The following is a synopsis of events that will surround the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Scriptures are given from the Bible (KJV), from other LDS standard works, and statements from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It has been estimated that nearly 40% of the Bible contains prophecy: and that 80% of those prophecies pertain to the "Last Days" This is a thorough list of most items. A brief explanation of each event will be given if needed. Some predictions in the preface only, will be made by Robert Hyatt the compiler of this paper concerning the turmoil, change, and devastation that will exist during these trying times. These are Robert Hyatt’s personal predictions; however, they are based upon years of personal study, the scriptures, and personal revelation from promptings by the Holy Ghost.

When will the second coming occur. Many have prophesied, and guessed. Jesus Christ said almost 2,000 years ago, Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." Christ surely knows by now when He will come, but we do not. Let me give a quote that Joseph Smith gave in Nauvoo that will clear up some misconceptions as to the question "does anyone know when Christ will come". "The Words of Joseph Smith"-Page 180-181.

"Remarks on the coming of the Son of Man by Joseph Smith the Prophet, made in Nauvoo. 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..."

The reason why I quote this scripture is two fold. Many Christians including Latter-Day Saints still believe that even Christ does not know when He will come again. Second, Latter-Day Saints need to be assured that the Prophet and those General Authorities that guide and direct this great church will see us through these calamities. Although the Prophet and Apostles may or may not know the exact day or hour, many have seen or will see the events in vision relative to the end times. Rest assured that although some faithful will not escape the judgments, most of Gods faithful, including Latter-Day Saints and many Christians, will escape much of the calamities associated with the Second Coming of Christ.

Concerning the time when Christ will come let me say this; Although we have not been told the time, we have been told the generation in which Christ’s coming will occur. If we want to guess a date with some accuracy we may use scriptures to estimate an approximate time, but that’s the best that we can do. God has kept this a secret for a purpose. We are asked to be prepared; "watch and be ready" the scriptures proclaim. I will attempt to do my best to put into perspective the time, and the events that will surround the appearance’s of the Lord relative to the Second Coming.

First of all, let me say that it is important to understand that there are several appearances of Christ associated with the Second Coming. Christ’s appearing at the Kirtland Temple, which has already taken place, is the first event. Next is Adam-Ondi-Ahman where a great gathering will take place and Christ will receive back the keys from the Dispensation Heads and where Christ will assume control of the concluding events associated with the end times. Christ will come next to the City of Zion, The New Jerusalem in conjunction with the First Resurrection. Christ will then appear at the Mount of Olives where He will take back the city of Jerusalem and liberate the Jews from the armies associated with the great battle of Armageddon. The final appearance of Christ is the General Coming where all in the Earth will recognize their Lord as He comes down from the Clouds in great Glory in conjunction with the Second Resurrection. Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that this is the Promised Savior of the World.

When will these events occur. Well, we can only guess. My personal opinion for what its worth, is that Christ will first appear at Adam-Ondi-Ahman at the opening of the 7^th seal or around the year 2000. Christ will come next to the City of Zion, The New Jerusalem in conjunction with the First Resurrection around 2015-2020. The next coming, at the conclusion of the battle of Armageddon will take place around 2020-2025, which will also usher in the Great Tribulation. And Christ’s final coming in Glory a few years after that 2025-2030. My figures are Biblical, but it is still a guess. Let me explain: John, one of the Apostles of the Lord on the Island of Patmos saw in a vision the whole history of the Earth from the beginning to the end. Many other Prophets have seen this vision, including Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Nephi to name a few, but John was permitted to write this vision down. John records this in the book of Revelation. Although the Book of Revelation is very difficult to understand and subject to much interpretation, there are parts in my opinion that are very clear. John records the history of the Earth in 7 time periods each equaling a 1,000 years. This is known as the 7 seals. D&C 77 also clarifies this. According to LDS Prophets and Biblical scholars, Adam was born around 4000BC. If you add 4000BC and 1998AD you will come up with 5998 years since the Garden of Eden. The year 2000 would be the opening of the 7th seal or the beginning of the 7th thousand year period of the Earth’s history. John mentions that the 7th thousand year would be the millennial reign of Christ and that the Second Coming of Christ would come prior to the ushering of the millennium. Many Christians agree that the 7th seal represents the Second Coming and the ushering in of the millennial reign of Christ. Because of the Book of Revelation, Isaiah, and other references, many Christians believe the Second Coming will come around the year 2000. As far as the accuracy of our current calendar goes, Joseph verified it by saying when the church was organized that Jesus Christ was born April 6th 1,830 years ago to the day.

John says that the Second Coming did not occur immediately upon the opening of the 7th seal, but that there was silence in heaven for a 1/2 hour. Then the Lord comes. (KJV) Revelation 8:1 "AND when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." And in D&C 88:95 we read "And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled;" A day to the Lord is equal to 1,000 years to man.(KJV) 2 Peter 3:8 we read "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." If you figure out what 1/2 hour is in mans time, it equals about 21 years. This is how I came up with the date of the coming of the Lord between 2020-2025, and to account for any differences in the calendar as we know it. Remember that three other Comings of the Lord would have already taken place but the World will not know of them.

Personal predictions of Robert Hyatt:

Natural Disasters will continue to increase. The weather will and is to some degree getting out of control. I predict that in the very near future, that the weather and disasters will be so crazy and out of control that many Christians will be lead to the conclusion that at or sometime soon after the year 2000 will be the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ. People from South America, which is predominantly Catholic, are already yelling from load speakers from pickup trucks in the streets, that the year 2000 will be the Second Coming. I believe that most of Christendom will, because of these signs, state to the world that the Second Coming is the year 2000 or shortly there after. When the Lord does not appear, then the day will come that Christians will need to ban together to fight off the persecution that will no doubt be running rampant. Many Christians will fall from the faith when the Lord does not come at that time. This persecution will continue to escalate until the Lord does come.

Because Christ will not come in the year 2000 or soon after, many Christians will loose hope and will look for a replacement or substitute for the Christ that never came. This will set the stage for the coming of an anti-Christ to replace the searching and despair of those that had such great hopes for the return of their Christ. This anti-Christ will perform great Christ-like signs and wonders to deceive, as the scriptures record, "even the very elect of God".

Great economic changes are in the making. I predict that because of these weather and natural disaster related issues around the year 2000 or soon after, that the stock market and the economies of the world will collapse. People will take the law into their own hands to sustain life. Great cities will be left desolate because people will be searching for food in the farming communities located outside the borders of large cities. Because of the lack of Law and Order, people will take the law into their own hands. In order to survive, people will need to work together to protect themselves and provide food for substance. Great sickness and diseases will swept the Earth. People will die in great numbers. The Priesthood of God will be needed to bless the sick and calm the elements of nature. Saints will flock to Zion for protection and for Law and Order. One of the greatest signs of the Second Coming will be the entire surface change of the Earth. This might sound crazy to you, but I am convinced that the Earth will turn back on its axis as it was before the days of Noah and in the days of Peleg.(Genesis 10:25) "And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one [was] Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided;" Water will go to the north and possibly south poles, and there will in essence be one continent as it was before the Earth was divided in the days of Peleg. Several scriptures reveal that one of the signs of the Second Coming will be the flattening of the Earth.

Well, I have enjoyed baring my testimony concerning the validity and reality of the Lord’s Second Coming. We are the generation that will live to see these awesome events occur. Yes, many of you reading this will live to see the Lord Jesus Christ coming from Heaven and appearing to mankind. You will be privileged to live at least for a short while in the millennium for the Earth will be quite different and more beautified then it is now. Take courage, not all is lost. Stay close to the Lord and the leaders of the Church and they will guide and direct your paths.

1 BEHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

1 And it came to pass that he commanded them that they should write the words which the Father had given unto Malachi, which he should tell unto them. And it came to pass that after they were written he expounded them. And these are the words which he did tell unto them, saying: Thus said the Father unto Malachi--Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.

8 I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple. Even so. Amen.

13 After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

14 Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi--testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come--

15 To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse--

16 Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.

39 Therefore, verily I say unto you, that your anointings, and your washings, and your baptisms for the dead, and your solemn assemblies, and your memorials for your sacrifices by the sons of Levi, and for your oracles in your most holy places wherein you receive conversations, and your statutes and judgments, for the beginning of the revelations and foundation of Zion, and for the glory, honor, and endowment of all her municipals, are ordained by the ordinance of my holy house, which my people are always commanded to build unto my holy name.

2 The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you.

7. COMING OF ELIJAH. -- When Elijah came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836, in fulfillment of the ancient promise (Mal. 4:5-6), that ancient prophet concluded his bestowal of the keys of the sealing power with this assurance: "By this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." (D. & C. 110:13-16.) If that day was near in 1836, how much more so is it today?

8. MESSENGER BEFORE LORD'S FACE. -- "Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me," the Lord declared through Malachi relative to his glorious Second Coming, "even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." Thereafter: "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple." (Mal. 3.) Both Joseph Smith through whom the everlasting covenant was restored (and John the Baptist who ministered unto him) and the gospel covenant itself have been sent in fulfillment of this promise. (D. & C. 45:9.)

12. LORD'S SUDDEN COMING TO HIS TEMPLE. -- Malachi recorded the promise, speaking of latter-day events, that "The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple." (Mal. 3:1.) Certainly the Almighty is not limited in the number of appearances and returns to earth needed to fulfil the scriptures, usher in the final dispensation, and consummate his great latter-day work.

This sudden latter-day appearance in the temple does not have reference to his appearance at the great and dreadful day, for that coming will be when he sets his foot upon the Mount of Olivet in the midst of the final great war. The temple appearance was fulfilled, in part at least, by his return to the Kirtland Temple on April 3, 1836; and it may well be that he will come again, suddenly, to others of his temples, more particularly that which will be erected in Jackson County, Missouri.

18. PLACES OF THE LORD'S RETURN. -- These are many. He has already come suddenly to his temple. (Mal. 3:1; D. & C. 36:8; 110.) Soon he will meet with his stewards, who have held the keys of his kingdom, at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. (D. & C. 116; Dan. 7:9-14.) In the midst of the greatest war of all the ages, when all nations are gathered together at Jerusalem, "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley." (Zech. 14:3-4.)

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 133, p.840

2. The Lord shall suddenly come to his temple] At no time has the Lord declared the day nor the hour when He shall appear to take vengeance upon the wicked and make bare His holy arm in the eyes of the nations (v. 3). He did reveal to Malachi the fact that, in the latter days, He should suddenly come to His Temple, but before that day, He should send His messenger to prepare the way before Him, that the people might not be taken in their sins without a chance of repentance. Where could the Lord come to a temple, except among the Latter-day Saints? This prediction has in part been fulfilled, for the Lord appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple and there ministered to them in 1836; but this prophecy has a broader meaning, and the Lord shall come, without a doubt, to His Temple, where He will sit as "a refiner and purifier of silver," purging the house of Israel and ministering to His people. This appearing will be separate and distinct from the great coming in the clouds of heaven, when He will appear with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30) with a curse to judgment (v. 2) upon all the nations that forget God. This coming will be for the blessing and benefit of the most faithful of His saints, and when He comes to take final vengeance on the world, He will be preceded by a sign (Matt. 24:30; Sec. 88:93), that all peoples shall see and judgment shall be poured out upon the wicked.

1 SPRING Hill is named by the Lord Adam-Ondi-Ahman, because, said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet.

9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

A Grand Council Soon To Be

Not many years hence there shall be another gathering of high priests and righteous souls in this same valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman. At this gathering Adam, the Ancient of Days, will again be present. At this time the vision which Daniel saw will be enacted. The Ancient of Days will sit. There will stand before him those who have held the keys of all dispensations, who shall render up their stewardships to the first Patriarch of the race, who holds the keys of salvation. This shall be a day of judgment and preparation. Joseph, the Prophet, in speaking of this event, said:

Be Voice of The Priesthood

This council in the valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman is to be of the greatest importance to this world. At that time there will be a transfer of authority from the usurper and impostor, Lucifer, to the rightful King, Jesus Christ. Judgment will be set and all who have held keys will make their reports and deliver their stewardships, as they shall be required. Adam will direct this judgment, and then he will make his report, as the one holding the keys for this earth, to his Superior Officer, Jesus Christ. Our Lord will then assume the reins of government; directions will be given to the Priesthood; and He, whose right it is to rule, will be installed officially by the voice of the Priesthood there assembled. This grand council of Priesthood will be composed, not only of those who are faithful who now dwell on this earth, but also of the prophets and apostles of old, who have had directing authority. Others may also be there, but if so they will be there by appointment, for this is to be an official council called to attend to the most momentous matters ' concerning the destiny of this earth.

When this gathering is held, the world will not know of it; the members of the Church at large will not know of it, yet it shall be preparatory to the coming in the clouds of glory of our Savior Jesus Christ as the Prophet Joseph Smith has said. The world cannot know of it. The Saints cannot know of it -- except those who officially shall be called into this council -- for it shall precede the coming of Jesus Christ as a thief in the night, unbeknown to all the world.

ESTABLISHING THE KINGDOM: THE GREAT COUNCIL AT ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN. -- A great council will then be held to adjust the affairs of the world, from the commencement, over which Father Adam will preside as head and representative of the human family. . . .

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.19

See ADAM, AHMAN, GARDEN OF EDEN, MILLENNIUM, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Adam was the first man of all men; Ahman is one of the names by which God was known to Adam. Adam-ondi-Ahman, a name carried over from the pure Adamic language into English, is one for which we have not been given a revealed, literal translation. As near as we can judge -- and this view comes down from the early brethren who associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was the first one to use the name in this dispensation -- Adam-ondi-Ahman means the place or land of God where Adam dwelt.

Before the Son of Man comes to reign personally upon the earth; before he descends in flaming fire with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon the ungodly; before he comes in the clouds of heaven, in all the glory of his Father's kingdom; before he sets his feet once again upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem; before he stands with 144,000 high priests on Mount Zion in Missouri; before he suddenly comes to his temple; before he utters his voice from the land of Zion and from Old Jerusalem; before all flesh shall see him together; before all of the appearances that, taken together, comprise the Second Coming -- before all these, he will come in private to Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Why and for what reason? To receive back from his servants of all ages the keys they have used to govern his earthly kingdom. Then and then only will he deign to reign personally. Now the voice of his servants is his voice, and they act pursuant to the divine commission he has given them. Then the keys will vest again in their rightful owner, and his voice and his power will be manifest to all men.

We now come to the least known and least understood thing connected with the Second Coming. It might well be termed the best-kept secret set forth in the revealed word. It is something about which the world knows nothing; it is a doctrine that has scarcely dawned on most of the Latter-Day Saints themselves; and yet it is set forth in holy writ and in the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith with substantially the same clarity as any of the doctrines of the kingdom. It behooves us to make a needed brief commentary about it. Before the Lord Jesus descends openly and publicly in the clouds of glory, attended by all the hosts of heaven; before the great and dreadful day of the Lord sends terror and destruction from one end of the earth to the other; before he stands on Mount Zion, or sets his feet on Olivet, or utters his voice from an American Zion or a Jewish Jerusalem; before all flesh shall see him together; before any of his appearances, which taken together comprise the second coming of the Son of God -- before all these, there is to be a secret appearance to selected members of his Church. He will come in private to his prophet and to the apostles then living. Those who have held keys and powers and authorities in all ages from Adam to the present will also be present. And further, all the faithful members of the Church then living and all the faithful saints of all the ages past will be present. It will be the greatest congregation of faithful saints ever assembled on planet earth. It will be a sacrament meeting. It will be a day of judgment for the faithful of all the ages. And it will take place in Davies County, Missouri, at a place called Adam-Ondi-Ahman.

Daniel's account of the great Latter-Day council at Adam-Ondi-Ahman includes these words: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." (Dan. 7:9-10.) Thrones are cast down: the kingdoms of this world cease; it is the day when the Lord makes a full end of all nations. He alone shall be exalted in that day. The Ancient of Days, the oldest and most ancient of men, Adam our father, sits in judgment over the righteous of his race. Be it remembered that the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb, who were with the Lord in his ministry in Jerusalem, shall judge the whole house of Israel, meaning that portion of Israel who have kept the commandments, "and none else." (D&C 29:12.) There will be a great hierarchy of judges in that great day, of whom Adam, under Christ, will be the chief of all. Those judges will judge the righteous ones under their jurisdiction, but Christ himself, he alone, will judge the wicked. All this we have heretofore set forth; now we are seeing Adam sitting in his judicial capacity. And the scene is glorious indeed.

There will be another great gathering of saints at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Once again the Lord will be there, this time to receive from Adam, the Ancient of days, an accounting of his stewardship. This gathering, at which the Lord will be given "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him," will usher in the millennial reign. Those in attendance will be the righteous of all ages, each of whom in turn will give an accounting of his own stewardship. We suppose it will be those of all ages who shall partake of the sacrament with their risen Lord. (D&C 27:4-14.) As to their number, Daniel's account speaks of ten thousand times ten thousand and of thousands of thousands, which is to say an innumerable host. All these, being present, shall see and worship the Lord. (Dan. 7:9-14.)

Our Blessed Lord will come at the appointed time. The great conference at Adam-Ondi-Ahman will assemble to worship the King on schedule. There will be an exact moment when his foot first touches the Mount of Olives. He will stand on Mount Zion with the 144,000 high priests at a given point in time. Armageddon will spread its fire and horror and death when and as decreed in the divine timetable. The tares will be burned and the vineyard cleansed of corruption when the Lord Jesus returns. And there will be a day and an hour and a split second that marks the beginning of the Millennium. The seventh of the thousand-year periods can only commence at one single instant in tame. As we have seen, many of the events incident to the Second Coming will take place during the close of the sixth seal and others after the opening of the seventh seal. And yet the formal beginning of the Millennium will take place at a fixed and determined and set moment. It cannot be hastened by righteousness nor delayed by wickedness. The old earth will die, and the new heaven and the new earth will be born at as exact an instant as is the case with the birth or death of any form of life. We speak thus so there will be no confusion or misunderstanding when we also say that the full glory and wonder of the millennial day will unfold gradually; that there will be wicked men on earth after the Millennium has commenced; and that the final glory and triumph of Israel will take place gradually after the Millennium itself has been ushered in. Let us now see what the holy word has to say relative to these things.

13. THE COMING AT ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN. -- Before the great and dreadful day of the Lord; before the day when Christ is to come and reign personally on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords; before the day when he will administer the affairs of his earthly kingdom in a direct, personal manner, and not through the type of stewardships which now prevail; our Lord will come to receive back the keys and authorities whereunder his stewards have governed for him. This will take place at Adam-ondi-Ahman, which is Spring Hill, Daviess County, Missouri. (D. & C. 116.)

Daniel wrote of the Son of Man being brought before the Ancient of Days (who is Adam, our Father), and there our Lord would have "given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." (Dan. 7:9-14.)

This is the occasion of which the Prophet Joseph Smith speaks when he says that Adam "will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in the grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as the head of the human family." (Teachings, p. 157; Way to Perfection, pp. 287-291.) After this has happened Christ will be ready to come and reign personally on earth.

COMING OF CHRIST AT ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN. Daniel speaks of the coming of Christ, and that day is near at hand. There will be a great gathering in the Valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman; there will be a great council held. The Ancient of Days, who is Adam, will sit. The judgment -- not the final judgment -- will be held, where the righteous who have held keys will make their reports and deliver up their keys and ministry. Christ will come, and Adam will make his report. At this council Christ will be received and acknowledged as the rightful ruler of the earth. Satan will be replaced. Following this event every government in the world, including the United States, will have to become part of the government of God. Then righteous rule will be established. The earth will be cleansed; the wicked will be destroyed; and the reign of peace will be ushered in.

1. COUNCIL AT ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN PRECEDES MILLENNIUM. -- During the first 6000 years of this earth's temporal continuance, the Lord is administering the affairs of his earthly kingdom through agents, stewards, prophets, and appointed servants to whom he gives the keys and authority to direct such affairs. Adam is the Lord's chief agent in governing the affairs of this earth. The heads of the gospel dispensations and all of the prophets who have served in those blessed eras have been and are subject to this first man of all men.

When the time approaches for Christ to come and reign personally upon earth for the millennial period, then Adam and all those subordinate to him who have held keys and authority will meet in the Valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman. There an accounting will be made of all stewardships; Christ will come and receive back the keys; and there will be "given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him." (Dan. 7:14.) Following this all will be in readiness for our Lord to reign personally upon the earth, and he will soon thereafter come to usher in the great millennial era.

22 And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you.

23 And they(the Lamanites) shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem. *Italics added.

24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.

25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.

9 Until the time shall come when it shall be revealed unto you from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared, that ye may be gathered in one, that ye may be my people and I will be your God.

35 And for the purpose of purchasing lands for the public benefit of the church, and building houses of worship, and building up of the New Jerusalem which is hereafter to be revealed--

62 Thou shalt ask, and it shall be revealed unto you in mine own due time where the New Jerusalem shall be built.

2 Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.

56 And the graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.

4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.

5 And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come--after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel.

6 And that a New Jerusalem should be built upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.

10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

"Righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten, His resurrection from the dead (this resurrection I understand to be the corporeal body); yea, and also the resurrection of all men; righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, a Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming, for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion a New Jerusalem."

Gospel doctrines also are eternal. The saving truths never vary. They too are the same in all ages and on all earths. And they center in and bear testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and his infinite and eternal atonement. During the Millennium the sweetness of song and the voice of sermon will unite to testify of all things pertaining to Christ and his goodness and grace. Thus our revelations say that when the year of Christ's redeemed is come, when the millennial era dawns, his saints "shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord, and all that he has bestowed upon them according to his goodness, and according to his loving kindness, forever and ever." And when the graves are opened and the saints "come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem," then, saith the holy word, "they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever." (D&C 133:52, 56.)

Latter-day Saints have faith that all people will come forth at the day of judgment and continue at various levels thereafter. This expectation gives a permanent and sensitive dimension to friendships, companionships, and virtually all contacts with other people in local and worldwide communities, both religious and civic. The ideal of human existence looks toward the creation of a people of Zion modeled after the city of Enoch and the establishment of a perfected community, a New Jerusalem, under the personal governance of Jesus Christ.

The unveiling of a hidden hemisphere, the discovery of the Land of Zion, the predestined theatre of wonderful events in the last days, events connected with the winding up of the Lord's work upon this planet--the Land where the New Jerusalem is to rise, unto which Christ will come as King of kings, to usher in the reign of peace and right. This was God's purpose, accomplished through Columbus.

The New Jerusalem to be built in Jackson County, Missouri, is also called the City of Zion or Zion. Dozens of revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants speak about this Zion. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, pp. 66-79.) Isaiah and other of the ancient prophets have much to say both about it and about the Jerusalem of old which shall be restored in grandeur and beauty in the last days. These two great cities, dual world capitals, are needed to fulfil the great millennial promise: "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isa. 23.)

From the temple in Old Jerusalem we now turn to a consideration of the temple in the New Jerusalem. Neither of the Jerusalems -- neither the Old Jerusalem, which shall be built up again, nor the New Jerusalem yet to rise on the American continent -- can be a holy city, a city of Zion, until a house of the Lord graces that Mount Zion upon which each is located. The Lord will not reign in or send forth his law from a city in which he has no house of his own. And so, in July 1831 the Prophet Joseph Smith, then in Jackson County, Missouri, importuned the Lord in these words: "When will the wilderness blossom as the rose? When will Zion be built up in her glory, and where will thy Temple stand, unto which all nations shall come in the last days?" (Introductory heading, D&C 57.) In answer the Lord said: "This is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the court-house." (D&C 57:1-3.)

To Enoch the Lord swore with an oath in his own name, because, as Paul would say, he could swear by no greater, that he would come a second time "in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance. . . . And the day shall come that the earth shall rest," he said, speaking of the Millennium, "but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth." This is the evil and universal apostasy that has prevailed for nearly two thousand years and that even now covers the earth except where the faithful among the saints are concerned. "And the heavens shall shake, and also the earth," the Lord continues, "and great tribulations shall be among the children of men but my people will I preserve." Then he speaks of the glorious restoration, of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and of righteousness and truth sweeping the earth as with a flood. To what purpose? "To gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming." The Holy City of which he speaks shall be built before the Second Coming. Of this city the Lord says: "There shall be my tabernacle" -- the place where my saints shall worship -- "and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem."

The Latter-day Zion; New Jerusalem -- Biblical statements concerning the Zion of the last days, as separate from both the ancient and the reestablished Jerusalem of the east, are silent regarding the geographical location of this second and latter-day capital of Christ's kingdom. We learn something, however, from the Bible as to the physical characteristics of the region wherein Zion is to be built. Thus, Micah, after predicting the desolation of the hill, Mount Zion, and of Jerusalem in general, describes in contrast the new Zion, at which the house of the Lord is to be built in the last days. These are his words: "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

The New Jerusalem.—The Jaredites, as well as the Nephites, had a knowledge of the Christ and of the principles of his Gospel, revealed to them prior to his coming. To both these nations it was made known that America is the Land of Zion, the place for the New Jerusalem, a holy city to be built "unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph."c[p.26] Likewise was it shown to them that the Old Jerusalem would be rebuilt "unto the house of Israel" in the last days. All this before the Savior's second advent—the glorious morn-break of the Millennium.

A few of the things that were seen and which have a bearing upon our day have already been mentioned in the revelations given to Enoch. Another ancient prophet, Ether, also a Jaredite, had the heavens opened to his view, and the Lord made known to him many things that the brother of Jared saw, but not all. Ether saw our day. He saw the wars, bloodshed, tribulations following the coming of Jesus Christ and the Lord revealed to him the people of Israel and the building of the city of Jerusalem and even the name of the city was made known to him. The redemption made by Jesus Christ was shown to him and he saw in the last days the coming of our Lord in power and great glory to establish His reign upon the earth after the great days of tribulation and suffering poured out upon the wicked. He saw the City Zion, or "New Jerusalem," and declared that it would be built upon this western continent. He saw the coming of the new heaven and the new earth, which means the restoration of the earth to its primitive cleanliness and condition at the coming of Jesus Christ, which is to be a part of the great restoration of all things. He saw the reign of peace [p.17] for a thousand years and the final destiny of the earth when it shall be celestialized to shine as the sun, and Moroni who recorded this history says he was about to write more but the Lord forbade him, and therefore the members of the Church as well as the rest of the world which shall be spared when the cleansing comes, will have to wait until that day to have the fulness of these records. Surely we will be greatly astonished, if we are found worthy to receive them, for we will find these things very different in many respects to the philosophies and theories of the world.

Contrary to the popular feeling of the day, Joseph Smith did not look for the immediate advent of Christ: Zion had first to be built and her law established in the earth; the Jews must gather to Palestine to build their temple and become sanctified; the American Indians had to be rehabilitated until their lands would "blossom as a rose"; and, finally, if the world failed to repent, the judgments of the last days would first be poured out.23 Christ would come, said a Revelation to the Prophet, in a day when the "whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth."24 Nevertheless, the existing millennialism gave impetus to the work at hand. "We all look for the appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ," declared a church writer, "but we shall look in vain, until Zion is built; for Zion is to be the dwelling place of our God when he comes."25

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section One 1830–34, p.12

Every man lives for himself. Adam was made to open the way of the world, and for dressing the garden. Noah was born to save seed of everything, when the earth was washed of its wickedness by the flood; and the Son of God came into the world to redeem it from the fall. But except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. This eternal truth settles the question of all men's religion. A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom, or in the telestial kingdom, but he can never see the celestial kingdom of God, without being born of water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the moon, [i.e., of which the light of the moon is typical], or a star, [i.e., of which the light of the stars is typical], but he can never come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, unless he becomes as a little child, and is taught by the Spirit of God. Wherefore, we again say, search the revelations of God; study the prophecies, and rejoice that God grants unto the world Seers and Prophets. They are they who saw the mysteries of godliness; they saw the flood before it came; they saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder that reached from earth to heaven; they saw the stone cut out of the mountain, which filled the whole earth; they saw the Son of God come from the regions of bliss and dwell with men on earth; they saw the deliverer come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob; they saw the glory of the Lord when he showed the transfiguration of the earth on the mount; they saw every mountain laid low and every valley exalted when the Lord was taking vengeance upon the wicked; they saw truth spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven in the last days, before the Lord came the second time to gather his elect; they saw the end of wickedness on earth, and the Sabbath of creation crowned with peace; they saw the end of the glorious thousand years, when Satan was loosed for a little season; they saw the day of judgment when all men received according to their works, and they saw the heaven and the earth flee away to make room for the city of God, when the righteous receive an inheritance in eternity. And, fellow sojourners upon earth, it is your privilege to purify yourselves and come up to the same glory, and see for yourselves, and know for yourselves. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.—E&MS August, 1832. DHC 1:282-284.

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; 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.

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

1 Who [is] this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

2 Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

46 And it shall be said: Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments; yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?

47 And he shall say: I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to save.

48 And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat.

50 And his voice shall be heard: I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me;

51 And I have trampled them in my fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, and their blood have I sprinkled upon my garments, and stained all my raiment; for this was the day of vengeance which was in my heart.

14 And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

With John we have seen him, as it were, in heaven, upon a white horse, bearing the name "Faithful and True," and judging and making war "in righteousness." "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. . . . He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Rev. 19:11-16.)

4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand [against] the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

48 And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to and fro, and the heavens also shall shake.

20 For behold, he shall stand upon the mount of Olivet, and upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.47

CHRIST TO COME IN MIDST OF FINAL BATTLE. Zechariah is another prophet who has plainly spoken of these great events. According to his predictions the nations will gather and lay siege to Jerusalem. Part of the city will fall, with dire consequences to its inhabitants, when a great earthquake will come, the Mount of Olives will cleave in twain, and the persecuted people will flee into this valley for safety. At that particular time will the Savior come as their Deliverer and show them his hands and his feet. They will look upon him and ask him where he received his wounds, and he will tell them they were received in the house of his friends—he is Jesus Christ, their Redeemer. Then will they fall to the ground and mourn, every family apart, because their ancestors persecuted their King and the children have followed in the footsteps of the feathers.

So we see that since the armistice in 1918, the Jews have been returning in great numbers, encouraged by both the United States and the nation of Great Britain, the latter taking over the great responsibility in this gathering movement. The prophecies are rapidly being fulfilled. The Jews are returning only partly believing in Jesus Christ. They are willing to accept Him as a great prophet among the prophets of Israel and Judah, but not as their Deliverer, or Messiah. When our Lord shall come to them in the calling of Deliverer, the whole land will be in siege. Jerusalem will be at the mercy of its enemies. There will be a great earthquake and the Mount of Olives will cleave in twain forming a great valley into which the oppressed people will flee from the city for safety. At that time the enemies of the people will be destroyed [p.70] Christ will appear to the Jews and show them His hands and His feet and then they will accept Him as their Messiah. Then, as Zechariah has predicted, every family will mourn apart, and there will be weeping and wailing because they rejected their King. After those days there will come peace and Israel will come back into his own. As Ezekiel has proclaimed:

Now I have read these passages of Scripture from these various prophets. Here you will find Isaiah saying the Lord will pour out war upon all the world; Jeremiah saying the same thing and speaking of these terrible things; Daniel saying so; Ezekiel saying so. We find Joel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, all proclaiming that in this last day, the day when the sun shall be darkened and the moon turned to blood and the stars fall from heaven, that the nations of the earth would gather against Jerusalem. All of them speak of it; and when that time comes, the Lord is going to come out of His hiding place. You can see what a terrible condition it is going to be; and the Jews besieged, not only in Jerusalem but, of course, throughout Palestine are in the siege; and when they are about to go under, then the Lord comes. There will be the great earthquake. The earthquake will not be only in Palestine. There will not be merely the separation of the Mount of Olives, to form a valley that the Jews may escape, but the whole earth is going to be shaken. There will be some dreadful things take place, and some great changes are going to take place, and that you will find written in the book of Ezekiel (38:17-23), which I did not read to you.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.212

Earthquakes are given as one of the signs of the times; they foreshadow the Second Coming. (Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11; D. & C. 45:33; 87:6.) By them the testimony of the Lord's power is borne to the people of the earth. (D. & C. 43:25; 88:89), and when the glorious Second Coming itself arrives there will be "a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." (Rev. 16:18-20; 6:12-17; 8:5; 11:12-15, 19; Zech. 14:4-5; D. & C. 133:22-25.)

"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." Jerusalem is shaken by a mighty earthquake even as it was at the crucifixion of Christ. This time many of the wicked are slain, while the saints -- those Jews who have accepted Christ and his gospel, those who have participated in building the temple, those who have received the ordinances of the house of the Lord and are waiting for his return -- they shall give glory to the God of heaven.

"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." This is the time when earth's land masses shall unite; when islands and continents shall become one land; when every valley shall be exalted and every mountain shall be made low; when the rugged terrain of today shall level out into a millennial garden; when the great deep shall be driven back into its own place in the north. It is no wonder that the earthquake shall exceed all others in the entire history of the world.

One of the plainest and most-oft-repeated statements about the ushering in of the Millennium is the promise of a great shaking of the earth, of earthquakes that are everywhere at one and the same time, and of mountains and valleys and seas and landmasses that move. "Yet once, it is a little while," saith the Lord, "and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come." (Hag. 2:6-7.) Christ, the Desire of all nations, shall come acid the greatest shaking of the earth and of all things that there has ever been or ever will be in the entire history of this planet. Everything on earth -- the historical events then in progress, the beasts and all forms of life, and the inanimate objects that do not act for themselves -- everything on earth will be affected by the great shaking. For instance, John tells us that in the midst of Armageddon, there will be "a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." (Rev. 16:18.) Through Ezekiel the Lord said of that same day: "Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground." (Ezek. 38:19-20.) And the Lord shall come. "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; . . . . yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." (Zech. 14:4-5.) The prophetic word in Joel attests that at the Second Coming "the heavens and the earth shall shake" (Joel 3:16), and our latter-day revelation says "the everlasting hills shall tremble" (D&C 133:31).

18 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

8 And it shall be in that day, [that] living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

6 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the light shall not be clear, [nor] dark:

7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, [that] at evening time it shall be light.

11 In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

6 And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends.

51 And then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?

52 Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.

53 And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.

THE JEWS WILL ACCEPT CHRIST AT HIS COMING. They do not believe in Jesus Christ; there is an unbelief resting upon them, and will until they go home and rebuild Jerusalem and their temple more glorious than at the beginning, and then by and by, after this Church and kingdom has arisen in its glory, the Savior will come to them and show the wounds in his hands and side, and they will say to him, "Where did you get those wounds?" and he will answer, "In the house of my friends." Then their eyes will begin to open, and they will repent and mourn, they and their wives apart, and there will be a fountain opened for uncleanness to the house of Judah, and they will for the first time receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, they will begin to comprehend where they have been wandering for the space of two thousand years.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.2, p.109

Just before the coming of the Lord there will be a gathering of armies and the great battle of Gog and Magog will be fought. It will be at this time that the Mount of Olives will cleave in twain and Christ will come as predicted in the visions of Zechariah and the fleeing Jews who have gathered will fall at his feet asking him, "What are these wounds in thine hands?" And the Lord will answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends."

Now, this is very interesting. You can take your [p.171] Doctrine and Covenants and turn to Section 45 and read what the Lord says about it, confirming what is written here in the book of Zechariah. During this siege, when the nations are gathered and the Lord comes, there will be a great destruction. The armies will become so confused they will fight among themselves. There will be great slaughter. Then the Lord comes to the Jews. He shows Himself. He calls upon them to come and examine His hands and His feet, and they say, "What are these wounds?" And He answers them, "These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am Jesus Christ."

