Book Review: Obtaining Your Calling and Election

Very inspiring and simple to understand. Has the additional advantage of being a fast reading. It is a beautiful doctrine which simply explains how the blessings of the Atonement can save and exalt puny little people like me.

I have read this book through 2 or 3 times. It will probably take a few more readings to understand it fully. These doctrines are sublime.

If you have noticed the grouping of "Faith, Hope and Charity" in scripture, but have not really understood why these words are found together, then this book is for you.

Faith, Hope and Charity do something very very specific. They lead us unto an audience with Jesus Christ. A face-to-face meeting with the resurrected Lord Himself.

Faith is more than just belief, but obedience based upon a true and accurate understanding of the Godhead and our real relationship with them.

Obedience under that context breeds Hope. Hope because we realize that His promises are real, and since His promises are real, and are for EVERY Saint, then an audience with Him IS possible, just as the brother of Jared experienced in Ether 3.

Charity flows from that Faith and Hope in Christ. Charity is bestowed as a gift from God, and constitutes an actual knowledge that our efforts to bless and lift others is actually helping them in exactly the way God would have it be done. Charity is the PURE (ACTUAL) Love of Christ. Doing what He would actually do if he were standing in your place.

Once possessed of these attributes we can seek and expect to obtain an audience with the Lord Jesus Christ. Having been found willing to sacrifice all things, we obtain an audience with the God of All Things.

Wow. I was recommended this book from a friend and I take some church literature especially about shady/little-known topics to be quite nil in my point of view either because it speculates or says nothing I haven't heard before. This book opened my mind to simple little doctrines I have never heard but were always before my face and personally I enjoyed it right the moment I picked it up. But then I am more of the theologian at times so this thing attracts me a bit. Everything has a source here to church supported doctrine and nothing is pushed on you or speculated or even opinionated unless they specifically mention that and only then it is after much discussion about the facts at hand [such as a little side quest of info. if you [the reader:] were wondering]. Very good book and I would recommend this book only to people who were willing to open a little bit of "history" as you might say.

I've read your book, "Obtaining Your Calling and Election" and thought it was great.

My next book of yours is, "The Atonement of Jesus Christ" which I will get as soon as I can afford it.

Well hopefully we can start some conversation and maybe even a project. Let me know.

By Kevan Kingsley Clawson, Terri Hopkins Clawson

Reviewed by Dallas Robbins on 10/29/2008

Walking the Line Publications, 2001 Trade paperback: 130 pages

I must admit I have not read a book like this in a long time. Obtaining Your Calling and Election by Kevan Kingsley Clawson and Terri Hopkins Clawson is a refreshingly bold take on a theological thicket that has usually fallen to fundamentalist authors such as Ogden Kraut and Fred Collier. Subtitled A Study of the Doctrines of Faith, Hope, and Charity, it mixes the simple with the complex in a stew of orthodox eagerness.

The Clawsons have written a book that from all appearances was born out of their own personal spiritual exploration. Produced by Walking the Line Publications, a small independent press, it has the strong sense of a labor of love. I was first attracted to the book because of the subject matter, which rarely gets serious treatment in the mainstream contemporary LDS thought. And from my own experience, I usually see the topic only come up in scholarly treatments of church history and fundamentalist literature. I was interested in how a "regular" member of the LDS church approaches the topic.

The idea of "having your calling and election made sure," is typically an idea, taken from the Doctrine and Covenants and some items from various church leaders, that there will come a time in every faithful member's life when they will have an experience when their salvation and exaltation will be guaranteed. In my own limited reading of the subject, I understood this as performing the "Second Anointing" ordinance or having a vision of Jesus Christ But like I said, I've been a little sketchy on the subject; maybe that's why I haven't had the pleasure of having anything made sure during my happy-go-lucky life.

From first glance at the book, the topic of "having your calling and election made sure," was definitely a common teaching in the writings of Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie, who the authors quote from liberally. Occasionally they use material from Neal Maxwell, Dallin Oaks, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and Lectures on Faith. But mostly it's an old-time orthodox feel, using sources such as Mormon Doctrine, Man: Origin and Destiny, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Journal of Discourses, Doctrines of Salvation, and more of the same. In addition, the Clawsons usually quote and reference mostly from the scriptures, primarily the Doctrine and Covenants, carrying on the tradition of proof-texting that is common to the contemporary authors they quote.

