2019.12.05 - A LOST DOCTRINE - "MAKING YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE"

"Give diligence to make your 

calling and election sure."

2 Peter 1: 10

The assigned Sunday School lesson given last week in all of the LDS wards was on the Epistles of Peter.   The Prophet Joseph Smith said that “Peter penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles” (History of the Church 5:392).  However, it was interesting to see what was left out from the lesson manual. 

Here is a screen shot from the "Come Follow Me" Lesson Manual for 2 Peter 1:1-11.

I don't disagree with the importance to identifying the Christlike qualities and inviting others to develop them more fully, however, I was surprised to see there was no mention of the verse found in 2 Peter 1: 10  about "giving diligence to make your calling and election sure." 

Through out Joseph Smith's ministry, he emphasized and taught the members about the importance of receiving your calling and election. In his sermon delivered on the Nauvoo temple grounds on Friday May 12, 1844, Joseph said, 

"Oh! I beseech you to forward, go forward and make your calling and your election sure---and if any man preach any other gospel with that which I have preached, he shall be cursed, and some of you who now hear me, shall see it & know that I testify the truth concerning them". 

To beseech is to beg for urgently and fervently to do something. 

It is interesting to point out that Joseph Smith said that if any man preach any other gospel (meaning not about making your calling and election sure).. he shall be cursed. Are we preaching another "gospel" today by never teaching or mentioning about the doctrine on making your calling and your election sure?

Joseph Smith said: “After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, 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. 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, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John [KJV], in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses” (TPJS, 150; WJS, 5; see John 9:7–9).

That "other Comforter" is Jesus Christ. The Lord has promised the Saints that it is our privilege to receive Him after our calling and election has been made sure.  Receiving the Second Comforter means you will meet Christ. You will know, without a doubt, He exists. You will know, through Him, the atonement has been provided and the scriptures that testify of Him are true. You will no longer have faith in the existence of God nor in your standing before Him but will have knowledge.

Receiving an audience with the Second Comforter is the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

It is unfortunate that we have removed the reference about the Second Comforter from our scripture. I have written about that in a previous blog post. Here is the link:   http://barerecord.blogspot.com/2014/04/258-now-what-is-this-other-comforter.html

We need to remember these lost doctrines that used to be taught back by Joseph Smith. 

I close with Peter's words:

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."