Zechariah speaks of these same armies and their [p.238] destruction. In the word of the Lord to him he tells of the gathering of all nations against Jerusalem to battle. The city will be taken, the houses rifled, women ravished and half of the city will go into captivity. The residue will seek safety in flight. At that time the Mount of Olives will cleave in twain and the besieged Jews will flee for safety into the valley thus created. Then the Savior will come and they will see the wounds in his hands and in his feet and in the spirit of deep sorrow and remorse they will bow down and acknowledge him as their long-expected Messiah. They will be forgiven and in sincere repentance will acknowledge him as their King. Then shall they be cleansed, and the sanctuary of the Lord will be established among them forever. The nations of the earth will come to their end; the wicked will be destroyed, and Christ will be proclaimed as "King over all the earth, and his name one." (Compare D. & C. 45.)

Three scriptures were thus fulfilled. In the account of the original passover, it was expressly provided with reference to the lamb slain in similitude of the coming sacrificial offering of the Lamb of God, "neither shall ye break a bone thereof." (Ex. 12:46.) These words are the actual source of John's quotation, but their thought content and meaning were restated by David in this way: "He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken." (Ps. 34:20.) The scripture "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced" (Zech. 12:10) is part of a long passage in Zechariah that deals with the Second Coming of Christ and the conversion of the Jewish people at that time. Manifestly those around the cross did look upon the Pierced One, for the wound was then gashed into his unprotected side. But the great fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy is yet ahead. As a people, those Jews who remain after the destructions incident to our Lord's return shall look on him whom they pierced and shall be converted. It is then, as Zechariah also records, that they shall say: "What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (Zech. 13:6.) These conversationally expressed statements, uttered by Zechariah, preserved to us in the Old Testament and confirmed as part of the divine plan by the New Testament reference to them, these words in their more complete and perfect rendition are: "Then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God." (D&C 45:51-52.)

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.632

As with the Ten Tribes, so with the Jews -- the day of their real gathering is Millennial. Scattered representatives of the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel will be gathered into the true fold of Christ before he comes, but the great day of the gathering of these ancient peoples will be after the King of Israel has taken his place as the ruler of the earth. The Jews which are scattered," Nephi says, "also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people." (2 Nephi 30:7.) This is now in process. A few of these ancient covenant people are returning to the sheepfold of their fathers, but most of them are not. When the Lord comes, in the midst of that Armageddon then in process, the Jews, as a body and as a people, will look upon him and inquire about the wounds in his hands and feet. He will then introduce himself as that Jesus whom their fathers crucified. They will then weep for the sins of their ancestors, be converted, and become the valiant souls that the children of the prophets should be.

Now our souls are thrilled to see our half brothers, the Jews, turning toward the land of promise; and for the first time since their long dispersion one of their own people, an orthodox Jew, is the ruler of the land of Palestine. The Jews will go there. God knows how to bring them. He did it in our case, and he knows how to bring them. They may say they will not go, but they will. The Lord will hedge up the way behind them, and he will open up the way before them, and unto his appointed place they shall go, in preparation for their conversion at the hands of the Master. For he shall come in the day of their trouble, to their deliverance. He will stand upon the Mount of Olives, which shall cleave in twain, and a valley shall open for their rescue from their oppressors; and when they come to the feet of their Deliverer they shall see the marks of the nails in his feet and in his hands, and shall say: "What are these wounds?" Then he shall say unto them: "I am Jesus Christ, who was crucified. These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends." Then shall a nation be converted in a day, and shall respond and become God's chosen people.

Orson Pratt and Charles W. Penrose declared that prior to the glorious coming of the Son of God, the Jews are going to be beleaguered by the nations who threaten the very existance of the Jewish race. Then, according to Zechariah, down through the gates of heaven shall come the Lord Jesus Christ, the Captain and King for whom the Jews have wept and prayed so long, and he shall set his feet upon the Mount of Olives, and the Mount shall cleave asunder, and the Jews shall escape destruction. The God of heaven shall then, with the armies of heaven, have judgment upon the wicked, and the wicked shall be destroyed. When Jesus stands before the Jews, they will see the wounds in his hands and, recognizing their Lord and God, they shall say: ". . . What are these wounds in thine hands?" And then Jesus shall break the hearts of the Jews by saying: "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." (Zechariah 13:6.) And that nation then, and not until then, shall be born in a day. By the authorized servants of God they shall receive the baptism of repentance; they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and become the children of God their Father and the servants of the great Jehovah. At that time a fountain shall be opened up unto the Jews and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain for the cleansing of sin and iniquity, and that fountain shall be as it always has been, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The coming of Christ will cause greater excitement than any thing that ever has transpired in the world since the creation of man. The Jews will look upon him; and beholding his wounds with sympathy, will ask, "What are these wounds in thy hands, feet and side?" and he shall say "These I received in the house of my friends." "Then they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. -- " And those who have rejected the everlasting gospel, and persecuted the church of Christ and wasted it, will desire to be concealed from his majestic frown: But how will this terror be augmented when he reminds them of acts of kindness which the might have performed but neglected; but their reply is "Lord when saw we thee in distress and did not minister unto thee?" Then shall the King answer them saying, "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these my followers, ye did it not to me." And beholding the son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven attended with ten thousand of his host, we shall be ready to inquire, Is this the despised Nazarene! Is this, the man of sorrows! Is this he, whom they sought to kill! Is this the person that had no where to lay his head until he reclined it upon the cross, between two thieves! Is this him they once crowned with thorns! Yes, this is the very identical character, but O how changed! He is (now crowned with a never faking diadem and invested with all his Father's glory -- in everlasting Pomp to Reign.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

4 And Jesus left them, and went upon the Mount of Olives. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be which thou hast said concerning the destruction of the temple, and the Jews; and what is the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world?

26 For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

36 And, as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;

See SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SIGNS, SIGN-SEEKING, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, SON OF MAN. Among the heavenly signs and wonders of the last days, one is to stand out particularly as the harbinger of the coming of our Lord. It is singled out and known as the sign of the Son of Man. (Jos. Smith 1:36; Matt. 24:29-30.) "There will be wars and rumors of wars," the Prophet said, "signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east." (Teachings, pp. 286-287.) When this sign is given, however, it will be known to and identified by the Prophet of God on earth. (Teachings, pp. 279-280.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.1, p.661

Matt. 24:30. The sign of the Son of man] In discoursing on the Second Coming of Christ at the April Conference of the Church in 1843, Joseph Smith said: "There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east." (Teachings, pp. 286-287.)

27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

50 Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.

3 And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory--yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away;

7 Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.

8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.

3 And the Lord said unto me: Verily, verily, I say unto thee, because thou desirest this thou shalt tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people.

11 For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand.

7 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.

8 And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble.

16 And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,

44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.

56 And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

18 But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.

23 And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.

1 FOR I say unto you, that ye shall not see me henceforth and know that I am he of whom it is written by the prophets, until ye shall say: Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord, in the clouds of heaven, and all the holy angels with him. Then understood his disciples that he should come again on the earth, after that he was glorified and crowned on the right hand of God.

36 And, as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.488

This much, however, we do know: Toward the end of the sixth seal the everlasting gospel has been restored, and it is now being preached to the nations of the earth. Soon that universal war and desolation destined to usher in and accompany the Second Coming itself shall commence. "And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.... Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (Jos. Smith 1:33-36; Matt. 24:29.)

Seated on the Mount of Olives, surrounded by the Twelve, in the Olivet Discourse Jesus said of his glorious return: "And the remnant" -- those Jews who have come out of the nations of the earth to live again in the land of Judah -- "shall be gathered unto this place." This place is Palestine; it is Jerusalem; it is the Mount of Olives on the east of the holy city. "And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels." (D&C 45:43-44.) This coming -- and there will be many appearances which taken together comprise the second coming of the Son of Man -- this coming will be in the midst of war; it will be preceded by the destruction of the wicked; it will be to those Jews "that remain" after the day of burning, as Zechariah so aptly identifies them.

Oh, what sorrow, what mourning, what wailing shall rise in that day from the lips of all men in all nations, from all who have not made Christ -- the true Christ -- their King. How the Jews will mourn because they crucified their King. What sorrow will be in the hearts of the Mohammedans because they acclaimed him as one of the prophets and denied his divine Sonship. What tears will water the faces of all those whose fathers bequeathed false forms of worship to them. And how the Christians will wail -- wail until it will seem their very souls shall dissolve into nothingness -- for they, favored above all the kindreds of the earth, had the Holy Scriptures and could read the words of the ancient prophets and the holy apostles, and yet they did not believe the true gospel of the lowly one by whom salvation came. As Jesus said on Olivet, "Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (JS-M 1:36.)

In a revelation to the people of the Church, March 7, 1831, the Lord speaks of the signs of His coming, and counsels diligence: "Ye look and behold the fig-trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand; Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh. And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man. And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath. And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke. And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven. And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place; And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory, with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off."

Within sacred temples, the living are officiating vicariously in behalf of the dead; and the hearts of mortal children are turned with affectionate concern toward their departed ancestors, while disembodied hosts are praying for the success of their posterity, yet in the flesh, in the service of Salvation. The saving gospel is offered freely to all, for so hath its Author commanded. Through the medium of the press, and by the personal ministrations of men invested with the Holy Priesthood whom the Church sends out by thousands, this Gospel of the Kingdom is today preached throughout the world. When such witness among the nations is made complete, "then shall the end come"; and the nations "shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory."

He told them that before his coming the Gospel which he taught would be restored to earth and preached among all people, as a witness, before the end should come. And then he said, "shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven *** and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."

After referring to the signs that would precede his coming, he said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matt. 24:30.) We humbly, but without any equivocation, add our own witness to the testimonies of the apostles and prophets of old that God is not dead but is gloriously alive and that Jesus Christ not only did live, but that he still lives, that he is a personal being, that he will triumphantly come again with his resurrected, glorified body still bearing the marks of the crucifixion.

Evening and Morning Star (Apr 1834) Sidney Rigdon "Millennium," p.147

This important period, which is of all others the most marvelous in human existence, has found a place, either directly, or indirectly, in the writings of a majority of the sacred writers. Both prophets and apostles, in addition to the direct notice which they have taken of it, there are many beautiful allusions to it, such as is found in 104th Psalm, 3 and 4 verses, which reads thus, "Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh on the wings of the wind: who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:" Or, as some have translated it, "who makes winds his messengers, and flaming fire his ministers." Here the allusion is doubtless to his coming in the clouds of heaven, being revealed in fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the gospel. But not only these beautiful allusions, but the direct references are numerous: some of these from the Savior himself, others from the prophets and apostles. The prophet Isaiah says, in speaking of the glory of the last days, 35th chapter, [Isa. 35:1-4] "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them who are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear, not: Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you." Any person who will read this chapter through with care, will see that the coming of the God of Israel, or of their Messiah, here spoken of, has not yet taken place, nor will it be fulfilled till Christ comes in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth. In Daniel, 7 chapter, 13 and 14th verses, the prophet speaks of a night vision, in which he says, "I saw in the night vision, and behold one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed." Here the prophet says, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven; at which time he is to get the kingdom before described: this is to take place when he comes to reign on the earth a thousand years; for until this time there has not a kingdom been given unto the Son of man, on earth, in which all people, and nations, and tongues, have served him; nor will he have such an one, till the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God, and his Christ. It is said in the second chapter of Daniel's prophecy, and the 44th verse, "And in the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Surely this kingdom has never been set up until now; for that kingdom which was established among the Gentiles in the days of the ancient apostles, has been defaced, corrupted, and broken up, till there has not been one society left on the original platform laid down by the apostles; but all have been broken to pieces -- nor can it ever break in pieces and destroy all the kingdoms of the world; but on the contrary, the kingdoms of the world have broken it. But from what Daniel saw in his night vision, as before mentioned, the Son of man, when he came to the Ancient of days, received a dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and tongues, should serve him. This is doubtless the kingdom which God was to set up in the days of the kings there mentioned, not the Roman Caesars as some have supposed, but a race of kings which should arise after the Roman Empire was divided into toes: some were to be strong, and some weak; some iron, and some clay. Here it is plain, that none need mistake, that is, that the Son of man, or Savior of the world, when he came with the clouds, or in the clouds, was to receive dominion, glory, and a kingdom, in which all people were to serve him of every nation, and tongue, and this kingdom which he was to receive at that time, was to be set up, while the kings which arose after the downfall of the Roman Empire, or after this great kingdom was divided, should yet be swaying their scepters; but this was not the kingdom which was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles. See Matthew 21st chapter, 43rd verse. -- "Therefore, say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." But a kingdom set up for that express purpose, and doubtless in the last days, preparatory to Christ's coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and all the saints with him to reign with them on earth a thousand years, when all people, nations, tongues, and kindreds, on earth or in the flesh shall serve him; not reign with him.

Evening and Morning Star (May 1834) Sidney Rigdon "Millennium," p.155

That all these passages refer to his second coming to reign on the earth a thousand years, does not admit of a doubt in the mind of the believer in the bible; for there is no other time of his coming mentioned in the scriptures, but his coming first in the flesh to suffer and die for us, and his second coming to reign on earth a thousand years, with all those who obey his will. As to his coming at the end of the earth, or at the final issue of all things, their is no such thing mentioned in the bible, nor is their one syllable said on it in any revelation which is extant; for so far from his coming at the end of all things, all revelations agree that he will be here more than a thousand years before. So that every thing in the bible said about his coming, which does not relate to his first coming in the flesh, relates to his second coming to reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously, and this reign to continue a thousand years, or the Millennium. On the subject of this coming, and this reign, the scriptures abound. In the testimony of Matthew we have the following sayings of the Savior, 24 chapter, 30 verse. "And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." In the 26 chapter, and 64 verse, the Savior says to the high priest, "Nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Here the Savior says himself, that he will come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, for the purpose as the prophet Isaiah informs us, that he may reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously he will therefore come in power and great glory. In Mark's testimony, 13 chapter and 26 verse, and 14 chapter and 62 verse, we have the same account that is given by Matthew. Luke also, in the 21 chapter of his testimony, and 27 verse gives the same account.

Monte S. Nyman and Robert L. Millet, The Joseph Smith Translation, p.243–244

Following the great tribulations, which will include the powers of heaven being shaken, there will appear "the sign of the [p.244] Son of Man" in heaven. This will cause the tribes of the earth to mourn, while the righteous will rejoice when they shall see the Son of Man coming in "the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory" (JS-M 1:36). One is reminded of the great destruction upon the American Continent prior to the first coming of Christ, and also that following this great tribulation came the great joy of seeing Jesus Christ descending from heaven (see 3 Nephi 8–11). We cannot help but feel that this is simply a type and a shadow of things to come. Will the sign of his first coming—the new star, the day and night and day as though it were one day—be the same sign of his second coming? (see Zechariah 14:6–7).

Hugh Nibley, Ancient Documents and the Pearl of Great Price, p.11

[p.11] These things are described in Section 88 in the same vivid language, very fully. That's a good one to look up. "And, as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn;…" This is world affliction. The whole earth is smitten now. There has never been a war or destruction like that. All the tribes of the earth, the inhabitants, wherever they are, will all be mourning. "…and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." But notice, the Son of Man, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. This is something that covers the whole earth. The Book of Mormon says that. There will be a vapor of smoke, and it shall cover the earth. These things are going to happen; we are determined on it right now. "And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come,…" People will say, Well, he is not coming. These times are too terrible. We're having no good news at all. "…and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds [the remainder is added there, just like the gathering to the carcass] from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree—…"

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

It is expressly asserted that many graves shall yield up their dead at the time of Christ's advent in glory, and the just who have slept, together with many who have not died, will be caught up to meet the Lord. Paul thus wrote to the saints in Thessalonica: "Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. * * * For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

A characteristic of present-day revelation is the reiteration of the fact that the event is nigh at hand, "even at the doors." The fateful time is repeatedly designated in scripture, "the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Fearful indeed will it be to individuals, families, and nations, who have so far sunk into sin as to have forfeited their claim to mercy. The time is not that of the final judgment -- when the whole race of mankind shall stand in the resurrected state before the bar of God -- nevertheless it shall be a time of unprecedented blessing unto the righteous and of condemnation and vengeance upon the wicked. With Christ shall come those who have already been resurrected; and His approach shall be the means of inaugurating a general resurrection of the righteous dead, while the pure and just who are still in the flesh shall be instantaneously changed from the mortal to the immortal state and shall be caught up with the newly resurrected to meet the Lord and His celestial company, and shall descend with Him. To this effect did Paul prophesy: "Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.... For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." Compare the promise made to the Three Nephites: "And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory, ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality." Of the superlative glories awaiting the righteous when the Lord shall come, we have received in this day a partial description as follows: "And the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; and the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened, and be caught up to meet him." The heathen nations shall be redeemed and have part in the first resurrection.

Speaking of all who have died in the faith since the resurrection of Christ, and of all who are true and faithful in the day of his return, Paul gives us these consoling words: "I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." Truly, those who believe and obey find peace in this world and have a hope of eternal life in the world to come. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." All the dead of all the ages, having risen in glorious immortality, will come with the Lord Jesus to the millennial earth. "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." The saints shall come forth from their graves, even before he sets foot on earth. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." He shall return; the immortal saints will return with him; and those who are yet mortal shall return to continue their lives in his presence on the earth. "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thes. 4:13-18.)

Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.57

Those who have lived and died since the resurrection of Christ, in the hope of a resurrection from the dead, are looking forward to the time of his coming, in the latter days, for their redemption from the grave. "Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air;" 1 Thess. 4. 14–17.

Zachariah [Jech.], 14:4, 5 reads thus: "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal; yea, ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." This quotation not only shows that Christ is coming, but that all the saints will come with him: and this agrees with what Paul wrote, 1st Thes. 4:15,16,17: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch angel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Thus we see that the Lord is coming in the clouds of heaven; agreeing with what is recorded in the 1st chap. of Acts [Acts 1]; he being on the mount of Olives was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight: and while they were still gazing up into heaven the two men dressed in white that stood by said this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Again, Jude tells us that Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied, saying, "Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints." -- From the above quotations we discover that the prophets and apostles both had a view of the coming of Christ in the last days bringing all the saints with him. Those that were on the earth and in their graves having met him in the clouds, descend with him when he comes on the earth. Were it necessary I might add many more passages to prove the coming of Christ. Such as his "coming as a thief," also "I come quickly," as recorded by John the Revelator years after Christ's ascension, but I deem it unnecessary.

Evening and Morning Star (Dec 1832) William Phelps "Resurrection of the Just," p.49

This promise alone, to the house of Israel, is enough to establish the resurrection of the righteous, in the flesh; and the remainder of the chapter goes to confirm it, so that Israel may dwell in the land of his fathers; but to make the matter plainer, let us quote Paul's words to the Thessalonians: [1 Thes. 4:13-17] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever by with the Lord. In this Paul does not say the righteous rise in the flesh, but he says, we which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them, (the rising dead, such as the pure members of the Lord's church in the days of the apostles, &c., that died in the hope of a glorious resurrection) to meet the Lord in the air, which is just as plain as to have said, we which remain when the Lord comes the second time, shall be caught up in the body to meet him.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.11 - p.12 - p.13 - p.14, Orson Pratt, June 23, 1878

But we will pass on. It is not for us, unless we have some definite instructions by the word of God, to tell how He is going to accomplish His great purposes. It is sufficient for us to know that he will do it. We are told this burning is to be universal, so far as all the proud, and all that do wickedly are concerned. It seems, then, it is to be one of the last destructions of the wicked. Prior to this there will be numerous destructions, by way of earthquakes, plagues, hailstorms, wars, etc., that will prevail and that will sweep away millions from the face of our globe. But the great judgment that is to cleanse the earth from all sin, is to be by the element of fire, "But," inquires one, "do you think there will be many in that day, that will be proud and wicked? Will they not be mostly converted, and consequently escape this great conflagration, as Noah escaped being drowned?" I will answer this by repeating another prophecy, that now occurs to my mind, recorded in the 24th chapter of Isaiah. This man of God saw the period of time when the earth should real to a fro like a drunken man; and he saw that glorious day when the Lord of Hosts shall be about to reign in Zion and Jerusalem. And among other things he saw in vision was that the earth became defiled under the inhabitants thereof; "because," says the Prophet, "they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant." Plainly showing that they were to be a corrupt people; a people who, for instance, would change the ordinance of baptism from immersion to sprinkling or pouring, or doing it away altogether, and in the same manner changing the various ordinances of the Gospel from the original form in which the Lord revealed them. He says, through the mouth of His Prophet, that the people who should be guilty of this great wickedness should be visited with fire; "the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left." This is a little more definite. We learned through Malachi, that they should be destroyed both root and branch--no branch of wickedness, no roots of wickedness left; but it does not give us the proportion, between the righteous and the wicked. But Isaiah gives us a little further clue to this matter. To the query, how many are to be overtaken by this last great judgment, Isaiah would answer, "the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men left." What, only a few persons to be converted, only a few to receive the true Gospel, and be prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom; only a few people to escape this awful desolation? So says the Prophet Isaiah; that is, few in comparison to the great and numerous population of our globe. Even some few millions would be few compared with the twelve hundred millions that inhabit the earth. Isaiah, in the same chapter, in describing the glory of his personal reign on the earth, says that "Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed," because of the superior light that will attend the presence of the being who is to reign in Zion and Jerusalem. The Lord causes the natural light of the sun and the heat thereof; he causes the natural light of the other luminaries that twinkle in yonder heavens, and also the heat which proceeds from their bodies. Now, if he can produce such intense heat by such bodies as our sun; if he can cause the surrounding worlds to be hated and to receive a certain temperature by the radiation of light and heat; if the sun can produce such a high temperature on our earth, existing some 90 millions of miles away, who not the Lord be able to produce a greater light and heat if necessary to sweep off the wicked, and to cause the earth in a moment, as it were, to feel the power of heat, even to its melting like wax before his presence? But, you may ask, way not this heat destroy the righteous, as well as the wicked? Have not the righteous often times been burned at the stake? have they not been consumed to ashes, by the power of the wicked? And why should this intense heat, of which you are speaking, which is to destroy the wicked root and branch, not affect the righteous as well?" Let us explain. before this day of burning there will be no righteous on the earth. Not one? No, not one. "What is to become of them?" The Apostle Paul informs us that, "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we, which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." It seems, then, that the righteous that sleep in their graves are to arise at this time, to be caught up with those living on the earth, who will be sufficiently righteous. Now, suppose they should not ascend to meet the Lord, but should remain on the earth, and he saw proper to preserve them from this devouring fire, could he do it? Certainly, and on the same principles he preserved the three Hebrew children in the midst of fire. We are told, in connection with this remarkable preservation of life, that there was not so much as the smell of fire on their garments, neither was a hair of their heads injured, while some of the wicked, when they were in the act of casting these young men into the furnace, which had been heated seven times hotter than was usual for them, were devoured themselves. Yet the righteous were spared receiving no harm whatever. Now, that same God who did preserve the three Hebrew children in the midst of the most terrible ordeal which they passed through, could preserve the righteous on the earth if he saw proper to do so. But he will take them up into the cloud, and they will be with him when he comes. But, you may say, "Have you not said that when he comes the sun will hide his face in shame, etc., therefore will not that glory which surrounds the personage of the Savior consume the righteous after they are taken up?" Not at all; they will not be subject to the devouring element of fire, even though they have not as yet been changed to immortality; for the time for the righteous who remain alive, to be changed, will be as much as a thousand years after they descend upon the earth; after there shall have been generation upon generation here upon the earth; then, at the sound of the last trump the Apostle Paul informs us, that those who are righteous shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye. They are not to undergo this change, when Jesus comes at the beginning of the thousand years' reign, but after the thousand years are ended, at the sound of the last trump, which shall awaken and call forth the sleeping nations of the wicked from their graves, then the righteous, who remain in the flesh will be changed in a moment; and after that time there will be no more mortality upon the earth. "But," you may say again, "we can hardly believe these great miracles will take place as you say, according to prophecy." Supposing you cannot, does your unbelief make the predictions of the servants of God without effect? Supposing, for instance, we should disbelieve excepting eight souls, as was the case with the ante-deluvian world, would our unbelief subvert the word of God. No. The Lord is a God of miracles, or in other words, he is a God of power and he operates upon the materials of our globe, according to his own good will and pleasure. When he burns up the wicked, when he cause the elements to melt with fervent heat, when he causes the mountains to flow down and melt like wax before his presence, all this does not destroy one particle of matter, but only changes matter from one condition to another. There is not a particle of the materials of our globe that will be annihilated, they will all exist, and although the time should come that the intense heat should be such as to disperse the materials of our solid globe and convert the great and mighty deep into gaseous substances, and separate the elements, and the water should cease to exist as either steam or water, although the time should come when the hydrogen and the oxygen, which possess the great bulk of the water upon our globe, should become gasses, yet the Lord could reorganize these elements, so scattered in space, by his power, bringing them together again by his law and by his word, making a new world, and creating a new heaven, and a new earth, wherein, says the Apostle Peter, shall dwell righteousness. This new earth, which is to be created, is not to be inhabited by the disobedient and wicked, as is not the case with the present world; there will be an entire change in the condition of the earth, and also in the condition of the human family, the curses of the fall will not be found in either, and consequently there will be no mortality upon the new creation, neither sorrow, nor weeping; neither will there be any more death; for the former things will have passed away, and all things will become new. There will be but one government, not several hundred different forms of government, but one form will prevail upon the new creation, inhabited by immortal beings. All these changes are what the Latter-day Saints are looking for. We do not read these prophecies and then undertake to change them, and tell our hearers that they must be understood to mean something else, in some spiritual sense. We do not tell them that this day of burning is a day in which wickedness is to be cleansed from the earth by the purifying influence of the Spirit of God, and that all the people are to be converted, and therefore, the earth will be inhabited by none except the righteous; and that the portion of the Scriptures referring to the wicked becoming ashes under the feet of the righteous, means something entirely different from the literal reading, and that their sins will all be consumed, and that they will be righteous and will all walk upon the new earth free from sin. No, but when we speak of devouring fire burning as an oven, we expect it will be fire; we expect it will be intense heat; and when he says it will consume all the proud and all that do wickedly, we do not expect there will be a wicked man or woman left upon the whole earth; and when it says there shall neither be root nor branch left of them, we do not expect there will be found a vestige of wickedness in any corner of the earth however remote; but that all will be consumed and none but the righteous left.

8 But the day soon cometh that ye shall see me, and know that I am; for the veil of darkness shall soon be rent, and he that is not purified shall not abide the day.

41 And it shall be answered upon their heads; for the presence of the Lord shall be as the melting fire that burneth, and as the fire which causeth the waters to boil.

42 O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence--

49 And the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly.

50 And calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed; and they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

64 And also that which was written by the prophet Malachi: For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

24 And every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea, that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed;

25 And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth.

10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

21 To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

The second coming of Christ is the great day of judgment for all men, both the living and the dead. In it those who qualify come forth in the resurrection of the just and obtain their rewards in the kingdoms established for them. At that time the decree goes forth that the rest of the dead shall remain in their graves to await the resurrection of the unjust and their consequent telestial inheritance. At that time the wicked among men are consumed as stubble, their bodies become dust again, and their spirits are consigned to an eternal hell to await the day of the resurrection of damnation. At that time those mortals who are worthy escape the burning, abide the day, and remain on the new earth with its new heavens in the presence of earth's new King. Latter-day prevalence of pride in the hearts of men is one of the sure proofs that apostasy and unrighteousness prevail on the earth. (Rom. 1:28-32; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 2 Ne. 28:10-15; Morm. 8:28-36.) The Lord hates "a proud look." (Prov. 6: 16-19.) "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." (Prov. 16:18.) Pride among the inhabitants of Sodom was one of the chief reasons for her destruction. (Ezek. 16:49.) Pride is wickedness, and those who are proud are living a telestial law and will be utterly destroyed at the Second Coming of Christ. (Isa. 2:12; Mal. 4:1; 1 Ne. 22:15; 3 Ne. 25:1; D. & C. 29:9; 64:24; 133:64.)

9 And he said unto me: Thou rememberest the twelve apostles of the Lamb? Behold they are they who shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, the twelve ministers of thy seed shall be judged of them; for ye are of the house of Israel.

12 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.

It is also further stated that the saints shall judge the world. Thus Christ is at the head, his apostles and disciples seem to take the next prominent part; then comes the action of the saints, or other branches of the priesthood, who it is stated shall judge the world. This combined priesthood, it would appear, will hold the destiny of the human family in their hands and adjudicate in all matters pertaining to their affairs; and it would seem to be quite reasonable, if the twelve apostles in Jerusalem are to be the judges of the twelve tribes, and the twelve disciples on this continent are to be the judges of the descendants of Nephi, that the brother of Jared and Jared should be the judges of the Jaredites, their descendants; and, further, that the first presidency and twelve who have officiated in our age, should operate in regard to mankind in this dispensation, and also in regard to all matters connected with them, whether they relate to the past, present, or future, as the aforementioned have done in regard to their several peoples; and that the patriarchs, the presidents, the twelve, the high priests, the seventies, the elders, the bishops, priests, teachers and deacons should hold their several places behind the veil, and officiated according to their calling and standing in that priesthood. In fact, the priesthood is called an everlasting priesthood it ministers in time and in eternity….

With this teaching is associated a grand principle connected with the everlasting Priesthood, which administers in time and in eternity. When we reflect upon the statement of creatures being judged without law, the question arises as to who are to be their judges. We may here state that Christ is called the judge of the quick and the dead, the judge of all the earth. We further read that the Twelve Apostles who ministered in Jerusalem "shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matt. 19:28.)

The coming of Christ in the last days, accompanied by the apostles of old and by the resurrected saints, is to mark the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth. The faithful apostles who were with Jesus in His earthly ministry are to be enthroned as judges of the whole house of Israel; they will judge the Nephite Twelve, who in turn will be empowered to judge the descendants of Lehi, or that branch of the Israelitish nation which was established upon the western continent.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.19, p.176 - p.177 - p.178, Orson Pratt, December 2, 1877

And Jesus and the Twelve Apostles will be in our midst. And we have an account of their thrones. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily, I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Then the twelve tribes will come back, and twelve men sitting on twelve thrones, in the land of Palestine, will reign over them. The Twelve disciples raised up in this land, 1800 years ago, are to have their thrones; who, after being judged themselves by the Twelve at Jerusalem, will sit upon their thrones and will judge the remnant of the tribe of Joseph. And they will have that work to do in the eternal worlds. The Priesthood is not given for a few years and then to cease; but all the servants of God who have ministered here below by authority of the Priesthood will continue their work among immortal beings, and among those living who will not have been changed to the immortal state. Some think that when Jesus comes all that are then living upon the earth will be changed. There is no Scripture to this effect. But there is a Scripture that says, the Saints living will all be "changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump." When the first trump sounds, at the coming of the Savior, they will not be changed, but they will be caught up, but when the graves of the Saints are opened and they come forth as immortal beings they will be quickened, not made immortal, renewed in a measure, and they will be taken up with those who will ascend out of their graves to meet Jesus, and descend with him. And the immortal ones will multiply and spread forth so that the many places depopulated in consequence of the great judgment that will precede his coming, will become inhabited by their numerous children during the millennium, filling up the different parts of the earth. So that when the thousand years are ended, and Satan is again loosed, he will find a large number who have not been tempted by him, and he will use his cunning among them, and will succeed in leading more or less astray. He will gather up his numerous hosts from the four quarters of the earth, and will encompass the camp of the Saints. The Saints will then gather from abroad, as they now do, and they will have to pitch their tents while doing so; and Satan's army will also compass the beloved city to destroy the people of God; but fire will come down from God out of heaven, and will devour them. And the beloved city and the righteous will be taken to heaven; and after the thousand years are ended the earth will pass away. This earth that will be sanctified and purified and blessed with the presence of Jesus, and upon which the immortal and resurrected Saints will live and reign as kings and priests; this earth because of the fall and the curse that came upon it, will have to undergo a greater change, the same as our bodies and will pass away. There will be no place found for it, as an organized world: it will exist in an elementary condition, all of its elements scattered through space, until the Lord sees proper to gather them together by his power, and forms an immortal earth, an earth free from the curse, free form the effects of the fall, restored as it was in the beginning. This then will be the new earth and the new heaven, whereon the righteous only will dwell. The beloved city will descend upon this eternal earth, and it will then become one of the heavenly mansions, whereon the Saints that are prepared will reign forever and ever.

54 Yea, and Enoch also, and they who were with him; the prophets who were before him; and Noah also, and they who were before him; and Moses also, and they who were before him;

55 And from Moses to Elijah, and from Elijah to John, who were with Christ in his resurrection, and the holy apostles, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shall be in the presence of the Lamb.

Whatever the vicissitudes of life, whatever the trials, temptations or problems you may have to face, I hope you younger folk will remember that Joseph Smith was sent to God, was commissioned by Jesus the Christ, was ordained to the apostleship and the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John, and was the favored of God our Father; that his work in the earth was of such a character and such magnitude that the whole earth is going to be affected by it; and that your job and mine is to help to prepare this world for the second coming of Christ. In my opinion, when the Christ comes the prophets will be with him, and the man who was chosen to be the head of the greatest of all dispensations will be at his side. What a glorious privilege it will be if we can meet him, be with him, come to know him!

17. THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S REDEEMED. -- To the righteous who have waited for him and kept his laws, the Second Coming will be a day devoutly to be desired, a day of peace and redemption, a day when injustice will cease and wickedness be banished, a day when the vineyard will be cleansed of corruption and its rightful Ruler reign in the midst of his saints. "Yea, when thou comest down, and the mountains flow down at thy presence, thou shalt meet him who rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, who remembereth thee in thy ways. For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee....

"And now the year of my redeemed is come; and they shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord, and all that he has bestowed upon them according to his goodness, and according to his loving kindness, forever and ever." (D. & C. 133:44-62.)

In Jewish and Christian thought there are two basic ways of viewing the coming of the messiah. Some consider promises of a Messiah and a millennial era symbolic of a time when men will finally learn to live in peace and harmony and the world will enter a new age of enlightenment and progress; no one individual nor any one specific event will usher in this age. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opposes this view and agrees with the many other Jewish and Christian groups who affirm that there is an actual Messiah, that he will come at some future time to the earth, and that only through his coming and the events associated therewith will a millennial age of peace, harmony, and joy begin. Jews look for the first coming of the Messiah; Latter-day Saints and other Christians for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

11 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.

7 I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.

20 Verily, I say unto you, I am Jesus Christ, who cometh quickly, in an hour you think not. Even so. Amen.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.52 - p.53

I do not know when he is going to come. No man knows. Even the angels of heaven are in the dark in regard to that great truth. But this I know, that the signs that have been pointed out are here. The earth is full of calamity, of trouble. The hearts of men are failing them. We see the signs as we see the fig tree putting forth her leaves; and knowing this time is near, it behooves me and it behooves you, and all men upon the face of the earth, to pay heed to the words of Christ, to his apostles and watch, for we know not the day nor the hour. But I tell you this, it shall come as a thief in the night, when many of us will not be ready for it.

When the Savior spoke of these signs and prophecies to His disciples in Jerusalem, they were apprehensive. He said to them, "Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled" (D&C 45:35). Do we realize we are living in the days of the fulfillment of these signs and wonders? We are among those who will see many of these prophecies fulfilled. Just as certain as was the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, so shall these words of the Savior be certain to our generation. We know not the day nor the hour of His coming, but of this we may feel assured: We stand close to the great day of the Lord! (Come unto Christ, pp. 114-15.)

I will tell you what men can know. They can know that such and such a time is not the time. Men can prophesy that 1891 is not the year. Although they cannot tell you the day nor the hour, they can tell you that He will not come this year or [p.64] next year according to the words of God already given. There are several revelations which speak plainly upon this point.

The Precise Time of Christ's Coming has not been made known to man. By learning to comprehend the signs of the times, by watching the development of the work of God among the nations, and by noting the rapid fulfilment of significant prophecies, we may perceive the progressive evidence of the approaching event: "But the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes." His coming will be a surprise to those who have ignored His warnings, and who have failed to watch. "As a thief in the night" will be the coming of the day of the Lord unto the wicked. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh."

