Audience with Christ: Second Comforter and Calling and Election Made Sure

After faith, repentance, and baptism comes endurance to the end. Most members believe that this means to simply continue as a faithful church member until death.

What you have to do is stay in the mainstream of the Church and live as upright and decent people live in the Church—keeping the commandments, paying your tithing, serving in the organizations of the Church, loving the Lord, staying on the straight and narrow path. If you're on that path when death comes—because this is the time and the day appointed, this is the probationary estate—you'll never fall off from it, and, for all practical purposes, your calling and election is made sure. (Bruce R. McConkie, “The Probationary Test of Mortality,” University of Utah Jan 10, 1982.)

“The end” is not death, but the completion of the tests of mortality, a point that can (and ought) to occur prior to death, as in the case of Seth (D&C 107:43), Noah (Genesis 6:9), and Job (Job 1:1), whom God called perfect men. The confusion of the meaning leads many to conclude their journey before they have even begun, assuming that they have somehow qualified for something after death that they have not qualified for before death, despite the doctrine plainly taught in the Book of Mormon that death does not change our character or the degree of glory we have attained.¹ Enduring to the end means proceeding in the tests of mortality until you have obtained the promise of eternal life from God.²

The doctrines of calling and election and the Second Comforter are, therefore, a crucial part of enduring to the end. Calling and election is the event where an individual receives the promise of eternal life from God.³ The Second Comforter is the visitation of Jesus Christ to an individual.⁴

These doctrines are taught plainly in scripture and in the teachings of Joseph Smith. Joseph explained the process of receiving these events:

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, which the Lord hath promised the Saints. (DHC 3:380, TPJS, p. 150.)

And again,

Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more or less than the Lord Jesus Christ himself & this is the sum & substance of the whole matter, that when any man obtains this last Comforter he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him or appear unto him from time to time. & even he will manifest the Father unto him & they will take up their abode with him, & the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him & the Lord will teach him face to face & he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, & this is the state & place the Ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious vision Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St Paul in the third heavens, & all the Saints who held communion with the general Assembly & Church of the First Born &c (Words of Joseph Smith, 27 Jun 1839, original spelling.)

God describes the process as follows:

Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and accord to his own will. (D&C 88:68.)

It is also explained in the Book of Mormon:

Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen. (Mosiah 5:15.)

These are experiences that can be had by all under the prescribed conditions, no matter their gender, calling, or status:

Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am; (D&C 93:1.)

Joseph said that our power to “behold [God] face to face” depends “upon [our] diligence and faithfulness in seeking after him.” (Lectures on Faith 2:55.) Since it is a promise that God will come to every soul who fulfills the requirements, we can use it as a gauge of our spiritual progression. If we have not yet received a visit from the Lord, we can conclude that we are yet falling short on forsaking our sins, coming to Jesus, calling on his name, obeying his voice, and keeping his commandments.

The Lord described those who have obtained Celestial, Terrestrial, and Telestial glory. By matching our current experience, we can determine what degree of glory we have obtained.⁵ Receiving one’s calling and election is required for those who will come forth in the first resurrection to inherit Celestial glory (D&C 76:53-62.) They have obtained the presence of the Father (D&C 76:71). If you have not received your calling and election, and have not been in the presence of the Father in this life, you are not Celestial. Were you to die today, you would inherit a lower degree of glory. Those who are Terrestrial “receive of the presence of the Son, but not of the fulness of the Father.” (D&C 76:77.) If you have not obtained the presence of the Son, you are not Terrestrial.

Jesus himself said: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3.) If you do not know¹⁹⁶ God, you do not have eternal life. If you do not know God here, why would you expect to be worthy to know him hereafter?

And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still... (2 Nephi 9:16.)

Joseph taught that many who assume they are saved are in for a terrible surprise:

Suppose you have an idea of a resurrection, etc., and yet know nothing at all of the Gospel, nor comprehend one principle of the order of heaven, but find yourselves disappointed—yes, at last find yourselves disappointed in every hope or anticipation, when the decision goes forth from the lips of the Almighty. Would not this be a greater disappointment—a more painful thought than annihilation? (Joseph Smith, TPJS 229-230.)

The necessity of these experiences is witnessed of not only by scriptures, but by the teachings of Joseph Smith. He explained that without these experiences, it is impossible to endure the trials required of every soul to receive eternal life:

[The knowledge which persons must have that the course of life which they pursue is according to the will of God] supplies an important place in revealed religion; for it was by reason of it that the ancients were enabled to endure as seeing him who is invisible. An actual knowledge to any person that the course of life which he pursues is according to the will of God, is essentially necessary to enable him to have that confidence in God, without which no person can obtain eternal life...For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also, counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, requires more than mere belief or supposition that he is doing the will of God, but actual knowledge; realizing that when these sufferings are ended he will enter into eternal rest, and be a partaker of the glory of God. For unless a person does know that he is walking according to the will of God, it would be offering an insult to the dignity of the Creator were he to say that he would be a partaker of his glory when he should be done with the things of this life. But when he has this knowledge, and most assuredly knows that he is doing the will of God, his confidence can be equally strong that he will be a partaker of the glory of God. Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation...it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things, that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his will, he does know most assuredly that God does and will accept his sacrifice and offering, and that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life. It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him....Those then who make the sacrifice will have the testimony that their course is pleasing in the sight of God, and those who have this testimony will have faith to lay hold on eternal life, and will be enabled through faith to endure unto the end, and receive the crown that is laid up for them that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who do not make the sacrifice cannot enjoy this faith, because men are dependent upon this sacrifice in order to obtain this faith; therefore, they cannot lay hold upon eternal life, because the revelations of God do not guarantee unto them the authority so to do; and without this guarantee faith could not exist. All the saints of whom we have account in all the revelations of God which are extant, obtained the knowledge which they had of their acceptance in his sight, through the sacrifice which they offered unto him. And through the knowledge thus obtained, their faith became sufficiently strong to lay hold upon the promise of eternal life, and to endure as seeing him who is invisible; and were enabled, through faith, to combat the powers of darkness, contend against the wiles of the adversary, overcome the world, and obtain the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls. (Lectures on Faith 6:1-2,5-8,10-11.)

