The concept taught in Isaiah 66:7-9, Revelation 12:7 and Doctrine and Covenants 136:35 where the last days are likened to a woman giving birth are interesting. As we look out and observe the last days signs of the times, we can observe that the tribulations are becoming stronger and more intense just like contractions are for a birthing woman. We may not know the day or the hour of the actual birth but as we labor we know it is imminent.
As the signs of the times are coming together, we might wonder about this scripture in Matthew 24:36
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”
I found this interesting quote from Joseph Smith; "Christ says no man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh. This is a sweeping argument for sectarianism against Latter day ism. Did Christ speak this as a general principle throughout all generations? Oh no he spoke in the present tense no man that was then living upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour. But he did not say that there was no man throughout all generations that should not know the day or the hour. No for this would be in flat contradiction with other scripture for the prophet says that God will do nothing but what he will reveal unto his Servants the prophets consequently if it is not made known to the Prophets it will not come to pass;
Again we find Paul 1st Thessalonians 5th Chapter expressly points out the characters who shall not know the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh for says he, it will come upon them as thief or unawares. Who are they? They are the children of darkness or night. But to the Saints he says yea are not of the night nor of darkness of that day should come upon you unawares. John the revelator says in 14 chapter 7th verse that the hour of his judgements is come; they are precursors or forerunners of the coming of Christ. read Matthew 24 Chap and all the Prophets.
He says then shall they see the Sign of the [c]oming of the Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven. How are we to see it? Ans. As the lighting up of the morning or the dawning of the morning cometh from the east and shineth unto the west--So also is the coming of the Son of Man. The dawning of the Morning makes its appearance in the east and moves along gradually so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. It will be small at its first appearance and gradually becomes larger until every eye shall see it. Shall the Saints understand it? Oh yes. Paul says so. Shall the wicked understand? Oh no they attribute it to a natural cause. They will probably suppose it is two great comets coming in contact with each other. It will be small at first and will grow larger and larger until it will be all in a blaze so that every eye shall see it."
- Quote from Joseph Smith recorded by James Burgess at the Conference on April 1843,The journal of James Burgess is in the Church History Catalog.
https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets/166d2c09-27d0-42e8-9959-e8be8bfbd5b8/1/0 ( Joseph Smith Papers)
Elder Neal A Maxwell warned
"Many in the world, at the time of our "all- consuming calamity," will be taken by total surprise-like a thief in the night. Others, however, will be "like a woman... in travail" where the pains of labor are foretelling, "even [in] the days of sorrow" (D&C 136:35). Still others, the "poor and the meek," without being preoccupied, will be looking for the signs (see D&C 35:15; see also D&C 45:39)."
Joseph Smith taught
“The coming of the Son of Man never will be—never can be till the judgments spoken of for this hour are poured out: which judgments are commenced. Paul says, ‘Ye are the children of the light, and not of the darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief in the night.’ [See 1 Thessalonians 5:4–5.] It is not the design of the Almighty to come upon the earth and crush it and grind it to powder, but he will reveal it to His servants the prophets [see Amos 3:7].” (Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 286–87)
So which group are we in?
Those in darkness who will be overtaken like a thief in the night
Those who know something is happening but are struggling in pain like a woman laboring
The poor and the meek looking for the signs and having faith in and studying the words of the Prophets and preparing for the coming of the Lord
We need to be in group three, studying and searching the doctrines and preparing for the Second Coming.
D&C 88:77 And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom.
What doctrine is this referring to?
From the Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual:
A knowledge of the signs of the times can help us turn to the Lord and prepare ourselves for His Second Coming.
Those who revere the Lord and receive His gospel will be looking for His coming and the signs that will precede it (see D&C 45:39; 35:15; 2 Nephi 26:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:4–6).
The Lord uses the signs of the times to call us back to Him (see D&C 43:24–25).
Those who treasure up the scriptures, which contain the signs of the times, will not be deceived; they will be ready for the Savior’s Second Coming (see Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:37, 46–48; D&C 50:45–46).
Steamboat Dream
In early February 1844, four months prior to his death, Joseph Smith had a dream, which he related to Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, and W. W. Phelps. He stated, “I was standing on a peninsula, in the midst of a vast body of water where there appeared to be a large harbor or pier built out for boats to come to. I was surrounded by my friends, and while looking at this harbor I saw a steamboat approaching the harbor. There were bridges on the pier for persons to cross, and there came up a wind and drove the steamboat under one of the bridges and upset it. I ran up to the boat, expecting the persons would all drown; and wishing to do something to assist them, I put my hand against the side of the boat, and with one surge I shoved it under the bridge and righted it up, and then told them to take care of themselves. But it was not long before I saw them starting out into the channel or main body of the water again. The storms were raging and the waters rough. I said to my friends that if they did not understand the signs of the times and the spirit of prophecy, they would be apt to be lost. It was but a few moments after when we saw the waves break over the boat, and she soon foundered and went down with all on board.”
