What is the war involving Gog and Magog?

According to President Bruce R. McConkie of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,

Gog and Magog are the prophetic names given in the scriptures to that combination of nations which will fight against the purposes of the Lord on two separate and future occasions:

1. At the time of and incident to the second coming of the Lord and the ushering in of the millennial era; and

2. At the end of the Millennium, plus a little season, when the final overthrow of evil and the destruction of the wicked shall take place.

The Lord has not revealed who the nations are, but his prophets have described, in general terms, what they will do in the great battles that shall hereafter be fought.

Because we are living in the last days, immediately preceding the second coming of the Lord, our chief interest in Gog and Magog centers in the pre-millennial war. The following quotation summarizes what is to take place:

“Our Lord is to come again in the midst of the battle of Armageddon, or in other words during the course of the great war between Israel and Gog and Magog. At the Second Coming all the nations of the earth are to be engaged in battle, and the fighting is to be in progress in the area of Jerusalem and Armageddon. (Zech. 11; Zech. 12; Zech. 13; Rev. 16:14–21.) The prophecies do not name the modern nations which will be fighting for and against Israel, but the designation Gog and Magog is given to the combination of nations which will seek to overthrow and destroy the remnant of the Lord’s chosen seed.

“The 38th and 39th chapters of Ezekiel [Ezek. 38; Ezek. 39] record considerable prophetic detail relative to this great war. It should be noted that it is to take place ‘in the latter years’; that it will be fought in the ‘mountains of Israel’ against those who have been gathered to the land of their ancient inheritance; that the land of Israel shall be relatively unprotected, a ‘land of unwalled villages’; that Gog and Magog shall come ‘out of the north parts’ in such numbers as ‘to cover the land’ as a cloud; that the Lord will then come, and all men shall shake at his presence; that there will be such an earthquake as has never before been known, which will throw down the mountains; that there will be pestilence, blood, fire, and brimstone descend upon the armies; that the forces of Gog and Magog will be destroyed upon the mountains of Israel; that the Supper of the Great God shall then take place as the beasts and fowls eat the flesh and drink the blood of the fallen ones (Rev. 19:17–18; D&C 29:18–21); and that the house of Israel will be seven months burying the dead and seven years burning the discarded weapons of war.

“In the light of all this and much more that is prophetically foretold about the final great battles in the holy land, is it any wonder that those who are scripturally informed and spiritually enlightened watch world events with great interest as troubles continue to foment in Palestine, Egypt, and the Near East?” (Mormon Doctrine [Bookcraft, 1966], 2nd ed., pp. 324–25.)

The second and final great war involving Gog and Magog is referred to by John in Revelation 20:7–9 [Rev. 20:7–9] and by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 88:111–116 [D&C 88:111–116].

One final word: When considering items of this sort, it is exceedingly important to stay close to the revealed word and not stray off into those speculative realms that engender strife and do not increase faith in our hearts.
Bruce R. McConkie 1971

The Battle of Gog and Magog (Armageddon)

Somehow I ended up in Ezekiel last week. I don’t really read the old Testament. It can be hard to understand. But, as I read about about the battle of Gog and Magog, I couldn’t help but take notice with all that’s going on right now in the world. I wanted to understand it so I began doing some research. I hoped “Come Follow Me” would be covering this mext year, but as I skipped ahead, I didn’t see anything. So, I did a little more digging and came across the Old Testament Institute Student Manual.

It was interesting (understatment) to learn that Gog and Magog can actually refer to two battles, which, as I read, came to understand that these two wars will be the most notable events in time.

The following is taken from this section of the student manual:

