19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.
(Jacob 1:19)
I like the following definition of magnifying one’s calling from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:
Magnifying one’s calling means taking callings seriously, following through responsibly, and realizing the importance of one’s efforts. Magnifying one’s calling does not mean to enlarge it beyond one’s stewardship or to make it appear great in the eyes of others, although there is a need to give one’s own calling appropriate personal importance.
Today, I will remember that the service I perform in my church responsibilities can have an eternal impact on others. I will take my responsibilities seriously and ensure that I fulfill them to the highest standard of excellence, recognizing that those I serve may benefit more than I am aware from my efforts on their behalf.
My favorite part of this verse is “we did magnify our office UNTO THE LORD”. Sometimes we magnify our callings “unto ourselves” or “unto our family”. They did this by taking on responsibility for their actions. They accepted their stewardship, not just to “do what that had to” but to do what was necessary to accomplish the desired outcome. Their concern was achieving the outcome the Lord desired, not punching their church time card and doing what they felt they had to or what was reasonably acceptable. I will strive to follow this example to magnify to the Lord and do what is needful to accomplish his work and desired outcomes.