Oftentimes I've noticed people get confused with the second coming appearances by our Saviour and lump them all into the Great and Dreadful day. However, this graphic from the April 2021 Liahona shows there are at least four in the future that we know of.
Joseph Fielding Smith (The Progress of Man, p481-82) states that many meetings will take place at Adam-Ondi-Ahman and will continue to take place as the city of the New Jerusalem is constructed. Therefore, we do not know exactly how many appearances from our Saviour this might include.
In 3 Nephi 21:1, the Savior said, “And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion”
"I hope we are all familiar with these words of the Lord and with his predictions concerning other coming events, such as the building of the new Jerusalem and the redemption of the old, the return of Enoch’s Zion, and Christ’s millennial reign. Not only do I hope that we are familiar with these coming events; I hope also that we keep the vision of them continually before our minds. This I do because upon a knowledge of them, and an assurance of their reality and a witness that each of us may have part therein, rests the efficacy of Christ’s admonition, “be not troubled.” CR, Marion G ROMNEY OCT:1966
President Harold B. Lee noted that some Church members seek information from unreliable sources concerning the signs that will precede the Second Coming. He specifically recommended that Church members study Matthew 24; Joseph Smith—Matthew; and Doctrine and Covenants sections 38, 45, 101, and 133.
President Lee then stated: “These are some of the writings with which you should concern yourselves, rather than commentaries that may come from those whose information may not be the most reliable and whose motives may be subject to question” (“Admonitions for the Priesthood of God,” Ensign, Jan. 1973, 106).( LDS NT Student Manual)
President Benson spoke boldly to the church in the 70s and 80s about being prepared for the Second coming, I love reading his words, especially as he was the current President when I was baptised in 1988.
"For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. True, there will be some individuals who will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head—even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. "In His Steps," Ezra Taft Benson, March 4, 1979
And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. Ezra T. Benson (1981; BYU)
In Doctrine and Covenants 101:11 the Lord tells us that his wrath will be poured out without measure when the cup of iniquity is full. Hugh Nibley wrote the cup of iniquity is full when the rising generation no longer have a fair choice between light and darkness, do we think that another generation would survive our current climate?
“There comes a time when the general defilement of a society becomes so great that the rising generation is put under undue pressure and cannot be said to have a fair choice between the way of light and the way of darkness. When such a point is reached the cup of iniquity is full, and the established order that has passed the point of no return and neither can nor will change its ways must be removed physically and forcibly if necessary from the earth, whether by war, plague, famine, or upheavals of nature” (Mormon 2:13-15) -Hugh Nibley (Collected Works of Hugh Nibley, Vol.6, Part.5, Ch.11, p.140)
In 1971 Ezra Taft Benson quoted Hugh Nibley saying,
"We must love our young people, whether they are in righteousness or in error. In this way we can give them a chance to discern and to learn. But we must also give them a fair choice. Today many are not succeeding.
Yes, “There comes a time when the general defilement of a society becomes so great that the rising generation is put under undue pressure and cannot be said to have a fair choice between the Way of Light and the Way of Darkness.” (Satan's Thrust- Youth, Ensign, December 1971)
So in 1971 President Benson told us that those young people were the generation who would welcome in the Saviour, then in 1974 Russell M Nelson taught:
(“Four Lessons from One Life,” May 14, 1974)
Now they are the parents of the millennials, what has our Prophet said to them?
"Millennial may actually be perfect for you. But for a much different reason than the experts may ever understand."
"The term Millennial is perfect for you if that term reminds you of who you really are and what your purpose in life really is."
"A True Millennial is a man or woman who lives now to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His millennial reign. Make no mistake about it—you were born to be a True Millennial" (Becoming True Millennials)
“ “You are “a chosen generation,” foreordained by God to do a remarkable work—to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming.”
“You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days (see D&C 138:56). That teaching endures within you!
You are living in the “eleventh hour.” The Lord has declared that this is the last time He will call laborers into His vineyard to gather the elect from the four quarters of the earth. (See D&C 33:3–6.) And you were sent to participate in this gathering. Again and again I have seen firsthand the powerful influence of true millennials as they bring others to a knowledge of the truth. This is part of your identity and your purpose as the seed of Abraham (see Galatians 3:26–29)!
God has always asked His covenant children to do difficult things. Because you are covenant-keeping sons and daughters of God living in the latter part of these latter days, the Lord will ask you to do difficult things. You can count on it—Abrahamic tests did not stop with Abraham (see D&C 101:4–5).” (Stand as True Millennials - 2016)
Going back to Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets, let's continue to discuss what the Lord has been telling us through our 17th and current Prophet and President, Russel M Nelson.