(27-24) Ezekiel 38–39. The Battle of Gog and Magog

The following from Elder Bruce R. McConkie sums up the events of the battle of Armageddon:
“Our Lord is to come again in the midst of the battle of Armageddon, or in other words during the course of the great war between Israel and Gog and Magog. At the Second Coming all nations of the earth are to be engaged in battle, and the fighting is to be in progress in the area of Jerusalem and Armageddon. (Zech. 11; 12; 13; Rev. 16:14–21.) The prophecies do not name the modern nations which will be fighting for and against Israel, but the designation Gog and Magog is given to the combination of nations which are seeking to overthrow and destroy the remnant of the Lord’s chosen seed.
“The 38th and 39th chapters of Ezekiel record considerable prophetic detail relative to this great war. It should be noted that it is to take place ‘in the latter years’; that it will be fought in the ‘mountains of Israel’ against those who have been gathered to the land of their ancient inheritance; that the land of Israel shall be relatively unprotected, a ‘land of unwalled villages’; that Gog and Magog shall come ‘out of the north parts’ in such numbers as ‘to cover the land’ as a cloud; that the Lord will then come, and all men shall shake at his presence; that there will be such an earthquake as has never before been known, which will throw down the mountains; that there will be pestilence, blood, fire, and brimstone descend upon the armies; that the forces of Gog and Magog will be destroyed upon the mountains of Israel; that the Supper of the Great God shall then take place as the beasts and fowls eat the flesh and drink the blood of the fallen ones (Rev. 19:17–18; D. & C. 29:18–21); and that the house of Israel will be seven months burying the dead and seven years burning the discarded weapons of war.
“In the light of all this and much more that is prophetically foretold about the final great battles in the holy land, is it any wonder that those who are scripturally informed and spiritually enlightened watch world events with great interest as troubles continue to foment in Palestine, Egypt, and the Near East?” (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 324–25.)
That the battle before the Millennium, which is known as the battle of Armageddon, makes reference to Gog and Magog may at first be confusing since the last great battle at the end of the Millennium is called the battle of Gog and Magog by John (see Revelation 20:7–9). But the names “Gog” and “Magog” are used for both battles because they symbolize an alliance of great, evil power. President Joseph Fielding Smith clarified this point as follows: “Before the coming of Christ, the great war, sometimes called Armageddon, will take place as spoken of by Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. Another war of Gog and Magog will be after the millennium.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:45.)
Obviously the battle seen by Ezekiel will be one of the greatest events of the world’s history, and so it is not surprising that the prophets speak of it again and again. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Zechariah, and John the Revelator all speak of it in some detail, and it is mentioned in several places in latter-day scripture. (See Enrichment I.)
Prophecies of the Restoration (Ezekiel 25–48)

(27-25) Ezekiel 38:1–2. Gog and Magog

The terms Gog and Magog are often joined together, as, for example, in the phrase the “battle of Gog and Magog” (see Revelation 20:8). Thus, many people assume the terms refer to two people by those names. Ezekiel 38:1–2shows clearly, however, that Gog is a name of a person and Magog the land from which he comes. Technically, “Gog of Magog” is the correct way to say it. Over the centuries, however, the names have come to mean the combination of nations that will fight against Israel in the last days. (See Notes and Commentary on Ezekiel 38–39.)
Prophecies of the Restoration (Ezekiel 25–48)

What truth will all people, including the entire house of Israel, eventually know as a result of the battle of [Gog and Magog]?

Ezekiel 38–48

Ezekiel saw in vision a great battle that will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. He also saw in vision a latter-day temple that will be built in Jerusalem. He saw water flowing from this temple through the surrounding land and into the waters of the Dead Sea, which were then healed. Many of the details regarding these prophecies have not yet been revealed.

Ezekiel 38–39
Ezekiel prophesies of the battle that will precede the Second Coming

If you could pick two things that you would like the world to know about Jesus Christ, what would they be? Why?

As [you] study the prophecies of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 38–48, ask [yourself] …what the Lord will make sure everyone knows about Him as part of His Second Coming.

Read Ezekiel 38:1–3 aloud, looking for whom the Lord declared He was against.
Gog was the king (or chief prince) of a land called Magog, located north of Jerusalem. Ezekiel used Gog symbolically to represent a wicked leader or leaders who will seek to destroy God’s people in the last days.
Summar[y] of Ezekiel 38:4–6: Ezekiel prophesied that Gog would assemble a great army from many nations…Look in verse 5 for three countries that would gather.

What countries gathered to Gog?

[A]ncient Persia was east of Jerusalem, ancient Ethiopia was south of Jerusalem, and ancient Libya was west of Jerusalem. Ezekiel may have used these countries symbolically to illustrate that this army would come from many surrounding nations.

Summar[y] of Ezekiel 38:7–14: after the army of Gog gathers “against the mountains of Israel” (verse 8), their purpose will be to attack what they perceive to be the defenseless kingdom of Israel “dwelling without walls” (verse 11). This prophecy refers to the great battle commonly referred to as the battle of Armageddon, which will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (Note: The battle at the end of the Millennium described by John is also referred to as the battle of Gog and Magog [see Revelation 20:7–9; Bible Dictionary, “Gog”].) The army of Gog symbolizes the great army that will attack Jerusalem.
Read Ezekiel 38:15–16 aloud, looking for the Lord’s purpose in allowing the army of Gog to attack the people in Jerusalem in the latter days.

What did the Lord say is His purpose in allowing Gog to battle the people of Israel?

[C]onsider marking the phrase “that the heathen may know me” in verse 16… [T]he word heathen refers to people who do not know the Lord… [T]he phrase “I shall be sanctified in thee” in verse 16 means that the Lord will manifest Himself as He sustains the people of Israel against the army of Gog.

[R]ead aloud from Ezekiel 38:18–23, looking for how the Lord will demonstrate His power against the army of Gog.

How will the Lord demonstrate His power against Gog?

According to verse 23, what will many nations come to know as they witness the destruction of Gog?

