Home » Calling and Election Made Sure » How You Received Your Calling and Election Made Sure » How I received my Calling and Election made sure
| How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #167] |
Mon, 07 February 2011 13:47  |
bishop
Messages: 144
Registered: July 2010
Location: USA
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Senior Member |
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My Calling And Election Experience
When I was 16, I received a testimony of the truthfulness of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after years of study and much fasting and prayer. You see, even though I was born into the Church and given a name and a blessing as an infant and then baptized at age 8, I lived in a "part-member" family. My father was increasingly anti-Mormon as I grew up, and my mother was LDS, but did not really have a testimony and had no scriptural background. As I entered my teen years, my father inundated us children with anti-Mormon literature. It was very convincing to a young mind.
However, I recognized that the LDS Church held certain beliefs which were Biblical, all of which no other church taught, such as the Godhead, baptism for the dead, baptism by immersion, the importance of the priesthood with all of its offices, Word of Wisdom, gifts of the Spirit, etc. Also, there were some major flaws in the deductive reasoning in the anti-Mormon literature which even a young teenager could easily see through. It became evident that anti-Mormon authors felt that it was worth lying or using deceptive reasoning in order to save their fellow man from the monster of Mormonism. But in my little teenage brain I reasoned that if it was false, why would they have to lie and deceive to "prove" that it was false?
I finally determined, for the time being, to follow the LDS faith, which was the most Biblical of all the churches I had studied, until I found the true church. When I made that decision, the Spirit witnessed to me that it is the true Church and I understood that over time, the things which did not seem Biblical about the Church, would be explained [which they were].
Subsequently, I went on a mission and served faithfully in five bishoprics, two high councils, and many other callings over many years. I learned to hear the voice of the Lord as I progressed spiritually. One thing that stuck with me, ever since I read the Book of Mormon as a teenager, was Moroni's description of the Brother of Jared seeing the finger of God and Moroni's challenge for the reader to see Christ for himself. I always desired to receive that sacred blessing. As time passed, I learned that to see Christ in this way was known as receiving the Second Comforter. I learned that there was another spiritual experience related to the Second Comforter, known as receiving one's calling and election made sure [CE].
Over the years, I read and listened to the scriptures many times over. I had many spiritual experiences as I vicariously lived and relived the experiences of people in the scriptures. It became painfully obvious to me that few members of the Church actually read the scriptures daily, even though the prophets constantly challenge us to do so. It was so obvious because so few people could accept the possibility that we can follow Moroni's counsel and see the Savior in this life.
When I was in my forties, the Spirit witnessed to me that I would receive my CE within seven years. This was very comforting and I did not doubt that this was a real possibility.
About four years later, I found myself embroiled in an extreme spiritual trial. One day at work, I went into a storage room to pray for guidance. I knew what the Lord's will was. However, doing the right thing could possibly destroy my family, my reputation in and out of the Church, ruin me economically, etc. In short, everything I held dear was probably on the line if I did what was right. It was one of those situations in which the right thing to do was not obvious. In the storage room, I prostrated myself flat on the floor, face down in humble prayer. I promised the Lord that I would do his will. At that moment, I saw in my mind's eye the Savior prostrating himself before the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying, "Thy will be done." I understood more fully the Savior's obedience to the Father.
At that same moment, I understood that I had proven to myself that I would always do the Lord's will. I came to understand that it was not so much a test to prove to God who I was, but to prove to myself who I was. God already knew who I was. Instantly the Spirit witnessed to me that I had reached a threshold in my spiritual development. Because I would do the Lord's will no matter what the consequences, my calling and election were sure. I would receive eternal life. I felt a peaceful assurance that I had reached the goal that I had set long before as a teenager under the tutelage of Moroni.
A few months later, I was discussing the concept of the Second Comforter with a friend. The friend quoted a scripture which states that we will see him with our spiritual eyes, not our physical eyes. As I pondered this statement, it came to me that I had seen the Savior with my spiritual eyes in the Garden of Gethsemane and in other similar visions. I also realized that many times over the years, I had known precisely the Lord's will on certain topics as if he, himself, had told me.