On another occasion he taught the same doctrine:

Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure....They then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Then, having this promise sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation. (Joseph Smith, TPJS, p. 298.)

Because these experiences are intended to be the pinnacle of what men can obtain in life and the signal that God approves of us, one would expect that modern leaders would focus on these key experiences just as Joseph Smith did.⁶ As detailed in the chapter “Church History,” modern LDS leaders do not teach members to seek an audience with Jesus Christ. Instead, they teach members not to seek such experiences, suggesting that the idea that this must happen in mortality is a tactic of the devil.

Of course, all of the righteous desire to see the face of our Savior, but the suggestions that this must happen in mortality is a familiar tactic of the adversary. To identify a worthy goal, such as to achieve exaltation, and then to use the desirability of that goal and people’s enthusiasm for it to obscure the new means the adversary suggests to achieve it. (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Boise, Idaho, June 17, 2105.)

Instead of teaching to literally seek the face of Jesus—a commandment given by the Lord himself⁷—the brethren teach that we do this figuratively by seeking after the brethren.

Everything in modern Mormonism focuses on following the brethren for one simple, but secret, reason: the second anointing. The second anointing is an ordinance that, in Brigham’s day, was included in the endowment. As the authorization for endowments shifted from the church president to local authorities, the second half of the endowment was divided from the first, available only to those recommended by their Area Presidents on condition of a lifelong record of sacrifice for the church and dedication to the brethren. Apostles conduct the ordinance in local temples in the holy of holies or a sealing room set apart for the purpose. In this ordinance, a married pair is, among other things, sealed up to eternal life by the authority of the apostle. Thus, in the church today we see not only the figurative but literal fulfillment of Nephi’s warning:

And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men; Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work. (2 Nephi 28:5-6.)

These men act like “there is no God today” because they deny that God would personally promise an individual eternal life (a miracle, indeed), as they believe he will not do what he has given them the keys to do. They teach members to “hearken unto us” because that is the standard they use to judge whether they qualify for the second anointing. They disbelieve that Jesus would appear to lay members of the church, since he has not appeared to them (see “Witnesses”).

The evidence that this ordinance is not effective comes from an analysis of the sealing power manifested by those who have the second anointing and those who give it. Those who receive this ordinance are given the sealing power by the apostle. Just like the apostles themselves, they fail to do any of the things done by those with the sealing power in scripture. From their own admissions, even their healing blessings are no more effectual than those without the sealing power, or those without any priesthood at all.⁸

Though it is true that Joseph used the sealing power to seal men to eternal life, he received it from God himself,⁹ meaning that God knew that Joseph would not seal anyone up to eternal life against God’s will. Modern leaders assume that they have the sealing power through Brigham Young. Yet, Brigham Young did not receive it from Joseph,¹⁰ as the sealing power never comes from a man, but always from God himself. Were it not so, Nephi would be liar when he said:

...Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name. (2 Nephi 9:41.)

Additionally, Joseph Smith would have been forgetting his own sealing power when he said:

There is no safety, only in the arm of Jehovah. None else can deliver, and he will not deliver and he will not deliver unless we do prove ourselves faithful to him in the severest trouble. For he that will have his robes washed in the blood of the Lamb must come up through great tribulation, even the greatest of all affliction. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, p. 230.)

We all ought to repent and reconcile our course to obtaining our calling and election and seeing the Lord face-to-face:

This has come in our day. Yet we find, even among those who have embraced the Gospel, hearts of unbelief. How many of you, my brethren and sisters, are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow?...How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to manifest Himself to you through these powers and these gifts? Or do you go along day by day like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling upon the subject, without exercising any faith whatever; content to be baptized and be members of the Church, and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this? I say to you, in the name of the Lord, as one of His servants, that you have need to repent of this. You have need to repent of your hardness of heart, of your indifference, and of your carelessness. There is not that diligence, there is not that faith, there is not that seeking for the power of God that there should be among a people who have received the precious promises we have....I say to you that it is our duty to avail ourselves of the privileges which God has placed within our reach. If we have done wrong, repent of our wrong and feel after God, and not be satisfied till we have found Him, and He hears and answers us, and He speaks by His divine power in our hearts, bearing testimony to us in such a manner as cannot be doubted that He hears us, that He is near to us, and that He is watching over us and ready to bestow upon us all the blessings that are necessary for our happiness here and hereafter....Let us seek for these gifts. Let us be exhorted this day in this Tabernacle, and bear in mind that these gifts are for us; and let us seek for them with all our might, mind and strength. (Elder George Q. Cannon, Millennial Star, Apr. 1894, pp. 260–61.)