I’ve been stewing about this blog post for weeks, because I mean it to be provocative. I want to write about one of our most important Mormon doctrines, but it’s a topic that seems to be shrouded in a cultural taboo, like Heavenly Mother or polygamy. They used to sermonize about having your calling and election made sure a lot more than they do now. “They” being our church leaders. It was a naturally accepted piece of doctrine back in the days of Joseph Smith and the early saints. I imagine that every alert saint was keenly aware of whether or not they had personally been sealed up into eternal life by the Holy Spirit of Promise. I don’t know that we later latter-day saints give it much thought or attention anymore. But maybe we should.

If you search for “calling and election made sure” on lds.org, you’ll pull up some juicy tidbits. Like this great Conference talk from April 1977 by Marion G. Romney which he entitled The Light of Christ: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1977/04/the-light-of-christ?lang=eng

In it, he speaks of three phases of spiritual experience or development. The first is the “light of Christ” which everyone has. The second is “the gift of the Holy Ghost” which confirmed members of the Church receive. And Elder Romney identifies the third phase as “the more sure word of prophecy.” Every one of us comes to earth gifted with the light of Christ, and as we listen and learn to obey our conscience, we are led to receive the Holy Ghost. As we continue to do our best to obey the Spirit’s counsel, we are eventually led to receive that more sure word of prophecy, that unconditional promise from God that our calling and our election to His kingdom have been made sure.

Doesn’t that just tug at your heart? Are you ever so homesick for Home that you know you will do anything, sacrifice everything to get back? Sometimes I just miss Father and Mother and Jesus with such a fierce ache that I don’t know how I can continue living here. What if, as the Lord promises, we can know with a surety that we will one day return Home, that our place in the highest celestial place is assured? Can you feel, even in anticipation, the unspeakable awe and gratitude and all-consuming love that such an assurance would engender in your soul? I forget to breathe when I think of it.

Here’s another great article on this vital doctrine by Roy W. Doxey, written for Ensign magazine in 1976: https://www.lds.org/ensign/1976/07/accepted-of-the-lord-the-doctrine-of-making-your-calling-and-election-sure?lang=eng

Or you may prefer listening to a discussion of the topic on Mormon Channel: http://www.mormonchannel.org/listen/series/the-mormon-channel-qa-audio/calling-and-election-part-1-episode-39. Listen to Part 2, as well.

Or head straight to the scriptures. Peter is the most direct in the first chapter of his second epistle. . .

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

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

I know I’m sounding  preachy today. But this isn’t a topic you can easily offer anecdotal stories about. It’s one of those deep doctrines of the gospel that we find on our own, one by one, under the tutelage of the Holy Ghost. You won’t hear people at the pulpit sharing their personal experiences of having their calling and election made sure. But you will hear, if you listen carefully, a personal call to come to your own assurance. No matter where we are on our spiritual path, no matter which “phase” we are in, if we’re paying attention, we’ll feel the call — always — the pull and tug of our highest selves, the empowering love and vision that our Heavenly Parents have for each one of us. Will you answer the call?

What do you think? Does it help to talk about this with each other? How do you best learn the deep doctrines of the gospel?