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.
4 comments:
Last week my father sent me that same article on calling and elections. I was impressed with some of the stories that were elaborated upon and similar to you Fire, I was amazed that none of those accounts disclosed any visitation from our Savior Jesus Christ.
Nonetheless, I was easily convinced that these were accurate accounts and was not willing to refute its validity in anyway. I still maintain that these accounts are true and that these men did receive their calling and elections made sure. If it weren’t for Fires great writings I would not have been coaxed into reevaluating my personal convictions about the doctrine. I hope to take give my own personal insight on the matter as it relate to the calling and election made sure doctrine and the Second Comforter.
By what medium does the calling and election made sure impose itself? Fire, similar to you, I thought and felt that personal visitation was deemed necessary for someone to receive his/her calling and election made sure (CEMS). Nonetheless, your CEMS seems to go hand in hand with the Second Comforter. For me it would be easily rationalized that someone could receive his or her CEMS by means of revelation (Heber C. Kimball, Newel Knight and William Clayton) because of what Joseph Smith has said.
"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.' When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John....
"Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and the substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions--Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn."(2)
By dissecting Joseph’s words, we learn that man is to continue to humble himself before god, and the Lord will say unto him, ‘Son, thou shalt be exalted.’ Joseph Smith does not say that the Lord will reveal himself to the person. All that needs to happen is that the Lord will let the person know that his calling and election is made sure, which can be done by many different mediums.
“The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up unto eternal life, by revelation and the spirit of prophecy through the power of the Holy Priesthood.” (D. & C. 131:5.) To me this also helps support the idea that one can be sealed up by means of personal revelation mediums through the Holy Priesthood.
Elder Marion G. Romney explained that to have one's calling and election made sure means that "one must receive a divine witness that he will inherit eternal life."(1) I think I have always taken quotes like this for granted, thinking that it meant that the Lord would be administering to me physically. Looking at it from a different perspective, there are a myriad of ways in which the Lord can give us a “divine witness” of his validity.
Apparently, having one's calling and election made sure and receiving the Second Comforter are closely associated. Like Joseph Smith’s statement above it shows us that these doctrines go virtually hand in hand.
It is my thinking right now that when someone receives their CEMS through different mediums other than visitation a time will come when they will need the Lord and will call upon Him and in that time the Second Comforter will come and administer to his/her needs. The Second Comforter being Jesus Christ will personally come and visit because he is bound to do which will further seal the testimony of the recipient.
Why don’t we hear about CEMS anymore? Fire, this is a great question, one that I have thought about extensively from time to time. Is it because we are a more evil people? Are we too worldly now and have lost sight of our mortal objectives? I’m really not sure, I know there is a plethora of evil in the world today but there are plenty of good people too. Wouldn’t it be imperative for Christ’s church to teach its faithful saints how to receive its CEMS? It seems like we would want to lock in as many as we could into receiving their CEMS. From a management standpoint, the more you lock in the less you have to worry about. It only makes sense, but I don’t want to be critical. It is my suspicion that this kind of work is being carried out. Though it may be exclusive the Lord is the captain of this ship and it is my testimony that he is doing all that he can to save us. His Omniscience power will forever govern us and lead us to everlasting life if we put trust in his plan and heed to his message.
“I am going on in my progress for eternal life. It is not only necessary that you should be baptized for your dead, but you will have to go through all the ordinances for them, the same as you have gone through to save yourselves. There will be 144,000 saviors on Mount Zion, and with them an innumerable host that no man can number. Oh! I beseech you to go forward, go forward and make your calling and election sure.”
Joseph Smith
Thanks for that insightful comment, Light, and for sharing your testimony. The Lord is the captain of this ship, and I agree that He continues to make people's calling and elections sure. In fact, Bruce R. McKonkie said, "The Lord would not say to us, 'Make your calling and election sure,' unless he knew it was within our spiritual potential-- unless we had the capacity and ability to press forward in steadfastness and devotion until that desired eventuality occurred.
Now, I am suggesting that this is within the realm of possibility and of probability for the members of the Church today. There are many in this Church who have obtained such a status. (Speeches of the Year, Brigham Young University; 25 March 1969; Elder Bruce R. McConkie; Speech entitled, "Making Our Calling and Election Sure")
I also now believe that calling and election can be given through different means, beyond a personal visitation. One interesting thing I found was that the saints in the early days sometimes received their calling and election collectively rather than individually. I have some quotes on this subject, but will have to post them later since I'm about to be late for school. Thanks again for your comment, Light.
Oh the splendor of Fire and Light. It is good to have the White again. Why it ebs annd flows, I do not know. But each time it returns, happier I am. I am posting from my phone, so this will not be a long post.
