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Calling of Election

This document discusses the doctrine of making one's "calling and election sure." It states that those who devote themselves wholly to righteousness and live by every word of God will receive revelation sealing their exaltation. Joseph Smith taught that after faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost, one can continue in humility and obedience and the Lord will say "thou shalt be exalted," making their calling and election sure. This means receiving further revelation and seeing visions of eternity. The more sure word of prophecy means knowing one will attain godhood, being sealed against sin except murder or denying the Holy Ghost. One's exaltation is then assured for having obeyed God's laws and overcome the world

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64 views

Calling of Election

This document discusses the doctrine of making one's "calling and election sure." It states that those who devote themselves wholly to righteousness and live by every word of God will receive revelation sealing their exaltation. Joseph Smith taught that after faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost, one can continue in humility and obedience and the Lord will say "thou shalt be exalted," making their calling and election sure. This means receiving further revelation and seeing visions of eternity. The more sure word of prophecy means knowing one will attain godhood, being sealed against sin except murder or denying the Holy Ghost. One's exaltation is then assured for having obeyed God's laws and overcome the world

Uploaded by

stephseeks
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Calling and Election Sure

by Bruce R. McConkie

CALLING AND ELECTION SURE

Those members of the Church who devote themselves wholly to


righteousness, living by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of
God, make their calling and election sure. That is, they receive the more sure
word of prophecy, which means that the Lord seals their exaltation upon
them while they are yet in this life. Peter summarized the course of
righteousness which the saints must pursue to make their calling and
election sure and then (referring to his experience on the Mount of
Transfiguration with James and John) said that those three had received this
more sure word of prophecy. (2 Pet. 1.)

Joseph Smith taught: “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 election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the
other Comforter.” To receive the other Comforter is to have Christ appear to
him and to see the visions of eternity. (Teachings, pp. 149–151.)

Thus, as the prophet also said, “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.)
Those so favored of the Lord are sealed up against all manner of sin and
blasphemy except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost and the shedding
of innocent blood. That is, their exaltation is assured; their calling and
election is made sure, because they have obeyed the fulness of God’s laws
and have overcome the world. Though such persons “shall commit any sin or
transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever and all manner
of blasphemies, and if they commit no murder wherein they shed innocent
blood, yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their
exaltation.” (D. & C. 132:26.)

The Lord says to them: “Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; . . . and
shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all
heights and depths.” (D. & C. 132:19.) The prophet, for one, had this seal
placed upon him. That is, he knew “by revelation and the spirit of prophecy,
through the power of the Holy Priesthood,” that he would attain godhood in
the world to come. To him Deity said: “I am the Lord thy God, and will be
with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I
seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom
of my Father with Abraham your father.” (D. & C. 132:49.)

It should be clearly understood that these high blessings are not part of
celestial marriage. “Blessings pronounced upon couples in connection with
celestial marriage are conditioned upon the subsequent faithfulness of the
participating parties.” (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, pp. 46–47.)

[Pp. 109–10 in McConkie, Bruce R. 1966. Mormon Doctrine. 2nd ed. Salt Lake
City, UT: Bookcraft.]

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