How Can I Help to Gather the Elect?

My Come Follow Me Studies for this week took me to Doctrine and Covenants 29 in a lesson titled “Jesus Christ Will Gather His People.” The lesson was introduced by this information. 

Even though the Church of Jesus Christ had been organized in 1830, many gospel truths were still yet to be revealed, and several early Church members had questions. They had read prophecies in the Book of Mormon about the gathering of Israel and the building up of Zion (see 3 Nephi 21). How would that happen? The revelations Hiram Page claimed to receive speculated on that subject, which only increased members’ curiosity (see Doctrine and Covenants 28). Other people wondered about the Fall of Adam and Eve and spiritual death. The Lord welcomed these questions in 1830, and He welcomes our questions today. “Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith,” He told the Saints, “being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:6). In fact, as the doctrinally rich revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 29 shows, the Lord sometimes responds to our questions by giving us truth and knowledge far beyond what we ask.

There are numerous principles taught in this scripture block. Here are the principles:

(1) Heavenly Father has a plan for the salvation of His children (Doctrine and Covenants 29), (2) Jesus Christ invites me to help gather His people before His Second Coming (Doctrine and Covenants 29:1-28), (3) “All things unto me are spiritual (Doctrine and Covenants 29:31-35), and (4) Jesus Christ redeems us from the Fall (Doctrine and Covenants 29:36-50).

I feel prompted to discuss principle #2, Jesus Christ invites me to help gather His people before His Second Coming (Doctrine and Covenants 29:1-28). The first seven verses of this section are as follows.

1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;

2 Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.

3 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.

4 Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump.

5 Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.

6 And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.

7 And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;

8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.

9 For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth;

10 For the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass;

11 For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand.

In verse 2, Jesus Christ speaks of gathering His people “as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” This comparison should tell us of the love that Jesus Christ feels for each of us. A mother hen gathers her chickens under her wings to protect them from danger.

The verses listed above give us answers to important question, such as who will be gathered (the elect, v. 7), what it means to “gather” to Christ (hear His voice and keep your heart soft, v. 7), and why we gather to Him (to be prepared for the day of tribulation and desolation, v. 8).

President Russell M. Nelson said, “Now the gathering takes place in each nation. The Lord has decreed the establishment of Zion in each realm where He has given His Saints their birth and nationality” (“The Gathering of Scattered Israel,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 81). The Gathering of Scattered Israel