In that solemn interview which Christ had with His apostles just after their departure from the temple for the last time, in the course of the evening walk back to Bethany, He rested on the slopes of Olivet, and the apostles came to Him privately to ask certain questions regarding the time of His coming, which He had in part explained to them. Read for yourselves the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew and the twenty-first chapter of Luke. The burden of the Lord's instructions was this: Watch, for ye know not the day nor the hour. He went so far as to tell them that not even the angels in heaven, nor at that time did the Son himself know the time appointed for His return in glory to exercise dominion on the earth. That knowledge He said, rested with the Father only. So in our assurance that the Lord shall come, and that His coming is very near, let us beware of those who undertake to set dates, to designate months and years; for the Lord hath positively declared that that shall not be given to man to know, nor even to the angels who stand in the presence of God. But certain signs are specified, and those signs are today ripening like the fruit in autumntide, when the fulness of summer is past. Who can doubt the imminence of this event, which shall be known as the consummation of the ages?

Again in the early decades of the Church the people were led to believe almost in the immediate coming, the glorious coming, of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and great glory, and that the time was near at hand. Indeed there were many who fixed upon about the time when he would come. Well, we still believe in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we do not very often refer to it in these days, and it is not so particularly influencing our actions and our faith as it did in times past. The Lord will come when he will come, and that he will come we are assured. The time of it is in his hands, where we feel that we can safely let it rest. Indeed, we must needs leave it there because it is part of the revelation of God unto the world that no man knoweth the day nor the hour of his coming, no, not even the angels in heaven. So I say we leave that in the hands of God.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.1, p.348 - p.349, Jedediah M. Grant, August 7, 1853

My exhortation to the Latter-day Saints is to keep the commandments, until truth shall prevail, the devil is bound, and righteousness prevails; then watch for the Lord's coming, for you know not the day nor the hour the Son of man cometh. Amen.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.8, p.49, Orson Pratt, April 8, 1860

The day is at hand, the morning has broken, the sun of the Gospel has arisen in the eastern horizon, and is beginning to shine with a degree of splendour. The time is near--how near, no man knoweth: the day and the hour when the Son of Man shall come is a secret. In a revelation given to this Church, it is said that no man shall know until he comes; therefore we cannot expect to know the day nor the hour; but we know it is near at hand, and what a consolation it is. There may be men that will know within a year--that will have revelation to say within one or two years when the Lord shall appear. I do not know that there is anything against this.

The precise time of Christ's Coming has not been made known to man. By learning to comprehend the signs of the times, by watching the development of the work of God among the nations, and by noting the rapid fulfilment of significant prophecies, we may perceive the progressive evidence of the approaching event: "But the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes." His coming will be a surprise to those who have ignored His warnings, and who have failed to watch. "As a thief in the night" will be the coming of the day of the Lord unto the wicked. "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." AF:328

"Remarks on the coming of the Son of Man by Joseph Smith the Prophet, made in Nauvoo. 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..."

6 Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?

A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.

7 Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?

A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.

12 Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?

A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years--the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.

95 And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled;

THE MILLENNIAL DAWN -- A STATEMENT IN 1875. The Millennium is dawning upon the world, we are at the end of the six thousand years, and the great day of rest, the Millennium of which the Lord has spoken, will soon dawn, and the Savior will come in the clouds of heaven to reign over his people on the earth one thousand years. -- JD 18:113, September 12, 1875.

"WE ARE LIVING AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE MILLENNIUM." We are living at the commencement of the Millennium, and near the close of the 6,000th year of the world's history. Tremendous events await this generation. You can read an account of them in the revelations of St. John; the opening of the seals; the blowing of the trumpets; the pouring out of the plagues; the judgments of God which will overtake the wicked when Great Babylon comes in remembrance before God, and when the sword that is bathed in heaven shall fall on Idumea, or the world who shall be able to abide these things? Here we are living in the midst of these tremendous events. -- JD 25:10, January 6, 1884.

THE SECOND COMING AT HAND. The signs of heaven and earth all indicate the near coming of the Son of Man. You read the 9th, 10th and 11th chapters of the last Book of Nephi, and see what the Lord has said will take place in this generation, when the gospel of Christ has again been offered to the inhabitants of the earth. The Lord did not reveal the day of the coming of the Son of Man, but he revealed the generation. That generation is upon us. The signs of heaven and earth predict the fulfillment of these things, and they will come to pass. -- JD 21:195, July 3, 1880.

THE GENERATION OF CHRIST'S COMING. No man knows the day or the hour when Christ will come, yet the generation has been pointed out by Jesus himself. He told his disciples when they passed by the temple as they walked out of Jerusalem that that generation should not pass away before not one stone of that magnificent temple should be left standing upon another and the Jews should be scattered among the nations; and history tells how remarkably that prediction was fulfilled. Moses and the prophets also prophesied of this as well as Jesus. The Savior, when speaking to his disciples of his second coming and the establishment of his kingdom on the earth, said the Jews should be scattered and trodden under foot until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. But, said he, when you see light breaking forth among the Gentiles, referring to the preaching of his gospel amongst them; when you see salvation offered to the Gentiles, and the Jews -- the seed of Israel -- passed by, the last first and the first last; when you see this you may know that the time of my second coming is at hand as surely as you know that summer is nigh when the fig tree puts forth its leaves; and when these things commence that generation shall not pass away until all are fulfilled.

WE ARE LIVING IN THE GENERATION OF CHRIST'S COMING. We are living in the dispensation and generation to which Jesus referred -- the time appointed by God for the last six thousand years, through the mouths of all the prophets and inspired men who have lived and left their sayings on record, in which his Zion should be built up and continue upon the earth. These prophecies will have their fulfillment before the world; and all who will not repent will be engulfed in the destructions which are in store for the wicked. If men do not cease from their murders, whoredoms, and all the wickedness and abominations which fill the black catalogue of the crimes of the world, judgment will overtake them; and whether we are believed or not, these sayings are true, and I bear my testimony as a servant of God and as an elder in Israel to the truth of the events which are going to follow very fast on each other. -- JD 14:5, January 1, 1871.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.58 - p.59, Orson Pratt, July 25, 1875

It may be well for us, in the examination of that great event, the second coming of Christ, to refer to some of the predictions of inspired writers in regard to the time of our Savior's revelation from the heavens. I do not mean to say the day nor the hour; neither will there be any man on the earth prior to the coming of the Lord who will know the day and the hour, for it is hidden from mortal man. However, the age in which that great event will taken place is very clearly revealed in both the Old and the New Testament. That age is to be characterized by certain events, predicted by the inspired writers, which are unmistakable in their nature, and which can be easily understood by all, both learned and unlearned. These events are to be so conspicuous that I presume there will not be a nation, people, kindred or tongue upon the face of the whole earth but what will know that, according to the Scriptures, some great event is about to take place, for every people in that day will be more or less enlightened in the Scriptures, for before that great day shall come, missionaries will be sent to the uttermost parts of the earth, to testify to all people concerning the Gospel of the Son of God, and they will cry in the ears of all living, saying unto them--"Prepare ye, prepare ye, for the great and coming day of the Bridegroom." They will have a preparatory message to deliver to all nations.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.15, p.279, Wilford Woodruff, January 12, 1873

The Gospel of Christ has to go to the Gentiles until the Lord says "enough," until their times are fulfilled, and it will be in this generation. Forty years have passed since the revelation I have read was given to the sons of men. We are living in a late age, although it is true there are a great many vast and important events to transpire in these days. But one thing is certain, though the Lord has not revealed the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man shall come, he has pointed out the generation, and the signs predicted as the fore-runners of that great event have begun to appear in the heavens and on the earth, and they will continue until all is consummated. If we, as Latter-day Saints, want anything to stir us up, let us read the Bible, Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, they contain enough to edify and instruct us in the things of God. Treasure up the revelations of God and the Gospel of Christ contained therein.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.52

So I say to you, my brethren and sisters, and to all who may hear my voice, we are living in the dispensation of the fulness of times. In the year 1836 one of the ancient prophets stood before Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and conferred upon them certain keys that had been promised to be revealed before the second coming of Christ. After he had given authority unto these two young men, he said unto them: "By this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." That was in 1836, 120 years ago; 120 years have passed. We are that much nearer the opening of that door and the coming of Christ.

Second Coming. This is the last and great dispensation in which the great consummation of God's purposes will be made, the only dispensation in which the Lord has promised that sin will not prevail. The Church will not be taken from the earth again. It is here to stay. The Lord has promised it and you are a part of that Church and kingdom -- the nucleus around which will be builded the great kingdom of God on the earth. The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God on the earth will be combined together at Christ's coming -- and that time is not far distant. How I wish we could get the vision of this work, the genius of it, and realize the nearness of that great event. I am sure it would have a sobering effect upon us if we realized what is before us. ("I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Church News [23 November 1946]: 8.)

I solemnly declare that the Lord has established His latter-day kingdom upon the earth in fulfillment of prophecies uttered by His ancient prophets and Apostles. Holy angels have again communed with men on the earth. God has again revealed Himself from heaven and restored to the earth His holy priesthood with power to administer in all the sacred ordinances necessary for the exaltation of His children. His Church has been reestablished among men with all the spiritual gifts enjoyed anciently. All this is done in preparation for Christ's second coming. The great and dreadful day of the Lord is near at hand. In preparation for this great event and as a means of escaping the impending judgments, inspired messengers have gone forth to the nations of the earth carrying this testimony and warning. (Stockholm Sweden Area Conference, 18 August 1974.)

This great time is drawing near. There is every evidence that His second coming is near at hand. I do not say that wars are over. I wish I could tell you that permanent peace is with us. I wish you would read that revelation given to Joseph Smith on Christmas day in 1832 regarding wars to come and in which the Civil War of my own country was predicted -- in which it is recorded that war will continue to be poured out until nations will be no more (see D&C 87). Then the great theocracy, with Christ at the head, will be established. ("I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Church News [23 November 1946]: 8.)

Not many years hence Christ will come again. He will come in power and might as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And ultimately "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ" (Romans 14:11; D&C 88:104; Mosiah 27:31). ("Joy in Christ," Ensign 16 [March 1986]: 5.)

When the Savior spoke of these signs and prophecies to His disciples in Jerusalem, they were apprehensive. He said to them, "Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled" (D&C 45:35). Do we realize we are living in the days of the fulfillment of these signs and wonders? We are among those who will see many of these prophecies fulfilled. Just as certain as was the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, so shall these words of the Savior be certain to our generation. We know not the day nor the hour of His coming, but of this we may feel assured: We stand close to the great day of the Lord! (Come unto Christ, pp. 114-15.)

Doctrine and Covenants

The Doctrine and Covenants is a glorious book of scripture given directly to our generation. It contains the will of the Lord for us in these last days that precede the second coming of Christ. It contains many truths and doctrines not fully revealed in other scripture. Like the Book of Mormon, it will strengthen those who carefully and prayerfully study from its pages. (CR October 1986, Ensign 16 [November 1986]: 80.)

First Questioner: What of the second coming of Christ? In the revelations given to Joseph Smith, the Lord speaks about coming soon, and that has been nearly 150 years ago.

We know categorically that from the fall of Adam to the Second Coming of Christ is a period of some six thousand years, and that the millennial era will then continue for another thousand years. Such is the chronology recited in the Bible, which has been confirmed by revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Our revelation speaks of "this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence," and also specifies that Christ will come "in the beginning of the seventh thousand years." (D&C 77.) This in no way names the day nor the hour of our Lord's return, and it does not put a stamp of divine approval upon our calendars as they now exist. It simply lets us know that the Biblical account of the chronology relative to Adam and his posterity is either correct or substantially so. The number of years there recited is either accurate or so nearly so that it does not make any real difference for our purposes.

Our earth was originally created in a paradisiacal state; with Adam's fall and consequent expulsion from Eden, the earth also fell and became mortal. When our Lord comes to usher in the millennium, "We believe . . . that the earth will be renewed and received its paradisiacal glory." (Tenth Article of Faith.) To and including the millennial period, the earth enjoys a "continuance" or "temporal existence" of 7,000 years duration. (D. & C. 77:6, 12.) That period of time just preceding the millennium is named the last day". It is the specified time, period, or age in which the necessary prerequisites to the Second Coming will occur. The last days are the days of the dispensation of the fulness of times, the days when the signs of the Second Coming are shown forth, the days of "restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:21.) We are now living in that period of time, and the great restitution (or restoration) is in process.

Just as century means a period of 100 years so millennium means a period of 1000 years. This earth, according to the divine plan, is passing through a mortal or temporal existence of seven millenniums or 7000 years. (D. & C. 77:6-7.) During the first six of these (covering a total period of 6000 years from the time of the fall of Adam) conditions of carnality, corruption, evil, and wickedness of every sort have prevailed upon the earth. Wars, death, destruction and everything incident to the present telestial state of existence have held sway over the earth and all life on its face.

11. THE GENERATION OF OUR LORD'S RETURN. -- True it is that the day and hour of our Lord's coming are and will remain unknown, such being an incentive to all to watch and be ready at all times. But true it also is that those who watch for that great and dread day are expected to read the signs of the times so as to know the approximate time of his coming. President Wilford Woodruff taught that we do know the generation when he will come. (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 253.)

The rising generation is the one that has just begun. Thus, technically, children born on April 6, 1843, would be the first members of the rising generation, and all children born, however many years later, to the same parents would still be members of that same rising generation. It is not unreasonable to suppose that many young men had babies at the time of this prophecy and also had other children as much as 50 or 75 years later, assuming for instance that they were married again to younger women. This very probable assumption would bring the date up to, say, the 2nd decade in the 20th century -- and the children so born would be members of that same rising generation of which the Prophet spoke. Now if these children lived to the normal age of men generally they would be alive well past the year 2000 A.D.

This reasoning takes on added significance when considered in connection with the revelation which states categorically that Christ will come "in the beginning of the seventh thousand years" of the earth's temporal continuance. (D. & C. 77:6, 12.) We, of course, do not know exactly how many years elapsed between Adam and the birth of Christ, but suppose it to have been 4004; nor can we be certain, from historical sources, how many years have passed since. But reading these inspired statements in connection with the signs of the times which we can interpret, it is plain that the day of the coming of the Son of Man is not far distant.

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.53 - p.54

Do we know when Christ shall come again, to take vengeance on the ungodly and to reign on earth in love and peace for the space of a thousand years? It is generally assumed we do not have any such information as this, that such has not and will not be revealed. The fact is, we do know -- that is, we know in general when his coming shall be. We do not know the day nor the hour, and for that matter neither do the angels of God in heaven (Matt. 24:36), but we do know the time and the season; that is, we know the approximate time, shall we say, the generation of his return.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.635

No man knows the day nor the hour when the Lord Jesus -- resplendent in glory, omnipotent in might, amid legions of holy angels -- shall come again to rule among the sons of men. Nor do the very angels of God in heaven possess this knowledge, for they too, as part of their decreed destiny, are awaiting the day when their salvation will be perfected. But they and we know the generation, the age, the general period old time when earth's rightful King shall return to rule on the throne of David. They and we are the children of light, and so we know the generation or age of the Second Coming. That generation is now; we live in it, and it is rolling speedily along toward that consummation for which the saints so devoutly pray when they plead, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10.)

Ours is the dispensation of desolation and war that will be climaxed by a worldwide Armageddon of butchery and blood at the very hour of the coming of the Son of Man. Jesus speaks thus for the elect's sake; none others can read the signs of the times. Carnal men will consider war as a way of life and a norm of society, not as a scourge sent of God to cleanse the earth preparatory to the return of his Son.

B. H. Roberts, The Second Coming of the Messiah, Handbook of the Restoration, p.425

Thus the most important events which are to take place before the glorious coming of the Son of God have been fulfilled. We know not the day nor the hour in which the Master will come, but we know that the preparatory work to that event has made considerable progress: The gospel has been restored to the earth, and is being preached to all nations for a witness that the end is near:—The Messenger has come and restored the authority of God to man, that the way might be prepared for his coming and judgment:—Elijah has come and performed his mission:—And the Saints are gathering together to the tops of the mountains, and are building up the house of God. And as the fig tree putteth forth its leaves proclaims the approach of summer, so these things indicate the near approach of that time when the Son of God will be "revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is the word of God, and remember, O reader! that it is written, though heaven and earth pass away, not one jot nor tittle of the word of God shall fail, but all shall be fulfilled.

Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.81

The Lord has not told us that there shall be no period of time designated in which he will come, but that neither the day nor the hour shall be known. Had we a correct chronology we might, perhaps, approximate very closely to the year, for according to Sec. 77. 12, it will be in the beginning of the seventh thousand years. It will be a time of destruction for the wicked; "The Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth;" Isa. 24. 21. "The Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to [p.82] judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you;" Doc. & Cov. 133. 2.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.19, p.362 - p.363 - p.364, Wilford Woodruff, June 30, 1878

As I before stated, so say I again, the Gospel of Christ requires faith all the day long, for no man can continue faithful to the end without it. God has set his hand a second time to build up that kingdom which Daniel was permitted to see in vision, and to establish that Zion in the mountains which Isaiah saw. He has set his hand, for the last time, to gather together all things which are in heaven and on earth which are in Christ, unto himself. The day has come when the Lord has sent forth a proclamation to warn the nations to prepare for his second coming; and the signs of both heaven and earth all indicate the coming of the Son of man, which is near at the door. No man knows the day or the hour when Christ will come, but the generation is clearly pointed out, the fig tree is leaving, and great changes are near at hand. Great Babylon is coming in remembrance before God, and the Lord has called upon the inhabitants of the earth who are very wicked, to repent of their sins and turn unto him. The generation in which we live is a wicked and an adulterous generation, and wickedness and abomination of every kind are increasing, and the earth has commenced to groan under the evil practices of man. The heavens are in pain over the disobedience and unrighteousness of the children of men, and the angels, we are told, are waiting in their places in the temple for the time to come when they will be called upon to go forth and reap down the earth. Judgments await the world, but they heed not, and apparently do not care. With fire and sword the Lord will plead with all flesh, and as the prophet has said respecting this event, "the slain of the Lord will be many;" and these things will overtake the world in an hour when they expect them not, when they will be crying peace, but alas, peace will have departed from them, and they left to devour and destroy each other. All these things are foretold and many of them are written in these revelations given in our day, and they are already being fulfilled before our eyes; and they will continue to be fulfilled, until all that is spoken of shall have come to pass. Therefore, I want to say to the Latter-day Saints: exercise faith in God, and exercise faith in his revelations, and read them and ponder over them, and pray earnestly that you may have a correct understanding of all that God has revealed, that you may grow in the light and knowledge of God, and see the importance of living your religion and of living uprightly before him; for all men, both Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner, will be judged according to the deeds done in the body, and for the opportunities which we have of informing ourselves of the will of God concerning us, which we allow to go unimproved, we cannot be held guiltless. It certainly becomes us, who have named the name of Christ, to walk uprightly before God, for we cannot escape his chastening hand if we reject the light we have received. Our condemnation will be far greater than those who never embraced the principles of the Gospel, if we apostatize, or through indifferent carelessness we allow the cares and things of this world to choke down the good seed planted, we have "tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come;" we "know the Master's will," and if we do it not we will be "beaten with many stirpes." The religious world talk about nonessentials, there are no such things existing in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. He requires us to obey the same laws that he himself obeyed, and which he taught in his day. Why did he go into Jordan to be baptized of John? To fulfill all righteousness. It was a righteous law, it belonged to him, and his example is in force to all the world. No man can enter into the kingdom of God except he is born of the water and of the Spirit. Men may be judged and their bodies lie in the grave until the last resurrection, to come forth and receive of a telestial glory, but no man will receive of the celestial glory except it be through the ordinances of the House of God. Jesus performed that act that he might set the example; he was the way for others to follow. The Jews, as I have said, rejected him and the Gospel he brought to them, and they shed his blood. They have been paying the penalty of their misdeeds for the last 1800 years. It costs something to shed innocent blood, it costs something to shed the blood of prophets and apostles. And I have sometimes taken the liberty, before strangers as well as Latter-day Saints, to express my views in regard to shedding the blood of Joseph Smith and other prophets. It has cost this nation four years' war, laying in the dust nearly a million and a half of men, and it has also cost millions upon millions of dollars, creating a debt which it will never live to pay. This is the faith of Wilford Woodruff, and I think I have a right to exercise my faith in this matter. I say then, it costs something to shed the blood of righteous men in this as well as in previous generations.

According to the divine plan, our earth has been allotted a mortal or temporal existence of seven thousand years, patterned after the seven days of creation. The first four thousand years began with the fall of Adam and ended at the birth of Christ. But 1966 more years have come and gone since that time. Therefore, on the divine calendar we are now living in the late Saturday evening of time. This glorious second coming of Christ is scheduled to usher in the earth's Sabbath of a thousand years, known to the prophets as the millennium. During this period Christ will reign personally upon the earth. However, before this can happen, the wicked will be destroyed by fire and Satan will be bound. At Christ's coming a great number of very exciting things are going to take place. He is not coming alone; as Paul says, he will come with his mighty angels. (See 2 Thes. 1:7-8.) At his coming a great many of the faithful dead will be resurrected and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And some of the righteous who are then living upon the earth will be changed from mortality to immortality in the twinkling of an eye to join that impressive company in the air. Certainly this is something to look forward to. (See 1 Thes. 4:13-17.)

In regard to the future, it has been a duty devolving upon me, in connection with hundreds of others, to declare not only the Gospel, but to portray before the people future events. There are great things in the future, and we are sometimes apt to forget them. We have been looking, for some time past, for the Lord to accomplish and fulfill the times of the Gentiles; or the times allotted to them, during which the testimonies of his servants should go forth among them, or in other words, the times of the warning of the Gentile nations. . . . These things have been sounded so long in the ears of the Latter-day Saints that I have sometimes thought they have become like a pleasing song, or like a dream, and that they scarcely realize that these great events are at hand, even at the doors. But if we can depend upon the word of the Lord, if we can depend upon modern revelation which God has given—there is a time of tribulations, of sorrow, of great judgment, of great wrath and indignation, to come upon the nations of the earth, such as has not been since the foundation of the world. And these things are not far off, but are near at hand. . . . CR1880Apr:86

35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.

10 For the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass;

21 And it shall come to pass, that this generation of Jews shall not pass away until every desolation which I have told you concerning them shall come to pass.

23 And in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled.

35 And I said unto them: Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.14, p.132 - p.133, Brigham Young, May 21, 1871

But he has said that not one jot or tittle of his word or of the law shall pass without being fulfilled; and it is no matter whether he speaks by his own voice, by the voice of an angel, or through his faithful servants here on the earth, all the words of the Lord Almighty will certainly be fulfilled; then if we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and comply with all the requirements of his Gospel we are on safe ground.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.127 - p.128, Wilford Woodruff, October 8, 1875

Thus saith the Lord through the mouth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who sealed his testimony with his blood, and his testimony from that hour has been in force upon all the world. Know ye, Latter-day Saints, that the Lord will not disappoint you or this generation with regard to the fulfillment of his promises. No matter whether they have been uttered by his own voice out of the heavens, by the ministrations of angels, or by the voice of his servants in the flesh, it is the same; and though the earth pass away not one jot or tittle of his word will fall unfulfilled. There is no prophecy of Scripture of any private interpretation, but holy men of old spoke as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and their words will be fulfilled to the very letter, and it certainly is time that we prepare ourselves for that which is to come. Great things await this generation--both Zion and Babylon. All these revelations concerning the fall of Babylon will have their fulfillment. Forty-five years ago, in speaking to the Church, the Lord said--"You are clean, but not all, and I am not well pleased with any who are not clean, because all flesh is corrupted before my face and darkness prevails among all the nations of the earth." This causes silence to reign, and all eternity is pained. The angels of God are waiting to fulfill the great commandment given forty-five years ago, to go forth and reap down the earth because of the wickedness of men. How do you think eternity feels to-day? Why there is more wickedness, a thousand times over, in the United States now, than when that revelation was given. The whole earth is ripe in iniquity; and these inspired men, these Elders of Israel, have been commanded of the Almighty to go forth and warn the world, that their garments may be clear of the blood of all men.

One thing, however, is certain, that Zion shall be established, her foundations shall be laid, her beauty shall astonished the world, and she become the glory of the whole earth. These things are decreed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and he hath declared, that Heaven and earth may pass away, but not one jot or tittle of his word shall fall to the ground.

The time for the Second Coming of Christ is as fixed and certain as was the hour of his birth. It will not vary as much as a single second from the divine decree. He will come at the appointed time. The Millennium will not be ushered in prematurely because men turn to righteousness, nor will it be delayed because iniquity abounds. Nephi was able to state with absolute certainty that the God of Israel would come in six hundred years from the time my father left Jerusalem." (1 Ne. 19:8.) To a later Nephi the Divine Voice acclaimed: "The time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world." (3 Ne. 1:13.)

Our souls cry out: "God hasten the day of the coming of thy Son," and yet we know that such cannot be. The day is fixed and the hour is set. The signs have been, are now, and will hereafter be shown forth. Our obligation is to discern the signs of the times lest we, with the world, be taken unawares. (The Millennial Messiah, p. 405) DGSM:96

But before the Lord Jesus comes again, all of the promised signs and wonders shall surely come to pass. Ours is the generation in which they are being poured forth. And our need is to learn to read the signs of the times, lest we fail to meet and accept our Promised Messiah as did so many when he came in the meridian of time. We must search the scriptures and heed the Messianic message. The children of light need not be deceived; that day need not come upon them unawares. "And whoso treasureth up my word," he says, "shall not be deceived." (JS-M 1:37.) That day will be one of vengeance for the wicked and of redemption and glory and salvation for the saints. And after he comes, all of the glorious things spoken concerning Israel and Zion and glory and eternal peace shall have their glorious fulfillment.

We come now to those great signs of mystery and wonder, the signs that cause even the faithful to marvel and to wonder how and under what circumstances they will come to pass. They are to be shown forth in heaven above and on the earth beneath. They involve forces and powers beyond the control of man, except possibly in a few instances, and they all are in the future. None of them have yet transpired, nor will they for some years. There are, as we shall see, a number of specific things that must precede the manifestation of these signs to men. These signs and wonders of which we speak are indeed the crowning and culminating signs of the times, and their occurrence will be almost or actually concurrent with the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

In revealing to us some of the things he said to the apostles on Olivet, the Lord said: "And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me" -- meaning the faithful saints -- "shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man." With all our hearts we seek to know and understand these signs. "And they shall see signs and wonders for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath." Some of these signs we have seen; most of them lie in futurity. "And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke." The blood and fire and vapors of smoke could all be man-made. Atomic bombs -- dealing death, shedding blood, spreading fire, and rising in great clouds of smoke -- could bring this to pass. In full measure it must refer to the fire and brimstone to be rained upon men at Armageddon, but it may be that even this will be the result of man's doings. "And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven. . . . And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come." (D&C 45:39-44.)

Another of our Lord's predictions concerning His second coming is as follows: "And they [the disciples] asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. * * * And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

See DISPENSATION OF THE FULNESS OF TIMES, MILLENNIUM, RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. Peter taught that the Second Coming of the Son of Man cannot take place "until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3: 19-21.) The phrase times of restitution means the age or era of restoration; it is that period in the earth's history known as the dispensation of the fulness of times, for in that era all things are to be restored. (Eph. 1:10.)

Vengeance

11 ¶ [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

8 But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecution--behold, they are they which shall not perish.

39 And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839–42, p.160

Men profess to prophesy. I will prophesy that the signs of the coming of the Son of man are already commenced. One pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon have war and bloodshed. the moon will be turned to blood. I testify of these things, and that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh, even at your doors. If our souls and our bodies are not looking forth for the coming of the Son of Man; and after we are dead, if we are not looking forth, we shall be among those who are calling for the rocks to fall upon them.

I want the Latter-Day Saints to stop murmuring and complaining at the providence of God. Trust in God. Do your duty. Remember your prayers. Get faith in the Lord, and take hold and build up Zion. All will be right. The Lord is going to visit his people, and he is going to cut his work short in righteousness, lest no flesh should be saved. I say to you, watch the signs of the times, and prepare yourselves for that which is to come. -- MS 53:796-797 (1891).

SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING. I do not know that any people on the earth, except the Latter-Day Saints, are looking for this great event. There may be exceptions, there may be men who believe in the second coming of Christ. The people called Millerites, believe in the second coming of the Savior, and they have set a great many days when it should take place. But he did not come, and he never will come until the revelations of God are fulfilled and a people are prepared for his coming. He will never come until the Jews are gathered home and have rebuilt their temple and city, and the Gentiles, have gone up there to battle against them. He will never come until his Saints have built up Zion, and have fulfilled the revelations which have been spoken concerning it. He will never come until the Gentiles throughout the whole Christian world have been warned by the inspired elders Of Israel. They are called to thrust in the sickle and reap, for the harvest is ripe and the time has come, which is referred to in this revelation, when the Lord commands the elders to go forth and warn the world for the last time, and call upon the inhabitants of the earth to repent. -- JD 18:111, September 12, 1875.

The chiliast, one who believes in a second coming of Christ that will usher in a millennial reign, has special challenges in reading signs. First, he is urged to notice lest he be caught unawares. Second, he must be aware of how many false readings and alarms there have been in bygone days, even by the faithful. For instance, has any age had more "wonders in the sky" than ours, with satellites and journeys to the moon? Has any generation seen such ominous "vapors of smoke" as ours with its mushroom clouds over the pathetic pyres of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Yet there is "more to come." Our task is to react and to notice without overreacting, to let life go forward without slipping into the heedlessness of those in the days of Noah. It has been asked, and well it might be, how many of us would have jeered, or at least been privately amused, by the sight of Noah building his ark. Presumably, the laughter and the heedlessness continued until it began to rain -- and kept raining! How wet some people must have been before Noah's ark suddenly seemed the only sane act in an insane, bewildering situation! To ponder signs without becoming paranoid, to be aware without frantically matching current events with expectations, using energy that should be spent in other ways--these are our tasks.

Many of us are prone to think that the day of His coming, the day of the setting up of the Kingdom of Heaven in its power and glory is yet far distant. I take it that that assumption is based, perhaps, upon our wish, none the less real, because we hesitate to frame it in words. How would you feel if authoritative proclamation were made here today that on the literal morrow, when the sun shall rise again in the east, the Lord would appear in His glory to take vengeance upon the wicked, and to establish His Kingdom upon the earth? Who amongst you would rejoice? The pure in heart would, the righteous in soul would, but many of us would wish to have the event put off. We are very much in the frame of mind, or we may allow ourselves to fall in the frame of mind of the rule bound Pharisees and the casuistical Sadducees in the days of the Christ in the flesh. They were intent upon keeping the people's interest alive in a future Messiah, in a Christ who was to come, but not one who was amongst them. We are very loath to accept and believe that which we do not want to believe, and the world today does not wish to believe that the coming of the Christ is near at hand, and consequently all kinds of subterfuges are invented for explaining away the plain words of scripture. We rejoice in simplicity. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is won-fully simple. We as a people value, I believe, scholastic attainments at their full worth. While we foster and encourage the training and development of the mind, I was about to say to the full limit, certainly almost to the limit, of our material ability, as witness the unceasing effort and continuous expenditure of vast sums in the maintenance of church schools, and the willingness with which the Latter-day Saints as members of the community impose upon themselves, in common with their fellow citizens, taxes for the support of schools under state control and direction, we nevertheless hold that scholastic attainments are not essential to a full understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not believe that a diploma from a theological seminary is an essential part of the credentials of a teacher or preacher of the word of God. Nevertheless we endeavor to encourage and aid in a material way the training of the mind and the development of all the faculties that shall be conducive to educational advancement in the truest sense of the term, but we hold the Gospel is simple that all may understand it who will. It is the proud and they who do wickedly who close their eyes and their ears and their hearts to the signs of the times, to the word of the Gospel and to the testimony of the Christ. It has long been a favorite excuse of men who were not ready for the advent of the Lord, to say, "The Lord delayeth His coming." Don't attach too much importance to the fact that He has thus far delayed His coming, for He has repeatedly told us that the day of His coming is very, very near, even at our doors. There is a tendency among men to explain away what they don't wish to understand in literal simplicity, and we, as Latter-day Saints are not entirely free from the taint of that tendency. Prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled are by many of us made the subjects of hypothesis and theory and strained interpretation. We read that one of the characteristic signs to precede the second advent of Christ shall be the bringing forth of the tribes that have been lost to history, led away where men have not yet found them, and we are told that they shall be brought forth with a strong hand by the power of God and shall come unto Zion and receive their blessings at the hands of Ephraim. But some people say that prediction is to be explained in this way: A gathering is in progress, and has been in progress from the early days of this Church; and thus the "Lost Tribes" are now being gathered; but that we are not to look for the return of any body of people now unknown as to their whereabouts. True, the gathering is in progress, this is a gathering dispensation; but the prophecy stands that the tribes shall be brought forth from their hiding place bringing their scriptures with them, which scriptures shall become one with the scriptures of the Jews, the holy Bible, and with the scriptures of the Nephites, the Book of Mormon, and with the scriptures of the Latter-day Saints as embodied in the volumes of modern revelation.

The Latter-day Saints should set their faces like a flint against every such sin. The Lord has commanded us over and over again to practice chastity, virtue and purity, and that we should not look upon a woman to lust after her. The world may think what they like about us; but I bear testimony that the Latter-day Saints are a virtuous people. They cannot be anything else. The man that has the fellowship of the Holy Ghost would be ashamed to have lustful thoughts; he would pray the Lord to deliver him from such impressions. The value of having the fellowship of the Holy Ghost is that we may have the strength of character to resist evil and to choose the good. The Lord commands us to abstain from all evil, and to walk before Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to be meek and lowly, teachable, learning the will of God and then doing it. That is what He has called us for. And He has brought us into His Church that we may assist in the establishment of His righteousness, and be a peculiar people, a holy people, walking in the reverence of the Lord. If we do not do it, we will become as ashes under the feet of the righteous. I presume there is no Latter-day Saint but what is looking forward for the second advent of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That is what we are preparing ourselves for. And we know that when He comes He will come with ten thousand of His Saints, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them who know not God and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, are we coming with Him, or are we going to be left behind? If we are not prepared to receive Him, woe unto us! Supposing we die, do we not expect to come with the Lord Jesus Christ? And how can we ever expect this unless we accept of the eternal conditions of the Gospel?

17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;

18 And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets—

30 For unto you, the Twelve, and those, the First Presidency, who are appointed with you to be your counselors and your leaders, is the power of this priesthood given, for the last days and for the last time, in the which is the dispensation of the fulness of times.

16 And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,

May we have the courage to live the gospel. May we have the courage to keep the commandments. May we have the loyalty to stand By and follow the leaders, whom God has placed in the earth in these last days is my humble prayer, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thus, clearly, the Lord has placed the responsibility for directing the work of gathering in the hands of the leaders of the Church to whom he will reveal his will where and when such gatherings would take place in the future. It would be well--before the frightening events concerning the fulfilment of all God's promises and predictions are upon us, that the Saints in every land prepare themselves and look forward to the instruction that shall come to them from the First Presidency of this Church as to where they shall be gathered and not be disturbed in their feelings until such instruction is given to them as it is revealed by the Lord to the proper authority.

Words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Ehat & Cook, Words, James Burgess Notebook: 6 April 1843 (2) (Thursday Afternoon), p.180–p.181

Remarks on the comeing of the Son of Man by Joseph Smith the Prophet. Made in Nauvoo Christ says no man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh. 33 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 liveing upon the [p.181] 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 34 consequently if it is not made known to the Prophets it will not come to pass; 35 again we find Paul 1st of Thesslonians 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 the theif or unawares. 36 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 that day should come upon you unawares. John the revelator says 14 chap 7th verse that the hour of his judgements is come they are precursers or forerunners of the comeing of Christ. read Matthew 24 Chap and all the Prophets. He says then shall they see the Sign of the comeing 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 comeing of the Son of Man. The dawning of the morning makes its appearance in the east and moves along gradualy so also will the comeing of the Son of Man be. it will be small at its first appearance and gradually becomes larger untill every eye shall see it. 37 Shall the Saints understand it Oh yes. Paul says so. 38 Shall the wicked understand Oh no they attribute it to a natural cause. They will probably suppose it is two great comets comeing in contact with each other.