Suddenly a whole new world of knowledge and understanding became available to me. I still had to work at it like before, but it did come faster and more abundantly. I was surprised and saddened to find out that our trials do not end when we receive our CE. I learned that Joseph Smith Jr. received his CE in 1831 [D&C 132] and subsequently suffered many trials. I soon understood that the Book of Mormon is testimony after testimony of people who had received the Second Comforter and how they had received it. Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, Enos [an explicit story of his experience], King Benjamin, King Mosiah, the Almas, Helaman, Nephi and Lehi [Helaman's sons], Nephi [the son of Nephi who met the Savior when he appeared in America], the Brother of Jared, Mormon, and Moroni had all received the Second Comforter. This was an amazing realization to know that the Book of Mormon is one big testimony about this most sacred spiritual experience.
It also became apparent to me that the temple endowment is a map of how anyone can enter into the presence of the Savior. As we live each covenant in the endowment, we move from the Telestial level of personal spirituality to the Terrestrial level and then on to the Celestial level of righteousness. It is graphic and very simple, culminating in meeting the Savior and entering into the Celestial world.
I found a talk by President Marion G. Romney challenging the men in the Church to receive the Second Comforter. This was most incredible seeing as how the topic is rarely broached in meetings or manuals. The talk is entitled "The Light of Christ" and can be found by searching the Church website.
After experiencing this for myself, I noticed that there are certain things people say and do that expose them as CEers. I was stunned to learn that many others in the Church today have received their CE and the Second Comforter! It was actually very comforting to know this. I understand that there will be a contingent of these people ready to welcome the Savior when he returns to the earth. This makes perfect sense when you think about it.
The journey continues after CE. It is not really an ending, but a new beginning. There is such a realization of how much more there is to learn and how little the CEer knows. It is like standing at the tiny little apex of the beginning of infinite knowledge and understanding. But there are angels and Gods there to help facilitate the learning. So I add my testimony and challenge in conjunction with those of my dear friends in the Book of Mormon: that it is possible and it is important to seek to know the Savior in this life and to become his friend.
-Bishop
Bishop
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #168 is a reply to message #167] |
Mon, 07 February 2011 15:21  |
Seeker
Messages: 244
Registered: June 2010
Location: Las Vegas
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Senior Member |
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Wow, That was wonderful. Thank you for sharing! My experience seemed less difficult in that it did not seem like I was at risk of loosing much. But then as consider it more, it occurs to me that I had already lost relationships with my family which were largely dependant on obedience to the norm and/or following the fear based counsel of my mother whom I regularly disappointed.
I was used to going against the grain to do what I felt was right and I was so often inspired to go against the grain that it was every day life in some ways. Thinks like dropping out of college to follow an inspiration was more than discouraged but has ended up being the smartest thing I could have done.
Although, I don't know the details of your experiences which would potentially have lost you your family, job, etc. and do not want to belittle them with my seemingly insignificant experiences, I do see a common point in that I knew of myself that I would follow my personal inspiration, the lords instructions to me, above the counsel of others. This seems to be a common requirement. 1. Learn to recognize communications from God to you and 2. Follow them.
I really liked the way that you described the second comforter and continual presence of Jesus Christ. It is very much like having a telepathic link to Jesus Christ although he is not personally physically there with you, it is like he is there spiritually always.
Thank you soooo much for sharing. This was a very touching and profound read.
~ Seeker
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #696 is a reply to message #167] |
Tue, 24 July 2012 10:39 |
bishop
Messages: 144
Registered: July 2010
Location: USA
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Senior Member |
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In response to a PM that I received concerning CE, I wrote the following letter, which may be especially helpful to new CEers.
Thank you for your personal inquiry, as to what happened immediately after receiving CE. You are wondering if your experience is "normal." There were two major things that happened to me and then a third, some time later.
