So, now a question as I conclude: What if you learned that the Savior had already returned to this earth—that He, as part of His Second Coming, had already met with some of His true followers in several marvelous, large gatherings (See Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man (1982), 575) —gatherings about which the world, including CNN and the blogosphere, knew nothing. If you found out that the Savior was already on the earth, what would you desperately want to do today, and what would you be willing and ready to do tomorrow?
I pray that this year you will have some moments of anguishing desperation that will propel you further along the path to becoming the man or woman you were born to be. Your true self is spectacular! Never settle for less. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Biblical and modern prophecies give many signs of the Second Coming. These include:
The fulness of the gospel restored and preached in all the world for a witness to all nations.
False Christs and false prophets, deceiving many.
Wars and rumors of wars, with nation rising against nation.
Earthquakes in divers places.
Famine and pestilence.
An overflowing scourge, a desolating sickness covering the land.
Iniquity abounding.
The whole earth in commotion.
Men’s hearts failing them.
(See Matt. 24:5–15; JS—M 1:22, 28–32; D&C 45:26–33.) In another revelation the Lord declares that some of these signs are His voice calling His people to repentance: “Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you. …
“How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, … and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!” (D&C 43:23, 25).
These signs of the Second Coming are all around us and seem to be increasing in frequency and intensity. For example, the list of major earthquakes in The World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2004 shows twice as many earthquakes in the decades of the 1980s and 1990s as in the two preceding decades (pp. 189–90). It also shows further sharp increases in the first several years of this century. The list of notable floods and tidal waves and the list of hurricanes, typhoons, and blizzards worldwide show similar increases in recent years (pp. 188–89). Increases by comparison with 50 years ago can be dismissed as changes in reporting criteria, but the accelerating pattern of natural disasters in the last few decades is ominous…
“In modern revelation we have the promise that if we are prepared we need not fear (see D&C 38:30).”
“Said Samuel, ‘Within five years [the earth will be as snow]” came to my mind this morning. Well, those aren’t the right lyrics. So I looked it up on the Church’s website and found the correct lyrics. I then remembered the cover BYU’s Noteworthy did of “Amazing Grace [My Chains are Gone]” originally by Chris Tomlin. There’s a line Noteworthy changed to, “This earth will one day melt like snow” rather than “The earth shall soon dissolve like snow.”
In 2 Peter 3:10-12 we read
10 But the aday of the Lord will bcome as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall cpass away with a great noise, and the delements shall melt with fervent heat, the eearth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what amannerof persons ought ye to be in all holy bconversation and godliness,
12 aLooking for and bhasting unto the ccoming of the dday of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Well how interesting to note the events of his return in concordance with the thoughts that came my mind this morning. Will the Lord return within 5 years?
Jesus foretells of the time of His Second Coming in the scriptures saying, “the “aday and bhour knoweth no man, no, not the cangels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). Still, this caused me to wonder, “If the Lord returned in five years, what would I do to prepare?”
I’ve heard similar phrases like, “What would you do if the second coming was tomorrow?” or “What if it was in two weeks?” Somehow, for me, this idea of “5 years” or “2 weeks” is more “real” than “tomorrow.” HOWEVER this is not to be mistaken with the idea of “death-bed” repentance, procrastinating the day of my repentance (see Alma 34:33), or that the Lord “delayeth his coming” (see Matthew 24:48). Remember, “the day and hour knoweth no man” (Matthew 24:36). We have been warned many times from both ancient and modern day prophets to turn to the Lord in this life and to not procrastinate the day of our repentance.
We learn from the scriptures that after we die,
34 [We] cannot say, when [we] are brought to that awful acrisis, that [we] will repent, that [we] will return to my God. Nay, [we] cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth bpossess [our] bodies at the time that [we] go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess [our] body in that eternal world.
So, with the knowledge, what is to be done? I have many flaws and imperfections and God doesn’t expect me to become perfect all at once. That’s why we’re here. “This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God” (Alma 34:32), and “to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command [us]” (Abraham 3:21–25).
I have faith that these things are true. I’ve prayed to know many things, and there are many more things to learn and discover through both secular knowledge and spiritual knowledge. Remember where truth comes from (John 18:37) and that “Truth is truth” (D&C 50:19–20; (D&C 10:20–21; (John 7:17(John 5:39).
I’ve had too many experiences to ever doubt there is a God. The scriptures testify there is a God. I know as we continuously pray for strength, we can overcome all things through Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice.
“Signs of the Second Coming.” Gospel Principles Manual. Chapter 43. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles/chapter-43-signs-of-the-second-coming?lang=eng
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