for someone to tell
him what to do.<\/p>

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Certainly, the concept of duty in the Church is good and honorable. To receive a formal
calling, to be explicitly told to do something in the gospel, this is the real-life motivation that
often propels us forward in our faith. A sense of duty can also be helpful by making us feel
remorse when we don’t do our part. But we must always remember that our sense of duty in the
Church is only the bare minimum—the schoolmaster that brings us to Christ. While it is certainly
possible that a member of the Church can be saved by being obedient to the commandments and
by performing assigned tasks merely from a sense of duty, that would seem to be the most
difficult and least likely way of entering the kingdom of God. For if one is obedient by a sense of
duty only, his soul lacks charity. He has not developed a sense of desire in the gospel and a true
love of God<\/span>. <\/p>

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At the Final Judgment, a person like this waiting in line to be judged may feel a little
unsure of himself. His worthiness to enter the celestial kingdom may be an unsettled question in
his mind. On the margins of qualification, he may hope to sneak in quietly without anyone
noticing. While he may have endured to the end on paper, it would seem he did so by running
out the clock in his life. Much better for him would have been to live out his time on earth
playing hard for the full forty-eight minutes, helping other players on the court reach their full <\/p>

potential with beautiful passes and play selection, thereby inspiring the crowd. In other words,
rising up to become a great leader among his fellow men.<\/p>

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So, we need to upgrade our performances in the gospel, no longer motivated by duty
alone, but by desire. Desire includes all of the positive aspects of duty at its core, but then it
includes everything else––the other ninety-five percent of motivation in the gospel that the Lord
wants to us to have.<\/p>

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Desire helps us to be more obedient to the basics of the gospel. Satisfying the letter of the
law first, we then look next to the spirit of the law, becoming soldiers of righteousness, like those
led by Lehi and other commanders in the army of Captain Moroni—men known for obeying
every word with exceeding exactness. These men were not enlisted into service by receiving
draft notices in the mail. Moroni came forth raising the Title of Liberty. In response, men such as
these came running to his side having desires to defend their homes, their liberty, their families,
and their religion. Thus, duty is to be drafted, and desire is to stand up and volunteer. If one has
desire––the pure love of Christ in his soul––he is inspired by a greater cause. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Receiving a formal calling, to be authorized to act, and to be part of the gospel team
generally, is just the starting point. When we have faithfully done that which is asked of us, we
have completed the minimum. That is where duty ends and desire begins. <\/span><\/p>

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With desire, we do more than just that which is asked of us by Church leaders. We
ponder in our minds the full list of opportunities to do good in the world that is there waiting for
us, and then go to work on it. We take upon ourselves the responsibility for the salvation of the
souls of men both at home and abroad. We strive to move closer to the ideal of the gospel in our
lives—the very purpose for which the rules and guidelines in the Church Handbook were written
in the first place<\/span>.<\/p>

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Is it possible for us to do more in the gospel than just provide free moving services to
those who come and go in our wards? <\/p>

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Is it possible for us to do more towards saving the souls of men in the world than just
occasionally setting up tables and chairs for ward activities? <\/p>

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Is it possible for us as priesthood holders to do more than just avoid forgetfulness in our
responsibility to minister to others in the Church? Certainly, a five-year-old boy has problems
with forgetfulness, forgetting to make his bed or brush his teeth. Will this be, ultimately, the true
measure of our worthiness for salvation in the kingdom of God? Whether we remembered to
regularly make our beds and brush our teeth during mortality?<\/p>

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Much of the work that needs to be done in a ward is not explicitly defined for us. It’s not
laid out specifically in the scriptures, in general conference talks, or in the Church Handbook.
And it’s not listed as a calling on the ward organizational chart. The consecration of our hearts
and minds to the work of the Lord is something that occurs naturally as we are filled with love
and the desire to do good among our family, friends, and neighbors. This is also the means by
which we discover the greater and more precious parts of the gospel. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The heavens are filled with greater revelations than that which we have published in the
standard works today, priceless revelations from God that are ready to be sent down to us at any
time. The Lord is anxious to inspire men at all levels of Church leadership to accomplish greater
works than that which they are doing today. As Moses once said to Joshua, \"Oh, that all the
people of the Lord were prophets!\"<\/p>