According to the supplement to the Ensign (Liahona) from May 2018, President Oaks says of President Nelson
“Another of President Nelson’s great qualities—surprising to some—is his skill as a writer. His written communications are models of clarity, and his editing of others’ writing is always helpful. Members of the Twelve exchange drafts to get suggestions for improvements in the text of important talks. In that process, I have learned that no one suggests better improvements to my talks than President Nelson. As one who has spent his professional life working with words, I was astonished to be edited so brilliantly by one whose professional life was working with bodies. I was relieved to learn that his exemplary writing is the result of hard work. Once, during a requested examination of one of his manuscripts, I saw that it was his eighth draft. If I had known of Dr. Nelson’s incredible record of professional publications, I would not have been surprised that there was no finer writer in the Quorum of the Twelve.
I also heard from someone who attended this online 8 stake leadership training with Elder Anderson that he said when President Nelson prepares a talk he does so just like he goes into a surgery in order step by step and with surgical precision.
With these two testimonies of Pres Nelson’s love for written clarity I began to read his words with new eyes and fervor. I particularly love to follow up and read the footnotes. I know his talks are addressed to the whole church and world but if we want to know more of what he is saying we must follow the footnotes. I have found some really meaty gems since doing this.
In April 2018 he said, “Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
In April 2019 we heard, “Now, as President of His Church, I plead with you who have distanced yourselves from the Church and with you who have not yet really sought to know that the Savior’s Church has been restored. Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now. Time is running out.”
In January 2020 President Nelson said “We invite you to be a major part of sharing the message of the ongoing Restoration of the Savior’s gospel. . . . The time to act is now. This is a hinge point in the history of the Church, and your part is vital.
He also used this term 'hinge-point' in 2019 when he said the dedication of the Rome temple was a hinge-point in church history. So what is a hinge point?
Its the point where things literally pivot. Its the turning point where you are going to see a significant change take place. Its also the place in a lesson where there is a natural pause and gives the opportunity to check for understanding before moving forward. Its interesting to note in the Priesthood session of April 2021 President Nelson, as the inspired and prophetic teacher and leader he is, did just that when he asked, “Think back on the past two years. How have you grown? What have you learned?” (What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget)
Then in April 2020 President Nelson said :“Today, the Lord’s work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is moving forward at an accelerated pace. The Church will have an unprecedented, unparalleled future...The prophecies of His Second Coming have yet to be fulfilled. We are just building up to the climax of this last dispensation—when the Savior’s Second Coming becomes a reality…
The time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be separated from those who do.”
Six months later, President Nelson extended this invitation “As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.”
What are the promises and do we believe they could be fulfilled in our own lives?
In Pres Nelson’s talk; What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget(2021), in discussing the perils of the last days gives us a footnote amongst others to Doctrine and Covenants 45:31-33. In verse 31 we read and learn President Nelson is referencing the desolating sickness to Covid. This is very helpful and gives us a reference point for where we are in the last day's timeline. It becomes interesting then to read what is coming next.
Doctrine and Covenants 45
31 And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. (Covid)
32 But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die. (Have you noticed the many members lifting up their voices on line cursing God and dying spiritually?)
33 And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another.(Here we can see what is coming next)
In April 2023 Pres Nelson invited us to study the account of the Saviors visit to the Nephites. As I did this, especially from chapter 20 onwards, I found much to understand about the doctrines and promises of the kingdom of God. If you haven't yet followed through with that invitation, I suggest you do. Here is a video some friends of mine put together sharing their studies of 3 Nephi and the last days timeline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYlCzQvMdgA&ab_channel=ZionorBust!
Over the last five years President Nelson has asked us to walk on the covenant path in a higher and holier way(Oct 2019) and minister in a higher and holier way(April 2018). In Oct 2022 he said, those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power and then in April 2023 he asked us to interact in a higher and holier way.
What can the higher and holier way be other than living celestial law?
Then in the most recent conference he became even more specific and said, "Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”!" He informed us that thinking celestial is to be spiritually minded which is life eternal. (Oct 2023)
Of course President Nelson is wanting us to qualify for exaltation and this is his goal as has been past Prophets, however Zion can only be built on celestial law and it is crucial that we become a people prepared and willing to live this law to bring about Zion.
To read more on this see my post entitled Preparing for Zion and Elder Christofferson
In Oct 2022 President Nelson stated, "It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures."
I know President Nelson is our Prophet leading and guiding us. He knows where we are at, he is pleading with us to do all we can to prepare because he knows the Saviour is coming in our lifetime. Even if the Lord has not revealed His secret unto His servant, and our Prophet does not yet know the day or the hour, he can certainly know the year, month or the week, either way I know that he knows our Saviour is coming and he wants us to prepare. We are the generation, that is clear. I would like to finish with my favourite of all President Nelson's quotes;
"One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ. I call upon you, my dear brothers and sisters, to become this righteous people". Nelson Oct 2022
I leave you these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
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