To have a prophet of God in our midst, with the opportunity to follow his counsel and direction as he is inspired of God, is a compelling force. I remember, as a boy, attending a priesthood meeting with my father. I sat close by with my hand in his most of the meeting, especially since the speaker, Apostle James E. Talmage spoke of the perils and deceptions of the last days which would try the faith of the members. One of the men in the meeting stood and asked Brother Talmage the question: "What will be the best thing for us to do in that day?" I shall never forget his answer.

"My brother, see that you follow the counsel and direction of the prophet, for he is God's representative upon the earth, and he will know."

I bear my testimony unto you that God has revealed his mind and will unto man in our own modern day restoring divine laws, by obedience to which man can attain salvation and exaltation, that since the heralding of this last and greatest dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ by Joseph Smith unto this very minute, living prophets have been in communication with God for the salvation of the human race and have presided over his Church and kingdom here upon the earth for this purpose. And this testimony I bear in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Surely the Lord God who revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophets, and who maketh known unto them all things which it is expedient for them to know, according to the heed and diligence they give unto him, surely he will tell them of that great Armageddon that lies ahead. Surely, if the God of Battles is destined to return, destroy the wicked, and bring peace on earth, all at the very moment when the greatest war of the ages is in progress, surely he will tell his prophets about that coming war. If he has been at pains to speak of wars and rumors of wars in the last days, surely he will not overlook revealing all we are able to bear about the final great war that will usher in the Millennium. If prophetic voices -- rising early, crying out during the heat of the day, and refusing to be silenced when the night comes -- if these voices have told us about lesser wars and smaller plagues, surely they will cry out, in advance, about the plague of plagues and the war of wars.

As a sign of our loyalty to Joseph Smith, we need to look to the presidency of this Church, heed the counsel of those called and appointed to direct its destiny, and follow the Brethren as they point the way to eternal life. Though there will be individual casualties from the faith as we move toward the end, we need not be anxious about the future of the Church and kingdom of God. We need not be anxious about the leadership of the Church; we need only cultivate the little plot of ground assigned to us and leave the government of the kingdom to the King. The Lord does not ask us to magnify other people's callings.

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of the creation.

3 ... O [ye] hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not [discern] the signs of the times?

41 But as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man;

42 For it shall be with them, as it was in the days which were before the flood; for until the day that Noah entered into the ark they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage;

43 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

2. Laughter is also used to connote: (a) skepticism, as illustrated by the reactions of Abraham and Sarah to the promise of Isaac's birth (Gen. 17:17; 18:13-15; 21:6); and (b) scorn and derision, as when the righteous are mocked for their good deeds and intentions. (Alma 26:23; 2 Kings 19:21; Neh. 2:19; Job 12:4; Matt. 9:24; Mark 5:40; Luke 8:53.) This kind of laughter is inspired of and practiced by the devil. When calamities befall the inhabitants of the earth, "the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice." (3 Ne. 9:2.) At the Second Coming of Christ, "they that have laughed" -- in this scornful and derisive manner -- shall see their folly. And calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed." (D. & C. 45:49-50.)

"Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple, and water come out from under the temple, and the waters of the Dead Sea be healed. It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple, &c.; and all this must be done before the Son of Man will make his appearance. There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east." (Teachings, pp. 286-287.)

While I was president of the Southern States Mission, one of our missionaries wrote in from Florida and said, "President Richards, I have been reading about the signs of the coming of the Lord." He said, "When the sun darkens and the moon ceases to give its light and the stars fall from heaven, everybody will know that he is coming."

And I wrote back and said, "Probably they will know. The newspapers might announce some great phenomenon in the heavens, misplacement of planets, that have caused this consternation, and scientists will have their explanation to make of it, and unless they have faith in the Living God, unless as Jesus said, they can read the signs of the times, they may not know anything about what is going on in the world.

44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night;...

4 And again, verily I say unto you, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night--

5 Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief.

1 BUT of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

See LIGHT, LIGHT OF THE WORLD, SAINTS, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. By accepting the gospel and thus coming out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ (1 Pet. 2:9) men become the children of light. (John 12:36; Col. 1:12.) They are then followers or disciples of light and truth. The saints are commanded to "walk as children of light." (Eph. 5:8.) If they do, they have the promise that the great and dreadful day of the Lord will not overtake them as a thief in the night. (1 Thess. 5:1-6; D. & C. 106:4-5.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.688

It is true that no man knoweth the day nor the hour of his return -- "no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matt. 24:36), as he himself expressed it -- but those who treasure up his word will not be deceived as to the time of that glorious day, nor as to the events to precede and to attend it. (Jos. Smith 1:37.) The righteous will be able to read the signs of the times. To those in darkness he will come suddenly, unexpectedly, "as a thief in the night," but to "the children of light" who "are not of the night, nor of darkness," as Paul expressed it, that day will not overtake them "as a thief." They will recognize the signs as certainly as a woman in travail foreknows the approximate time of her child's birth. (1 Thess. 5:1-6.) Now let us list some of the signs and wonders destined to precede and accompany the Second Coming. Among them are the following:

Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.372 - p.373, Erastus Snow, October 8th, 1879

The wicked comprehend not the things of God; they cannot know them, for they are spiritually discerned. "The things of God," says the Apostle Paul, "knoweth no man only by the Spirit of God;" or, in other words, carnal man knows not the things of God, neither can he understand them. The unbelieving world cannot see as the Saints see; they walk in darkness, but the Saints are the children of light, even as many as keep sacred their covenants with God. The wicked love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. This was true of the first century of the Christian era, when the Savior uttered it; it is true today. As the light shone in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not, so might the same be said today. We are called to be the children of light. Blessed are they who continue in the light, for the day of the Lord will not overtake them as a thief in the night; but woe unto them that depart from, or reject that light that shines in the midst of the darkness, for the day cometh, and that speedily, when they will be overtaken as by a whirlwind. The command of the Lord to the Saints is to watch, for we know not the day nor the hour when the Son of man shall come. The precise time of his coming has not been revealed; the prophets were ignorant of it; it could not be declared to the apostles of the Lamb, and, indeed, the Savior said that not the angels, nor even he himself, knew the day or the hour of this important event. And on taking his final leave of the Twelve, on the Mont of Olives, the question was put to him--"Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They, it seems, were wont to regard the Savior as that Being that was to establish himself upon the throne of David, and bring to pass all that they had been so anxiously expecting; but he told them; it was not for them to know the times and the seasons which the Father had put in his power. These things have been spoken that the Saints should watch and not fall asleep. The same idea is also set forth in the parable of the ten virgins, who were represented as having gone forth so meet the bridegroom, five of whom were wise and five foolish. The wise virgins took oil in their vessels, and were prepared to meet the bridegroom and to go with him into the marriage feast; the foolish virgins took no oil, they were unprepared, and were consequently shut out. This parable is expressly applicable to the time of the second coming of the Savior, showing us that however reluctant we may feel to admit it, we are plainly given to understand that a great portion of those who are counted virgins, of the Lord's people, who believe in his coming and who go forth to meet him, will slumber and sleep, and be locked out when he shall come. And it behooves all Saints to ask themselves the question which the disciples asked the Savior when he hold them the startling truth that one of them should betray him--"Lord, is it I?" And all those who are very anxious upon this point will be likely to be on the watch-tower, and not slumbering in that fatal hour.

But before that day, certain promised signs and wonders are to take place, an understanding of which will give those who wait for him an assurance as to the approximate time of his return.

33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.

37 Ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand;

38 Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh.

Collected Discourses, Vol.2, George Q. Cannon, October 5th, 1890

I took occasion to have the sermon that Brother Joseph preached hunted up, and I will read a little from it to show you what he said upon this very subject, and to show you also that we need not expect that 1891 will bring any such thing as the coming of the Lord. It was said yesterday that no man knoweth the day nor the hour. This is true. But I will tell you what men can know. They can know that such and such a time is not the time. Men can prophesy that 1891 is not the year. Although they cannot tell you the day nor the hour, they can tell you that He will not come this year or next year, according to the words of God already given. There are several revelations which speak plainly upon this point, allusion to some of which was made yesterday by the brethren who spoke. There are a great many events to take place that have not yet occurred; and the Savior will not come until they do take place. Be assured of this, and be not concerned in your minds and agitated on these matters, because it is easy to understand that there are many things yet to be fulfilled before that grand and glorious event will come. Yet, as he has told us, He will come as a thief in the night. He will come when the inhabitants of the earth are unprepared for him.

True, the precise time of Christ's coming has not been made known to man. Yet I have no fear in my heart. Neither has anyone with a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By learning to comprehend the signs of the times, by watching the development of the work of God among the nations, and by noting the rapid fulfillment of significant prophecies, we may perceive the progressive evidence of the approaching event; but the hour or the day, no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven nor shall they know until he comes. His coming will be a surprise to those who have ignored his warnings and who have failed to watch. Watch, therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

49 And shall begin to smite [his] fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of,

51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

1 ¶ THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish.

3 They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, [Not so]; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

6 ¶ Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

6 To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming.

7 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.

10 Wherefore, lift up your voice and spare not, for the Lord God hath spoken; therefore prophesy, and it shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.

11 And if you are faithful, behold, I am with you until I come--

12 And verily, verily, I say unto you, I come quickly. I am your Lord and your Redeemer. Even so. Amen.

37 And that every man should take righteousness in his hands and faithfulness upon his loins, and lift a warning voice unto the inhabitants of the earth; and declare both by word and by flight that desolation shall come upon the wicked.

117 And verily I say unto you, the rest of my servants, go ye forth as your circumstances shall permit, in your several callings, unto the great and notable cities and villages, reproving the world in righteousness of all their unrighteous and ungodly deeds, setting forth clearly and understandingly the desolation of abomination in the last days.

81 Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor.

82 Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads.

85 That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come. Verily, I say unto you, let those who are not the first elders continue in the vineyard until the mouth of the Lord shall call them, for their time is not yet come; their garments are not clean from the blood of this generation.

4 Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry.

10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.

19 Wherefore, prepare ye for the coming of the Bridegroom; go ye, go ye out to meet him.

Then, do not be too anxious for the Lord to hasten his work. Let our anxiety be centered upon one thing, the sanctification of our own hearts, the purifying of our own affections, the preparing of ourselves for the approach of the events that are hastening upon us. This should be our concern, this should be our study, this should be our daily prayer, and not to be in a hurry to see the overthrow of the wicked. 9:3.

ON THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. The parable of the ten virgins is intended to represent the second coming of the Son of man, the coming of the bridegroom to meet the bride, the church, the Lamb's wife, in the last days; and I expect that the Savior was about right when he said, in reference to the members of the Church, that five of them were wise and five were foolish; for when the Lord of heaven comes in power and great glory to reward every man according to the deeds done in the body, if he finds one half of those professing to be members of his Church prepared for salvation, it will be as many as can be expected, judging by the course that many are pursuing. -- JD 18:110, September 12, 1875.

The Lord has placed upon us the responsibility to preach the gospel, but there is another great responsibility. I think some of our missionaries have had an idea that all we had to do was to make friends, and if they wanted to come in the church, well and good, and the missionaries have not realized that they were under the obligation to leave a warning, and it is just as necessary that we warn the world as it is to declare the way of eternal life. . . .

Every missionary who goes out should see to it that he leaves his testimony, so that he will be free as the Lord has declared he should be in section four of the Doctrine and Covenants; and so that every man with whom he comes in contact should be warned and left without excuse, and thus the blood of every man be upon his own head.

The Lord has raised up prophets and apostles who have cried aloud to this generation, with the proclamation of the Gospel for half a century, and warned them of the judgments which were to come, and the inhabitants of the earth have rejected this testimony, and shed the blood of the Lord's anointed, and persecuted the Saints of God, and the consequence of this, "Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people," and the Lord is withholding his spirit from the inhabitants of the earth, and the devil is ruling over his own kingdom, and wickedness and abominations of every kind have increased a hundred fold within the last few years, until the whole earth is filled with murders, whoredoms, blasphemies, and every crime in the black catalogue that was manifest in the antediluvian world, or Sodom and Gomorrah, until the whole earth groans under its abominations, and the heavens weep, and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great command to go forth and reap down the earth. This testimony I bear to all nations under heaven, and I know it is true by the inspiration of Almighty God. ("Epistle of Wilford Woodruff," Millennial Star, April 21, 1879, pp. 241, 245-46) TLDP:346

The Latter-day Saints, though they themselves tremble because of their own wickedness and sins, believe that great judgments are coming upon the world because of iniquity; they firmly believe in the statements of the Holy Scriptures, that calamities will befall the nations as signs of the coming of Christ to judgment. They believe that God rules in the fire, the earthquake, the tidal wave, the volcanic eruption, and the storm. Him they recognize as the Master and Ruler of nature and her laws, and freely acknowledge his hand in all things. We believe that his judgments are poured out to bring mankind to a sense of his power and his purposes, that they may repent of their sins and prepare themselves for the second coming of Christ to reign in righteousness upon the earth.

This Church is built upon the rock of revelation, through which means the constituted authorities thereof receive authority from God direct, to act in their callings and to enjoy the gifts and powers of the gospel. The mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of peace. It aims to prepare the people of the world for the second coming of Christ, and for the inauguration of that blessed day when the millennium shall come and Christ shall reign as the King of kings, standing at the head of the universal brotherhood of man.--Era, 23:472-473.

"The mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of peace. It aims to prepare the peoples of the world for the second coming of Christ, and for the inauguration of that blessed day when the millennium shall reign as King of kings, standing at the head of the universal brotherhood of man."

Whatever the vicissitudes of life, whatever the trials, temptations or problems you may have to face, I hope you younger folk will remember that Joseph Smith was sent to God, was commissioned by Jesus the Christ, was ordained to the apostleship and the Melchizedek Priesthood by Peter, James, and John, and was the favored of God our Father; that his work in the earth was of such a character and such magnitude that the whole earth is going to be affected by it; and that your job and mine is to help to prepare this world for the second coming of Christ. In my opinion, when the Christ comes the prophets will be with him, and the man who was chosen to be the head of the greatest of all dispensations will be at his side. What a glorious privilege it will be if we can meet him, be with him, come to know him!

The gathering of Israel to the Zion of God is to prepare them for the Second Coming. And so the divine word continues: "Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him." Men go forth to meet the Bridegroom when they join the Church and fill their lamps with that Holy Spirit which the world cannot receive, but which is the priceless possession of every true believer. "Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour."

In all ages and as part of all dispensations the divine word is the same. In our day, as the end draws near, the Lord says: "Be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom -- For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that I come quickly." (D&C 33:17-18.) "Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes." (D&C 88:86.) "The coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night -- Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief." (D&C 106:4-5.) "Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord. Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour." (D&C 133:5-6, 10-11.)

In this connection it is worthy of note that whenever and wherever the Lord appears, he will come suddenly, that is "quickly, in an hour you think not." (D. & C. 51:20.) His oft repeated warning, "Behold, I come quickly" (D. & C. 35:27), means that when the appointed hour arrives, he will come with a speed and a suddenness which will leave no further time for preparation for that great day.

21. WATCH AND BE READY. -- "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke 21:34-36.)

You and I need to be prepared. We know not the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man shall come. That day we must be prepared for.

Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you; the Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with curse to judgment; yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry. Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord; yea, verily I say unto you, again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you, Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds from end of heaven to the other. Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations; firstly, upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about; yea, let the cry go forth among all people; -- Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom: behold and lo the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah, flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of sickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you: and he that goeth let him no look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.

28 ¶ And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

4 For the preparation wherewith I design to prepare mine apostles to prune my vineyard for the last time, that I may bring to pass my strange act, that I may pour out my Spirit upon all flesh—

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.1, p.176

Now, my brethren and sisters, I am not going to confine this prophecy to the members of the Church. The Lord said he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh. That does not mean that upon all flesh the Holy Ghost should be sent, and that they should be participants in the blessings which those are privileged to receive who have been baptized and endowed and become members of the Church; but the Lord would pour out his blessings and his Spirit upon all people and use them to accomplish his purposes.

The angel revealed to Daniel many things concerning our day and said to him: "Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." Paul added a significant truth to this thought when he said, speaking to Timothy, that in this day people would be, "ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Surely these two predictions are being fulfilled on the earth today. Joel, also, was shown the last days and predicted many things that would take place preparatory to the second coming of our Redeemer. Among other things he said, "And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." This does not have reference to the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, but to the Spirit of Christ, or Light of Truth, which we are informed is given to "every man that cometh into the world." The predictions are made that through the inspiration of this Spirit, wonderful things are to be accomplished in the latter days. Surely we have seen the fulfillment of many of these promises made by Isaiah, Daniel, Joel, and others, yet with all the knowledge and inspiration, [p.181] men continue to boast in their own strength and refuse to give to the Lord the credit for their accomplishments.

The time spoken of by Isaiah, as already referred to here, was also predicted by Joel when he said: "And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and none else: And my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." (Joel ii: 27-29.) The apostle Peter, upon the day of Pentecost, gave the multitude to understand that the Spirit which gave utterance to the apostles on that occasion was the same Spirit concerning which Joel the prophet said in the last days should be poured out, not upon the few only, but upon all flesh. The Spirit of God alone can bring perfect unity, destroy enmity, and fill the earth with the knowledge and glory of God.

In the waters of baptism faithful people covenant to take upon themselves the name of Christ, to love and serve him all their days, and to keep his commandments. He in turn promises them that if they so do, he will "pour out his Spirit more abundantly" upon them, and they shall "be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection," and "have eternal life." (Mosiah 18:8-10.) Having in mind this same conformity to his eternal law and speaking in beautiful symbolism, our Lord said to the Jews: "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:54.)

Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.227

The Lord said, through his prophet Joel, speaking of the times when Israel should be gathered in the latter days, "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions;" 2. 28. Thousands of Latter-day Saints Can testify that this prophecy is being fulfilled, and that dreams and visions characterize this as they have all former dispensations of the Priesthood.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.16, p.205, Erastus Snow, September 14, 1873

Joel predicts the coming of a time when the Lord's people will all become Prophets, even the servants and handmaids will receive the Spirit and they will prophecy. Jeremiah speaks of a similar time, but he uses a little different language. He says,--"I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and then no one shall say unto his neighbor, Know ye the Lord, for all shall know him, from the greatest, and they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion." Here the Prophet Jeremiah predicts, as does Micah, a time when the Lord shall bring again Zion, and says that when he brings again Zion they shall see eye to eye and they shall no more use the proverb that the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge, but every man shall die for his own iniquity, and the teeth of him that eateth sour grapes shall be set on edge, and every man will have the opportunity of knowing the Lord, learning his ways, and walking in his paths.

Collected Discourses, Vol.3, Franklin D. Richards, April 3rd, 1892

When we go forth to the human family we are confronted with this opposition at once. It is said to us that there is to be no more revelation, and they try to make us believe that there shall be no more. Why, it is contrary to the spirit that all the Prophets have entertained. When men rose up in ancient Israel and began to prophesy, some of the holy folks went to Moses and said so-and-so is prophesying. What was his answer? Says he, "Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets." That has been the sense of every true, enlightened Prophet of God upon the earth. It is according to the promise which Peter set forth at Pentecost, as had been declared by the Prophet Joel, that in the last days He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh: "and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." Let me remind you, my brethren and sisters, that we live in the dawning of that day; and it is not only our privilege, but a duty we owe to ourselves, to God's people, and to the honest in heart throughout the world who have not heard the Gospel, that we should nourish and cultivate this spirit of revelation within us constantly.

We hear a good deal in these times about manifestations to individuals. These are proper in their place, for those who receive them. The gifts of the gospel, which we read about in the New Testament, are all restored in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues, the gift of prophecy, the gift of healing, the gift of discerning of spirits, etc., etc., that we read about in the epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, are all in this Church. I have been blessed with seeing and participating in most, if not all of these gifts that we read about, and they belong to the Latter-day Saints just as much as they belonged to the former day Saints; and according to the prophet Joel, that after certain wonders have been accomplished -- the great things of the latter days, the Lord says: "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions; also upon my servants and handmaidens will I pour out my Spirit." That is a great blessing yet to come to the inhabitants of the earth, for the result will be as another prophet has declared, that "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the great deep."

B.H. Roberts, The Seventy's Course in Theology, Second Year, p.140

3. Joel's Great Prophecy of the Dispensation of the Last Days: Of the special passages before referred to, and which I said would receive separate consideration, the first is Peter's quotation from the Prophet Joel, concerning the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon "all flesh in the last days." This quotation from Joel is regarded as identifying the days in which the Apostle was speaking, as "the last days;" and the dispensation in which he was living as the Dispensation of the Last Days and of the Fullness of Times. The conditions existing when Peter was speaking, and the prophecy of Joel, however, admit of no such interpretation. The circumstances were as follows: The Holy Ghost in an extraordinary manner rested upon the Apostles and gave them the power of speaking in other languages than those they had learned. Some in the listening multitude attributed this singular manifestation to drunkenness, whereupon the Apostle Peter arose and refuted the slander, saying: "These are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel; and it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy; and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."5 "For," to finish the passage as it stands in Joel, but which is not in Peter's quotation, "for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."6

Journal of Discourses, Vol.14, p.201, Brigham Young, August 13, 1871

I feel like bearing my testimony to the Gospel of the Son of God, and I have it upon my mind to impress on the Latter-day Saints one particular item of our faith, and that is to take a course to possess the Spirit of the Lord. According to your experience and mine you cannot understand the things of God but by the Spirit of God. If we were to examine the character of the Jews in the days of the Savior we would learn this one fact--that the people at that time were about as destitute of the Spirit of the Lord as any nation ever need be. In our day it seems that the Spirit will actually prompt people to liberal thinking, to liberal actions and to liberal government, and not to be as suppressive as they were in the days of the Jewish nation and other nations that then bore rule; although in Christendom there have been times when governments have been very oppressive, and when the people were obliged to think as they were told, and when the doctrines they believed in must be according to the precepts and teachings of priests; but the present age is more liberal. The time has come when the Lord is commencing to pour out his Spirit upon the people. According to the words of the Prophet the time is to come when the Spirit of the Lord shall be poured out upon all flesh. He says, "Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit." This appears to be the commencement, and I am very thankful for it. Still, according to the experience of those who examine themselves, and the operations of the different spirits upon themselves, we learn that the power of evil is very great, and we are more given to it than to possess the Spirit of Christ. Yet the Spirit of the Lord enlightens every man that comes into the world. There is no one that lives upon the earth but what is, more or less, enlightened by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. It is said of him, that he is the light of the world. He lighteth every man that comes into the world, and every person, at times, has the light of the Spirit of truth upon him.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.15, p.109 - p.110, Orson Pratt, August 4, 1872

Tell about the canon of Scripture being complete, what nonsense! What absurdity! Where is there any proof of any such thing? God has yet to give revelation enough to fill the earth with his knowledge as the waters cover the great deep. He has yet to pour out his spirit upon all flesh that dwells on the face of the earth, and make a revelator, prophet, or prophetess of every man and woman living, and if all their revelations are written, this book, the Bible, will be like a primer compared with them. "In the last days, " saith God, by the mouth of the Prophet Joel, "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, and upon my servants and my handmaidens in those days will I pour out of my Spirit, and they shall prophecy. Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions." Supposing they write their dreams as Daniel wrote his, and suppose they write their visions as Isaiah wrote his, and suppose they write their prophecies as all the Prophets have written theirs, would they not be just as sacred as this canon of Scripture? I say they would. I would be bound just as much to receive the revelations of each man and woman among all flesh as I would those of a person who lived two or three thousand years ago. A revelation given to a living man in my day is just as sacred as one given to a man who has been dead some three thousand years. God is a consistent being, and he reveals himself according to his own mind and will, and in the last dispensation he will continue to reveal line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, bringing forth a record here, unfolding the history of another people there, bringing to light the bible of the ten tribes who have been absent from the land of Canaan for almost three thousand years. Their bible has got to be brought to light, and when they return they will bring their written revelations, prophecies, visions and dreams with them, and we shall have the bible of the ten tribes, as well as the bible of the ancient Israelites who lived on this continent, and the bible of the Jews on the eastern continent, and these bibles will be united in one, and even then the people will not have enough revelation. No, every man and every woman will have to be a revelator and prophet, and the knowledge and glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the bosom of the great deep. And by and by, as a kind of climax to all this, the revelation of the Lord Jesus himself will take place from heaven in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel. That will be a revelation that the wicked can not abide, a revelation too great for them, and that will pierce them to their inmost soul. That will be a revelation that will consume them in their wickedness, as stumble is consumed before the devouring flame, and he will reign here, king of kings and lord of lords for a thousand years.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.16, p.204 - p.205, Erastus Snow, September 14, 1873

Such a mighty revolution as is here indicated by the Prophet can never be effected upon the earth without the voice of God, without Prophets and Apostles, and the power of the Holy Ghost working mightily among the sons of men; and when that period arrives it will be the one referred to by the Prophet Joel, who says--"It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and then your sons and your daughters shall prophecy; your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and upon my servants and handmaidens will I pour out my spirit in those days, saith God." Thus will Moses realize the wish that he expressed at the time God took the spirit that was upon him and placed it upon the seventy Elders of Israel and they all began to prophecy. When two of these seventy who remained in the congregation felt the same spirit resting upon them and began to prophecy, Moses' servant came running to him at the tabernacle and said--"Eldad and Medad do prophecy in the camp, my lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, "Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them."

11 And unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man;

Journal of Discourses, Vol.10, p.17, Wilford Woodruff, July 27, 1862

Let us be faithful, serve our God and trust in him, and then, through the influence of his Spirit we shall know the signs of the times, and be prepared and made meet for our Master's use.

See ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, LAST DAYS, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. In every age the Lord sends forth clearly discernible signs and warnings so that those who are spiritually inclined can know of his hand-dealings with men. In the meridian of time, when Jewish tempters, members of "a wicked and adulterous generation," came desiring that "he would shew them a sign from heaven," he rebuked and derided them by asking, "Can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matt. 16:1-4.) To the faithful elders carrying the message of salvation to the world in this dispensation, the Lord has given this promise: "Unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man." (D. & C. 68:11.)

And so it is today. The Lord has poured and is pouring out the signs of the times on every hand. He is showing forth the very things, promised of old, that are to herald the coming of the Son of Man. And the issue before all men is whether they are able to read the signs of the times or whether they will ignore the divine warnings and continue on their godless course to an assured destruction. The true saints have this promise: "Unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man." (D&C 68:11.) What, then, are these signs? Let us consider them under the following headings:

Luke alone of our Gospel authors records for our guidance and enlightenment these words directed to all disciples, but more especially to those of us who live at this time when the hour of our Lord's coming is nigh: "Let my disciples therefore take heed to themselves, lest at any time their hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come upon them unawares." Let it come upon the world unawares, as it will, but the saints of God, the children of light, those who know the signs of the times, those who have the gift of the Holy Ghost, God forbid that it take them unawares! For as a snare shall it come on all them who dwell on the face of the whole earth." The wicked will be caught in the snare and shall not escape; the righteous will be assembled in holy places awaiting the hour when they shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. "And what I say unto one, I say unto all, Watch ye therefore, and pray always, and keep my commandments, that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things which shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man when he shall come clothed in the glory of his Father." (JST, Luke 21:34-36.)

The plainness and clarity of Joseph Smith—Matthew eliminate much of the confusion that has surrounded Matthew 24. It states that the gospel must be preached in all the world and the elect gathered before the second coming (JS—M 1:31). Finally, the elect will know the signs of the times and will be prepared and preserved during the events of the last days.

On my passage from Beyrut to this place (Jaffa) night before last, at one o'clock, as I was meditating on the deck of the vessel, as she was beating down against a sultry wind, a very bright glittering sword appeared in the heavens, about six feet in length, with a beautiful hilt, as plain and complete as any cut you ever saw; and what is still more remarkable, an arm with a perfect hand stretched itself out, and took hold of the hilt of the sword. The appearance really made my hair rise, and the flesh, as it were, crawl on my bones. The Arabs made a wonderful outcry at the sight. Allah! Allah! Allah! [O Lord, O Lord, O Lord] was their exclamation all over the vessel. I mention this because you know there is a commandment of God for me, which says, "Unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the sign of the coming of the Son of Man." Yours in Christ, ORSON HYDE.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here [is] Christ; or, lo, [he is] there; believe [him] not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if [it were] possible, even the elect.

8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

1 But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles--yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations--

2 And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire.

27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.

96 For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness.

60 And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you concerning the children of Noah;

1 ¶ THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

10 ...., and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; .."

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843–44, p.328

I prophesy, in the name of the Lord God of Israel, anguish and wrath and tribulation and the withdrawing of the Spirit of God from the earth await this generation, until they are visited with utter desolation. This generation is as corrupt as the generation of the Jews that crucified Christ; and if He were here today, and should preach the same doctrine He did then, they would put Him to death.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.283

Amos said, speaking of the latter days: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." Paul said: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the Second Coming of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition." Again we find Joseph Smith in harmony with the Bible truth.

As a matter of fact, the Second Coming of Christ (and thus the ushering in of the millennial era) will occur in a day of war and wickedness, of carnality, corruption, and abomination such as the world has never before seen. The cup of man's iniquity will be full, and the fury and scourge of the Lord will then be poured out without measure upon all nations. (Ezek. 38; 39; Joel 2; 3; Zech. 12; 13; 14; Mal. 3; 4; D. & C. 29; 45; 64:23-25; 133.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.688

1. UNIVERSAL APOSTASY. -- Between the original day of our Lord's ministry among men and his glorious Second Coming, there was to be a universal falling away from the faith once delivered to the saints. Darkness was to cover the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people, until the earth would be "defiled under the inhabitants thereof." Men were to transgress the laws, change the ordinances, break the everlasting covenant. It would be "as with the people, so with the priest." (Isa. 24.) There were to be false christs, false prophets, and false doctrines, deceiving, if it were possible, even the very elect. (Matt. 24.) "Let no man deceive you by any means," Paul cautioned the Thessalonian Saints who apparently believed that the Second Coming was even then at the door, "for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thess. 2:1-4.)

4. CHRIST'S PREDICTION OF THE APOSTASY. The forceful prophecy, couched in terms of vivid description, uttered by our Lord in response to inquiries by His disciples, has been the subject of diverse opinion and varied comment, particularly as regards the time to which the prediction refers. As recorded in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, a significant sign of the progress of events to precede the second coming of Christ was stated as follows: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (verse 14). It is claimed by many that the "end" referred to in the passage quoted is not necessarily the close of the final dispensation, not what is commonly spoken of as the end of the world, but the closing up of the gospel dispensation then current; and in support of this interpretation it is urged that following the utterance quoted Christ proceeded to predict the calamities then awaiting Jerusalem. That during the period covered by the earthly ministry of the apostles, the gospel was preached in all the civilized nations of the eastern hemisphere, is evident alike from scripture and from the uncanonical writings of repute relating to that period. Paul speaks of the gospel as having been carried in his day to all the world, and as having been preached to every creature under heaven (see Colos. 1: 6, 23; compare Romans 10: 18; see also Note 3, following chapter I of this work, page 15.)

54 And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire.

10 For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire.

Providentially, our modern revelations about the day of judgment are often couched in the same language and abound in the same phrases as those used by the ancient prophets. These latter-day renditions of what is in the mind of Deity often amplify, clarify, and put a divine stamp of approval upon what was said anciently. We have, for instance, quoted from Isaiah 11 about the Lord coming to judge the world and usher in the Millennium. Nephi, with these same words before him on the brass plates, paraphrases, interprets, and expands them as follows: "And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth." These introductory words name the time in which the day of judgment shall come. It shall be after the restoration of the Lord's people has its beginning, but before it is all accomplished. In this setting Nephi picks up the thought content of Isaiah's inspired writing. "And with righteousness shall the Lord God judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth." The Great Judge shall sit in judgment. "And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." So shall it be in the day of burning. "For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire." The polarization that will gather the righteous into one camp and the wicked into another has already commenced, and these processes shall continue until the Lord comes. In that day, "Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." (2 Ne. 30:8-11.) His judgments in that day shall be just. Nephi's language, quoted and paraphrased from Isaiah, then goes on to describe millennial conditions.

Then when the Lord comes, he himself will both cause and complete the division among the people. Then there will be a great day of separation in which the wicked will be consumed and the righteous will be rewarded. In discoursing upon the great day of restoration and the millennial conditions that will then be ushered in, Nephi says: "For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire." (2 Ne. 30:10.) This, of course, has reference to the day of burning that will attend the Lord's return. This is the same day of which the Lord said to Zechariah, "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." The wicked shall cease to be on earth. But as to the righteous: In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." (Zech. 3:9-10.) The saints will continue to inherit the earth during the Millennium.

Using the same means of designating relative time that Mormon does, Nephi refers to a development that is to come "speedily" at some time after "the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations," namely, "that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people," which, it is explained, will be necessary if the wicked are to be destroyed without destroying the righteous also (2 Nephi 30:8, 10). This may be future, though the division may be going on right now. It is not a division between the eastern and western hemispheres, since the Book of Mormon makes much of the gathering of the Jews when "the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state," as he "shall bring forth his words unto them . . . for the purpose of convincing them of the true Messiah" (2 Nephi 25:17-18). Note that this gathering will begin before the Jews begin to believe in Christ. It is only "after the book [of Mormon] . . . shall come forth" and is carried to the remnant of Lehi's seed that "the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather . . . [and] shall also become a delightsome people" (2 Nephi 30:3-7). And after the Book of Mormon has come forth, "it is yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field; and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest" (2 Nephi 27:22, 26, 28), showing that this particular gathering will be in the Old World.

The saving of the righteous "even if it so be as by fire" (1 Nephi 22:17) suggests some sort of counter-fire. That there is to be a segregation between those to be spared and those to be destroyed is clearly stated: After "the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations" (2 Nephi 30:8), then "the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire" (2 Nephi 30:10). This is the "cutting off" of the wicked from the rest of the people preparatory to the Great Overburn (1 Nephi 22:19-20).

35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.

36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.

Evening and Morning Star (May 1833) William Phelps "Preach the Word," p.90

This being the last generation of the wicked, before the Lord comes to his temple, satan will exert himself, and use all his power to overthrow, or hinder the progress of Christ's kingdom. Every deception, therefore, that he is master of, will be practiced, as far as he has power, that he may deceive some, and lead them to destruction. John said in one of his epistles, supposed to have been written ninety eight years after the birth of our Lord: [John 4:1] Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. If false prophets, and evil spirits were then in the world, what less is to be expected now, since the world has been engrossed in wickedness, and lain in darkness for ages; the sacred scriptures been robbed of their plainness, and man set himself up as a guide, to direct his fellow beings to happiness by his own wisdom? Is it not important, that the disciples try the spirits, and be reminded continually of the word of the Lord to his ancient disciples, when he said: [Matt. 25:13] Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh? For it is the pure in heart that shall see God.

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.2, GREAT AND ABOMINABLE CHURCH

Like John, Nephi and Jacob describe persecutions that evil people will inflict on God's people, particularly in the last days. The angel who explained the vision to Nephi emphasized that this great and abominable church would take away from the Bible and "the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord" (1 Ne. 13:26), causing men to "stumble" and giving Satan "great power" over them (1 Ne. 13:29; D&C 86:3; Robinson, "Early Christianity," p. 188). Though many Protestants, following the lead of Martin Luther, have linked this evil force described in Revelation 17 with the Roman Catholic church, the particular focus of these LDS and New Testament scriptures seems rather to be on earlier agents of apostasy in the Jewish and Christian traditions (see A. Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 6, pp. 1036-38, Nashville, Tenn., 1977).

