Study Guide for "Foreordained to Serve"

In "Foreordained to Serve", Elder Steven R. Bangerter addresses the youth of the Church, emphasizing the importance of understanding their divine identity and foreordination. He explores the concept of foreordination, its implications for our mortal lives, and the importance of righteous choices in realizing foreordained blessings. Elder Bangerter also highlights the significance of personal revelation and private spiritual practices in understanding God's plan for us.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What is the doctrine of foreordination?
Why is understanding our divine identity and foreordination important?
How does our agency affect the realization of our foreordained blessings?
What role does personal revelation play in understanding our foreordination?
What is the importance of protecting the private times of our lives?

Topics

Understanding Foreordination and Divine Identity

Elder Bangerter teaches that everyone lived with Heavenly Father as spirit children before being born on earth. During this premortal life, we made important decisions and were foreordained, or appointed, to fulfill specific missions during our mortal life. Understanding our divine identity and foreordination brings peace and assurance.

Your Heavenly Father has known you for a very long time. You, as His son or daughter, were chosen by Him to come to earth at this precise time, to be a leader in His great work on earth.

When He created you spiritually, He loved you as His spirit sons and daughters and embedded within each of you a divine nature and eternal destiny.

What is foreordination?
What does it mean to have a divine nature and eternal destiny?
How does understanding our divine identity and foreordination bring peace and assurance?
How can you seek to understand your divine identity and foreordination?
How can understanding your divine identity and foreordination affect your daily life and decisions?

The Role of Agency in Realizing Foreordained Blessings

Elder Bangerter emphasizes that foreordination does not guarantee certain callings or responsibilities in this life. Rather, these blessings and opportunities come as a result of our righteous exercise of agency.

Foreordination does not guarantee that you will receive certain callings or responsibilities. These blessings and opportunities come in this life as a result of your righteous exercise of agency, just as your foreordination in your premortal life came as a result of righteousness.

How does our agency affect the realization of our foreordained blessings?
Why doesn't foreordination guarantee certain callings or responsibilities in this life?
How can you use your agency to make righteous decisions?
How have you seen the blessings of your foreordination realized through your righteous choices?

The Importance of Personal Revelation

Elder Bangerter underscores the importance of personal revelation in understanding our foreordination and God's plan for us. He shares a personal experience with his father, who taught him to protect the private times of his life and seek revelation during these moments.

Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.

In the private times of my life, I could go to God in prayer to receive revelation.

Why is personal revelation important in understanding our foreordination?
What does it mean to protect the private times of our lives?
How can you seek personal revelation about your foreordination and God's plan for you?
What practices can you adopt to protect the private times of your life?

The Power of Righteous Living and the Atonement

Elder Bangerter testifies of the power of righteous living and the Atonement of Jesus Christ in enabling us to live up to and enjoy all of God’s foreordained blessings.

Striving to protect the private times of my life has remained an anchor amid the storms of life and has enabled me to seek safe haven and the healing, strengthening blessings of our Savior’s love and atoning sacrifice.

How does righteous living help us to enjoy God's foreordained blessings?
What role does the Atonement of Jesus Christ play in this process?
How can you strive to live righteously to enjoy God's foreordained blessings?
How have you experienced the healing and strengthening blessings of the Savior's Atonement in your life?

The Significance of Wholesome Recreation and Spiritual Practices

Elder Bangerter encourages the youth to protect the private times of their lives through wholesome recreation, uplifting music, scripture study, meaningful prayer, and pondering their patriarchal blessings. These practices can lead to revelation and a deeper understanding of their foreordained blessings.

As you protect the private times of your life with wholesome recreation; listening to uplifting music; reading the scriptures; having regular, meaningful prayer; and making efforts to receive and ponder your patriarchal blessing, you will receive revelation.

What are some ways to protect the private times of our lives?
How can these practices lead to revelation and a deeper understanding of our foreordination?
What wholesome activities and spiritual practices can you incorporate into your private times?
How have these practices helped you to receive revelation and understand your foreordained blessings?