But while reading the book, the thought kept returning to me that our current crop of General Authorities usually exchange this type doctrinal boldness for inspirational stories, tapering the legacy of Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie, of which Boyd K. Packer now seems like a diminishing relic from times past. Ah, the nostalgia of guilt and orthodoxy, of which I closely associate with all those BYU Firesides from the 1970s of which I occasionally surf across on KBYU Television, was slowly creeping into my bones. Sometimes I wish all those "widows stories" that President Monson loves to tell would go by the wayside on occasion for some old-time preaching of doctrinal mysteries.

And it is books like Calling and Election that fill that readers market that has been underserved since McConkie's passing. I applaud the Clawsons in picking up a tradition that has had its ups and downs for a while in the mainstream church. It is books like these that make heaven and the world simple and sure. It is a refreshing feeling to think that someone, somewhere, has such faith and certainty about the future of all our afterlives, even while I have doubts.

Despite how much I enjoyed this book (in my own post-modern sensible way) there are a few things that I thought they missed.

In the introductory chapter, the first topic they tackle is the "unpardonable sin," the sin of denying the Holy Ghost. This legendary sin is one all the faithful fear, because it is the sin which defines those who will be cast into outer darkness – and no one wants to go there! They make the direct analogy that the sin of denying the Holy Ghost is the same exact thing as the sin of murder (but only after you have been a faithful member who has received a testimony of the gospel). I have heard this comparison before, and debated such things as an eager-eyed missionary, but the topic has always been murky, primarily because I have heard differing interpretations from faithful leaders on what "exactly" is the sin of denying the Holy Ghost, and they seem to not be able to agree. (My personal opinion is that the murder and denying the Holy Ghost are both really, really bad, even if they are not the same thing. I suggest not attempting either.)

But this is not the reason why this part of the book bothered me. The indication is that murder is inextricably unpardonable. My mind kept going back to a statement that Boyd K. Packer made in General Conference recently:

"I repeat, save for the exception of the very few who defect to perdition, there is no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no apostasy, no crime exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness. That is the promise of the atonement of Christ." (Ensign, Nov 1995.)

Why do I remember this? Because it was on the local nightly news the day of conference, with the news anchor commenting that this was a theological turn in regards to murder - that it is a forgivable crime. In Packer's address he never defined what is was that "defect to perdition" meant, so I think the question is still out on whether murder and denying the Holy Ghost are the same thing. And I think the Clawsons’ book would have been fine explicating the subtleties of this thorny issue and would not have diminished the bold flavor they bring to their book.

And on the other side of the spectrum, another issue I'll briefly touch on is charity, which takes up the whole of chapter 8. While it was all a fine and dandy piece defining the love of God that we all should strive for, they had a sub-section within the chapter titled, "How Do We Obtain Charity?" I was surprised they missed a scripture that comes to my mind first. They offered instead this:

"Charity . . . can be obtained by following the counsel of the prophets and by living all of the laws and ordinances of the gospel faithfully until they become part of our lives." (89-90)

Not bad advice for those who believe, but it's not the answer that keep coming back to me.

Why make a big deal about it? Because the idea of "obtaining charity" is one that comes up often in church, and I've heard this typical Sunday School answer for years, and frankly I'm tired of it. I offer instead an idea, taken from the Book of Mormon. In one of my favorite sermons of Moroni, he offers a simple way to "obtain" charity:

"pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that you may be filled with this love" (Moroni 7:48).

You want charity? Pray for it. Its radical simplicity of a transcendent gift seems slightly at odds with our Sunday School rhetoric. But more than this, I was simply surprised that that idea was never referenced by the Clawsons.

I like how they define their terminology in Chapter 3. They cover the ideas of "calling," "election," "made sure," "Church of the Firstborn," and "Second Comforter." They are clear and concise without being esoteric. Even if you disagree with how they set out their playing field, you will not misunderstand how they are approaching their ideas.

The chapter on faith I enjoyed too. Combing all the usual sources, it was well organized and offered some wonderful quotes from Maxwell. They also clear away a typical misconception that I see often enough in church culture.

"Many people have read Alma's discourse on faith and assume that we have faith only and until we obtain sure knowledge by seeing or experiencing something that proves to us that our faith is true. Once we obtain this sure knowledge we no longer need or have faith, because we have a sure knowledge. But this is an incorrect interpretation of this doctrine and is easily proven to be false" (53).

The Clawsons do just this for the next three pages. I like that they brought up the idea, because I have seen many people look at faith as some sort of "lesser" principle in relation to having a "knowledge" via typical Mormon testimony. "I know!" we hear people say incessantly. But when someone says "I believe…" some people start to fidget in their seats during church meetings.

