FOREORDINATION

(50-4) 1 Peter 1:2 . Who Are the “Elect According to the Foreknowledge of God”?

“To bring to pass the salvation of the greatest possible number of his spirit children the Lord, in general, sends the most righteous and worthy spirits to earth through the lineage of Abraham and Jacob. This course is a manifestation of his grace or in other words his love, mercy, and condescension toward his children.

“This election to a chosen lineage is based on pre-existent worthiness and is thus made ‘according to the foreknowledge of God.’ ( 1 Pet. 1:2 .) Those so grouped together during their mortal probation have more abundant opportunities to make and keep the covenants of salvation, a right which they earned by pre-existent devotion to the cause of righteousness. As part of this election, Abraham and others of the noble and great spirits were chosen before they were born for the particular missions assigned them in this life. ( Abra. 3:22–24 ; Rom. 9 .) . . .

“Actually, if the full blessings of salvation are to follow, the doctrine of election must operate twice. First, righteous spirits are elected or chosen to come to mortality as heirs of special blessings. Then, they must be called and elected again in this life, an occurrence which takes place when they join the true Church. ( D. & C. 53:1 .) Finally, in order to reap eternal salvation, they must press forward in obedient devotion to the truth until they make their ‘calling and election sure’ ( 2 Pet. 1 ), that is, are ‘sealed up unto eternal life.’ ( D. & C. 131:5 .)” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 216–17.)