As usual, it's been too long that the White Table has sat dormant. Maybe if we dive a little deeper into the doctrinal ocean we'll get White Table sparks flying again.
I read an interesting article about calling and election today, from the editor of BYU Studies. He talked about calling and election outside the context of a personal visitation from the Savior. While I may have heard this before, I have always associated calling and election with a personal visitation from the Savior, or the Savior's voice (as seen in Mosiah 26:20, Helaman 10:4-11, 3 Nephi 28:3, D&C 132:46) but this scholar cites Heber C. Kimball's, Newel Knight's, and William Clayton's calling and elections to be given through a personal written revelation, a heavenly vision, and by the prophet, respectively.
I suppose first I'd like to hear your thoughts on the medium by which calling and election comes and if the personal visitation from the Savior is something we should seek in connection with Joseph's charge to "go on and continue to call upon God until you make your calling and election sure for yourselves by obtaining this more sure word of prophecy, and wait patiently for the promise until you obtain it" (History of the Church, 6:365; 5:388–89). I personally have always thought of, and on a few bold occasions, prayed for the Savior to appear, or hear his voice physically. What are your thoughts.
Another question I pose, is why do we not hear word of calling and election any more, let alone of people receiving their calling and election. The author mentions that the last time it was mentioned in conference was 1977. Are we falling behind as a church, to the point that we have to get over the hurdles of pornography, debt, and a lack of faith before leaders can address calling and election? Is it too sacred a matter to discuss in the face of constant media, and an international audience?
Finally, I ask: can we receive our calling and election? I believe we can. I know people have, and I know the Lord wouldn't keep blessings from us that others have received. I guess my real question is how? What do we need to get rid of in our lives? What do we need to start doing to receive this great promise, to be sealed His (Mosiah 5:15)? I know it begins with faith, repentance, the companionship of the first comforter, and the changing so we have no more disposition to do evil (Mosiah 5:2), the below quote from the Prophet indicates as much: "The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted" (TPJS p. 150).
But I can tell you it hasn't happened to me, and occasionally I have a strong desire for it to happen. I'd love your thoughts on this important gospel topic.