Summar[y] of Ezekiel 39: After most of the army of Gog is destroyed, it will take seven months for the house of Israel to bury the dead and seven years to clean up after the battle. Sometimes in the scriptures, writers use numbers to convey symbolic meaning beyond the literal understanding. Thus, the number seven may refer to a long time or to the land becoming complete and whole again.

[R]ead Ezekiel 39:7, 21–22 aloud and look for what the children of Israel will know after this battle…mark what [you] find.

What will the children of Israel know after this battle?

According to Ezekiel 39:7, what name or title did the Lord use to refer to Himself?

What truth will all people, including the entire house of Israel, eventually know as a result of this battle? (All people will know that Jesus Christ is the Lord.)
Lesson 145: Ezekiel 38–48

The Bow in the Sky Shall Disappear

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe it’s true that one day, Jesus Christ will return to the Earth, and every knee shall bend and head will bow and tongue confess, that he is The Christ.

Many days I wonder how soon The Lord’s Return will be. I don’t feel ready. I feel I have such a long ways to go. I hope and pray I will have peace on that day that I will be able to see him face to face and that I won’t shrink before Him.

I hope and pray that I might not shrink before my friends or family members, that I might be able to boldly testify of the truths I’ve come learn for myself. Jesus is The Christ. He loves all of his children infinitely. He is full of light and truth, and he is the way, the only way to have true peace and joy in this life.

It starts with telling the truth. First, to yourself. Be honest. Be kind. Be forgiving. Be loving and keep going. Keep changing. Keep believing. I hope I’ve changed. I hope that when I see old friends, they’ll see the change.

The desire to change came gradually. It began with acknowledging my wrongs, my deceitfulness, and my true desires. It was like I was asleep. Asleep to truth. When I took small quiet moments to reflect and to write, I could see that deep down something inside of me felt empty. I was always attempting to feel the void, the hurt, and the pain with insatiable appetites. Addicted. Addicted to pain. To hurt. To substances. To relationships. It was a cyclic hell, and I never want to return again! If you’re reading this, I hope you can have courage to let go, forgive, tell the truth, and follow Jesus Christ. One mistake that’s easy to make, is to judge others and assume their lives are perfect. When you go to church and see their faces, they’re hurting too. When you get a calling, accept it. Don’t murmur and don’t complain.

These are all common tricks of the adversary, I’ve experienced them all. I can’t think of depths I have not been mentally that perhaps you’ve traveled too. It’s dark. It’s lonely. It’s bitter. And it’s all a ploy from the author of lies. That same being who put it into the heart of Cain to slay his brother. Hatred is not from God. Anger, contention, and lust are not from God. When you feel the anger, the bitterness, or the judgement begin, turn to Jesus Christ. It his place to judge! Not yours! Someone may be rude and unkind at church. Forgive them, seventy time seven. I will always remember the day, a person apologized for something they said about me when they thought I wasn’t around. I felt hurt for a long time. I never asked what was said, but why focus on the mote in your brothers eye, when you have a beam extending from your own? I am imperfect. We are all imperfect people! This is why we have The Savior. He is the way! The only way we can change, forgive, and learn to love others and God, as we are commanded to do. God does not say be kind to the person’s face then turn around and speak ill behind their back. He asks us to love, truly love, our fellow men.

People preach “love is love” and what does that mean? Love, pure love, is infinite and eternal. It does not lust after idols and influencers. It does not lust after highschool flames or college flings! Love, true love, is pure, genuine, sincere, and honest. Can you say, with all honesty that you trust yourself or your partner to be alone with another person? I’ll tell you right now I love my spouse and respect my spouse, so we made the rule that we’re never alone with another person! For me, female or male. Yes I’m human, and some may say do whatever feels natural. Well, the natural man is an enemy to God! I love my spouse, and I never want to put myself in a situation where I’m tempted to cheat!

Recently, I’ve felt not to be alone with other couples, outside of family, and I’m going to listen! There have been too many times where I didn’t listen to the promptings to know that I am not taking any more chances. Learn from my mistakes. Follow the spirit. Follow your conscience. Follow your heart, not your lustful burning desires, but your deepest purest desires! Not carnal. Not sensual. Pure desires that bring light and truth.

If you don’t know where to start, pray. You can listen to people all day tell you what you should or shouldn’t do, but you have got to decide for yourself who you are and who you want to become. No one can define that but you. If you really want to know the truth, pay attention to patterns in your life. I promise you that if you do, you’ll notice there’s always opposition. There’s always a choice between something of a lesser and something of a better. Sometimes it’s between what’s good, better, and best, and I implore you, I beg you, I plead for you to choose what’s best at least 10 times in a row. See where it takes you. If you can’t do 10, start with once and go from there. Make goals. Ask yourself where this choice will lead you. Is it really where you want to go? Is it where you want your future? Stop letting your past dictate your present and your future. I’ve done it for decades, and please, learn from my mistakes!