So, some things I like, some things I don't, let me quickly mention a few things that left me scratching my head.

On page 4, they quote Brigham Young speaking on eternal progression and as a side note they mention, "This true doctrine is where the false teaching of reincarnation comes from," but they never pick up the idea and explain further. Made me go, "huh?"

And in the last chapter they collect several sources on visions of the Savior, some culled from scripture, while others come from modern day visions such as Melvin Ballard's oft quoted dream of meeting the Savior in the Salt Lake Temple. But they offer two very lengthy quotes from sources supposedly from the time of Christ.

The first is The Archko Volume, which contains "official court documents" from the time of Christ. They quote from this work a chapter called "Gamiel's Interview," which purports to be an eyewitness account describing Jesus of Nazareth. Unfortunately, this source is highly problematic, and most likely not historical in the sense they understand it to be. Published in 1887 by a Rev. W. D. Mahan, the historical validity of the volume has never been taken seriously by those picky and snobby historians who ruin all the fun for the armchair explorer.

Another source they use is a "letter" from Pontius Pilate to Tiberius Caesar that just happens to be in the "Congressional Library" in Washington, D.C. But they don't give any other information about this source that what I just gave you. Then they quote it at great length.

I understand the Clawson's desire to use sources like these, but they really need to understand how historical criteria are important in research and not just quote willy-nilly, simply because it supports their presumptions. Sincerity should never trump accuracy. It could easily cast a shadow on the rest of their book, and become easily dismissible by students of history who have endured all those annoying years in college learning Greek and Hebrew.

But to completely dismiss this book based on these few missteps would be an unfair approach to a book like this. It is a home-grown, testimony-bearing, anxiously engaged discussion on a heart-felt topic by a husband and wife who just want to share what they learned. It's not scholarly, nor is it meant to be. Even if their sources in this end chapter are a little mixed, their hearts are in the right place.

Unfortunately, those who pick up this book who also lack an understanding of how history and sources work, will probably be misinformed by this last chapter. But isn't this the case in too many other books? I won't get into the issue here, because I could go on and on. But we need to place intentions and accuracy into context, without throwing out the whole baby, while at the same time letting books be refined through discussion and reviews, not letting misinformed research or earnestness pass for truth.

Having enjoyed this book from several different perspectives, I would recommend it to those who are interested in the ideas that it tackles. It's not exhaustive, but provides some good sources on the subject, while reinvigorating an orthodox style that has its place in the church along side other styles of preaching and teaching. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but don't let that stop you from enjoying such an eager and breezy read.
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I am a BYU professor, photographer, and author who loves your books. I recommend

Thanks so much for producing a truly insightful series of inspired books. The information in them is very well researched, short and to the point, but with information not found in most any other source...a very excellent Job! Thank your for giving all us these insights in such as useful way, and at such low cost....your missionary efforts are thus continuing.

I have been a ward mission leader 3 times, a 70, a stake mission president, etc., so

Best wishes...in all your future efforts. Don't stop reading, researching, and writing. Your talents must be shared!

I'm wondering if there is anyone who can give me a suggested reading list for someone who has been a practicing, scripture studying, faithful, and relatively knowledgable member of the LDS church? I'm beginning to purchase books for my personal library, and am a lover of authors such as Hugh Nibley, the Yorgason brothers, Orson Scott Card (fiction, of course)...hopefully this gives an idea of the level and type of books I'm interested in learning about and adding to my library. Thank you!

Here are some links to some books that I have read cover-to-cover several times. I say this not to brag, but to assure you that I feel the content of these books are relevant to your question and will positively and constructively contribute to your search for more knowledge.

"The Second Comforter: Conversing with The Lord Through the Veil" by Denver C. Snuffer, Jr.

This book was written by a lay member of the Church who claims to have seen the resurrected Lord in person! I believe he has. It is the most thorough and comprehensive treatment of how to receive the Second Comforter that I have seen to date.

"Following the Light of Christ into His Presence" by John M. Pontius

In my opinion, carefully applying the contents of this book will lead you to a Spiritual Rebirth, at a minimum.

"Obtaining Your Calling & Election" by Kevan Kingsley Clawson and Terri Hopkins Clawson

A startling revelation about the connection between Faith, Hope and Charity, and how they tie-into receiving your Calling & Election (and beyond).

"The Atonement of Jesus Christ" by Kevan Kingsley Clawson

Provides an intriguing new look at the nature of the Atonement. A must read for those who seek to understand how the Atonement functions in their lives!
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