Journal of Discourses, Vol.9, p.60 - p.61, Daniel H. Wells, September 10th, 1861

To build up Zion is a temporal labour; it does not consist simply in teaching: teaching is to instruct us how to properly apply our labour, the sooner and better to accomplish the end in view. Bone and sinew is required to build up the kingdom of God in the last days. When Jesus Christ was upon the earth, he said--"My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence." It was not of this world, then; but it remained to be in the latter days, and then his servants will wage a warfare against the powers of Satan, both visible and invisible. The Saints are now engaged in that warfare; they have to fight against the evil influences that attend upon their footsteps day by day, and then have to fight against his inclining them to do evil, and against all evil powers, and to root them out from their midst. They have also to contend against the powers of darkness which appear in human beings, causing them to come up in the shape of mobs to fight against the Saints of the Most High. This is a temporal warfare as well in which we are engaged. The Devil has held the control of the earth. Under his influence the people have built up cities, colleges, and institutions of every description, and traverse the earth and seas to amass money to sustain them. We have been gathered out to form a nucleus of power to take the kingdom, overcome evil with good, tread wickedness under our feet, and exalt righteousness upon the mountain tops, that the power, the wealth, and earthly prosperity may be taken from the powers of the Devil and placed within the power and control of a righteous people where it belongs. What can we do to promote this great cause, to redeem the earth from sin, from hell, and from the Devil, and make it a habitation for Saints and angels? This is a question that comes home to us all. The best answer that can be given to it is, Do according to the instructions of him whom the Lord has appointed to lead us. He says, "Go to with your might and build up the kingdom of God, by quarrying the rock, by bringing the timber from the kanyons and making it into lumber, by making adobies, mixing the mortar, burning the lime, and drawing from the elements around us the material necessary to beautify and build up, and to exalt in every way those principles that essay to establish righteousness over the whole earth." If the word is to build forts, build them; if to raise grain, raise grain. It is needful to do these things because our society is composed of men, women, and children, the same as other communities of people. Like other people, we must have food and raiment, houses to live in, and the common creature comforts. We have come to these distant valleys to improve, not to debase ourselves to the level of the savages around us: we have come here purposely to advance, not to take the retrograde path,--to exalt ourselves in the knowledge of God, and seek to exalt others to our standard of holiness and goodness. It is, then, for us to aspire constantly to a still higher standard in the scale of human existence, exalting with us those with whom we are associated. We need everything that other people need, except sin, and no people need that. We need everything else that is necessary to build up any other kingdom, and we have to produce it from the elements with which we are surrounded. We have been brought far from the wicked world, to give us an opportunity to show that we will do it, or that we will not do it,--to prove our integrity to the cause of righteousness and to God--to prove to him that we will struggle to obtain the knowledge and the ability to create the means of our own subsistence--that we will struggle to subdue the elements, to sanctify the earth, chase unholiness from it, and beautify it by building up beautiful places, ornamenting our grounds, cultivating fruits of every variety that will flourish in our country, and thus bless ourselves with the blessings the Almighty has placed within our reach, and prove to him that we are willing to abide his high behest, acknowledging that he throws in our way all these advantages, and by our works show that we are willing to make all our efforts point to the building up of the kingdom of God, and prove to the world that we are more exalted in our attainments and more elevated in our notions than they are; and finally we will make ourselves independent of every people and nation upon the earth.

Collected Discourses, Vol. 4, George Q. Cannon, October 7th, 1894

We have constant evidence of the existence of this power in the falsehoods and misrepresentations that have been indulged in and the murderous spirit that has been manifested against the people of God. If the world were to open their eyes, they would behold before them the evidences of these two great powers--the power of God and the power of Satan. Satan has inspired men with murderous hate and with the spirit of falsehood. He has done this from the beginning. Jesus, in speaking of Satan, said he was a liar and a murderer from the beginning. And those who follow him receive the same spirit. We have seen it manifested. It has cost the best blood of this nineteenth century. It is this spirit that has stirred up hatred and animosity against us, through which all manner of persecutions have been visited upon the Latter-day Saints. It has cost human suffering to an indescribable extent in our generation. It has cost human life beyond computation. Men, women and children have died through the sufferings that have been entailed upon them through this inhuman spirit which Satan has disseminated among the children of men. It would require the pen and the tongue of an angel to describe the sufferings that have been entailed upon the people of God through this power of Satan. God alone knows the anguished hearts, the pain and the sorrow which it has caused. Virtue has been trampled underfoot. Truth has been maligned and vilified, until it has been made to appear of the blackest character. All this has been done through the influence of which I speak. Satan has reigned in the earth; he has built up a great power in the earth; and he is determined that he will maintain his dominion in this earth. He and those associated with him are bent on destroying the work of God and wresting from the hands of Jehovah the authority that belongs to Him. This is his determined purpose, and he has sought to accomplish it from the time when man was placed upon the earth until the present. Under his influence, blood has flown in torrents. He is the father of contention and of strife, and he seeks to destroy the children of men. He is determined to destroy the work of our Father, and to bring us into subjection to him. The great contest that is going on in these last days is a contest for the control and supremacy of this earth, Satan being determined that he will maintain his control, and the Lord having spoken and said that the day is at hand when the earth shall be redeemed from the power and dominion of Satan, and wickedness shall be swept from its face. We are engaged, my brethren and sisters, in this great contest. We have been told repeatedly that God has reserved in the heavens choice spirits to come forth in this last dispensation, because of the greatness and the magnitude of the work to be accomplished. Of course, among the spirits of men, as we have proved in our mortal existence, there are differences of degree. It has required apparently the most valiant men and women to come forth in the last days for reasons which ought to be plain to those who reflect. This is not a short-lived dispensation; it is to go on increasing in power and volume until it shall fill the whole earth, and the earth be redeemed and sanctified. And, of course, it requires great valor, great obedience, and great gifts in order to accomplish the end that is to be attained under the promises of God. The Lord has permitted spirits to be born among the various races of mankind that are fitted and qualified to accomplish this great work. He has called His servants as fishers and as hunters to go forth to the various nations of the earth, and hunt and gather out therefrom those spirits who shall be drawn to the Gospel. The Gospel has been like a magnet among the nations. It has drawn to it the pure, the meek, the lowly. Thousands can testify that when they heard the servants of God proclaim the message which they bore, that God had again spoken from the heavens, that the everlasting Gospel was restored and that the authority to administer its ordinances had been given unto men, they embraced the message with all their hearts. The only fear that they entertained was that it was almost too good to be true. The Elders who have gone forth know how this has been. They have found these men and women just as fishers and hunters find the object of their toil and search. They have drawn these people together, and the power of God has been poured out as never before. No human being has ever witnessed, nor mortal pen has ever written, anything like this work. Never has there been such a work as this in which we are engaged. Never has the power of God been poured out so universally upon the people of every land and clime as it has been in our day. Under its influence the people have been impelled to gather into one place, there to worship God, to keep His commandments, to build up His kingdom and to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

44 For the Son of man shall come; and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

15 But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.

We believe that God has set his hand in these last days to accomplish his purposes, to gather together his elect from the four winds even to fulfil the words which he has spoken by all the holy Prophets, to redeem the earth from, the power of the curse, to save the human family from the ruin of the fall, and to place mankind in that position which God designed them to occupy before this world came into existence, or the morning stars sang together for joy. We believe in and realize these things. We feel them, we appreciate them, and therefore are we thus assembled together.—JD, 1:147, 148, June 12, 1853,

When the Twelve Apostles at Jerusalem requested of the Savior to know the signs of His second coming, He gave various evidences, among which was the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom and consequently its restoration to the earth, and the raising up of prophets to warn the people, without which the comparison of the days of Noah and the days of the second coming of the Messiah would not be complete. To counterfeit the work of God through prophets that should be raised up, false prophets and teachers should also arise; kingdom should arise against kingdom; war, pestilence and bloodshed should desolate the nations of the earth; the gathering of Israel should be going on, as proved by the prophecies heretofore quoted, and when the signs of His appearing should appear in the heavens, "He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matt. xxiv: 31; see also Mark xiii: 27.)

Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, Vol 1, p.143

6. The elect to be gathered from the four corners of the earth. In speaking to his disciples the Lord said "And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of heaven." (Mark 13:27.) This same prophecy is found in the Prophet's revision of the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, in the Pearl of Great Price, p. 45, v. 37. Moreover, when the Lord was speaking to Enoch (P. of G. P. 7:62-63.) this same promise is made, and Enoch and his people will come and the city Zion, "a New Jerusalem," shall be established, and unto it will "come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest."

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 86, p.532

"The angels are the reapers and still, angels, you say, are coming to Earth no more. This won't do, for the reapers are the angels * * * in another place it is said, 'And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' And yet the present Christian world would say that angels have no more to do; of course, then they do not look for anything of this kind; their faith does not embrace the sayings of the Savior and His Apostles, touching the winding-up scene: and without faith it is impossible to please God; consequently, they cannot share in the blessings of the gathering dispensation of the last days; their unbelief excludes them" (Orson Hyde, Jour. of Dis., Vol. II., p. 64-5)

Journal of Discourses, Vol.1, p.148, John Taylor, June 12, 1853

We believe that God has set His hand in these last days to accomplish His purposes, to gather together His elect from the four winds, even to fulfill the words which He has spoken by all the holy Prophets, to redeem the earth from the power of the curse, to save the human family from the ruins of the fall, and to place mankind in that position which God designed them to occupy before this world came into existence, or the morning stars sang together for joy. We believe in and realise these things; we feel them, we appreciate them, and therefore are we thus assembled together.

1 Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you, and also concerning this land unto which I have sent you.

2 For verily I say unto you, blessed is he that keepeth my commandments, whether in life or in death; and he that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the kingdom of heaven.

3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. *Italics added

4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.

24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.

25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;

26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church—and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing—a famine in this land of one year's duration could wipe out a large percentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned. (God, Family, Country, p. 383.)

Judging from what is past, how will it be when God sets up His kingdom in the last days? Whether there is a conspiracy now, or not, I don't know; but no doubt there will be, if not now, for it has always been so. In the days of the Nephites, they had their Gadianton robbers, I have not any doubt but that the apostates will join with the other wicked powers to try to put down the power of God, and I am glad a have the power of the kingdom of God tested; I care not what sacrifice I am called to make for such a kingdom. If it is friends, wealth, or even life, at the purchase of such a kingdom, it is cheap. Did the ancient Apostles, Prophets, or Saints who died pay too much for that kingdom? They did not. It is necessary that men be put in possession of the knowledge and mysteries of the kingdom of God, in order to sin as far as they wish, that they may go to the highest pitch. How often men lay down their lives for their country and other purposes. How much better, then, to die for the cause of Zion! Good and righteous men will administer justice and rebuke evil. The Church should be cleansed from bad men, and the Lord will take His own way to cleanse the Church.

Collected Discourses, Vol.3, Abraham H. Cannon, September 2nd, 1893

I believe the Lord will provide means, in some way peculiar to Himself, to cleanse the Church of the hypocrite and ungodly, and it will cause such a shaking up among those who have a standing in the Church that it will make each man and woman appear in his or her true character. How soon this will occur I do not know, but with my present feelings I would hail such a day with great delight.

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 1, p.10

"The Church should be cleansed from bad men, and the Lord will take His own way to cleanse the Church" (Orson Spencer, History of the Church, Vol. VI, p. 273). "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, God Almighty (not Joseph Smith) shall hew it down and cast it into the fire" (Joseph Smith, Ibid. p. 274).

Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, Vol 3, p.20

It appears from this declaration that the redemption of Zion was not to come immediately, but was to be postponed to some future day. Moreover, that day would not come until the members of the Church were willing to keep their covenants and walk unitedly for until the members of the Church learn to walk in full accord and in obedience with all of the commandments, this day cannot come. It may be necessary in order to bring this to pass for the Lord to use drastic measures and cleanse the Church from everything that offends. This he has promised to do when he is ready to redeem Zion. (See Matt. 13:41.) Orson Pratt discoursing on the redemption of Zion said:

"Yes," said Brother Heber, "we think we are secure here in the chambers of these everlasting hills, where we can close the doors of the canyons against mobs and persecutors, the wicked and the vile, who have always beset us with violence and robbery, but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy against the people of God."

"Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall.

"For I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming."

He further said:

"This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with glory.

"The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess a personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got this testimony, you must live right and call upon the Lord, and cease not until you obtain it.

"Remember these sayings: The time will come when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within themselves. If you do not have the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, how can you stand?"

Journal of Discourses, Vol.10, p.335 - p.336, Brigham Young, June 22-29, 1864

There is one principle I would like to have the Latter-day Saints perfectly understand--that is, of blessings and cursings. For instance, we read that war, pestilence, plagues, famine, etc., will be visited upon the inhabitants of the earth; but if distress through the judgments of God comes upon this people, it will be because the majority have turned away from the Lord. Let the majority of the people turn away from the Holy Commandments which the Lord has delivered to us, and cease to hold the balance of power in the Church, and we may expect the judgments of God to come upon us; but while six-tenths or three-fourths of this people will keep the commandments of God, the curse and judgments of the Almighty will never come upon them, though we will have trials of various kinds, and the elements contend with--natural and spiritual elements. While this people will strive to serve God according to the best of their abilities, they will fare better, have more to eat and to wear, have better houses to live in, better associations, and enjoy themselves better than the wicked ever do or ever will do.

THE JUDGMENTS BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD.—We have received his guidance and instruction. It is for us now to go on from truth to truth, from intelligence to intelligence, and from wisdom to wisdom. And while nations shall crumble and thrones be cast down, and the God of heaven arise and shake terribly the earth, while the elements melt with fervent heat in fulfillment of ancient as well as modern prophecy; while these things are going on he will whisper, peace to Zion. But the judgments will begin at the house of God. We have to pass through some of these things, but it will only be a very little compared with the terrible destruction, the misery, and suffering that will overtake the world who are doomed to suffer the wrath of God. It behooves us, as the saints of God, to stand firm and faithful in the observance of his laws, that we may be worthy of his preserving care and blessing.—JD, 21:100, April 13, 1879.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.10, p.346 - p.347, George Q. Cannon, October 23, 1864

I look upon this present time as one of the most critical days that has ever dawned upon us, and hope that in the midst of the temptations which now surround us we will keep our eye upon the mark, that we will continually have before us the object God designed we should accomplish, that we will not allow ourselves to be diverted to the right or to the left, but that we will continually go forth, putting our trust in God, being determined with all the strength and knowledge of God to serve him to the end of our lives. Our Prophets have predicted, that when the time should arrive for this people to be tried with prosperity, then they would be in great danger. I have heard this prediction uttered hundreds of times, until it has almost become like an old story with us. I heard the Prophet Joseph say, when he was living, that the time would come that this people would be tried with abundance; but he warned them to be careful of these things. The Lord has told us, through the revelations which he gave to Joseph, that it must needs be that the riches of the earth were his to give to his people; "but," he said, "beware of pride, lest ye become as the Nephites of old." This was the warning God gave to us years ago, and it has been repeated in our ears from that time until the present, and still there is a great necessity that we should treasure it up in our hearts, and often reflect upon it. Now that the day of prosperity has dawned upon us, and that we are increasing in material wealth, we should be more and more faithful to our covenants, remembering the promises of the Lord to his people, and keeping humble and meek before him. We have been tried by difficulties; we have been tried by mobs; we have seen the day when we have been compelled to leave our homes; but that banded the Saints together and caused them to be united, and their hearts to be strongly set to serve the Lord. How different it is to-day! Here we are, and the world are seeking to mingle with us, and they are becoming uncommonly gracious unto us, as a people; they can smile upon us and be kind unto us. They would have us believe that they welcome us warmly to their smiles and friendship. There is danger in this; this is the danger that the Prophets have dreaded. It is an insidious danger that comes creeping like a snake through the grass, and pounces upon us before we are aware of its proximity. But stir us up, as a people, by persecution and abuse, and there is no power on earth we would not unitedly stand against. Through the help of God we have successfully resisted every power that has been arrayed against us. Let the enemy come out against us as an impenetrable phalanx that cannot be moved. Our danger is not in this; but it lies in our being found asleep, and off our watch tower, unsuspecting and unprepared for the enemies' most subtle attacks. It is in scenes like these that we are required to be the more watchful, and in times like these that we are required the more to have the power of God upon us and the revelations of Jesus Christ in our hearts, or we are sure to be overcome. Probably the danger of which I speak is more apparent to me, through being absent for some time; but there is danger, and there is a necessity for us to be up and have our eyes open to the signs of the times and the danger that menaces us to-day, and that threaten to ensnare our feet. I have no fears if we will only obey the counsel of God's servants, if we will only listen diligently to those things which they impart unto us, and honor their teachings and be attentive to our duties. But when I see Saints indifferent about their meetings, passing their Sundays without caring whether they hear instructions or not, and their religion becomes a secondary consideration with them, then I am afraid of such individuals; because they are not in a position to resist the attacks of that tempter, who is continually watching to destroy us and the Work of God from off the face of the earth. The Lord our God is working with us; he is trying us, probably with trials of a new sort that he may approve of us in every respect. If we have set out to obtain Celestial glory, the precious and inestimable gift of eternal lives, there is no trial necessary for our purification and perfection as Saints of God that we will not have to meet, contend with and overcome. Such trials will come in various shapes, on the right hand and on the left, whether they be in having everything move on prosperously, or in adversity, hardship and the laying down of our lives for the truth, until the design is fully accomplished and the dross of our natures is purified and these earthly tabernacles are redeemed from everything that is grovelling and low and brought into entire subjection to the mind and will of God.

34 And the Saints also shall hardly escape; nevertheless, I, the Lord, am with them, and will come down in heaven from the presence of my Father and consume the wicked with unquenchable fire.

16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.

17 Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire.

10 For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire.

61 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;

25 Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.

26 But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839–42, p.162

I explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and "the righteous shall hardly escape;" still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been prayed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." (September 29, 1839.) DHC 4:11.

The saving of the righteous "even if it so be as by fire" (1 Nephi 22:17) suggests some sort of counter-fire. That there is to be a segregation between those to be spared and those to be destroyed is clearly stated: After "the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations" (2 Nephi 30:8), then "the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire" (2 Nephi 30:10). This is the "cutting off" of the wicked from the rest of the people preparatory to the Great Overburn (1 Nephi 22:19-20).

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.8 - p.9

And the nations that seek to destroy Jerusalem in that day will the Lord destroy, for he shall be King over all the earth, and righteousness shall prevail among the people. Zion shall be established on this continent; Jerusalem will be re-established on the old continent, and wickedness will depart from the earth, for when Christ comes and the righteous with him, the wicked will be as stubble and will be consumed.

29 Ye hear of wars in far countries, and you say that there will soon be great wars in far countries, but ye know not the hearts of men in your own land.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.9, p.5, Brigham Young, April 6, 1861

The whole Government is gone; it is as weak as water. I heard Joseph Smith say, nearly thirty years ago, "They shall have mobbing to their heart's content, if they do not redress the wrongs of the Latter-day Saints." Mobs will not decrease, but will increase until the whole Government becomes a mob, and eventually it will be State against State, city against city, neighbourhood against neighbourhood, Methodists against Methodists, and so on. Probably you remember reading, not a week ago, an account of a Conference being held in Baltimore, in the course of which they seceded from their fellow churches in the free States. It will be the same with other denominations of professing Christians, and it will be Christian against Christian, and man against man; and those who will not take up the sword against their neighbours must flee to Zion.

All we have yet heard and we have experienced is scarcely a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, "Come home; I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth," all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands; and they will destroy each other, caring not for the blood and lives of their neighbors, of their families, or for their own lives. Journal of Discourses, Vol.12, p.344 - p.345, Orson Pratt, December 27, 1868

The time will come when there will be no safety in carrying on the peaceable pursuits of farming or agriculture. But these will be neglected, and the people will think themselves well off if they can flee from city to city, from town to town and escape with their lives. Thus will the Lord visit the people, if they will not repent. Thus will He pour out His wrath and indignation upon them and make manifest to the people that that which he has spoken must be fulfilled.

This great war is only a small degree of chastisement, just the beginning; nothing compared to that which God has spoken concerning this nation, if they will not repent. For the Lord has said in this book, (the Book of Mormon) which has been published for thirty eight years, that if they will not repent He will throw down all their strongholds and cut off the cities of the land, and will execute vengeance and fury on the nation, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. That He will send a desolating scourge on the land; that He will leave their cities desolate, without inhabitants. For instance the great, powerful and populous city of New York, that may be considered one of the greatest cities of the world, will in a few years become a mass of ruins. The people will wonder while gazing on the ruins that cost hundreds of millions to build, what has become of inhabitants. Their houses will be there, but they will be left desolate.

And the Lord also made a similar decree, recorded, too, in the same book, in regard to the present great populous nations called the people of the United States. They must perish, unless they repent. They will be wasted away, and the fullness of the wrath of Almighty God will be poured out upon them, unless they repent. Their cities will be left desolate. A time is coming when the great and populous city of New York--the greatest city of the American Republic, will be left without inhabitants. The houses will stand, some of them, not all. They will stand there, but unoccupied, no people to inherit them. It will be the same in regard to numerous other cities, or, in the words of the Lord, "I will throw down all their strongholds, and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard." It will all be fulfilled. But there will be a remnant who will be spared. It will be those who repent of their sins; it will be those who believe in the lord Jesus Christ, and are willing to obey his commandments, willing to hearken to his voice, willing to be baptized for the remission of their sins, willing to be born of the spirit, or receive the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of hands, willing to walk uprightly and honestly with all men, and justly one with another.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.318 - p.319, John Taylor, October 6th, 1879

Were we surprised when the last terrible war took place here in the United States? No; good Latter-day Saints were not, for they had been told about it. Joseph Smith had told them where it would start, that it should be a terrible time of bloodshed and that it should start in South Carolina. But I tell you today the end is not yet. You will see worse things than that, for God will lay his hand upon this nation, and they will feel it more terribly than ever they have done before; there will be more bloodshed, more ruin, more devastation than never they have seen before. Write it down! You will see it come to pass; it is only just starting in. And would you feel to rejoice? No; I would feel sorry. I knew very well myself when this last war was commencing, and could have wept and did weep, over this nation; but there is yet to come a sound of war, trouble and distress, in which brother will be arrayed against brother, father against son, son against father, a scene of desolation and destruction that will permeate our land until it will be a vexation to hear the report thereof.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section One 1830–34, p.17

And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country. The people of the Lord, those who have complied with the requirements of the new covenant, have already commenced gathering together to Zion, which is in the state of Missouri; therefore I declare unto you the warning which the Lord has commanded me to declare unto this generation, remembering that the eyes of my Maker are upon me, and that to Him I am accountable for every word I say, wishing nothing worse to my fellowmen than their eternal salvation; therefore, "Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come." Repent ye, repent ye, and embrace the everlasting covenant, and flee to Zion, before the overflowing scourge overtake you, for there are those now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they see all these things, which I have spoken, fulfilled. Remember these things; call upon the Lord while He is near, and seek Him while He may be found, is the exhortation of your unworthy servant.

114 Nevertheless, let the bishop go unto the city of New York, also to the city of Albany, and also to the city of Boston, and warn the people of those cities with the sound of the gospel, with a loud voice, of the desolation and utter abolishment which await them if they do reject these things.

115 For if they do reject these things the hour of their judgment is nigh, and their house shall be left unto them desolate.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.177

Concerning the three cities mentioned in verse 114, Wilford Woodruff prophesied in 1863 that New York City would be destroyed by an earthquake, Boston by a tidal wave, and Albany by fire.7

Wilford Woodruff and Brigham Young’s Comments Des.News 33:678-JD 21:299

"..that was before New York was destroyed by an earthquake. It was before Boston was swept into the sea, by the sea heaving beyond its bounds; it was before Albany was destroyed by fire; ...Treasure them up and forget them not. President Young followed and said, "What Brother Woodruff has said is revelation and will be fulfilled."

"... While discussing the petition to Congress, I prophesied, by virtue of the holy Priesthood vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, if Congress will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up as a government."

President Smith, in concluding his remarks, said that if the government, which received into its coffers the money of citizens for its public lands, while its officials are rolling in luxury at the expense of its public treasury, cannot protect such citizens in their lives and property, it is an old granny anyhow; and I prophesy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United States redress the wrongs committed upon the Saints in the state of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted, and there will not be so much as a potsherd left, for their wickedness in permitting the murder of men, women and children, and the wholesale plunder and extermination of thousands of her citizens to go unpunished, thereby perpetrating a foul and corroding blot upon the fair fame of this great republic, the very thought of which would have caused the high-minded and patriotic framers of the Constitution of the United States to hide their faces with shame.

Joseph Smith once said, on the stand in Nauvoo, Ill., "that if the Government of the United States did not redress the wrongs of the Mormon people inflicted upon them in the State of Missouri, the whole nation would be distracted by mobs from one end to the other; and that they should have mobs to the full, and to their hearts’ content." I heard the foregoing statement myself, as it fell from the lips of the Prophet in the presence of thousands of winesses, some of whom now reside in the city of St. Louis. After returning from Washington, to which place he had been, to lay our grievances before President Martin Van Buren, and to solicit redress, he made the above statement. But the President’s response to his appeal was worse than a blank."

Journal of Discourses, Vol.12, p.119 - p.120, Brigham Young, August 17th, 1867

We have cried to the nation of the United States, and to other nations for over a third of a century, saying, the wages of sin is death. Every man and woman who wishes to forfeit their right to the tree of life have the privilege of doing so. The nation that kills the prophets of God in any age must expect to reap cursings instead of blessings, unless it speedily repent. Judgment must begin at the house of God first, and we are perfectly willing it should. In 1857 they sent an army to Utah to annihilate "Mormonism," but the scourge with which they intended to overwhelm this people has come upon their own heads, and the end is not yet. I told General Thomas L. Kane, that friend to humanity, when he visited us in 1857, that the coming of that army was the entering wedge to split the Government of the United States in pieces, and that soon. He, of course, could not see how this could ever be. They then were in great prosperity, and were going to annex the whole continent and neighboring islands, and so continue to annex until the whole world should take shelter under our national banner. He only saw this from a political stand point, basing his expectations of such grand results upon the goodness of the Constitution and laws. I acknowledged to him that we have the best system of government in existence, but queried if the people of this nation were righteous enough to sustain its institutions. I say they are not, but will trample them under their feet. I told General Kane that the Government of the United States would be shivered to pieces. Will this Government ever be restored to its former peace and tranquility, and the institutions thereof ever be maintained and honored? If they are, it will be by this people. Everything they are doing at present in Congress is only calculated to widen the breach, and alienate and destroy every vestige of love and affection that may yet be existing; and this they will continue to do until they have severed the last tie and worked out the entire destruction of the Government. They think they are doing the best that can be done. Many of them are honorable men, and would do good to the nation if they knew how. The results of their acts will be dissolution, strife, war, and bloodshed, until they are wasted away. The Lord will waste away the wicked as He said He would. A curse will come upon them to the third and fourth generation, saith the Lord Almighty, if they repent not, and refrain not from their sins. There is no likelihood of their doing this.

"I have seen the end of this nation and it is terrible...I will tell you in the name of the Lord that a secret band will sap the life of this nation."

The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time "this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction" (Journal of Discourses, 7:15). It is my conviction that the elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government.

One of the most urgent, heart-stirring appeals made by Moroni as he closed the Book of Mormon was addressed to the gentile nations of the last days. He foresaw the rise of a great world-wide secret combination among the gentiles which " . . . seeketh to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries; . . ." (Ether 8:25. Italics added.) He warned each gentile nation of the last days to purge itself of this gigantic criminal conspiracy which would seek to rule the world.

The whole world will be caught up in the great illusion when, "in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles, . . . all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both . . . upon this land and . . . upon other lands . . .will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations" (2 Nephi 27:1; italics added). As the upheavals of nature increase (2 Nephi 27:2), war becomes the order of the day, caused by "secret abominations to get gain [which] cause that widows should mourn . . . and also orphans . . . and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance" on those combinations (Mormon 8:40). The selective killing makes it clear that organized warfare is meant here. As in the last two World Wars, the Christian nations "shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood" (1 Nephi 22:13). This would seem to refer to revolution as well as war. Miraculously, the House of Israel will be the survivor, as "every nation which shall war against thee . . . shall be turned one against another. . . . And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed" (1 Nephi 22:14), and pass away "as a dream of a night vision" (2 Nephi 27:3). Formidable plans to destroy the upbuilding of Zion need not concern the Saints--like the Nephites, they have only their own sins to worry about. As for their enemies, "they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord" (1 Nephi 22:14). Likewise "that great and abominable church," whatever it is, should be no concern of ours, for we are assured that with all its clever scheming and accumulated might it "shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it" (1 Nephi 22:14).

Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.150 - p.151, Orson Pratt, March 9th, 1879

When that day shall come there shall be wars, not such wars has have come in centuries and years that are past and gone, but a desolating war. When I say desolating, I mean that it will lay these European nations in waste. Cities will be left vacated, without inhabitants. The people will be destroyed by the sword of their own hands. Not only this but many other cities will be burned; for when contending armies are wrought up with terrible anger, without the Spirit of God upon them, when they have not that spirit of humanity that now characterizes many of the wars amongst the nations, when they are left to themselves, there will be no quarter given, no prisoners taken, but a war of destruction, of desolation, of the burning of the cities and villages, until the land is laid desolate.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.121, Wilford Woodruff, September 12, 1875

I want to say one word to our farmers before I close. I want to ask you if you ever heard brother Kimball tell about laying up wheat? "Yes," say some "we have heard him, but the famine has not come yet." No, but it will come. The Lord is not going to disappoint either Babylon or Zion, with regard to famine, pestilence, earthquakes or storms, he is not going to disappoint any body with regard to any of these things, they are at the doors, and I want to give a word of exhortation to our farmers and I say to them, lay up your wheat, for according to the spirit that has been in my bosom the last three or four months, and in the breasts of a good many others, the day will come when, if you do not take this counsel, you will want your wheat for bread. I feel to exhort the brethren, and to say to them--lay up bread, do not sell it for a song: let your wives and daughters go for awhile without ribbons and ornaments, let your wheat stay in your bins; let us try to get along with old coats and old hats, and keep the wheat, and in a little while you will see the reason why this counsel has been given. Lay up your wheat and other provisions against a day of need, for the day will come when they will be wanted and no mistake about it. We shall want bread, and the Gentiles will want bread, and if we are wise we shall have something to feed them and ourselves when famine comes. We have fed thousands of them in days past, who would have laid their bones on these plains if it had not been for the counsel of President Young to us to cultivate the earth and have wheat on hand to feed them. And the day will come again when corn will be wanted in Zion, and it will be sought for. I hope the Latter-day Saints will take heed to these things and be wise.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.7, p.188, Orson Pratt, July 10, 1859

By-and-by, when the Lord has made bare his arm in signs, in great wonders, and in mighty deeds, through the instrumentality of his servants the Seventies, and though the instrumentality of the churches that shall be built up, and the nations and kingdoms of the earth have been faithfully and fully warned, and the Lord has fulfilled and accomplished all things that have been written in the Book of Mormon, and in other revelations pertaining to the preaching of the Gospel to the nations of the Gentiles and to the nations of Israel, by-and-by the Spirit of God will entirely withdraw from those Gentile nations, and leave them to themselves. Then they will find something else to do besides warring against the Saints in their midst--besides raising their sword and fighting against the Lamb of God; for then war will commence in earnest, and such a war as probably never entered into the hearts of men in our age to conceive of. No nation of the Gentiles upon the face of the whole earth but what will be engaged in deadly war, except the Latter-day Kingdom. They will be fighting one against another. And when that day comes, the Jews will flee to Jerusalem, and those nations will almost use one another up, and those of them who are left will be burned; for that will be the last sweeping judgment that is to go over the earth to cleanse it from wickedness. That is the day spoken of in this book--And I saw there were wars and rumours of wars among the Gentiles, and the angel said to me, Behold the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and when that day comes, then shall the work of the Father commence in preparing the way to gather in all his covenant people, and then great Babylon will come down.

A terrible day of reckoning is approaching the nations of the earth; the Lord is coming out of his hiding place to vex the inhabitants thereof; and the destroyer of the gentiles, as prophesied of, is already on his way. Already the monarchs of the earth are trembling from conspiracies among their own people…. Already have two of the presidents of this republic been laid low by the hands of the assassin; and the spirit of insubordination, misrule, lynching, and mobocracy of every kind is beginning to ride rampant through the land. Already combinations are being entered into which are very ominous for the future prosperity, welfare, and happiness of this great republic. The volcanic fires of disordered and anarchical elements are beginning to manifest themselves and exhibit the internal forces that are at work among the turbulent and unthinking masses of the people.—JD, 23:61-63, April 9, 1882.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839–42, p.161

I saw men hunting the lives of their own sons, and brother murdering brother, women killing their own daughters, and daughters seeking the lives of their mothers. I saw armies arrayed against armies. I saw blood, desolation, fires. The Son of man has said that the mother shall be against the daughters, and the daughter against the mother. These things are at our doors. They will follow the Saints of God from city to city. Satan will rage, and the spirit of the devil is now enraged. I know not how soon these things will take place; but with a view of them, shall I cry peace? No; I will lift up my voice and testify of them. How long you will have good crops, and the famine be kept off, I do not know; when the fig tree leaves, know then that the summer is nigh at hand.

