Custom Cuts: Individual Callings and the Strength of the Church in D&C 23

Every joint in a piece of furniture is different. The piece that connects the leg to the apron is not the same as the piece that connects the drawer front to the side. You measure each one and cut it to fit its specific spot.

D&C 23 is like that. Five men ask the Lord what their duty is. The Lord gives five different answers shaped by each man's capacity and need, not by their status. Each calling was a custom cut.

What Does It Mean to Strengthen the Church LDS

Oliver Cowdery receives the first revelation. He is told he is blessed and under no condemnation, but then he is warned about pride. Oliver was a primary witness of the Book of Mormon. He had seen the angel and felt the Spirit. But spiritual gifts carry a risk. The closer you are to the source, the easier it is to think you are the source.

The warning about pride is followed by a command to make his calling known. Oliver is to preach the gospel with an opened heart. The warning and the command belong together. Stay humble and keep telling the truth.

Hyrum Smith's revelation is different. He is called to exhortation and to strengthen the church continually. Hyrum's role is internal, focused on building up the members rather than preaching to the world. The Lord says this is his duty because of his family. Hyrum had a family to lead and support.

Behold, I speak unto you, Hyrum Smith, and also unto you, Samuel Smith; for it is your duty, even as it shall be made known unto you, to exhort and to strengthen the church continually.

D&C 23:3

I think about what it means to strengthen the church. Not everyone is called to stand at the front. Some are called to hold up the people who stand at the front. The support joists are unseen but the roof stays up because of them.

Meaning of Taking Up Your Cross D&C 23

Samuel H. Smith and Joseph Smith Sr. receive similar instructions. They are called to exhortation and strengthening. But Samuel is told he is not as yet called to preach before the world. There is a timing element to callings. Samuel's role would grow, but for now his work was among the people he already knew.

Joseph Knight Sr. receives the longest message. He is told to take up his cross. The phrase comes from Jesus' teaching that whoever would come after him must deny himself and take up his cross and follow him. Joseph Knight is called to public witness. He is to pray vocally before the world as well as in secret.

I have thought about what it means to take up your cross in a setting where the cross is not popular. Joseph Knight lived in a time when being a follower of Joseph Smith carried real social cost. His calling was to be bold when it would have been easier to be quiet.

The promise attached to his calling is that he will receive the reward of the laborer. Spiritual labor is real work. It produces real results, even if those results are not visible immediately.

This connects to The Foundation Stone: Seer, Prophet, and the Organization of the Church in D&C 21, where Joseph Smith was designated as the prophet. D&C 23 shows what comes next. The leader is called, and then the people around him are called to their specific work.

Do I Have a Specific Calling From God LDS

The message of D&C 23 is that the Lord knows each person individually. He does not give one-size-fits-all instructions. He tells Oliver to watch his pride. He tells Hyrum to strengthen the church. He tells Samuel his time will come. He tells Joseph Knight to take up his cross and pray publicly.

Every answer is different because every person is different.

I find this encouraging. The same Lord who spoke to Oliver and Hyrum and Samuel and Joseph Knight has something specific to say to me. My duty is not a copy of someone else's. It is my own.

The question is whether I am asking what it is.

Difference Between Preaching and Exhorting LDS

The chapter gives a picture of how a church is built. Not through a single leader with a grand vision, but through many people doing the specific work they are given. Some preach to the world. Some strengthen the members. Some pray in public. Some serve in quiet. All of it counts.

I think about the people who have strengthened me in my own life. The ones who showed up when I was struggling. The ones who said the right thing at the right time. They were not preaching. They were exhorting. Hyrum's calling is their calling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some people called to preach while others are only called to strengthen the church?

The Lord assigns duties based on the needs of the Church and each person's gifts and capacity. Some are designed for public outreach while others sustain and encourage members. Both roles are equally necessary.

What does it mean to take up your cross in a modern context?

It means willingly accepting the sacrifices and hardships that come with following Jesus Christ. It might mean standing up for a gospel principle at work, enduring a difficult trial with faith, or sacrificing personal comfort for others.

Is a calling always a formal position in the church?

D&C 23 shows the Lord also gives personal mandates to exhort others, strengthen the church, and witness of the gospel. These are part of our spiritual identity regardless of our official position.

Why is pride dangerous for those with spiritual gifts?

Pride creates a barrier between the person and God. When someone attributes their success or insight to their own ability rather than to God's grace, they stop being a conduit for the Spirit.

Closing

A house frame has many different joints. The ones that hold the roof are different from the ones that hold the floor. Each one is cut for its purpose.

D&C 23 shows five men receiving five custom cuts. Oliver, Hyrum, Samuel, Joseph Sr., and Joseph Knight. Each one needed something different from the Lord, and each one got it. The same is true for us.

— D.