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Home » Calling and Election Made Sure » The Fastest Way to Make Your Calling and Election Sure » The Fastest Way to Make Your Calling and Election Sure (Speaking from experience...)
Re: The Fastest Way to Make Your Calling and Election Sure [message #3463 is a reply to message #3462] Thu, 25 June 2015 12:44 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
bishop is currently offline  bishop
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I have really enjoyed this thread. I believe that Amonhi's point is to open up our thinking to our own potential-that we can each receive our CE and the Second Comforter. This is by far the biggest hurdle to any important accomplishment, whether physical or spiritual-faith that we can receive it. I suppose that I must cut to the quick and say that I am writing to be another witness to that fact, from personal experience also. I have come to understand that one of the great messages/themes of the Book of Mormon is to challenge us to receive our CE and the Second Comforter and to testify that we CAN receive it. I know that CE and Second Comforter are not the same, but for the purpose of illustrating my point, please allow me to use them synonymously as they are so closely related and intertwined in the BoM.

Nephi received it at a very young age and so did his brother Jacob:
2 Nephi 11:" 2 And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.

3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words."

As expressed in an earlier post, President Romney pointed out that Enos, Jacob's son received it. It turns out that the book of Enos is a testimony of how a prophet's son received his CE.

Alma the elder received his CE:
Mosiah 26: " 20 Thou art my servant; and I covenant with thee that thou shalt have eternal life; and thou shalt serve me and go forth in my name, and shalt gather together my sheep."

As a point of conjecture, I believe that Alma the younger received his CE when the angel appeared unto him the second time in Alma 8:15
" 15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you."

Likewise a conjecture that Nephi, the son of Helaman, received his CE when God gave him the sealing power in Helaman 10:5:
" 5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will."

Mormon saw the Savior when he was only fifteen:
Mormon 1: "15. And I, being fifteen years of age and being somewhat of a sober mind, therefore I was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus."

Of course, the classic story of the Brother of Jared when he receives the Second Comforter is found in Ether 3. I only include Moroni's summary of the incident:
"19 And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.

20 Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him."

Moroni goes on to prophecy concerning the day when the Book of Ether should be brought forth to us. I take this as a personal challenge from the Lord through Moroni, in the Book of Ether: Ether 4: 7-19. I will only quote Ether 4:7 to be as brief as possible:
" 7 And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are."

So we are to exercise faith and strive to receive the same revelations that the Brother of Jared received, which assuredly includes receiving the Second Comforter.

Emer, a Jaredite king saw the Savior in his day:
Ether 9: " 22 And after he had anointed Coriantum to reign in his stead he lived four years, and he saw peace in the land; yea, and he even saw the Son of Righteousness, and did rejoice and glory in his day; and he died in peace."

In Ether 12, Moroni testifies that many saw Christ before he came in the flesh:
" 19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even before Christ came, who could not be kept from within the veil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad."

Moroni was one who practiced what he preached:
Ether 12: " 38 And now I, Moroni, bid farewell unto the Gentiles, yea, and also unto my brethren whom I love, until we shall meet before the judgment-seat of Christ, where all men shall know that my garments are not spotted with your blood.

39 And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;"

So my point is that the Book of Mormon is all about how to receive one's CE and the Second Comforter. This is why the prophets and apostles today preach until they're blue in the face that we must study the scriptures-especially the Book of Mormon; because it will teach us how to come unto Christ [Second Comforter]. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the purpose of bringing all men unto Christ [receive the Second Comforter]. The temple endowment shows the steps we must take to penetrate the veil and enter into the presence of Christ [Second Comforter]. The biggest hurdle to receiving this blessing is our own unbelief [aka lack of faith]. So I join in with others to testify that we are "they" to whom the Book of Mormon was written and it admonishes us to exercise our faith to receive our CE and the Second Comforter so that we can dwell in his presence now and be prepared for his coming. I hope that we can all have the faith to "inquire of the Lord" concerning these things and to not write ourselves off for some future ambiguous date yet to be determined. Age and experience were not a factor in the lives of Nephi, Jacob, and Mormon. But faith was the determinant. So please listen to the Spirit and don't cave to your natural fears. The Lord will come to a people prepared to dwell in his presence-why not each of us? As someone mentioned in an earlier post, there are many who have received these blessings in our day, and there will be many, many more, why not you and I?

Bishop

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