"The prophet stood in his own house when he told several of us the night the visions of heaven were opened to him, in which he saw the American continent drenched in blood, and he saw nation rising against nation. He also saw the father shed the blood of the son, and the son the blood of the father; the mother put to death the daughter, and the daughter the mother; and natural affection forsook the hearts of the wicked; for he saw that the Spirit of God [p.132] should be withdrawn from the inhabitants of the earth, in consequence of which there should be blood upon the face of the whole earth, except among the people of the Most High. The Prophet gazed upon the scene his vision presented, until his heart sickened and he besought the Lord to close it up again." Journal of Discourses, Volume 2, pages 146 and 147.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.151, Orson Pratt, March 9th, 1879

What about my own nation--the American nation? What can I say more than I have said in times that are past? They have had a great desolating war; a war between the North and the South in which many hundreds of thousands were destroyed. This war was foretold twenty-eight years before it took place; the very place where it should commence was marked out by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that young man of whom I have spoken. By him it was designated that the revolution should commence in South Carolina, and it did so. By him it was pointed out that this war would be great and terrible, and it came to pass although twenty-eight years intervened, before it commenced. These revelations and prophecies have been published by hundreds of thousands and circulated in your midst here in Great Britain. The people are not altogether ignorant about these matters; they have been forewarned. But what about the American nation. That war that destroyed the lives of some fifteen or sixteen hundred thousand people was nothing, compared to that which will eventually devastate that country. The time is not very far distant in the future, when the Lord God will lay his hand heavily upon that nations. "How do you know this? inquires one." I know from the revelations which God has given upon this subject. I read these revelations, when they were first given. I waited over twenty-eight years and saw their fulfillment to the very letter. Should I not, then, expect that the balance of them should be fulfilled? That same God who gave the revelations to his servant Joseph Smith in regard to these matters, will fulfil every jot and every tittle that has been spoken, concerning that nation. What then will be the condition of that people, when this great and terrible war shall come? It will be very different from the war between the North and the South. Do you wish me to describe it? I will do so. It will be a war of neighborhood against neighborhood, city against city, town against town, county against county, state against state, and they will go forth destroying and being destroyed and manufacturing will, in a great measure, cease, for a time, among the American nation. Why? Because in these terrible wars, they will not be privileged to manufacture, there will be too much bloodshed--too much mobocracy--too much going forth in bands and destroying and pillaging the land to suffer people to pursue any local vocation with any degree of safety. What will become of millions of the farmers upon that land? They will leave their farms and they will remain uncultivated, and they will flee before the ravaging armies from place to place; and thus will they go forth burning and pillaging the whole country; and that great and powerful nation, now consisting of some forty millions of people, will be wasted away, unless they repent.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.4, p.330, Heber C. Kimball, May 31, 1857

I speak of these things by way of encouragement to you, brethren and sisters. You are a good people: I respect you; I have pride in you, when you live your religion; but let us wake up. We have done first rate; but we can wake up more, and keep waking up, and attend to the things you have been told to attend to; and one of them is, to lay up stores of corn, wheat, oats, peas, beans, buck wheat, and every thing else that can be preserved; for you will see a day when you will want it; and it will be when we shall feel the effects of famine, and when the United States have not any food. And inasmuch as we are wise and prudent in this matter, we shall have power over them, and they cannot help themselves. And the day will come when the wicked shall not come here to impose upon our good feelings, and for us to nourish them, while they are infusing the poison of their corruption in our midst. I have borne and borne that wickedness until I will not bear it any longer. How long have I borne their abuse? For twenty-five years; and the law of the land is, that a man is of age when he is 21; and we have served four years beyond that time, free gratis. We are now pretty free, and we will be more free when we are thirty. It will be so, if we will do right.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.10 - p.11, George Q. Cannon, April 8, 1875

I expect to see the day when the Latter-day Saints will be the people to maintain constitutional government on this land. Men everywhere should know that we believe in constitutional principles, and that we expect that it will be our destiny to maintain them. That the prediction will be fulfilled that was made forty-four years ago the seventh of last March, wherein God said to Joseph Smith--"Ye hear of wars in foreign lands; but behold I say unto you, they are nigh, even at your doors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands;" but the revelation goes on to say that the day will come among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor, must needs flee unto Zion for safety. The causes are in operation to bring it about. We are not alone in the thought that the republic is drifting steadily in that direction; that we are leaving the old constitutional landmarks, and that the time is not far distant when there will be trouble in consequence of it, when there will be civil broils and strife; and, to escape them, we believe, men will be compelled to flee to the "Mormons," despised as they are now. Does this seem incredible? Why, look you, to-day, throughout our Union, the Latter-day Saints are the most lightly taxed of any people upon the face of this continent. I do not know a community as free from debt as we are. There are one or two States I believe free from debt, but they have had to tax heavily to free themselves. But as a Territory we have never been in debt, and although we have had many temptations to drift in that direction, not a bond belonging to the Territory has ever been issued; not a dollar is owing that cannot be paid. Our cities are out of debt; our counties are out of debt, and I hope they will continue so. Our legislators, county courts and city officers will doubtless take special pains to keep down expenses and let us be burdened as little as possible with taxation, so that we may be a happy and a free people. Let taxes accumulate, and there is a constant temptation for officers to steal you taxes; there must be men elected to take care of your taxes and there will be hundreds of leaks by which your means will go without benefit to the community, therefore, let us be a lightly taxed people. We are that to-day, and that is one evidence of the good government there is in this Territory. We have peace here, and we should have little or no litigations if it were not forced upon us, and our courts, so far as litigation is concerned, would have very little to do from the Latter-day Saints; we would settle our difficulties by arbitrations, and prevent litigations and money being spent therein. All the tendencies of this people are towards peace, and their aim is to preserve peaceful relations with each other and with the outside world, and we have shown this all the day long.

23 Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect's sake; and you also shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet.

28 And they shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilence’s, and earthquakes, in divers places.

29 And they shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars. Behold, I speak unto you for mine elect's sake.

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for [such things] must needs be; but the end [shall] not [be] yet.

9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end [is] not by and by.

10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

15 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth.

16 And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things—

26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

33 I have sworn in my wrath, and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come upon every man;

In the latter-day age of restoration, when once again the glorious wonders of the gospel are available to men, and when Israel is gathering again round the ancient standard, the powers of evil will be unleashed as never before in all history. Satan will then fight the truth and stir up the hearts of man to do evil and work wickedness to an extent and with an intensity never before known. . . .

. . . . But when those of us who live in the day of restoration hear of wars; when voices of contention and conspiracy among us threaten to use the sword in this eventuality or that; when we hear reports and rumors about the use of atomic bombs, poisonous gases, and other weapons of unbelievable power and cruelty; when these things happen in our day, it is quite another thing. Such things are among the signs of the times, and the wars and desolations of our day will make the hostilities of the past seem like feeble skirmishes among childish combatants.

See ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Those with refined senses find it difficult to conceive of the desolation, destruction, and death that will prevail during the final great battles ushering in Christ's reign of peace. So great shall be the slaughter and mass murder, the carnage and gore, the butchery and violent death of warring men, that their decaying bodies "shall stop the noses of the passengers," and it shall be a task of mammoth proportions merely to dispose of them. Then shall Ezekiel's prophecy be fulfilled that every feathered fowl and every beast of the field shall assemble to "eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth." (Ezek. 39.) And then shall the cry go forth of which John wrote: "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great." (Rev. 19:17-18.) That all this is an actual, literal supper, an horrible but real event yet to be, has been specifically confirmed in latter-day revelation. (D. & C. 29:18-21.)

This is the day in which we live. These wars and rumors of wars have been, now are, and yet will be. The worldwide wars of the recent past, and the never-ending rumors and reports of the present now, in all of which the communications media so delight, are but a type and a shadow of the wars and rumors of wars that soon shall be poured out without measure.

They include wars and rumors of wars. Probably there has been no single moment since South Carolina rebelled in 1861 when there has been peace on earth. We do not anticipate even a scant duration of time in the future when all armed conflict and all bloodshed will cease, until the Great Millennium arrives. Until then there will be wars and desolation and death; until then disease and plagues and pestilence will sweep the earth from time to time; until then there will be famines and hunger and men dying for want of bread. In these last days all things shall be in commotion. The waves of the seas will spread death; the volcanoes in many lands will belch forth their fire and brimstone; and earthquakes will increase in number and intensity. Woes shall rest upon men as the Lord by the voice of the forces of nature calls upon them to repent and be as he would have them be.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.633

Before the Lord comes, the whole earth will be in turmoil. Wars and rumors of wars will spread death and destruction and disease that will dwarf anything ever known among men. Plagues and pestilence and pain will punish the people to a degree never before known. Men will be cursed physically and spiritually; the flesh of many will fall from their bones and their eyes from their sockets. Earthquakes will destroy many cities and bring death to their municipals; fire and hail will destroy the crops of the earth; rivers and seas and deserts and mountains will be contaminated; the waters of the world will be polluted; famines and poisons and dead bodies will be commonplace. No tongue can tell the desolations and sorrows that are yet to be, all of which will be climaxed by the burning of the vineyard, at which time every corruptible thing will be consumed.

Do not be discouraged when you hear of wars, and rumors of wars, and tumults, and contentions, and fighting, and bloodshed; for behold they are at the thresholds of our doors. 4:369.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.21

The evidence that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, as declared by Malachi and Moroni, is seen in the many signs of the times. In discoursing upon the scene which should precede his coming, the Savior said that there should be "wars and rumors of wars," for "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." Moreover there were to be many "great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." When we see the fig tree putting forth its leaves we know that summer is nigh. This comparison the Lord made to the signs of his second coming.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.2, p.192

The Lord has been preparing for a long time for the return of the Ten Tribes. Section 133, in the D&C, has much to say in relation to this great event. Where they are, no man knows, for this is one of the grand secrets the Lord has kept to himself. The wars and rumors of wars and the great destructions that are to come on the earth should give us all far more concern than the thought that man is, or may be able, to visit other planets while a mortal, erring man.

An age of disasters is the present. All the signs foretold by the Savior and the Prophets which were to precede the second coming of the Lord are being witnessed at the present time. The news that comes to us every day over the wires brings word of calamities of every description. We hear of cyclones, of shipwrecks, of floods, of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, of earthquakes, of collisions upon railroads, of murders and suicides, of wars and rumors of wars, until the ear is vexed with the tidings. We read of more calamities in one day than formerly were known in a month. Yet, these things have come along so gradually that men attach no importance to them. Though they are intended as signs of the coming of the Lord and the near approach of the end, mankind fail to perceive in these events any of the signs which the Prophets have described. (Oct. 1, 1889, JI 24:452)

"If you will not repent and unite yourselves with God's Kingdom, then the days are near at hand when the righteous shall be gathered out of your midst. And woe unto you when that day shall come, for it shall be a day of vengeance upon the British nation! * * * Your armies shall perish; your maritime forces shall cease; your cities shall be ravaged, burned and made desolate, and your strongholds shall be thrown down; the poor shall rise against the rich, and their storehouses and their fine mansions shall be pillaged, their merchandise and their [p.60] gold and their silver and their rich treasures shall be plundered. Then shall the lords and nobles and the merchants of the land, and all in high places, be brought down and shall sit in the dust and howl for the miseries that shall be upon them. And they that trade by sea shall lament and mourn; for their traffic shall cease."

Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.231

One very significant sign of his coming, he stated would be, that his Elect should be gathered from the [p.232] four quarters of the earth. Through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith and the Holy Priesthood, this great work is now going on: "And they," that is those who are being gathered, "shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars,…for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famine, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places; and again, (for the second time) because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." Again Jesus gave the assurance that he who was not overcome should be saved: "And again"—that is when the Elect are being gathered and judgments were being poured out upon the nations for the second time—"This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come," or the destruction of the wicked; "and again"—that is for the second time—"shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of heaven shall be shaken; verily, I say unto you, this generation, in which these things shall be shewn forth, shall not pass away until all I have told you shall be fulfilled…. After the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; then, shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then, shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;" P. of G. P., pages 38–40.

48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.52

I know that there are many, and even some among the Latter-day Saints, who are saying just as the Lord said they would say, "The Lord delayeth his coming." One man said: "It is impossible for Jesus Christ to come inside of three or four hundred years." But I say unto you, Watch.

"Yet the old world goes on about its business paying very little heed to all the Lord has said, and to all the signs and indications that have been given. Men harden their hearts and say "that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth." (D.C. 45:26.) They are "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage" according to the customs of the world, not of God, without one thought that the end of wickedness is near. Pleasure and the love of the world have captured the hearts of the people. There is no time for such people to worship the Lord or give heed to his warnings; so it will continue until the day of destruction is upon them. At no time in the history of the world has it been more necessary for the children of men to repent. We boast of our advanced civilization; of the great knowledge and wisdom with which we are possessed, but in and through it all, the love of God is forgotten! The Lord, as well as Elijah, gave us warning through Joseph Smith. The Lord said: "For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory. And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble. But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood; and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked."—D.C. 34:7-9.

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 45, p.262

Christ delayeth His coming] Another sign of the end of the times of the Gentiles is this, that men shall teach that Christ will not come until the end of the Earth. That is, even now, a very orthodox doctrine. In fact. the common doctrine of the world is that Christ will not come, until a majority of the race is converted, the Jews gathered and antichrist conquered, and then, it is taught, come the judgment and the destruction of the Earth. It is one of the signs of the end, that men shall teach that there will be no Millennium, no personal reign of Christ on Earth.

Prophecy may well be defined as history in reverse. Before our very eyes we are witnessing the fulfillment of prophecies made by inspired prophets in ages past. In the very beginning of this dispensation we were plainly told in a revelation from the Lord that the time was nigh at hand when peace would be taken from the earth and the devil would have power over his own dominion. (See D&C 1:35.) The prophets of our day also foretold that there should be wars and rumors of wars, and "the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth. And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound." (D&C 45:26-27.)

Let none suppose that God is angry with His Saints because He suffers the hand of persecution to come upon them. He chasteneth those whom He loveth, and trieth and proveth every son and daughter, that they may be as gold seven times purified. Rejoice then, ye Saints of the Most High; for the God of Abraham is your God, and He will deliver you from all your enemies. Seek diligently to know His will, and observe to do it. Be zealous in the cause of truth, in building up the kingdom of Christ upon the earth, in rearing up the Temple of God at Nauvoo, and in all works of righteousness. And say not "The Lord delayeth His coming;" for behold the day draweth near; the hour approacheth; be ye ready.

Ye say that ye know, that the end of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know, that the Heavens and the earth shall pass away; and in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you, shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled. And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem, and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations, but they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth. And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound; and when the time of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be in the fulness of my Gospel; but they receive it not, for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men; and in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled: 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; 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; and there shall be earthquakes, also, in diverse places, and 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: and now, when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my disciples, they were troubled, and I said unto them, be not troubled, for when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you, shall be fulfilled, and when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you: ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth and their leaves are yet tender, ye say that summer is now nigh at hand; even so it shall be in that day, when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh.

Many of us are prone to think that the day of His coming, the day of the setting up of the Kingdom of Heaven in its power and glory is yet far distant. I take it that that assumption is based, perhaps, upon our wish, none the less real, because we hesitate to frame it in words. How would you feel if authoritative proclamation were made here today that on the literal morrow, when the sun shall rise again in the east, the Lord would appear in His glory to take vengeance upon the wicked, and to establish His Kingdom upon the earth? Who amongst you would rejoice? The pure in heart would, the righteous in soul would, but many of us would wish to have the event put off. We are very much in the frame of mind, or we may allow ourselves to fall in the frame of mind of the rule bound Pharisees and the casuistical Sadducees in the days of the Christ in the flesh. They were intent upon keeping the people's interest alive in a future Messiah, in a Christ who was to come, but not one who was amongst them. We are very loath to accept and believe that which we do not want to believe, and the world today does not wish to believe that the coming of the Christ is near at hand, and consequently all kinds of subterfuges are invented for explaining away the plain words of scripture. We rejoice in simplicity. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is won-fully simple. We as a people value, I believe, scholastic attainments at their full worth. While we foster and encourage the training and development of the mind, I was about to say to the full limit, certainly almost to the limit, of our material ability, as witness the unceasing effort and continuous expenditure of vast sums in the maintenance of church schools, and the willingness with which the Latter-day Saints as members of the community impose upon themselves, in common with their fellow citizens, taxes for the support of schools under state control and direction, we nevertheless hold that scholastic attainments are not essential to a full understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not believe that a diploma from a theological seminary is an essential part of the credentials of a teacher or preacher of the word of God. Nevertheless we endeavor to encourage and aid in a material way the training of the mind and the development of all the faculties that shall be conducive to educational advancement in the truest sense of the term, but we hold the Gospel is simple that all may understand it who will. It is the proud and they who do wickedly who close their eyes and their ears and their hearts to the signs of the times, to the word of the Gospel and to the testimony of the Christ. It has long been a favorite excuse of men who were not ready for the advent of the Lord, to say, "The Lord delayeth His coming." Don't attach too much importance to the fact that He has thus far delayed His coming, for He has repeatedly told us that the day of His coming is very, very near, even at our doors. There is a tendency among men to explain away what they don't wish to understand in literal simplicity, and we, as Latter-day Saints are not entirely free from the taint of that tendency. Prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled are by many of us made the subjects of hypothesis and theory and strained interpretation. We read that one of the characteristic signs to precede the second advent of Christ shall be the bringing forth of the tribes that have been lost to history, led away where men have not yet found them, and we are told that they shall be brought forth with a strong hand by the power of God and shall come unto Zion and receive their blessings at the hands of Ephraim. But some people say that prediction is to be explained in this way: A gathering is in progress, and has been in progress from the early days of this Church; and thus the "Lost Tribes" are now being gathered; but that we are not to look for the return of any body of people now unknown as to their whereabouts. True, the gathering is in progress, this is a gathering dispensation; but the prophecy stands that the tribes shall be brought forth from their hiding place bringing their scriptures with them, which scriptures shall become one with the scriptures of the Jews, the holy Bible, and with the scriptures of the Nephites, the Book of Mormon, and with the scriptures of the Latter-day Saints as embodied in the volumes of modern revelation.

15 ¶ The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and [for] all the house of Israel his companions:

17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou [meanest] by these?

19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which [is] in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, [even] with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.1, p.209

We read of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in these last days. The Lord said to us, through Nephi, something of his plans as follows: "And there is none other which shall view it [that is, the Nephite record], save it be a few according to the will of God to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words of the faithful should speak as it were from the dead. Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good, will he establish his word; and wo be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!"

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.690 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

5. COMING FORTH OF BOOK OF MORMON. -- Also as part of the promised restoration of all things, the Book of Mormon was destined to come forth as a sign that the winding up scene is near. Isaiah links together the apostasy, restoration, and coming forth of the Book of Mormon (Isa. 29); Ezekiel prophesies similarly relative to the Book of Mormon, the latter-day gathering of Israel, and the erection of a holy sanctuary or temple in Jerusalem. (Ezek. 37.) Moroni tells of its coming forth under latter-day conditions that are part of the signs of the times, part of the signs to occur precedent to the coming of our Lord (Morm. 8); and the resurrected Lord himself taught the Nephites that the coming forth of this mighty record to their descendants would be one of the great signs of the fulfilling of the covenants in the last days. (3 Ne. 21.)

Scripturalists are wont to refer to Isaiah as the Messianic prophet because of his many prophecies about the birth and ministry and death and resurrection of the Lord Jehovah. And truly he was; no Old Testament seer has left us a greater wealth of words about the Eternal Word than this son of Amoz, who prophesied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, all kings of Judah, and who, according to tradition, was sawn asunder for the counsel he gave and the testimony of Jesus he bore. But what is of equal or even greater import is that Isaiah's Messianic word shines forth far beyond time's meridian; he is the great prophet of the restoration. It is his voice that speaks of the restoration of the gospel in the last days, of the Coming forth of the Book of Mormon, of the raising of an ensign to the nations, of the gathering of Israel, of the building of the house of the Lord in the tops of the mountains, of the conversion of many Gentiles, of the building of Zion, of the Second Coming of the Son of Man, and of the millennial era of peace and righteousness. Truly, "great are the words of Isaiah."

This is the group of signs, above all others, that men see and understand if they are to know the generation of their Lord's return. These signs include the opening of the heavens so that revelation pours forth anew as it did in ancient days; the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, that ancient record which testifies of Christ and his gospel; and the restoration, for the last time, of the fulness of the everlasting gospel, with all its graces, powers, and glories.

3 And because my words shall hiss forth--many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.228 - p.229

WITNESSES OF BOOK OF MORMON TO BE RAISED UP. Nephi, one of the earliest prophets of the Israelitish colony, predicted nearly 600 years before the Christian era, that when the records containing the history of his people should be revealed from the dust, it would be in a day when the people would "deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel," and they would say: "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." Again, many among them would say when presented with a new volume of scripture containing the history of the people of this western world: "A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible."

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.512

MORMON BIBLE One of the remarkable things about this almost spontaneous practice of designating the Nephite record as the Mormon Bible, and then proclaiming that the traditional Bible is complete and contains all of the word of God that is needed by men, is the fact that this very reaction and opposition to the truth was foretold in the Book of Mormon itself. In that volume of scripture speaking of the coming forth of the Nephite record in the last days, the Lord says: "My words shall hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, for a standard unto my people, which are of the house of Israel; And because my words shall hiss forth -- many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible." (2 Ne. 29:2-10.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.719

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

10. OPPOSITION TO THE BOOK OF MORMON. Strange as it may seem to present day enemies of the truth, their very opposition to the receipt of more of the word of the Lord by way of the Book of Mormon is one of the signs of the times. Their opposition, summarized in the canting chant, "A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible," brings forth this severe rebuke from the Lord: "Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. ... Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word?" (2 Ne. 29.)

John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr., Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon, p.175

Opposition to the Book of Mormon. "The Lord told first Nephi of the clamor that would be raised against the Book of Mormon, 'that the words of your seed shall proceed forth out of my mouth unto your seed; and because my words shall hiss forth many of the Gentiles shall say, A Bible, a Bible, we have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.' (2 Nephi 29:1-3.) It is notorious that this cry was raised—and even now is raised at times—against the Book of Mormon. It [p.176] was relied upon not only as the chief but also the all-sufficient argument against accepting the book. (See Orson Pratt's Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon.) Closely associated with the sectarian notion of the cessation of revelation and miracles is also the idea that the Hebrew scriptures comprised all the records in which God had vouchsafed a revelation to man." (Roberts 3:253-255.)

14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

4 And the voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, whom I have chosen in these last days.

5 And they shall go forth and none shall stay them, for I the Lord have commanded them.

6 Behold, this is mine authority, and the authority of my servants, and my preface unto the book of my commandments, which I have given them to publish unto you, O inhabitants of the earth.

7 Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled.

8 And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious;

9 Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure—

10 Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.

11 Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:

12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;

13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.

14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;

15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;

16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

17 Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;

2 The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.

11 For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.

8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.

37 And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.

38 And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come;

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

4. GOSPEL WITNESS TO BE HERALDED TO WORLD. -- Not only was the one true gospel to be restored in the last days, but that very gospel -- not some perverted fragment of it to be found in the false churches of the world -- was to be preached in all the world. "This Gospel of the Kingdom," our Lord said of the restored gospel, "shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come, or the destruction of the wicked." (Jos. Smith 1:31; Matt. 24:14.)

On November 3, 1831 -- less than 17 months after the Church and kingdom had been set up again and while it was still a small and unknown organization -- the Lord said through the Prophet Joseph Smith: "I have sent forth mine angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth. And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come; And worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters -- Calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence." (D. & C. 133:36-40.)

If Joseph Smith had not been a prophet, how would he have dared proclaim, at that day of the yet small beginning of this latter-day work, that the very truths of salvation restored through his instrumentality would be heralded to all the world as a witness unto all people that the coming of our Lord was near?

This same gospel was revealed to Adam and to all of the saints of old. Christ restored it in the meridian of time. Paul and the ancient apostles preached it to the extent of their strength and abilities. And it has been restored again, for the last time, through Joseph Smith, in this final dispensation. With its restoration has come the decree that it shall be preached in every nation and among every people before the Second Coming of Christ. All men however will not hear it while in mortality. Rather, untold hosts will hear the message in the spirit world, for the eternal decree is that "there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated." (D. & C. 1:2.)

Messenger and Advocate (Sept. 1835) John Whitmer "Cleanliness," p.191

Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations; firstly, upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews. And behold and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about: yea, let the cry go forth among all people; Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom: behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord. -- Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles, flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah, flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you: and he that goeth, let him not look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him." -- Cov. Sec. C: Par. 1,2.

4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., The Way to Perfection, p.281-282

Among the signs of the last days was an increase of learning. Daniel was commanded to "shut up the words, and seal the book," of his prophecy, "even to the time of the end." And in that day, "many shall run to and fro," said he, "and knowledge shall be increased." Are not the people "running to and fro" today as they never did before in the history of the world? Go to the Bureau of Information and ask there how many tourists visit the Temple Block each year. Make inquiry at the various national parks, at the bus, railroad and steamship companies: learn how many are running to Europe, Asia, and all parts of the earth. Are we not, most all of us, running to and fro in our automobiles seeking pleasure? Is not knowledge increased? Was there ever a time in the history of the world when so much knowledge was poured out upon the people? But sad to say, the words of Paul are true—the people are "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth!" Have you ever tried to associate the outpouring of knowledge, the great discoveries and inventions during the past one hundred years, with the restoration of the Gospel? Do you not think there is some connection? It is not because we are more intelligent than our fathers that we have received this knowledge, but because God has willed it so in our generation! Yet men take the honor unto themselves and fail to recognize the hand of the Almighty in these things. America was discovered because the Lord willed it. The Gospel was restored in America, rather than in some other land, because the Lord willed it. This is the land shadowing with wings spoken of by Isaiah, which today is sending ambassadors by the sea to a nation scattered and peeled, which at one time was terrible in their beginning. Now that nation is being gathered, and once again they shall stand in favor with the Lord.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.724 SIGNS OF THE TIMES WORLDLY KNOWLEDGE TO INCREASE. –

Never in the entire history of the world has there been anything to compare, even in slight degree, with the great flood of worldly knowledge that has swept the globe in modern times. Marvelous advances have taken place in every field -- scientific, historical, sociological, artistic, medicinal, governmental, economic, inventive, atomic, judicial, and so on ad infinitum -- all of which has been according to the great foreordained plan for man on earth. These advances were withheld and reserved for the final age of the earth's temporal continuance. At "the time of the end," said Daniel, "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Dan. 12:4.) But this great increase of latter-day knowledge was not foreseen as leading men to faith, testimony, and ultimate salvation. For "in the last days," said Paul, men shall be "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth," that is, the truth about God and salvation. (2 Tim. 3:1-7.)

Visions serve the Lord's purposes in preparing men for salvation. By them knowledge is revealed (2 Ne. 4:23), conversions are made (Alma 19:16), the gospel message is spread abroad, the church organization is perfected (D. & C. 107:93), and righteousness is increased in the hearts of men. And visions are to increase and abound in the last days, for the Lord has promised to pour out his "spirit upon all flesh," so that "old men shall dream dreams," and "young men shall see visions." (Joel 2:28-32.)

Journal of Discourses, Vol.10, p.358 - p.359, Brigham Young, November 6, 1864

In building the great and notable cities of the world, it required the genius of the architect, and the skill and labor of the artisan, in all their variety. In building up the cities of Zion, and an earthly kingdom unto God, it will require all the wisdom and skill and cunning workmanship that are displayed in the arts and sciences now known to man, and revelation from heaven for still further advancement in the knowledge of every handicraft and means of adornment, to beautify the cities and temples that will be built by the people of God in these last days. We expect to see the time when we shall not be at all inferior to any of the nations of the earth, in the production of works of art and in scientific skill and knowledge; even now there is incorporated within the pale of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mechanical ingenuity that is equal to any to be found among the civilized nations of the world; and as our community grows in wealth and importance, and raw material sufficient is accumulated, and our necessities and wants increase, all this artistic skill and genius, which at present lies dormant, will be called into active use, for the bone, sinew and knowledge are here. Our first great object in life is to build up the Kingdom of God. If it is to sow wheat to sustain the people, be it so; our families want bread, as do also the families of the Elders who have gone abroad to preach the Gospel, and our mechanics; we are also under the necessity of producing many other articles of food, besides bread, to supply that variety of diet, which, in a great measure through our traditions, our nature craves. If it is to build cities and temples or to do the other labors which belong to the building up of the Kingdom of God, be it is so; all this is right, everything in its time and season.

21 And the great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall be cast down by devouring fire, according as it is spoken by the mouth of Ezekiel the prophet, who spoke of these things, which have not come to pass but surely must, as I live, for abominations shall not reign.

94 And another angel shall sound his trump, saying: That great church, the mother of abominations, that made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, that persecuteth the saints of God, that shed their blood--she who sitteth upon many waters, and upon the islands of the sea--behold, she is the tares of the earth; she is bound in bundles; her bands are made strong, no man can loose them; therefore, she is ready to be burned. And he shall sound his trump both long and loud, and all nations shall hear it.

4 And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church.

5 And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity.

6 And it came to pass that I beheld this great and abominable church; and I saw the devil that he was the founder of it.

13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

12 And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things.

17 But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.

18 But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof.

19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;

20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well--and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none--and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.

23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

20 Contend against no church, save it be the church of the devil.

Note: Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (D&C 86:1-7) deals with the great and abominable church:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares:

2 Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed;

3 And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign--behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness.

4 But behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender--

5 Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields;

6 But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also.

7 Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned.

See APOSTASY, BABYLON, DEVIL, KINGDOM OF THE DEVIL, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, WORLD. The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all churches or organizations of whatever name or nature -- whether political, philosophical, educational, economic social, fraternal, civic, or religious -- which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God.

Dispensation Of The Fulness Of Times

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.582

After the restoration of the gospel; after converts are made in all nations; after the true saints who belong to "the church of the Lamb" become again "the covenant people of the Lord," then, as Nephi prophesied, these Latter-day Saints will be "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory." Then -- and this day is yet future, for we are not as yet established in all nations -- then "the wrath of God" is to be "poured out upon the great and abominable church"; then there will be "wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth." There has been a slight foretaste of this in our day, but the great day in which the wrath of God is to be poured out upon the Babylonish whore will be at the Second Coming. Then and not until then will Babylon, which is the great and abominable church, be destroyed.

1 ¶ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, [and] told the sum of the matters.

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

4 The first [was] like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and [it had] three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it [was] diverse from all the beasts that [were] before it; and it had ten horns.

8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn [were] eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.

15 ¶ I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of [my] body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17 These great beasts, which are four, [are] four kings, [which] shall arise out of the earth.

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom [are] ten kings [that] shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

28 Hitherto [is] the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.

By turning to the second chapter of Daniel, we learn something with regard to the period of time when this power which made war with the Saints and overcame them should flourish in the earth. The metallic image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in His dream consisted of gold, silver, brass, iron and clay, so we are told in the interpretation given by Daniel the prophet. It represented several kingdoms, beginning with Babylon, which we learn from history flourished in the fifth and sixth centuries before Christ; and second, the Medio-Persian government, from about 580 to 331 B.C.; third, the Macedonian kingdom, rounded by Alexander the Great, from 331 B.C., to 161 B.C.; fourth, the Roman Empire, established in 161 B. C., and which flourished until 483 A.D. This last named government was represented in the metallic image by the two legs of iron, which resembled very much the two divisions of the Roman Empire, the one having its seat of government at Rome, the other at Constantinople. These subsequently subdivided into the petty governments of modern Europe, having in them the elements of strength and weakness, as indicated by the feet and toes of the image, which were part of iron and part of clay. It will be observed by the dates given above that it was during the time of the Roman Empire that our [p.19]Lord and Savior was born into the world. As early as the banishment of the apostle John, about 96 A. D., we discover that nearly all apostles forming the chief quorum of officers in the Church of Christ had been martyred. We are informed in Mosheim's Ecclesiastical Institutes that the year 70 A. D. Vespasian and his son Titus besieged the city of Jerusalem with an army, destroyed the city and the temple and slew many of the inhabitants, this event having been predicted by the Savior, and recorded in Matthew, twenty-fourth chapter.

Daniel also tells us of the conflict between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God. In spite of the opposition of the world, he says, "the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." And also: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom." In this present world Lucifer reigns. This is the great day of his power. The kingdoms of men prevail in many ways over the Church and kingdom of God. Evil forces "devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces." But Lucifer's day is limited; he shall soon be bound. "The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy" the Lord's work and his kingdom. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." (Dan. 7:13-27.)

19 For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming.

D&C 43:25

25 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 by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

D&C 43:26

26 Behold, the day has come, when the cup of the wrath of mine indignation is full.

D&C 84:97

97 And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness—

6 And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations;

23 The Lord's scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come;

16 And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth.

96 For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness.

9. SIGNS OF THE TIMES TO BE FULFILLED. -- Many revelations summarize the signs and world conditions, the wars, perils, and commotions of the last days. Preceding our Lord's return, the prophetic word tells of plagues, pestilence, famine, and disease such as the world has never before seen; of scourges, tribulation, calamities, and disasters without parallel; of strife, wars, rumors of wars, blood, carnage, and desolation which overshadow anything of past ages; of the elements being in commotion with resultant floods, storms, fires, whirlwinds, earthquakes -- all of a proportion and intensity unknown to men of former days; of evil, iniquity, wickedness, turmoil, rapine, murder, crime, and commotion among men almost beyond comprehension. (Matt. 24; Luke 21; D. & C. 29; 43; 45; 86; 87; 88:86-98; 133; Jos. Smith 1; Mal. 3; 4.)

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.

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.

one pestilence after another, until the Ancient of Days comes, then judgment will be given to the Saints.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.198 DISEASES

These same ills are still with us, and as medical science provides a cure for one affliction another takes its place. Indeed, one of the final great signs of the times, an event just preceding the Second Coming, is that "an overflowing scourge, ... a desolating sickness shall cover the land." (D. & C. 45:31.) During the millennium however, disease will be utterly banned from the earth; man's body will then be changed so that no germ or plague can affect it; and there will be no death as we now know it. (D. & C. 101:23-31.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.725 SIGNS OF THE TIMES 29. DISEASE, PLAGUE, PESTILENCE TO SWEEP EARTH.

Despite medical advances, people are to suffer from diseases, plagues, and pestilences of undreamed proportions in the last days. Men's hearts shall fail them. (Luke 21:26.) New and unheard of diseases will attack the human system. After the times of the Gentiles comes in there shall be an overflowing scourge, and "a desolating sickness shall cover the land." (D. & C. 45:31.) Also: "I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them; And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets." (D. & C. 29:18-19.) The plagues and pestilences of the past will be as nothing compared to what is yet to be as the great winding up scene approaches.

Among those judgments which the Lord said would come -- after the testimony of his servants, crying repentance to the nations of the earth, and offering the means of escape through the acceptance of his gospel -- should be the testimonies of thunder, of lightning, of earthquakes, of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, of plague, or famine and of pestilence. I believe in my soul that the Lord is speaking to the nations of the earth, following the testimony of his humble servant. You will recall, in the forty-fifth section of the D&C what the Lord said to his servant, the Prophet Joseph, concerning some of these judgments. I believe that in part at least we find a fulfilment of one of the calamities that the Lord said would come in consequence of the wickedness and the rebellion of the people against that message which the Lord delivered for the salvation of the world. You will find it in the thirty-first verse, "There shall be men standing in that generation" -- the generation in which he was then speaking -- "that shall not pass, until they shall see an overflowing scourge: for a desolating sickness shall cover the land." We may have laughed at that. Men have in the past, tried to relegate the judgments of God into the realm of accident, things that have happened because of the ignorance of men. I recall, myself, reading how that the great black plague and other plagues that have infested the world have been attributed to the ignorance of the people; and writers, modern scientists, have said, that such a thing never could happen again, because we know so much about the laws of sanitation, how to correct disease and control it; and they have told us that such a scourge could not occur in this day. We stand at the zenith of our knowledge; never before have men known so much about bacteriology and sanitation; and yet coming from unknown quarters, and making its way -- men do not know how -- from city to city, to city, from individual to individual, there has come upon the world this dread affliction that has affected us so that our general conference had to be postponed. I believe in my soul that it is the Lord speaking, even as he has spoken before, when men undertook to build so they could preserve themselves against calamities. When they built a tower to reach so high that the floods of the earth could not touch them, he was greater than all their towers. He stands above all man's feeble efforts to protect himself from the calamities and judgments that are going to come upon the children of men, if they do not repent. You recall how that after the building of what was termed the "non-sinkable ship," the great Titanic, it sailed away from the shores of England, with a boast on the lips of the men and women who drank their toast to the wonderful achievements of men in building a non-sinkable ship. Little did they think that in a few hours that great ship would strike an iceberg and go down to the depths of the sea.

12 And also that God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they may not understand his marvelous workings; that he may prove them also and take them in their own craftiness;

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Three 1838–39, p.134

[My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again, with warm hearts and friendly hands; thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job; and they who do charge thee with transgression, their hope shall be blasted and their prospects shall melt away as the hoar frost melteth before the burning rays of the rising sun; and also that God hath set His hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they may not understand His marvelous workings, that He may prove them also and take them in their own craftiness; also because their hearts are corrupted, and the things which they are willing to bring upon others, and love to have others suffer, may come upon themselves to the very uttermost; that they may be disappointed also; and their hopes may be cut off; and not many years hence, that they and their posterity shall be swept from under heaven, saith God, that not one of them is left to stand by the wall. Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them; but those who cry transgression do it because they are the servants of sin and are the children of disobedience themselves; and those who swear falsely against my servants, that they might bring them into bondage and death; wo unto them; because they have offended my little ones; they shall be severed from the ordinances of mine house; their basket shall not be full, and their houses and their barns shall perish, and they themselves shall be despised by those that flattered them; they shall not have right to the Priesthood, nor their posterity after them, from generation to generation; it had been better for them that a millstone had been hanged about their necks, and they drowned in the depth of the sea.

This Church fail? No! Times and seasons may change, revolution may succeed revolution; thrones may be cast down; and empires be dissolved; earthquakes may rend the earth from center to circumference; and mountains may be hurled out of their places; and the mighty ocean be moved from its bed, but amidst the crash of worlds and the crack of matter, truth, eternal truth, must remain unchanged, and those principles which God has revealed to His saints be unscathed amidst the warring elements, and remain as firm as the throne of Jehovah.