I cannot share with you the trial that I was embroiled in, but I must say that it was very intense. At the height of it, I went to an empty room at work and prostrated myself on the tile floor, face down, in abject humility. I told the Lord, "I will do thy will." At that moment, I understood, deep within myself, that I would always do his will, no matter what the cost. In this case the cost had the potential of being everything that I held dear. As I reached this point of commitment to the Lord, I understood that there was no greater test that could be performed on me that would yield a different result. I understood by the Spirit that my sacrifice was accepted. I was told that the Lord already knew that I would follow him no matter what, but that I needed to know for myself. This was profound. It was upside down to realize that the test was to prove who I was to myself, not the Lord.
I understood by the Spirit that because there was no greater test that could be given me, that I had my calling and election made sure, a goal I had made when I was 17 when I read the Book of Mormon for the first time [Ether concerning the Brother of Jared].. I was now 49. I was currently serving as bishop, as I had done multiple times before.
So what happened? The awareness of spiritual things opened up to me. The conversation with the Spirit that began, as rehearsed above, continued. I was at a whole new beginning, an infant with infinite things to learn and understand. As I read the scriptures and listened to conference talks, I perceived a whole new level of communication and understanding. I saw myself as having unlimited potential, while at the same time seeing myself as virtually ignorant in the new level that I had entered. Spiritual knowledge came much easier than before. In summary, the first thing that happened is that I understood that I had received a new ability to perceive spiritual things and that there was a vast amount of things to learn. I was beginning a whole new spiritual journey.
The second thing that "happened" was what my friend calls "the Big Letdown." I had many misconceptions about what it meant to receive CE. Although I had suddenly become immersed in a whole new level of spiritual understanding, my trial did not end-there was no ram in the bush per se, but the Lord did guide me so that I did not lose everything that I could have lost. I still had to make a living. I was not immune to future trials. I still had to work hard at piercing the veil-it just was easier with experience. Just as President Grant had said, in essence, that things get easier as we do them because our ability to do them increases, not because the job itself gets any easier. In summary, I still found myself in the lone and dreary world, right where I was when I received CE. The only thing that changed was inside of me, mostly my spiritual perceptions.
However, to make things worse, now I was more of an alien in the world that I had occupied for 49 years. I perceived things at a level that could not be shared with even many of those closest to me. I quickly learned that I could not share the cool new things I was learning, except with other CEers, who are very hard to find and who keep their experiences to themselves for the sake of not being persecuted. But I must confess that every now and then I make a comment in priesthood meeting that only the other CEers understand and I am embarrassed at how nutty I must sound to the others. Fortunately, these comments seem to go completely unnoticed by those dosing off in the high priest quorum. The Spirit has a way of only allowing us to hear what we are ready to hear.
The third thing that happened some time later, as I searched to receive the Second Comforter, was the realization of what it means to see with spiritual eyes. Our spirit sees things which our body cannot. Seeing with spiritual eyes is like seeing with one's imagination. The way to discern whether we are seeing something with our spiritual eyes or our own imaginings is to run a spiritual test. Simply put, the test consists of pondering how your conscience would feel if you were to deny the reality of what you are seeing. If you sense with your spiritual eyes the presence of an angel, but doubt yourself, deny it within yourself and your conscience will feel guilty as though you were lying to the Spirit. If it is your own imaginings, your conscience will feel okay. The Hindus call your spiritual eye your third eye. It is located in the middle of your forehead. That is a pretty good description of where you sense spirit beings. So the third thing that happened was that I realized that I had already seen beings from the other side of the veil and not understood it. I used this knowledge to see and converse with many more from the other side.
I have shared with you some things that are very personal in hopes that you will be aided in your search for truth. I know that this journey can be very lonely at times. I hope you find this letter helpful.