Finally, pay attention to people who are happy. People who are different. No not the fake visaud of happiness. People who are truly genuinely happy in a different way. They exist. I promise. Just watch. And when you find one, talk to them. Ask them questions, and let them ask you questions.

Have an open heart and an open mind. I promise if you truly desire to know the truth of all things, pray and ask for guidance and direction. Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers. Ask in the name of Jesus Christ, and he will hear you and he will answer you, I promise. This is coming from a former agnostic, a person who could have cared less about whether or not there was a God 8 years ago. The moment I decided to let The Light of Jesus Christ into my life, I have had experiences and opportunities that have richly blessed my life. No, it’s not easy. It’s hard. Why do you think so many have walked away? I was one of them, for a time. Because I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it, and The Lord has rules. It was easy to say, “Nah, no thanks, I don’t want to have to answer to someone for my actions. I’m my own master, and I’ll decided for myself who I am and where I’m going. There is no Fate or divine destiny.” And guess what! That’s a partial truth the adversary loves to tell. You know why? Because it’s true, you get to decide! But YOU DO NOT DECIDE THE CONSEQUENCES.

And just when things seemed like one calamity after another, I came across this quote,

“The inhabitants of the earth are asleep: they know not the day of their visitation. The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly.” (D.H.C., Vol. V, p 402).

I hope and pray I’ll be ready. Whether in my life or the next life, I know I will see the Lord again face-to-face, and I hope I can look back on my mortal journey with fondness and gratitude for having had the experience.

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer, is coming. Find the truth for yourself, and do it quickly. “Time is running out.” (President Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). In the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Perfection Pending

March 18, 2018 4:17 PM

Today in Relief Society, the sisters shared stories about how many folks online create this appearance of perfection through social media which causes us to look at our lives through a tainted lens. Not all posts are this way. I have seen others that are filled with complaints, venting, and other negative outbursts. I believe we are to share and bear one another’s burdens, but continuously reading rants and raves is drains my mind.

In many posts I’ve seen, the person’s life is captured and captioned in one perfect moment for all too see. As I followed these posts, I was left feeling aggravated, agitated, anxious, low, sad, secluded, isolated and did not realize I was allowing myself to wallow in these emotions. Each time I would stare at a friend’s, or even stranger’s post with Pinterest perfect hair, clothes, home, food and life, my brain registered, “You’re not good enough because you’re life doesn’t look like this.”

I’d view friend’s postings of marriage, engagements, or new friendships developed, and I would think, “What’s wrong with me?” It was so subtle, but I didn’t realize I was developing a dangerous cycle of thinking. Friends would say, “Did you see about so-and-so’s post??” referring to a new relationship, break-up or engagement. Somewhere inside, I felt hurt that I found out about a close friends engagement through someone else. This seemed to be a regular basis for quite some time, especially going through college. Social media is so great, but I’ve learned that I must be careful with it.

I was raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; however, I was inactive for a time. I traveled the beaten path because I was nonconformist. I didn’t believe in following the traditions of my family because it just wasn’t for me. I was never big into certain social media practices such as Facebook or Twitter, but when I came back to church nearly 3 years ago I felt very strongly to get rid of my Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. It was so hard in the beginning, but I came across the scripture that read, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” [Luke 9:62]. I had many triggers, and one of them was seeing others from my past. I didn’t realize how bad my cycle of thinking was until I got a Venmo recently and saw transactions between friends with little drinking emojis, and thought “Oh look..” I shake my head at the thought. Yes thoughts of drinking still haunt me, but I am learning my triggers and am trying to be every so careful. Social media is a trigger, so that is one area that I may have to avoid for a while.

We live in an amazing time. Elder David A Bendnar states that,

“We are blessed to live, learn, and serve in this most remarkable dispensation. An important aspect of the fullness that is available to us in this special season is a miraculous progression of innovations and inventions that have enabled and accelerated the work of salvation: from trains to telegraphs to radios to automobiles to airplanes to telephones to transistors to televisions to computers to satellite transmissions to the Internet—and to an almost endless list of technologies and tools that bless our lives. All of these advancements are part of the Lord hastening His work in the latter days” [To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood, Elder David A. Bednar,Campus Education Week at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah].

The draining emotion I felt, was coming from my actions and my thinking. I must try to focus on the positive and focus on the joy we are meant to experience in this life ( 2 Nephi 2: 25). President Russel M Nelson taught

“When comparing one’s personal performance with the supreme standard of the Lord’s expectation, the reality of imperfection can at times be depressing. My heart goes out to conscientious Saints who, because of their shortcomings, allow feelings of depression to rob them of happiness in life” [OCTOBER 1995 General conference address].

I’m trying to remember to find the joy in the journey.

“Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.” -Gordon B Hinckley