The Latter-day, Saints should address themselves to economy and carefulness in their financial affairs. They ought to restrain any inclination to extravagance in every line, and to prepare themselves, not only with manufactures and other arrangements for utilizing the resources of the country, but also to meet the hard times that come occasionally in the land. The fruitful seasons are now upon us, and possibly may last for a few more years, and then stringent times will come, as certainly, I presume, as they have come in the past. Forewarned, forearmed! Times will change in the future as they have in the past, and we need to be ready for the times as they change The older part of the population have had experience and training, and they should profit thereby; but there are always generations coming up among us that are untrained and inexperienced, and with the idea perhaps that things will always continue as they are. A note of warning has been sounded by our leaders during the years that are past, advising us as Latter-day Saints, to free ourselves from debt, from mortgages and from obligations that we may not be able to meet. All these contracts should be honorably fulfilled, and we should cease to be the slaves of obligations that hind us down and hamper us in our lives. We want to be men among men, and to have a measure of independence. I have felt it to be the design of the Lord in giving to the people of our beloved state the prosperity that has come to us, that we should prepare ourselves for serious times in the future; for the lean years will follow those of fatness. I would like it if all Israel would listen, and address themselves most earnestly and with every effort in their power to freeing themselves from every obligation to the banks, to their neighbors, to the merchants, to the builders, and to all men that are in business. Clear off all your obligations, and be free. Have a little something in your granaries; have some credit at the savings banks; and instead of living upon means that belong to your friends, live on your own. Pay for your houses, for your machinery, for your wagons, for your merchandise, for the food you have eaten and for the clothes you have worn out. Do all this, and see the time when you can meet your business man and pay for his wares as you receive them. It is wonderfully comfortable for a man or a woman to be dressed in their own clothing, to live in their own house, and to own everything that they occupy and enjoy, instead of taking care of the means of other people and paying usury. Rather let them be in a shape to receive usury. I believe that it is quite pleasing to the Lord that we should be out of debt. I believe that He requires it of us. I have believed it for many years. I advise and exhort the Latter-day Saints to free themselves from every obligation as soon as they can possibly do so. Though we may have yet a few years of prosperity, they will not be very many, and while the times are propitious you want to free your hands, and then train yourselves to stay out of debt. Do not allow speculation and the prospect of great fortunes to lead you into the bondage of debt. That is the bondage that is upon some of the Latter-day Saints today. Hence I exhort my brethren throughout Zion to free themselves from all their obligations. I ask my brethren who have wealth, to take measures to make profitable use of the blessings which the Lord bestows upon us. There is profit in the canning of all our fruits. I am not prepared to say what percentage has been wasted, but in my visits among the settlements I have found the lands upon which orchards stand fairly covered with fruit that has fallen and is rotting. It is astonishing the waste that can be discovered in this land. It is astonishing the amount of canned goods that are brought into this State. It is a reproach to the people of Utah. I remember outfitting for a trip into Arizona from St. George a few years ago, and the canned grapes that we supplied ourselves with were from California, the canned meats were from California, the salmon and other canned articles were from Oregon or some other state. Turkeys, ducks, geese, poultry of all kinds are brought into this state by the, carload. It is a reproach to the state. We ought to produce all these things ourselves, and also supply our neighbors. We have done exactly in the sugar business what we ought to do in other lines. Today we make all the sugar that Utah consumes, and we send as much abroad to our neighbors. We keep the money here that pays for our own sugar, and we bring as much more into the state from the sale of sugar outside. It has assisted to make our state one of the most comfortable and independent states of the west. But it is not enough that we should save on the sugar business. We should be as wise in the handling of our grains, our vegetables and our fruits. They should be taken proper care of so that they may command the market, and be in demand in every direction. We are surrounded by mining camps, and Utah ought to furnish everything they need in an agricultural and industrial line. I want to advise business men, men of finance, to give attention to these matters, that our manufacturies may be increased, so that the materials which are given to us by the fruitfulness of the earth may be profitably used, and we become an independent people in this state. That is what I would like to see in Utah. We have a good country. We live in peace and harmony, and in addition to all that we can do for ourselves, the hand of the government is reaching out to help us in the irrigation of our country. There is moisture enough in this land, if only properly utilized. The God of heaven has given us rains and snows and fountains of water that are almost abundant. If we would but take care of the resources that He has given to us, the state is well supplied with the necessary water, and I expect to see the time when the bench lands in all our valleys will be producing to their utmost capacity. In our splendid state fair we can see evidences of what has been done this season in the way of dry farming by the experimental stations in this state. It is wonderful the grains that have been produced on the dry lands; and what has been done this year can be done generally, though possibly not always so well, because, as I announced in the beginning, this has been a remarkable year. But we want to see the time when all these lines of industry and fruitfulness are utilized and controlled by the people of Utah, so that we shall not have to bring flour and grain here from other states as we are doing today. We do not want their grains and vegetables and their poultry to be in demand over ours. We do not want their pork. We do not want their hams, nor their lard. We should produce it here ourselves.

4 Nevertheless, I suffered it that ye might bear record; behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter;

5 For I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters; yea, and especially upon these waters.

6 Nevertheless, all flesh is in mine hand, and he that is faithful among you shall not perish by the waters.

14 Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters.

15 Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters.

16 And it shall be said in days to come that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart.

17 And, as I, the Lord, in the beginning cursed the land, even so in the last days have I blessed it, in its time, for the use of my saints, that they may partake the fatness thereof.

18 And now I give unto you a commandment that what I say unto one I say unto all, that you shall forewarn your brethren concerning these waters, that they come not in journeying upon them, lest their faith fail and they are caught in snares;

19 I, the Lord, have decreed, and the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof, and I revoke not the decree.

90 And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, Vol 1, p.206

6. On the 9th of August in company with ten elders, the Prophet left Independence landing, on the river, for Kirtland. This company started down the river in canoes, where the first night they had a wild turkey supper. Nothing of great importance occurred until the third day, when, the Prophet writes: "many of the dangers so common upon the western waters, manifested themselves; and after we had encamped upon the bank of the river, at McIlwaine's Bend, Brother Phelps, in open vision by daylight, saw the destroyer in his most terrible power, ride upon the face of the waters; others heard the noise, but saw not the vision." The next morning, after prayer the Prophet received a revelation in which the elders received counsel in regard to their travels on the waters. The Lord declared that their sins were forgiven them and that he is merciful to those who confess their sins and will be humble. It was stated that it was not needful for the entire company to travel by water while people on both sides of the river were perishing for want of the Gospel. Then the Lord points out that there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially upon these waters many of which were to come hereafter. In the beginning the Lord blessed the waters and cursed the land, but in these last days this was reversed, the land was to be blessed and the waters to be cursed. A little reflection will bear witness to the truth of this declaration. In the early millenniums of this earth's history, men did not understand the composition of the soils, and how they needed building up when crops were taken from them. The facilities at the command of the people were primitive and limited, acreage under cultivation was limited, famines were prevalent and the luxuries which we have today [page 207] were not obtainable. Someone may rise up and say that the soil in those days was just as productive as now, and this may be the case. It is not a matter of dispute, but the manner of cultivation did not lend itself to the abundant production which we are receiving today. It matters not what the causes were, in those early days of world history, there could not be the production, nor the varieties of fruits coming from the earth, and the Lord can very properly speak of this as a curse, or the lack of blessing, upon the land. In those early periods we have every reason to believe that the torrents, floods, and the dangers upon the waters were not as great as they are today, and by no means as great as what the Lord has promised us. The early mariners among the ancients traversed the seas as they knew them in that day in comparative safety. In Norway may be seen the boats which the early vikings used to traverse the Atlantic ocean. Today this manner of travel in such boats would be of the most dangerous and risky nature. Moreover, we have seen the dangers upon the waters increase until the hearts of men failed them and only the brave, and those who were compelled to travel the seas, ventured out upon them. In regard to the Missouri-Mississippi waters, we have seen year by year great destruction upon them, and coming from them. Millions upon millions of dollars, almost annually are lost by this great stream overflowing its banks. Many have lost their lives in these floods as they sweep over the land and even upon this apparently tranquil, or sluggish stream there can arise storms that bring destruction. Verily the word of the Lord has been, and is being, fulfilled in relation to those waters. While the Lord has spoken of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, and the waves roaring, yet we must include the great destruction upon the waters by means of war, and especially by submarine warfare as we have learned of it in recent years.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.726

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

31. DISASTERS AND CALAMITIES TO ABOUND. -- Perils and calamities, daily instances of turmoil and violent death, and an increasing flood of disasters and dangers are symptomatic of the times. For instance: "There are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter," the saints learned by revelation back on August 12, 1831, following Elder William W. Phelps' daylight vision of the destroyer riding upon the face of the Missouri River. "For I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters; yea, and especially upon these waters .... Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters. Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters." (D. & C. 61:4-5, 14-15.)

Otten & Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine & Covenants, Vol.1, p.299 - p.300

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith has provided some very helpful insights and understanding pertaining to the meaning of the verses mentioned above:

In the beginning the Lord blessed the waters and cursed the land, but in these last days this was reversed, the land was to be blessed and the waters to be cursed. A little reflection will bear witness to the truth of this declaration. In the early millenniums of this earth's history, men did not understand the composition of the soils, and how they needed building up when crops were taken from them. The facilities at the command of the people were primitive and limited, acreage under cultivation was limited, famines were prevalent and the luxuries which we have today were not obtainable. Some one may rise up and say that the soil in those days was just as productive as now, and this may be the case. It is not a matter of dispute, but the manner of cultivation did not lend itself to the abundant production which we are receiving today. It matters not what the causes were, in those early days of world history, there could not be the production, nor the varieties of fruits coming from the earth, and the Lord can very properly speak of this as a curse, or the lack of blessing, upon the land. In those early periods we have every reason to believe that the torrents, floods, and the dangers upon the waters were not as great as they are today, and by no means as great as what the Lord has promised us. The early mariners among the ancients traversed the seas as they knew them in that day in comparative safety. In Norway may be seen the boats which the early vikings used to traverse the Atlantic ocean. Today this manner of travel in such boats would be of the most dangerous and risky nature. Moreover, we have seen the dangers upon the waters increase until the hearts of men failed them and only the brave, and those who were compelled to travel the seas, ventured out upon them. In regard to the Missouri-Mississippi waters, we have seen year by year great destruction upon them, and coming from them. Millions upon millions of dollars, almost annually are lost by this great stream overflowing its banks. Many have lost their lives in these floods as they sweep over the land and even upon this apparently tranquil, or sluggish stream there can arise storms that bring destruction. Verily the word of the Lord has been, and is being, fulfilled in relation to those waters. While the Lord has spoken of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, and the waves roaring, yet we must include the great destruction upon the waters by means of war, and especially by submarine warfare as we have learned of it in recent years. (CHMR, Vol. 1, pp. 206-207)

8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.

9 Until the time shall come when it shall be revealed unto you from on high, when the city of the New Jerusalem shall be prepared, that ye may be gathered in one, that ye may be my people and I will be your God.

35 And for the purpose of purchasing lands for the public benefit of the church, and building houses of worship, and building up of the New Jerusalem which is hereafter to be revealed--

62 Thou shalt ask, and it shall be revealed unto you in mine own due time where the New Jerusalem shall be built.

67 And ye shall hereafter receive church covenants, such as shall be sufficient to establish you, both here and in the New Jerusalem.

66 And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

67 And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.

68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

69 And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.

70 And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

71 And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.

72 And now I say unto you, keep these things from going abroad unto the world until it is expedient in me, that ye may accomplish this work in the eyes of the people, and in the eyes of your enemies, that they may not know your works until ye have accomplished the thing which I have commanded you;

74 For when the Lord shall appear he shall be terrible unto them, that fear may seize upon them, and they shall stand afar off and tremble.

75 And all nations shall be afraid because of the terror of the Lord, and the power of his might. Even so. Amen.

3 Nephi 21:20

20 For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel;

25 Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.

2 Wherefore, this is the land of promise, and the place for the city of Zion.

3 And thus saith the Lord your God, if you will receive wisdom here is wisdom. Behold, the place which is now called Independence is the center place; and a spot for the temple is lying westward, upon a lot which is not far from the courthouse.

2 Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.

3 Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.

4 Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation.

5 For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an house shall be built unto the Lord, and a cloud shall rest upon it, which cloud shall be even the glory of the Lord, which shall fill the house.

62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

64 And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.

Every man lives for himself. Adam was made to open the way of the world, and for dressing the garden. Noah was born to save seed of everything, when the earth was washed of its wickedness by the flood; and the Son of God came into the world to redeem it from the fall. But except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. This eternal truth settles the question of all men's religion. A man may be saved, after the judgment, in the terrestrial kingdom, or in the telestial kingdom, but he can never see the celestial kingdom of God, without being born of water and the Spirit. He may receive a glory like unto the moon, [i.e., of which the light of the moon is typical], or a star, [i.e., of which the light of the stars is typical], but he can never come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, unless he becomes as a little child, and is taught by the Spirit of God. Wherefore, we again say, search the revelations of God; study the prophecies, and rejoice that God grants unto the world Seers and Prophets. They are they who saw the mysteries of godliness; they saw the flood before it came; they saw angels ascending and descending upon a ladder that reached from earth to heaven; they saw the stone cut out of the mountain, which filled the whole earth; they saw the Son of God come from the regions of bliss and dwell with men on earth; they saw the deliverer come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob; they saw the glory of the Lord when he showed the transfiguration of the earth on the mount; they saw every mountain laid low and every valley exalted when the Lord was taking vengeance upon the wicked; they saw truth spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven in the last days, before the Lord came the second time to gather his elect; they saw the end of wickedness on earth, and the Sabbath of creation crowned with peace; they saw the end of the glorious thousand years, when Satan was loosed for a little season; they saw the day of judgment when all men received according to their works, and they saw the heaven and the earth flee away to make room for the city of God, when the righteous receive an inheritance in eternity. And, fellow sojourners upon earth, it is your privilege to purify yourselves and come up to the same glory, and see for yourselves, and know for yourselves. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. -- E&MS August, 1832. DHC 1:282-284.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834-37 Pg.83

First, I shall begin by quoting from the prophecy of Enoch, speaking of the last days: "Righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten, His resurrection from the dead (this resurrection I understand to be the corporeal body); yea, and also the resurrection of all men; righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, a holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming, for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion a new Jerusalem." (Moses 7:62, 1902 edition.)

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834-37 Pg.84

Now I understand by this quotation, that God clearly manifested to Enoch the redemption which He prepared, by offering the Messiah as a Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world; and by virtue of the same, the glorious resurrection of the Savior, and the resurrection of all the human family, even a resurrection of their corporeal bodies, is brought to pass; and also righteousness and truth are to sweep the earth as with a flood. And now, I ask, how righteousness and truth are going to sweep the earth as with a flood? I will answer. Men and angels are to be co-workers in bringing to pass this great work, and Zion if to be prepared, even a new Jerusalem, for the elect that are to be gathered from the four quarters of the earth, and to be established an holy city, for the tabernacle of the Lord shall be with them.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834-37 Pg.85

Many may say that this scripture is fulfilled, but let them mark carefully what the prophet says: "If any are driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven," (Which must mean the breadth of the earth). Now this promise is good to any, if there should be such, that are driven out, even in the last days, therefore, the children of the fathers have claim unto this day. And if these curses are to be laid over on the heads of their enemies, wo be unto the Gentiles. (See Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi, Chap. 16, current edition). "Wo unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles, saith the Father." And again (see Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 20:22, current edition, which says), "Behold this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob, and it shall be a New Jerusalem." Now we learn from the Book of Mormon the very identical continent and sport of land upon which the New Jerusalem is to stand, and it must be caught up according to the vision of John upon the isle of Patmos.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834-37 Pg.86

Now many will feel disposed to say, that this New Jerusalem spoken of, is the Jerusalem that was built by the Jews on the eastern continent. But you will see, from Revelation 21:2, there was a New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, adorned as a bride for her husband; that after this, the Revelator was caught away in the Spirit, to a great and high mountain, and saw the great and holy city descending out of heaven from God. Now there are two cites spoken of here. As everything cannot be had in so narrow a compass as a letter, I shall say with brevity, that there is a New Jerusalem to be established on this continent, and also Jerusalem shall be rebuilt on the eastern continent (see Book of Mormon, Ether 13:1-12). "Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord, wherefore it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old." This may suffice, upon the subject of gathering, until my next.

In a little time you will hear something like this: "Well, the 'Mormons' are moving again. They are leaving Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho and all these places wherever they are located, and they are having another exodus." Where are they going? Why, you will find out that it will be a pretty strong company going down to Jackson county, Missouri, to redeem and build up Zion, but the word will go forth that the "Mormons" are having another exodus. The people will say that we are going down to inhabit this land of Missouri, and "we are willing they should." Some that are afar off may howl, but the people mostly interested will be glad to see the "Mormons" return to that land and build it up. Some will say "We have been upon that land and it has proved a land of death unto us." They will have suffered the full force of that desolating sickness which will cover the land, even in Jackson county, Missouri. But when our leader calls upon the Latter-day Saints that are worthy to move down there, the land will be prepared for the Latter-day Saints--not "Mormons." Those who go to Jackson county in that day will be Latter-day Saints. The "Mormons" will be left in Utah, with enough Latter-day Saints to control them.

We look forward to the day when the Lord will prepare for the building of the New Jerusalem, preparatory to the City of Enoch's going to be joined with it when it is built upon this earth. We are anticipating to enjoy that day, whether we sleep in death previous to that, or not. We look forward, with all the anticipation and confidence that children can possess in a parent, that we shall be there when Jesus comes; and if we are not there, we will come with him: in either case we shall be there when he comes. 8:342.

I have many times asked the questions, "Where is the man that knows how to lay the first rock for the wall that is to surround the New Jerusalem or the Zion of God on the earth? Where is the man who knows how to construct the first gate of the city? Where is the man who understands how to build up the Kingdom of God in its purity and to prepare for Zion to come down to meet it?" "Well," says one, "I thought the Lord was going to do this." So he is if we will let him. This is what we want: we want the people to be willing for the Lord to do it. But he will do it by means. He will not send his angels to gather up the rock to build up the New Jerusalem. He will not send his angels from the heavens to go to the mountains to cut the timber and make it into lumber to adorn the City of Zion. He has called upon us to do this work; and if we will let him work by, through, and with us, he can accomplish it; otherwise we shall fall short, and shall never have the honor of building up Zion on the earth. 13:313.

As was observed this morning, in a wholesome, lovely, excellent discourse we will have to go to work and get the gold out of the mountain's to lay down, if we ever walk in streets paved with gold. The angels that now walk in their golden streets, and they have the tree of life within their paradise, had to obtain that gold and put it there. When we have streets paved with gold, we will have placed it there ourselves. When we enjoy a Zion in its beauty and glory, it will be when we have built it. If we enjoy the Zion that we now anticipate, it will be after we redeem and prepare it. If we live in the city of the New Jerusalem, it will be because we lay the foundation and build it. If we do not as individuals complete that work, we shall lay the foundation for our children and our children's children, as Adam has. If we are to be saved in an ark, as Noah and his family were, it will be because we build it. If the Gospel is preached to the nations, it is because the Elders of Israel in their poverty, without purse or scrip, preach the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. 8:354-355.

If they will only live up to it, there has already been enough taught the brethren who have lived here for years to prepare them to enter into the strait gate and into New Jerusalem, and be prepared to enjoy the society of the holy angels. 8:177.

As a sign of the time in which the gathering of the several branches of Israel from their long dispersion should take place, the Lord specified the prosperity of the Gentiles in America, and their agency in bringing the scriptures to the degraded remnant of Lehi's posterity or the American Indians. It was made plain that all Gentiles who would repent, and accept the gospel of Christ through baptism, should be numbered among the covenant people and be made partakers of the blessings incident to the last days, in which the New Jerusalem would be established on the American continent. The joyful account of gathered Israel as Jehovah had given it aforetime through the mouth of His prophet Isaiah, was repeated by the resurrected Jehovah to His Nephite flock. Admonishing them to ponder the words of the prophets, which were of record amongst them, and to give heed to the new scriptures He had made known, and especially commanding the Twelve to teach the people further concerning the things He had expounded, the Lord informed them of the revelations given through Malachi, and directed that the same be written.

The ancient scriptures teem with prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel in the last days, and the gathering of the people from among the nations and from the lands into which they have been led or driven as a penalty for their waywardness. In the predictions of olden times such prominence and importance are attached to this work of gathering that, from the days of Israel's exodus, the last days have been characterized in sacred writ as distinctively a gathering dispensation. The return of the tribes after their long and wide dispersion is made a preliminary work to the establishment of the predicted reign of righteousness with Christ upon the earth as Lord and King; and its accomplishment is given as a sure precursor of the Millennium. Jerusalem is to be reestablished as the City of the Great King on the eastern hemisphere; and Zion, or the New Jerusalem, is to be built on the western continent; the Lost Tribes are to be brought from their place of exile in the north; and the curse is to be removed from Israel.

The assistance which the Gentiles are to give in the preparation of the Jews, and of the remnant of the house of Israel established on the western continent, is affirmed by several Book of Mormon prophets; and, moreover, the blessings which the Gentiles may thus bring upon themselves are described in detail. A single quotation must suffice for our present purpose; and this the declaration of the risen Lord, during His brief ministration among the Nephites: "But if they [the Gentiles] will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance; And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem. And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst. And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance."

The Latter-day Zion; New Jerusalem -- Biblical statements concerning the Zion of the last days, as separate from both the ancient and the reestablished Jerusalem of the east, are silent regarding the geographical location of this second and latter-day capital of Christ's kingdom. We learn something, however, from the Bible as to the physical characteristics of the region wherein Zion is to be built. Thus, Micah, after predicting the desolation of the hill, Mount Zion, and of Jerusalem in general, describes in contrast the new Zion, at which the house of the Lord is to be built in the last days. These are his words: "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

The teachings of the Book of Mormon, and the truths made known through revelation in the present dispensation, regarding the Zion of the last days, while agreeing with the Biblical record as to the general description of the situation and the glories of the city, are more explicit in regard to location. In these scriptures, the names Zion and New Jerusalem are used synonymously, the latter designation being given in honor of the Jerusalem of the east. John the Revelator saw in vision a New Jerusalem as characteristic of the latter times. Ether, writing as a prophet among the Jaredites -- a people who had inhabited parts of America for centuries before Lehi and his followers came to this hemisphere -- foretold the establishment of the New Jerusalem on this continent, and emphasized the distinction between that city and the Jerusalem of old.

The Nephite prophet, Moroni, in his synopsis of the writings of Ether, says: "That it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord." And adds: "Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land. And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come -- after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel. And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type. For as Joseph brought his Father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not. Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away."

Jesus Christ visited the Nephites in America soon after His resurrection, and in the course of His teachings said: "And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you." He predicted further, as set forth in a previous chapter, that the Gentiles, if they would repent of their sins and not harden their hearts, should be included in the covenant and be permitted to assist in the building of a city to be called the New Jerusalem.

Ether the Jaredite, and John the Revelator, separated by more than six centuries of time and prophesying on opposite hemispheres, each saw the New Jerusalem come down from heaven, "prepared," says the Jewish apostle, "as a bride adorned for her husband." We have already spoken of the Zion of Enoch, whose inhabitants were so righteous that they too were called "Zion," "because they were of one heart and one mind." They, with their patriarchal leader, were translated from the earth, or, as we read, "it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, 'Zion is fled." But before this event the Lord had revealed His purposes unto Enoch in regard to humanity, even unto the last of time. Great events are to mark the latter days; the elect are to be gathered from the four quarters of the earth to a place prepared for them; the tabernacle of the Lord is to be established there, and the place "shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem." Then Enoch and his people are to return to earth and meet the gathered elect in the holy place.

We have seen that the names Zion and New Jerusalem are used interchangeably; and, furthermore, that righteous people as well as sanctified places are called Zion; for, by the Lord's special word, Zion to Him means "the pure in heart.' The Church in this day teaches that the New Jerusalem seen by John and by the prophet Ether, as descending from the heavens in glory, is the return of exalted Enoch and his righteous people; and that the people or Zion of Enoch, and the modern Zion, or the gathered saints on the western continent, will become one people.

The Book of Mormon foretells the establishment of Zion on the western continent; but the precise location was not revealed until after the restoration of the Priesthood in the present dispensation. In 1831 the Lord commanded the elders of His Church in this wise: "Go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me. And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you. And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God; And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion."

As we might surmise, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon contains a full and complete account of all things pertaining to the New Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ. From the writings of Ether, preserved in full on those plates, Moroni digested for us a few salient facts that enable us to glimpse what is to be. He tells us the American continent "was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and [the place of] the holy sanctuary [temple] of the Lord." This New Jerusalem is the City of Enoch, which shall return after the Lord comes again. "Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ [the days of his glorious Second Coming], and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land." This New Jerusalem seems to be the one built by the saints in the latter days to which the New Jerusalem from heaven shall come.

It may be proper here to remark, that there will be two places of gathering, or Zion; the one in Jerusalem, the other in another place; the one is a place where the Jews will gather to, and the other a mixed multitude of all nations. Concerning the house of Israel, Jeremiah says, "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, the Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers." Jer. 14:14,15. According to this passage, and many others, there will evidently be a great display of the power of God manifested towards the house of Israel in their restitution to their former habitations. Another Scripture says, that "Jerusalem shall be inhabited in her own place, even in Jerusalem." Here I would remark, that there was a Zion formerly in Jerusalem; but there is also another spoken of in the Scriptures. Hence, in the passage which we quoted from the Psalms, the Kingdoms are to be gathered together in Zion, and the people to fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth his glory. The law is to issue from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Again—"The Lord God that gathereth the outcasts of Israel, says, yet will I gather others unto me besides these." It is very evident from these passages that there are two places of gathering, as well as from many others that might be quoted. For example, Joel, in speaking of the troubles of the last days, says, There shall in the last days be deliverance in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem. Now, he never could say with propriety in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, if these were not two places. The ancient Zion was in Jerusalem. It would not be proper to say in London, and in London; but you could say in London and in Edinburgh, in New York and in Philadelphia, in Frankfort and in Brussels; and so you can say in Zion and in Jerusalem. But again, the Jews are to be gathered to Jerusalem in unbelief, as spoken of in Zechariah; and when the Messiah appears among them, being ignorant of Jesus, they shall ask, "What are these wounds in they hands?" Then he shall answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." Zech. 13:6. And then a fountain shall be opened for the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and they will enter into the covenant by baptism. Zech 13:1. But the people of Zion, the Lord will take them one of a city, and two of a family, and bring them there, and give them pastors after his own heart, that shall feed them with knowledge and understanding. Jer. 3:14,15. The people there are to be all righteous. It is the last Zion that we wish more particularly to speak of a present, as associated with the kingdom of God; and, as we are now searching out the manner in which the kingdom of God will be established, it is to us a matter of great importance. There are very great judgments spoken of in the last days, as the consequence of man's departure from God; these we have already referred to in part; but as we have mentioned, the Gospel must again be preached as a warning unto all nations, and accompanied with it is to be a proclamation, "Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come." Rev. 14:7. But the people would very reasonably be heard to enquire, what can we do? What hope have we? If war comes, we cannot either prevent or avoid it. If plague stalks through the earth, what guarantee have we of deliverance. You say you have come as messengers of mercy to us, and as the messengers of the nations. What shall we do? Let Isaiah answer: he has told the tale of war, and defined the remedy. This shall be the answer of the messenger of the nations, that "the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it." Isaiah 14:32. Yes, says Joel, when this great and terrible day of the Lord comes, there shall be deliverance in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. Joel 2:32. Yes, says Jeremiah, He will taken them one of a city, and two of a family, and bring them to Zion, and give them pastors after his own heart, that shall feed them with knowledge and understanding. Jer. 3:14,15. The proclamation to the world will be the means of establishing this Zion, by gather together multitudes of people from among all nations. For there are multitudes among all nations who are sincerely desirous to do the will of God, when they are made acquainted with it; but having been cajoled with priestcraft and abominations so long, they know not which course to steer, and are jealous of almost everything. As it was formerly, so will it be in the latter times. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and know me, and follow me, and a stranger they will not follow, for they know not the voice of strangers." Those who love truth, and desire to be governed by it, will embrace it, and enter into the covenant which the Lord will make with his people in the last days, and be gathered with them; they will be taught of the Lord in Zion, will form his kingdom on the earth, and will be prepared for the Lord when he comes to take possession of his kingdom. For "when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory," and not before. But if Zion is never built up, the Lord never will come, for he must have a people, and a place to come to. The prophets hailed this day with pleasure, as the ushering in of those glorious times, which were to follow. Micah says, "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountains of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Micah 4:1, 2. Isaiah with rapture gazed upon the scene, and in ecstasy cried out, "Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring they sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord they God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee." Isaiah 60:8-10. You will find by reading the 14th verse, that this place is to be called "The City of the Lord; the Zion of the Holy One of Israel." Here the we find, that the Lord will have a house built; that it shall be upon the tops of the mountains, and be exalted above the hills; that many nations shall go there, to learn the will of the Lord, and that the law shall go froth from Zion; that the people shall come as clouds to it; that they shall take their silver and gold with them; that God's worship will be known, and the religion of the Lord will lose its forbidding aspect; and God, and his religion, be popular among the nations of the earth.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.21, p.153, Orson Pratt, November 1st, 1879

Now, there will be this difference between that city and the cities and Temples which are being built. The cities and temples which we are now engaged in building, we expect to decay; we expect the rock and the various building materials will in time waste away, according to natural laws. But when we build that great central city, the New Jerusalem, there will be no such thing as the word decay associated with it; it will not decay any more than the pot of manna which was gathered by the children of Israel and put into a sacred place in the ark of the covenant. It was preserved from year to year by the power of God; so will he preserve the city of the New Jerusalem, the dwelling houses, the tabernacles, the Temples, etc., from the effects of storms and time. It is intended that it will be taken up to heaven, when the earth passes away. It is intended to be one of those choice and holy places, where the Lord will dwell, when he shall visit from time to time, in the midst of the great latter-day Zion, after it shall be connected with the city of Enoch. That then is the difference.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.348, Orson Pratt, February 25, 1877

Therefore, Latter-day Saints, when you return to build up the waste places of Zion, and when you build up the New Jerusalem upon the place the he has appointed, whatever materials shall be used, by the blessing of the Priesthood, which God has ordained, these materials will endure forever: they will continue during the thousand years, without waste, and when they shall be caught up to heaven, when the earth flees away, they will still endure in all their perfection and beauty. When these cities shall descend again upon the new earth, in its immortal and eternal state, they will still be as endurable as the earth itself, no more to be subject to the curse, and therefore, will no more waste; death is gone--everything that is corruptible in its nature has ceased, so far as this habitable globe is concerned, and all sorrow and mourning are done away.

If we have in mind the physical Zion, then we must strive for more fertile acres; bring from the mountains gold and silver in abundance; found factories to furnish more employment; extend in length and width our concrete public highways; build banks to protect, or to dissipate, as has been the case recently, the wealth we accumulate; transform our vast coal fields into electricity that will furnish light, heat, and power to every family; improve the means of communication until with radio in our pockets we may communicate with friends and loved ones from any point at any given moment.

Is it these physical phases of Zion which we are to build? Certainly it is difficult to picture the city of Zion without at least some—if not all—such modern necessities and luxuries. On the other hand, it is possible to have all these things and instead of reaping the blessings of Zion, suffer the very, torments of hell. If the wealth, for example, from the wide acres be obtained by the oppression of the poor; if the gold and silver be obtained at the expense of human happiness and even of life itself; if in the palatial offices men sit and scheme how to prey upon their fellows, plan to extort money by kidnaping, or other unholy efforts, then all of these advantages will be but a means of making life miserable and unhappy.

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 90, p.584

"We shall in due time walk forth into Jackson County and build up the waste places of Zion. We shall erect in that county a beautiful city after the order and pattern that the Lord shall reveal, part of which has already been revealed. God intends to have a city built up that will never be destroyed nor overcome, but that will exist, while eternity shall endure." (Ibid., p. 365).

Journal of Discourses, Vol.13, p.313, Brigham Young, April 17, 1870

I can say to my brethren and sisters who profess to believe in the Gospel of the Son of God, as it has been revealed to us in these latter days, that we need to pay attention to our faith, and to observe the principles of our religion inviolate, and to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God, or we shall not be prepared to inherit that glory that we anticipate. Is this so? It is, most assuredly. I know that many Latter-day Saints think when they have obeyed the Gospel, made a sacrifice in forsaking their homes, perhaps their parents, husbands, wives, children, farms, native lands, or other things held dear, that the work is done; but it is only just commenced. The work of purifying ourselves and preparing to build up the Zion of God on this continent has only just begun with us when we have got as far as that. Are we prepared now to establish the Zion that the Lord designs to build up? I have many times asked the questions, "Where is the man that knows how to lay the first rock for the wall that is to surround the New Jerusalem or the Zion of God on the earth? Where is the man who knows how to construct the first gate of the city? Where is the man who understands how to build up the kingdom of God in its purity and to prepare for Zion to come down to meet it?" "Well," says one, "I thought the Lord was going to do this." So He is if we will let Him. That is what we want: we want the people to be willing for the Lord to do it. But He will do it by means. He will not send His angels to gather up the rock to build up the New Jerusalem. He will not send His angels from the heavens to go to the mountains to cut the timber and make it into lumber to adorn the city of Zion. He has called upon us to do this work; and if we will let Him work by, through, and with us, He can accomplish it; otherwise we shall fall short, and shall never have the honor of building up Zion on the earth. Is this so? Certainly. Well, then, let us keep the commandments.

Those who will not take up their sword to fight against their neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety. And they will come, saying, We do not know anything of the principles of your religion, but we perceive that you are an honest community; you administer justice and righteousness, and we want to live with you and receive the protection of your laws, but as for your religion we will talk about that some other time. Will we protect such people? Yes, all honorable men. (Journal of Discourses 21:8.)

Journal of Discourses, Vol.24, p.27 - p.33, Orson Pratt, October 26, 1879

The light will shine so conspicuously from that city, extending to the very heavens, that it will in reality be like unto a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid, and it will have quite a tendency to strike terror to all the nations of the earth. Will all see it? No, some may be too far off, beyond the ocean, to behold that miraculous light that will shine forth in this city, but I will tell you the effect it will have upon the kings, queens, rulers, congressmen and judges of the earth--they will hear of it by telegraph; the news will be flashed over the civilized nations of the earth, but they will not believe it. They will say, "Let us cross the ocean, and let us see this thing that is reported to us by telegraph; let us see whether it is so or not." Well, when they get within a day or two's journey of the city they will be alarmed. Some of these kings and nobles, when they see the light shining forth like the northern lights in the arctic regions, illuminating the whole face of the heavens--when they see this light shining forth long before they reach the city, fear will take hold of them there, says the Psalmist, in the 48th Psalm, they will become weak, and their knees will smite together like the knees of Belshazzar. They will try to haste away from the glory of God and from the power of God, and to get out of the country as soon as possible. Fear and terror will be upon them. It will have an effect upon many other kings and nobles, more pure in heart, more honest, that are willing to receive the truth; it will have a different effect upon them, so much so, that they will say with Isaiah, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

Otten & Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine & Covenants, Vol.2, p.82 - p.83

This is the position the people will be in when they come to claim an inheritance in Zion, if their names are not found recorded in the book of the law of God. And I want to tell you that this refers directly to the law of tithing. In the first place it referred to the law of consecration, but that law, as has been explained, was not properly kept, and inasmuch as people are under greater condemnation when they keep not the laws that are given them, the Lord in His mercy withdrew from the Latter-day Saints the law of consecration, because the people were not prepared to live it, and as long as it was in force and they kept it not they were under condemnation. The law of tithing was given in its place.

