Nehemiah 5 - Esther

Peter introduces himself as -

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..." (New Testament 1 Peter 1:2)

This verse suggests that he was "elect" or ordained to be elect before this earth life. Speaking of those that were ordained priests unto the high priesthood of the holy order of God, Alma teaches the same as Peter -

"And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works..." (Book of Mormon Alma 13:3)

This is evident as the Lord tells Jeremiah -

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Old Testament Jeremiah 1:5)

Abraham saw -

"...the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." (Pearl of Great Price Abraham 3:22 - 23)

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught -

"Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council." (Teachings of Joseph Smith, p. 365.)

It is in the story of Esther that the same principle of foreordination is taught, but in this case suggesting that it also applies to all God's children including women. Esther was blessed with such natural beauty that when means was provided where -

"...every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house." (Old Testament Esther 2:13)

That Esther -

"...required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her." (Old Testament Esther 2:15)

Even -

"...the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head..." (Old Testament Esther 2:17)

After being offended by Esther's cousin, Mordecai -

"...Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed..." (Old Testament Esther 3:8 - 9)

The king agrees, not knowing Esther was also a jew, and sends out a decree according to the wishes of Haman. Seeing that the destruction of all his people, Mordecai appeals to Esther -

"...Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed..." (Old Testament Esther 4:13 - 14)

And then Mordecai suggests to Esther with her great gift of beauty that she was foreordained to who present status to save the jewish people saying -

"...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Old Testament Esther 4:14)

Being, as Abraham describes, as one of the noble and great ones tells Mordecai -

"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." (Old Testament Esther 4:16)

And trusting in the Lord, where others would be condemned to die -

"...Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight..." (Old Testament Esther 5:1 - 2)

This great act of faith eventually lead to the rejection of the kings decree and the hangin of Haman. Not much more is spoken of Esther but because of actions -

"...Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed." (Old Testament Esther 10:3)