Most Sincerely,
Bishop
Bishop
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #1579 is a reply to message #696] |
Tue, 11 December 2012 11:48 |
JustMe
Messages: 20
Registered: December 2012
Location: Utah
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Junior Member |
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Quote:Seeing with spiritual eyes is like seeing with one's imagination. The way to discern whether we are seeing something with our spiritual eyes or our own imaginings is to run a spiritual test. Simply put, the test consists of pondering how your conscience would feel if you were to deny the reality of what you are seeing. If you sense with your spiritual eyes the presence of an angel, but doubt yourself, deny it within yourself and your conscience will feel guilty as though you were lying to the Spirit. If it is your own imaginings, your conscience will feel okay
I tried it! I have a vivid imagination and am not always sure if what I "see" is real or not. This past week my sister suddenly moved into our home. I had extended the invitation before I fully realized that she had been living in a homosexual relationship which had just ended. I prayed alot and continue to pray multiple times a day for shields of protection around our home and around me and my children. I told Heavenly Father that my sister is welcome in my home, but not any of her evil spiritual "friends". I asked for guardians and instantly "saw" two light-filled Nephite warriors, spears and all, guarding my front door (ooh, I hope there's some at the back door, too!). I don't really know they're Nephites, that's just how they seemed to be dressed, and what I "felt". I saw them from inside the house through the open doorway, so only saw less than half of them, but their spears were framing the door.
I feel I would be denying God's power if I were to say they're not real, or as you stated above, like lying to the Holy Spirit.
So I'm going to assume they're real and just be grateful. I think this is a good tool which I will use again. Thanks!
~JustMe
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #1586 is a reply to message #1581] |
Thu, 13 December 2012 10:01 |
bishop
Messages: 144
Registered: July 2010
Location: USA
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Senior Member |
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JustMe,
I am glad that you tried that little experiment. You will find that now that you have perceived the two angels guarding your home and accepted it as true, that there are angels watching over you constantly. This is opening up a whole new amazing world to you which you never knew existed.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
Bishop
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #1591 is a reply to message #1586] |
Thu, 13 December 2012 14:48 |
JustMe
Messages: 20
Registered: December 2012
Location: Utah
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Junior Member |
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Thanks Ashleyd, yes, I read three of their books quite a few years ago. I think they have some newer ones now, but I have not read those. I don't know how you could tell that from my message, though!
Bishop, actually I know that amazing world exists, or should I say, I believe it does. I just don't know how to access it "on demand" so to speak. I have had some incredible things happen to me, but for the most part have not been able to share them with anyone.
I appreciate your kind words. Thanks!
~JustMe
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #1592 is a reply to message #1591] |
Thu, 13 December 2012 19:25 |
bishop
Messages: 144
Registered: July 2010
Location: USA
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Senior Member |
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JustMe,
Meditation is the way to access the spirit world on demand. It is hard work to meditate and pierce the veil, but it is well worth it. The ancient prophets, like Abraham, had lots of time to meditate and ponder as they watched their flocks. We live in such a busy, noisy world that it can be a challenge. I often like to go to the mountains where I am away from the world and where I can tune in to God. I also like to just sit quietly and ponder while I read the scriptures or write in my journal. As you practice trying to pierce the veil, it will come to you and it will become easier the more you do it.
Bishop
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| Re: How I received my Calling and Election made sure [message #1593 is a reply to message #1592] |
Thu, 13 December 2012 19:48 |
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JulesGP
Messages: 357
Registered: May 2012
Location: Davis County, UT
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Senior Member |
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bishop wrote on Thu, 13 December 2012 19:25JustMe,
Meditation is the way to access the spirit world on demand. It is hard work to meditate and pierce the veil, but it is well worth it. The ancient prophets, like Abraham, had lots of time to meditate and ponder as they watched their flocks. We live in such a busy, noisy world that it can be a challenge. I often like to go to the mountains where I am away from the world and where I can tune in to God. I also like to just sit quietly and ponder while I read the scriptures or write in my journal. As you practice trying to pierce the veil, it will come to you and it will become easier the more you do it.
Bishop I appreciate your message to JustMe. I appreciate many of the things you have taught me through your messages on this board. I think I need to try this one. You are so right, it is difficult to get away from the business of this world. There are so many distractions that it's difficult to even find privacy or quiet to pray. I love your idea of going to the mountains. Thank you!
~Jules
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