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Over the next fifty years in your ward, many bishops, priesthood quorum leaders, and
Relief Society leaders will be called, set apart, and then released again. Babies will be born, older
persons now living will pass away, and younger persons will become adults and seek to find
their way in the world. Fifty years may seem like a large amount of time, but for someone who is
desirous to build a prototype of Zion in their ward, this isn't much time at all. Practically
speaking, it is not always possible for a member of the Church to live in a single place for several
years, let alone live there for five decades. Therefore, in those cases, the concept of building
momentum in the gospel can become mobile with you and follow you wherever you go. <\/p>

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Nevertheless, we should strive to build a permanent home for our families in one place
and try to stay there long term if we can. Stability in families, stability in wards, and stability in
the Church overall is enhanced if we can stay put where we are for the long run. If we live in a
remote part of the world and our branch is comprised of only a few members or a few families,
then we need to get to work and start building up Zion there––to make whatever land we are
currently living on a chosen land of God. <\/p>

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Zion is not a political movement. It is an overflowing of kindness and love, and a
consecration of time, talents, and personal wealth by one who is seeking after the ideal in the
gospel. Gathering a large number of saints together in one place is always beneficial to any
gospel goal. Zion benefits from a strong concentration of active members. <\/p>

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So what is the true calling of every member of the Church?<\/p>

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Answer: Continuous improvement. To achieve excellence in gospel living.<\/p>

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A large list of tasks we can do to improve ourselves and serve others will enter our minds
once we open up the scriptures and start feasting upon them. The words of Christ, accompanied
by the Spirit, will quicken our passions as human beings, causing us to extend our hearts
upwards to heaven in mighty prayer. In the midst of such prayers, the Lord may respond back to
us, saying “Pray on” as he did on that special occasion with the Nephites, directing them to pray
on without ceasing. What a delightful commandment that was, to pray on without ceasing! The
generations of Zion that came later among the Nephites were built on nothing less. <\/p>

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Surely, the Savior wants us to learn how to do the basics of the gospel first, to perform
our Church callings faithfully, and to do our duty. And if we can do no more than that for the
better part of our lives, that is still great in the eyes of the Lord.<\/p>

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But after a few years or a few decades of doing the basics, we might take a moment to
ponder upon all that we have been given as baptized members of the Church. Nephi was often <\/p>

overcome with tears of gratitude towards the Lord. To be like Nephi, do we need to force
ourselves to cry every day, or do tears of gratitude flow forth freely from us as we pray and read
the scriptures? The answer to this question is probably a good yardstick as to where we are
spiritually in our lives. To the pairing of humility with desire mentioned previously in this book,
we now add gratitude. All three of these attributes of charity may be considered as one and the
same by the Spirit, for they are among the highest manifestations of godliness in the flesh. When
a person has all three of these at work in their life, excellence in the gospel is close at hand, even
at the doors.<\/p>

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To see an example of excellence in gospel living, we need only picture in our minds the
marvelous day when Jesus Christ was resurrected and had ascended to stand before the Father.
He had just completed an extraordinary priesthood assignment. How proud was the Eternal
Father of His Son Jesus at that moment! The Savior’s ministry on earth was complete. He had
overcome the world and then had humbly presented himself before the Father—a job well done!
What a great moment in time for both Father and Son! And what a great moment in time for all
humanity! We should embark upon our own assignments in the gospel looking upon that day in
history for guidance.<\/p>

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Duty alone has neither the strength nor the will to implement the fulness of the gospel in
the Church. Desire and an overflowing of love in our hearts are what we need.<\/p>"}