Calling and Election Made Sure (CEMS), 2nd Comforter, and Receiving th Holy Spirit of Promise (HSP) appear to all be intertwined. I believe especially that CEMS and 2nd Comforter are either one in the same or are directly related. But I am not as sure about HSP. The reason I say this is because of a very spiritual Zone Conference led by then Presidency of the Seventy D. Todd Christopherson. During this meeting, Bro. Christopherson discussed in surprising detail the nature of the HSP. So it seems that the HSP is an ordinance performed in the temple, either by the prophet or someone he delegates it to. Now, maybe I'm assuming too much, but if the prophet performs the HSP, then that by definition is not the same as receiving the 2nd Comforter. Unless they happen at the same time. I wish I had my scriptures or the internet to look up a few things, but for now I simply submit this idea to you without any references. What say you Fire and Light?
-Rev.
PS: D+C: 6 is very interesting at the end. Does Oliver Cowdery receive the 2nd Comforter at the very end of that revelation?
Here are a few occurrences where people received their CEMS collectively, shared below. What do you make of that? Was it a City of Enoch situation?
From Jared Carter: "Accordingly, all of us lifted our voices to God, and while we were praying, the Spirit rested down upon us. We then administered the Sacrament and it appeared to me that the Church of Christ in that locality was sealed up to the Lord, and it was likewise made plain to me that every one of us present should meet again in Zion. I then felt as though I could leave them without fear, for I had a testimony that God would keep them." (Journal History; 27 September 1832. [Note: Jared Carter labored in the vicinity of Benson, Vermont from 25 October 1831 until the middle of January 1832. Of his labors he said])
From Orson Pratt: "The 26th, in the forenoon the Church at Charleston, Vt., with some other brethren from other towns, met together and called upon the Lord; and the Lord heard their prayers and moved upon his servant Lyman Johnson by the power of the Holy Ghost to seal them up unto eternal life. And after this the brethren arose one by one and said that they knew that their names were sealed in the Lamb's Book of Life, and they all did bear this glorious testimony save two or three."
Journal of Orson Pratt; 26 August 1833; Comments by Orson Pratt concerning his labors with Lyman Johnson in the area of Charleston, Vermont.
As to Rev's questions, I believe the following. The Holy Spirit of Promise seems to be the same as CEMS. In Ephesians 1:13 Paul says, "ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise;" D&C 76:53 says the same. D&C 88:3 then goes on to connect the holy Spirit of promise, with CEMS, as well as the Second Comforter. Though this verse does seem to be a little confusing to me. It almost seems like He is referencing the holy Spirit of promise as the Holy Ghost, since he says it will "abide in your hearts" and that it was the same comforter he promised his disciples in John (John 15:26). I suppose the holy Spirit of promise (HSP) is the Holy Ghost and seals the promise of eternal life to someone who has received their CEMS and the Second Comforter. I don't think that the HSP is an ordinance, or that it is performed by the prophet. That sounds more like the second anointing, which the prophet does perform in the temple, and serves as the physical ordinance to couple the spiritual blessing of CEMS. This is where people actually become kings and queens, according to White Wisdom. Brigham Young records on multiple occasions people receiving their second anointing from Joseph Smith (Brigham Young History, p. 159). It's interesting that many of these accounts reference men and women receiving their second anointing together, as though it were a higher ordinance made together after being sealed. That said, the sealing power of the HSP is held by the prophet (D&C 132:7).
On August 8, 1839, Joseph Smith said, "There is one Comforter [i.e. the Holy Ghost] & another Comforter to abide with you forever, reach to things within the vail, know that you are Sealed. If you get it, it will stand by you forever. . . Obtain that holy Spirit of promise—Then you can be sealed to Eternal Life." That seems to indicate that the HSP is clearly connected to the CEMS and the Second Comforter.
As to Reverence's question about D&C 6, I personally don't think that it is a Second Comforter/CEMS/HSP section. I say this because of all of the conditional blessings found therein (e.g. "If thou wilt do good . . . thou shalt be saved"). Verse 8 could appear to be a "sealed on earth is sealed in heaven" promise, but I think it is more like Alma 29:4, where the Lord says that he grants men their desires. I imagine the verse Rev was thinking of, and the one that most appears to be a Second Comforter verse, is the last one. However, even if the Lord Himself were standing there, I don't think that Oliver was sealed His that day. I think Oliver may have received something more like what JS describes here: "Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God this would be no evidence that their election & Calling was made sure--that they had part with Christ and was a joint heir with him. They then would want that more sure word of Prophecy that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Then having this promise sealed unto them it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast (Words of the Joseph Smith, p. 201).
As to the Second Comforter, it seems to mean that Jesus will be a companion in a similar way that the Holy Ghost is a companion to us right now. I say that due to this quote from J. Golden Kimball, quoting Joseph Smith: "says Joseph: "It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is the sum and substance of the matter, that when any man obtains this last Comforter he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time and even He will manifest the Father unto him."
Okay, I've rambled long this morning. Good luck deciphering any of it. Of course, I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
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