James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.4, p.109

One would think in such a matter as this that sufficient native modesty would assert itself to restrain a man from announcing himself as the one upon whom such high honors are to he conferred, and who is to exercise such great powers in establishing the Saints in their inheritances; and that even if one suspected, for any reason, that such a position, and such exceptional powers were to be conferred upon him, he would wait until the Lord would clearly indicate to the Church, as well as to himself, that he had been indeed sent of God to do the work of so noble a ministry, as is described in the passage under question. Those, however, who have so far proclaimed themselves as being the "one mighty and strong," have manifested the utmost ignorance of the things of God and the order of the Church. Indeed their insufferable ignorance and egotism have been at the bottom of all their pretensions, and the cause of all the trouble into which they have fallen. They seem not to have been aware of the fact that the Church of Christ and of the Saints is completely organized, and that when the man who shall be called upon to divide unto the Saints their inheritances comes, he will be designated by the inspiration of the Lord to the proper authorities of the Church, appointed and sustained according to the order provided for the government of the Church. So long as that Church remains in the earth—and we have the assurance from the Lord that it will now remain in the earth forever —the Saints need look for nothing of God's appointing that will be erratic, or irregular, or that smacks of starting over afresh or that would ignore or overthrow the established order of things. The Saints should remember that they are living in the dispensation of the fulness of times, when the Church of Christ is established in the earth for the last days and for the last time, and that God's Church is a Church of order, of law, and that there is no place for anarchy in it. (Doc. and Cov., Sec. 112:30; also Secs. 33:3; 43:28-31.)

I saw a short distance from the Missouri River, where I stood, twelve men…[whose] hands were uplifted while they were consecrating the ground; and later they laid the corner-stones of the house of God. I saw myriads of angels hovering over them, and above their heads there was a pillar-like cloud. I heard the most beautiful singing in the words: "Now is established the Kingdom of our God and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and forever, and the Kingdom shall never be thrown down, for the Saints have overcome." I saw people coming from the river and from distant places to [p.148] help build the Temple. It seemed as though there were hosts of angels helping to bring material for the construction of that building.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.24, p.24 - p.25 - p.26 - p.27, Orson Pratt, October 26, 1879

24 And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.

25 And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.17, p.306, Orson Pratt, February 7, 1875

Yes, he talked with them out of a burning cloud in the burning mount, he spoke in their ears by the voice of a trump, and sounded in the ears of all the house of Israel the ten commandments, and they all, men, women and children, heard it. Do I look for similar manifestations of God's power and presence when Zion is redeemed? I do. He may not come down upon any mountains, but he will converse with this people as audibly to men, women and children, as he did in ancient times. Zion must needs be redeemed by power, with an outstretched arm, the angel of the Lord going before the camp of this people, and they will return, and a remnant of the Lamanites with them to build up the city of Zion in Jackson County.

A temple will be built in Jackson County. Let us all exercise faith for the Lord to open the way that we may go back to Jackson County. A short time ago something occurred in this connection that was a little extraordinary. Two men came here—good, honest men, as I have every reason to believe—and to our surprise they wanted to establish a union between the Latter-day Saints and the Josephites. We asked them to explain themselves. They said they had received a revelation that the time had now come to build a temple in Jackson County, and in order that this might be accomplished, they had felt it was their duty to go to the Josephites. They do not believe in the Josephites any more than we do; but they went there and had a conversation with the president and council of the Josephites. It was proposed that they send four of their elders, that we send four of our elders, and that the Hedrickites (to which body these two men belonged) have four of their elders, and that all these elders should meet on the land of Zion and see if they could not make some arrangement by which the temple could be built. Of course, we could see very well that there was no use trying in that direction; but they seemed to have faith that it could be effected. In part these men may have had a manifestation. I believe that they were about right on the point that the time had arrived to build a temple; at least, the time is arriving when that temple should be built; but it will not be built by that class of people. It will be built by the Latter-day Saints in connection with the Lamanites. (7 October 1900, CR, pp. 62-63.)

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.519

An occasional whiff of nonsense goes around the Church acclaiming that the Lamanites will build the temple in the New Jerusalem and that Ephraim and others will come to their assistance. This illusion is born of an inordinate love for Father Lehi's children and of a desire to see them all become now as Samuel the Lamanite once was. The Book of Mormon passages upon which it is thought to rest have reference not to the Lamanites but to the whole house of Israel. The temple in Jackson County will be built by Ephraim, meaning the Church as it is now constituted; this is where the keys of temple building are vested, and it will be to this Ephraim that all the other tribes will come in due course to receive their temple blessings.

THE LAMANITES AND FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY. I am looking for the fulfilment of all things that the Lord has spoken, and they will come to pass as the Lord God lives. Zion is bound to rise and flourish. The Lamanites will blossom as the rose on the mountains. I am willing to say here that, though I believe this, when I see the power of the nation destroying them from the face of the earth, the fulfilment of that prophecy is perhaps harder for me to believe than any revelation of God that I ever read. It looks as though there would not be enough left to receive the gospel; but notwithstanding this dark picture, every word that God has ever said of them will have its fulfilment, and they, by and by, will receive the gospel. It will be a day of God's power among them, and a nation will be born in a day. Their chiefs will be filled with the power of God and receive the gospel, and they will go forth and build the new Jerusalem, and we shall help them. They are branches of the house of Israel, and when the fulness of the Gentiles has come in and the work ceases among them, then it will go in power to the seed of Abraham.—JD 15:272, January 12, 1873.

24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol. 3, p.123

After the people again forgot the Lord and dissensions arose, some of them took upon themselves the name Lamanites and the dark skin returned. When the Lamanites fully repent and sincerely receive the gospel, the Lord has promised to remove the dark skin. The Lord declared by revelation that, "before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose."3

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.33

AMERICAN INDIANS

Since the days of the Spanish conquests and colonizations of Mexico and South America, there has been further dilution of the pure Lamanitish blood. But with it all, for the great majority of the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, the dominant blood lineage is that of Israel. The Indians are repeatedly called Lamanites in the revelations to the Prophet, and the promise is that in due course they "shall blossom as the rose" (D. & C. 49:24), that is, become again a white and delightsome people as were their ancestors a great many generations ago.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.731

SIGNS OF THE TIMES 43. LAMANITES TO BLOSSOM AS THE ROSE. -- As part of the Lord's covenant people, a part on whom a curse fell because of the iniquity of their fathers, the Lamanites are yet to stand as a sign that the end is near. In March, 1831, the Lord revealed: "Before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed." (D. & C. 49:24-25.)

Surely these are signs that even the wicked and ungodly can discern in the face of the sky, as it were. Many scattered ones in all nations shall forsake families and friends and moneys and lands and gather to the houses of the Lord in the tops of the mountains of Israel. Others shall come together and live as people set apart; they shall make the stakes of Zion in all nations their refuge. The Jews shall go to Jerusalem preparatory to accepting Him whom their fathers crucified. The Ten Tribes -- long lost from the knowledge of men -- shall take up an abode in their ancient Palestine; the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled; and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. And accompanying it all, persecution shall be the heritage of the faithful. All who forsake the world and begin to live as becometh true saints shall feel the scourge of Satan, whether they are the seed of Abraham or the children of the aliens. Surely when people assemble in great numbers, when new nations are born in a day, and when whole congregations change their way of life, surely these are signs that can be read by all.

In 1906 I heard President Joseph F. Smith make this statement in Rotterdam, Holland: "The day will come when temples of the Lord will dot this whole land of Europe," and I have lived long enough to see two of them there, and I tell you it is changing the feeling of our people toward the Church to know that these glorious blessings are coming within their reach.

Isaiah names the building of latter-day temples as a sign both of the gathering of Israel and of the second coming of Christ. Israel, as we are aware, is to gather to places where there are temples so her municipals may gain the blessings made available in these holy houses, and these blessings prepare their recipients to meet the Lord, who will suddenly come to his temple.

Pursuant to revelation and commandment, the saints built the first temple of this dispensation at Kirtland, Ohio. (D. & C. 88:119.) Therein keys and authorities were restored and a partial endowment was given. (D. & C. 110.) Thereafter temples have been built in Nauvoo, in western America, in foreign lands, and on the islands of the sea; and the day will come when temples will dot the earth, for the great work of the millennial era centers around and in these holy edifices. The temple erected in Salt Lake City was constructed in partial fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy that "the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains." (Isa. 2:1-4; Micah 4:1-2.) Ezekiel's promise that the Lord's sanctuary will be established in the holy land is yet to be fulfilled. (Ezek. 37:21-28; D. & C. 133:13.)

Then there is the great temple work of the Church. We have, as you know, recently completed a temple in Idaho Falls and have acquired land for two temples in California. While in Europe years ago, I heard President Joseph F. Smith tell the Saints there that the day would come when temples of the living God would dot that whole land of Europe; and I look to see, through the tithes of the faithful Latter-day Saints, temples erected all over this world where the Saints of God are gathered.

William J. Critchlow, Jr., Conference Report, October 1967, p.87

No scene in the entire drama can match the resurrection scene in the sixth act, unless it be a scene programmed in the seventh act when Jesus will come in glory to rule and reign in person for a thousand years. Then "every knee should bow . . . and . . . every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." (Phil. 2:10-11.) Then Satan will be bound, "that he should deceive the nations no more . . ." (Rev. 20:1-3); then "the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; . . . and the cow and the bear shall feed" together (Isa. 11:6-7); then "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isa. 2:4.) Temples then will dot the land, so kin may do work for kindred dead. (JD, Vol. 25, p. 185.) "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Cor. 2:9.)

THE PLATFORM OF PROPHECY.—Nothing but the Spirit of God can enlighten man's minds. Standing on this platform, we view all things of a political and religious nature associated with the earth we are living on as being very uncertain, intangible, and unphilosophical. We expect to see the nations waste, crumble, and decay. We expect to see a universal chaos of religious and political sentiment, and an uncertainty much more serious than anything that exists at the present time. We look forward to the time, and try to help it on, when God will assert his own right with regard to the government of the earth; when, as in religious matters so in political matters, he will enlighten the minds of those that bear rule, he will teach the kings wisdom and instruct the senators by the Spirit of eternal truth; when to him "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ." Then "the earth shall, be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:9.) Then shall the mists of darkness be swept away by the light of eternal truth. Then will the intelligence of heaven beam forth on the human mind, and by it they will comprehend everything that is great, and good, and glorious.—JD, 11:94, March 5, 1865.

There will be here and there a Stake [of Zion] for the gathering of the Saints. Some may have cried peace, but the Saints and the world will have little peace from henceforth. Let this not hinder us from going to the Stakes; for God has told us to flee, not dallying, or we shall be scattered, one here, and another there. There your children shall be blessed, and you in the midst of friends where you may be blessed. The Gospel net gathers of every kind.

I prophesy, that that man who tarries after he has an opportunity of going, will be afflicted by the devil. Wars are at hand; we must not delay; but are not required to sacrifice. We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. When wars come, we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says, Ye shall not have time to have gone over the earth, until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, fires, and earthquakes;

There are days of trial undoubtedly ahead of the Latter-day Saints, days when their faith may be shaken, if it will be shaken. I earnestly pray that our Father shall keep such a guard over this Church, over the individual membership of it, that we will never be left to a feeling of absolute independence of him, that we will never become so prosperous that we will feel that we can get along without the Lord's blessing and favor; and if we have had days of difficulty -- and we have, brethren and sisters -- the whole world has been through through days of stress and trouble, financial difficulty and depression, and it is not ended. Great nations that have never in many years been touched by poverty and by stress and by internal strife, today are being racked in the midst of these distressful conditions. England itself never was in a more serious condition than she is today, with millions of her workers on strike. No man can tell what the outcome of this trouble shall be. Thank the Lord that we live in the land of peace, in the land of security from these things, although we have not very much money just now, although we have not had a very prosperous season. But, my brethren and sisters, I bear witness to you that out of our present distresses, if we are distressed financially, great good will come; lessons that we need to learn, lessons of thrift, lessons of economy, lessons of trust, lessons of faith in the Lord, lessons that shall take away from our heart a feeling of greed and selfishness to want the last dollar, a feeling of sympathy for our brethren and sisters; that we shall be coming toward the point where we are to be our brother's keeper, where we may establish universal brotherhood rather than to be banded in groups contending against other groups, the motive of which shall be pure selfishness in our hearts.

In the very nature of things, the signs of the times will not cease until the Lord comes. Those that involve chaos and commotion and distress of nations will continue in the future with even greater destructive force. Men's hearts will fail them for fear in greater degree hereafter than heretofore. Wars will get worse. Moments of armistice and peace will be less stable. Viewed in the perspective of years, all worldly things will degenerate. There will be an increasing polarization of views. There will be more apostasy from the Church, more summer saints and sunshine patriots who will be won over to the cause of the adversary. Those who support the kingdom because of the loaves and the fishes will find other bread to eat. While the faithful saints get better and better, and cleave more firmly to the heaven-sent standards, the world will get worse and worse and will cleave to the policies and views of Lucifer.

I have wondered, my brethren and sisters, what is going to be the ultimate outcome of the dreadful conditions existing in the world today, covering nearly every civilized country, drawing from all sources the resources of nations; and I am quite sure that without the assistance of God, the Eternal Father, chaos would be the end. Suffering in the world,--I doubt whether there ever was a time that it was so widespread.

I pray that God may bless us all, that he will overrule the destinies of this nation, and that he will overrule the destinies of other nations of the earth, so that out of the chaos that seems apparent now good will come. We do not know what those changes may mean. They certainly are significant and have a meaning, and out of those changes will come advancement perhaps just such as we hope to obtain individually through our experience here. The change will benefit and bless us even though the transitional period may be very trying.

But the chaos existing in the world today is abundant proof that the Golden Rule plays little or no part in the affairs of men or nations.

4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not.

24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

25 Behold, I have told you before.

26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.

19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth [were of] iron, and his nails [of] brass; [which] devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that [were] in his head, and [of] the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even [of] that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look [was] more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these [things] shall be finished.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.

6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

11 ¶ And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

At this point Daniel describes the anti-gospel, anti-Christ, anti-God nature of the king and his armies from the north. He shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god," the scripture saith, "and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished for that is determined shall be done." Already the communistic nations exhibit this spirit. As the polarization between good and evil continues apace in the last days, we may expect to see even ignore resistance manifest by them toward God and his laws.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.40

ANTICHRISTS

The saints in the meridian of time, knowing there would be a great apostasy between their day and the Second Coming of our Lord, referred to the great apostate church as the anti-christ. "Little children, it is the last time," John said, "and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (1 John 2:18.) "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." (1 John 4:3.) This great antichrist which is to stand as the antagonist of Christ in the last days, and which is to be overthrown when he comes to cleanse the earth and usher in millennial righteousness, is the church of the devil (Rev. 13; 17), with the man of sin at its head. (2 Thess. 2:1-12.)

Those who profess in the world to be ministers of Christ, are fulfilling this prophecy to the very letter. It appears that the ministers who profess to be the teachers of Christ's doctrine in this city and other parts where our people are located, have made a specialty of preaching the doctrine that the gifts and blessings which follow the believer have been done away. The Lord has said that certain signs should follow the believer, and this people knows that these signs and that these blessings which were to follow a true faith, a true repentance, a true baptism, and a true laying on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, are found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. When men who profess to be ministers of Christ stand up and teach the people otherwise they are manifesting the spirit of anti-Christ--they are teaching anti-Christ doctrine. They are not teaching the doctrine that Paul referred to when he said: "Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." They are not preaching that Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation unto them that believe. They are preaching the doctrine and are representing the churches that have been built up to the honor of men--to the honor of Peter, of Paul, of Luther, of Zwingle, and other reformers--men who lived in former times. They are not teaching the one faith, the one Lord and the one baptism which Jesus preached when He was upon the earth. Just so long as God acknowledges His Church upon the earth the signs will follow the believer. I am glad to know that this is an individual work; that we have not to depend upon the testimony of Peter, of Paul, of Mark, or of Matthew, or any of those who lived in the days of Christ, to enjoy and have a testimony of this work. I thank God that every one that has arrived to the years of accountability, can know that this work is of God. When men seek to teach the people that these gifts have been done away, that they were simply necessary to establish the Church in ancient times, and that they have now been done away, they deny the scriptures. We are told in holy writ, "seek ye in the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and see if they are not they which testify of me." The scriptures testify, that these signs should follow the believer. Peter taught it upon the day of Pentecost, telling the people if they would repent of their sins, and be baptized for the remission of them, they should receive the Holy Ghost, and these gifts would be made manifest unto them. When Peter and the other Apostles stood up before the people they taught the doctrine of the Lord Jesus unto them; but today men say these things are done away. It has been taught in the world, and in some of the sectarian churches in this city within the last few weeks that Abraham was an ignorant man; that God overlooked sin and crime in his case because of his degeneracy and ignorance. It is remarkable that we live in a time when those who profess to be the followers of Christ will ridicule the man whom the Lord held up and called righteous, and call him degenerate and ignorant; he who was held up through the mission of Christ as a perfect man, the father of the faithful. There are anti-Christs among this people; we hear anti-Christ doctrine from time to time--doctrine which is not in accordance with any of the scriptures that have been handed down to us, nor in accordance with the teachings of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our people should be warned of these doctrines, the doctrines of devils and of men, that are taught in some of the congregations of the world today by those who profess to be the followers of Christ--Spiritualists, Christian Scientists and others. Those who advocate them claim that they are Christ's. But they do not teach the doctrine of Christ? They deny the cardinal doctrines our Savior taught while He was upon the earth. Why don't they teach the one Lord, the one faith, and the one baptism that was taught by our Savior and His disciples? Why is it that they deny faith in the true and living God--a God with body, parts and passions. How is it that they deny these things? Why do they deny true baptism? Jesus says, "Except ye are born of the water and of the spirit ye cannot enter into the kingdom of God." If they believe in the doctrine of Jesus Christ, why do they spiritualize away the resurrection, the fundamental doctrine which Jesus taught while He was upon the earth? I say our people should beware of them. Where can you find Latter-day Saints that have become discontented with our doctrines, that have joined any of these sects that have been instituted by men, if they have been faithful and kept themselves free from the sins of the world; there is a cause for apostacy; there is a cause for sin; there is a cause for rebellion; there is a cause for disobedience. They do not come by chance. It is all right to prove all things and hold fast to that which is good, but we should be established in the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ; we should have a testimony of the divinity of this work, for it is God's work and He will see it through. He will cause that it shall triumph over everything that is man-made; and He will choose those things which seem to be naught to bring to naught those that be.

1 Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

2 And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.112

THE COMING OF ELIJAH

ELIJAH'S RETURN PRESAGES SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. One of the most important events connected with the restoration and consummation of the purposes of the Lord in the last days is the coming of the Prophet Elijah with his message and authority, turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest the Lord come and smite the earth with a curse.

1. Misunderstanding of Malachi's Prediction. -- In the closing chapter of the compilation of scriptures known to us as the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi thus describes a condition incident to the last days, immediately preceding the second coming of Christ: "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." The fateful prophecy concludes with the following blessed and far-reaching promise: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Mal. 4:1, 2, 5, 6.) It has been held by theologians and Bible commentators that this prediction had reference to the birth and ministry of John the Baptist (compare Matt. 11:14; 17:11; Mark 9:11; Luke 1:17), upon whom rested the spirit and power of Elias (Luke 1: 17). However, we have no record of Elijah having ministered unto the Baptist, and furthermore, the latter's ministry, glorious though it was, justifies no conclusion that in him did the prophecy find its full realization. In addition, it should be remembered, that the Lord's declaration through Malachi, relative to the day of burning in which the wicked would be destroyed as stubble, yet awaits fulfillment. It is evident, therefore, that the commonly accepted interpretation is at fault, and that we must look to a later date than the time of John for the fulfillment of Malachi's prediction. The later occasion has come; it belongs to the present dispensation, and marks the inauguration of a work specially reserved for the Church in these latter days. In the course of a glorious manifestation to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, in the temple at Kirtland, Ohio, April 3d, 1836, there appeared unto them Elijah, the prophet of old, who had been taken from earth while still in the body. He declared unto them: "Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he (Elijah) should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors." (D&C 110:13-16.) See also The House of the Lord, pp. 82-83.

The Lord deals with this people as a tender parent with a child, communicating light and intelligence and the knowledge of his ways as they can bear it. 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.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843-44 Pg.340

I have asked of the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, He gave a sign and said, "In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843-44 Pg.341

But I will take the responsibility upon myself to prophesy in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come this year, as Father Miller has prophesied, for we have seen the bow; and I also prophesy, in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come in forty years; and if God ever spoke by my mouth, He will not come in that length of time. Brethren, when you go home, write it down, that it may be remembered.

Ehat & Cook, Words, James Burgess Notebook: 10 March 1844 (Sunday), p.334

Revelation given through Joseph Smith in answer to a certain question Son of Man if you live untill you are 85 years of age you shall see the face of the Son of Man and so long as you see the rainbow strethching across the heavens there will be seed time and harvest and the son of Man will not come that year. Frost in the night—day most beautiful—went to the temple Joseph & Hyrum spoke. Joseph spoke on the Spirit of Elias the Spirit of Elijah and the Spirit of Messiah the Spirit of Elias is a forerunner same as John the Baptist—the Spirit of Elijah is the sealing power— to seal the hearts of the Fathers to the children—and the children to the Parents 58 as Paul declared that the Saints of the last days could not be perfect without them—neither can they be perfect without us 59—the Spirit of Messiah is all power in Heaven and in Earth 60— Enthroned in the Heavens as King of Kings and Lord of Lords 61—the Rainbow is not to be seen—it is a sign of the commencement of famine & pestilence 62 &c &c and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant—the Messiah will not come this year—upsets Millerites 63 the Messiah will not come for 40 years and he told the people to write 64 it a very large and attentive congregation—

Near to and almost concurrent with the Second Coming, there will be certain promised signs and wonders that exceed and excel any like events of the past. These may appropriately be collated under the following headings: (1) Manifestations of blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke. (2) The sun shall be darkened and the moon turned into blood. (3) The stars shall hurl themselves from heaven. (4) The rainbow shall cease to appear in the mists and rains of heaven. (5) The sign of the Son of Man shall make its appearance. (6) A mighty earthquake, beyond anything of the past, shall shake the very foundations of the earth. As with other matters pertaining to the Second Coming, these are considered at length in The Millennial Messiah.

"And God made a covenant with Noah, and said, This shall be the token of the covenant I make between me and you, and for every living creature with you, for perpetual generations; I will set my bow in the cloud; and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." The inference is that the rainbow is being shown forth for the first time and that for some reason unknown to us it had not been manifest before. However this may be, again for reasons unknown to us, the rainbow will soon cease to show its glimmering rays of color in the mists and clouds of the air.

Immediately preceding the Second Coming, unmistakable signs will appear in the heavens. The sun will be darkened, the moon will turn to blood, the stars will fall, and the powers of heaven will be shaken (D&C 45:42). In addition, the rainbow will be taken from the sky (HC 6:254). Finally, a great sign will be seen having the appearance of "seven golden lamps set in the heavens representing the various dispensations of God to man" (Wilford Woodruff in Ludlow, pp. 233-34). There will then be silence in heaven for half an hour, and "immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled" (D&C 88:95).

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

7 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations, for my name's sake;

11 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

25 And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end.

I give unto' you another sign, and when it comes to pass then know that the Lord is God and that he will fulfill his purposes, and that the knowledge which this record contains will go to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people under the whole heaven. This is the sign: When these things begin to be known, that is, when it is known that the Lord has shown you these things, the workers of iniquity will seek your overthrow; they will circulate falsehoods to destroy your reputation, and also will seek to take your life; but remember this, if you are faithful, and shall hereafter continue to keep the commandments of the Lord, you shall be preserved to bring these things forth; for in due time he will again give you a commandment to come and take them. When they are interpreted the Lord will give the Holy Priesthood to some, and they shall begin to proclaim this gospel and baptize by water, and after they shall have power to give the Holy Ghost by the laying on of their hands. Then will persecution rage more and more; for the iniquities of men shall be revealed, and those who are not built upon the rock will seek to overthrow this Church; but it will increase the more opposed, and spread farther and farther, increasing in knowledge till the Saints shall be sanctified and receive an inheritance where the glory of God shall rest upon them; and when this takes place, and all things are prepared, the Ten Tribes of Israel will be revealed in the north country, whither they have been for a long season; and when this is fulfilled will be brought to pass that saying of the prophet--"And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord." But, notwithstanding the workers of iniquity shall seek your destruction, the arm of the Lord will be extended and you will be borne off conqueror, if you keep all his commandments. Your name shall be known among the nations, for the work which the Lord will perform by your hands shall cause the righteous to rejoice and the wicked to rage; with one it shall be had in honor, and the other in reproach; yet, with these it shall be a terror because of the great and marvelous work which shall follow the coming forth of this fulness of the gospel. Now, go thy way, remember what the Lord has done for thee, and be diligent in keeping his commandments, and he will deliver thee from temptations, and all the arts and devices of the wicked one. Forget not to pray, that thy mind may become strong, that when he shall manifest unto thee, thou mayest have power to escape the evil, and obtain these precious things.

If we live, we shall see the nations of the earth arrayed against this people; for that time must come, in fulfilment of prophecy. Tell about war commencing! Bitter and relentless war waged against Joseph Smith before he had received the plates of the Book of Mormon; and from that time till now the wicked have only fallen back at times to gain strength and learn how to attack the Kingdom of God.

Another of our Lord's predictions concerning His second coming is as follows: "And they [the disciples] asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. * * * And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Evening and Morning Star (Jan 1833) William Phelps "Book of Mormon" p.58

And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he said unto those twelve whom he had chosen, Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, which are a remnant of the house of Joseph. And behold, this is the land of your inheritance; and the Father hath given it unto you. And not at any time hath the Father given me commandment that I should tell it unto your brethren at Jerusalem; neither at any time hath the Father given me commandment, that I should tell unto them concerning the other tribes of the house of Israel, which the Father hath led away out of the land. This much did the Father command me, That I should tell unto them, that other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd. And now because of stiffneckedness and unbelief, they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them. But verily, I say unto you, that the Father hath commanded me, and I tell it unto you, that ye were separated from among them because of their iniquity. Therefore it is because of their iniquity, that they know not of you. And verily, I say unto you again, that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity, that they know not of them. And verily, I say unto you, that ye are they of which I said, other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd. And they understood me not, for they supposed it had been the Gentiles: for they understood not that the Gentiles should be converted through their preaching; and they understood me not that I said they shall hear my voice; and they understood me not that the Gentiles should not at any time hear my voice; that I should not manifest myself unto them, save it were by the Holy Ghost. But behold, ye have both heard my voice, and seen me; and ye are my sheep, and ye are numbered among them which the Father hath given me. And verily, verily, I say unto you, That I have other sheep, which are not of this land; neither of the land of Jerusalem; neither in any parts of that land round about, whither I have been to minister. For they of which I speak, are they which have not as yet heard my voice; neither have I at any time manifested myself unto them. But I have received a commandment of the Father, That I shall go unto them, and that they shall hear my voice, and shall be numbered among my sheep, that there may be one fold, and one Shepherd; therefore I go to shew myself unto them. And I command you that ye shall write these sayings, after that I am gone, that if it so be that my people at Jerusalem, they which have seen me, and been with me in my ministry, do not ask the Father in my name, that they may receive a knowledge of you by the Holy Ghost, and also of the other tribes which they know not of, that these sayings which ye shall write, shall be kept, and shall be manifested unto the Gentiles, that through the fulness of the Gentiles, the remnant of their seed which shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth, because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer. And then will I gather them in from the four quarters of the earth; and then will I fulfil the covenant which the Father hath made unto all the people of the house of Israel. And blessed are the Gentiles because of their belief in me, in and of the Holy Ghost, which witness unto them of me and of the Father. Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them. But Wo, saith the Father, unto the unbelieving of the Gentiles: for notwithstanding that they have come forth upon the face of this land, and have scattered my people, which are of the house of Israel; and my people which are of the house of Israel, have been cast out from among them, & have been trodden under feet by them; and because of the mercies of the Father unto the Gentiles, and also the judgments of the Father upon my people, which are of the house of Israel, verily, verily, I say unto you, That after all this, and I have caused my people which are of the house of Israel, to be smitten, and to be afflicted, and to be slain, and to be cast out from among them, and to become hated by them, and to become a hiss and a by-word among them. And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you. At that day, when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all these things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them; and then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them; and I will shew unto thee, O house of Israel, that the Gentiles shall not have power over you, but I will remember my covenant unto you, O house of Israel, and ye shall come unto the knowledge of the fulness of my gospel. But if the Gentiles will repent, and turn unto me, saith the Father, behold, they shall be numbered among my people, O house of Israel; and I will not suffer my people, which are of the house of Israel, to go through among them, and tread them down, saith the Father. But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down, and they shall be as salt that hath lost his savor, which is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, & to be trodden under foot of my people, O house of Israel. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Thus hath the Father commanded me, that I should give unto this people this land for their inheritance. And when the words of the prophet Isaiah shall be fulfilled, which saith, Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations: and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God.

21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

24 And David my servant [shall be] king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, [even] they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David [shall be] their prince for ever.

This predicted figure corresponds to a promised messianic servant. Hosea, speaking shortly before the loss of northern Israel, foretold that Israelites would return in the latter days "and seek the LORD their God, and David their king" (Hosea 3:5). Jeremiah prophesied of Israel and Judah's future righteousness, and of "David their king, whom I [the LORD] will raise up unto them" (Jer. 30:9; cf. 23:5; 33:15-22). And in Ezekiel it is written, "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them" (Ezek. 34:23-24; cf. also 44:1-3).

"And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever." What shall happen to Israel, both Judah and Ephraim? They shall walk in his statues and in his judgments; they shall keep his commandments and live his gospel precepts. And where shall they dwell? In the land given unto Jacob, old Canaan, the Jewish Palestine, the Holy Land where also our Lord lived during mortality. And how long shall they abide there? They and their children, and their children's children, shall dwell there forever. The meek shall inherit the earth. This is not to say that there are not other lands of promise, and that the American land of Joseph shall not become the inheritance of Nephites and that portion of latter-day Israel, in the main, which is now in the restored kingdom; but it is to say that the Israel of Ezekiel's day, which was Jewish, shall dwell in the land of old Jerusalem, where their temple will be built.

This just explains the promise so oft repeated in scripture. "My servant David shall be their prince forever"; indeed this same chapter makes the promise to them, that his servant David shall be raised up, and shall be prince among them, while the Lord shall be their King; while both they that are alive, and they that are dead, shall be restored, and become one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; while David comes forth and reigns as a prince and shepherd over them forever; and the Lord Jesus reigns as King of kings, and Lord of lords, in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously."11

It is in this setting -- a setting of faith and conversion and gathering; a setting of unity and oneness and righteousness; a setting of worthiness and obedience -- it is in this setting that the Lord says: "And David my servant shall be king over them." What David? The Eternal David, the Lord Our Righteousness, who shall dwell among his people and reign in power and glory over all the earth. "And they all shall have one shepherd." What Shepherd? The Good Shepherd, the Lord Jehovah, who led their fathers anciently and will now lead them in the same paths. "For there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth." (1 Ne. 13:41.) And "they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." They shall keep the commandments, even as the people did in the Zion of old, when once before the Lord came and dwelt with his people and they dwelt in righteousness.

Synopsis-Battle of Armageddon will happen just prior to the coming of Christ. It will last around 3-1/2 years. 200 Million people will fight in the battle and when it’s over only 1/6 will remain. It will take the Jews 7 Months to bury the dead and for 7 years they will live off the spoils of war. Some countries involved will be Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, and the lands north of the Caspian Sea (Russia). It will not rain at all during this period of war. Two Prophets will stay the Invading Army until the City is taken. The two Prophets will be killed and on the third day they will rise and be carried up into Heaven. Christ then Comes and wins back the city of Jerusalem. Only 1/3 of the Jews remain. Any unrighteous left will be consumed by fire at appearance of Christ. Scriptures follow:

See GOG AND MAGOG, MILLENNIUM, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SUPPER OF THE GREAT GOD, WAR. Some 60 air miles north of Jerusalem lies the ancient city of Megiddo (now called Tell el-Mutesellim). In its north-central Palestinian location, Megiddo overlooks the great plain of Esdraelon, an area of some 20 by 14 miles in which many great battles took place anciently. Megiddo is the older Hebrew form of Armageddon or Har-Magedon meaning the Mount or Hill of Megiddo, or the Hill of Battles; it is "the valley of Megiddon" mentioned in Zechariah. (Zech. 12:11.)

Children Of Light

15. ARMAGEDDON: "THE BATTLE OF THAT GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY" (Rev. 16:14-21). -- The greatest war, slaughter, carnage, bloodshed, and desolation of all the ages will be in full swing at the very hour when Christ returns. "There shall be a time of trouble," says Daniel, "such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time." (Dan. 12:1.)

All the nations of the earth shall be gathered at Jerusalem, at Armageddon, in the valley of Jehoshaphat, the valley of decision. It will be "A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains." The hosts of Gog and Magog, the armies assembled to battle, shall be "a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them." (Joel 2:2-3.)

20 ¶ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah [and] against Jerusalem.

3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, [that] at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:

11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places [that are now] inhabited, and upon the people [that are] gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

14 ¶ Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know [it]?

15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

1 ¶ Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand;

2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations.

3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.

4 The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.

5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.

7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:

8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and [when] they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.

9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.

10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp [is] very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD [is] great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

1 ¶ And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

7 And the shapes of the locusts [were] like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads [were] as it were crowns like gold, and their faces [were] as the faces of men.

8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as [the teeth] of lions.

9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings [was] as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [was] to hurt men five months.

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses [were] as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.

A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers.

3 ¶ And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8 And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

11 And [men] shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.636

Just before the Lord comes, two witnesses -- mighty prophets of the restoration -- shall be slain in Jerusalem because they testify of Joseph Smith and the restoration and the imminent return of Him whose witnesses they are. "And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." (Revelation 11:8.) The enemies of God will rejoice over the death of these prophets, but after three and a half days the spirit of life will enter their bodies, and they will ascend up on high. And at the same hour Jerusalem will be shaken by the great earthquake that ushers in her ancient King.

20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

1 ¶ Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:

4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that [is] with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and [to] the beasts of the field to be devoured.

5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken [it], saith the Lord GOD.

9 And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:

10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down [any] out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the [noses] of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call [it] The valley of Hamongog.

12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.

13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury [them]; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.

14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.

15 And the passengers [that] pass through the land, when [any] seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.

16 And also the name of the city [shall be] Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, [even] a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.

18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword] proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

8 And it shall come to pass, [that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein.

9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.

22 So the house of Israel shall know that I [am] the LORD their God from that day and forward.

28 Then shall they know that I [am] the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.

29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

3 And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

11 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

11 Wherefore, after they are driven to and fro, for thus saith the angel, many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful; they shall be scattered, and smitten, and hated; nevertheless, the Lord will be merciful unto them, that when they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance.

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;

25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

See GATHERING OF ISRAEL, JEWS, MILLENNIUM, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, ZION. One of the living miracles of the ages is the preservation of the Jewish people as a distinct race and the restless anxiety in the hearts of so many of them to return to the land of their fathers. This modern movement to resettle the house of Judah in Palestine is called Zionism. It gains impetus from the many Old Testament prophecies which tell of the latter-day return of Judah to their homeland.

14 And behold, according to the words of the prophet, the Messiah will set himself again the second time to recover them; wherefore, he will manifest himself unto them in power and great glory, unto the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him; and none will he destroy that believe in him.

7 But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance.

8 And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion, from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; and the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance.

7 And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people.

10 ¶ Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.

11 And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

12 And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.

42 And the time cometh that he shall manifest himself unto all nations, both unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles; and after he has manifested himself unto the Jews and also unto the Gentiles, then he shall manifest himself unto the Gentiles and also unto the Jews, and the last shall be first, and the first shall be last.

8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.

3 Nephi 16:10

10 And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel....behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them.

3 Nephi 16:11

11 And then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.14, p.65, Orson Pratt, March 26, 1871

This will be when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, and you Elders of Zion are sent to the house of Israel. You will go in the Lord's power, and so great will be that power that you will have influence over them. You will tell them that their warfare is accomplished, that their iniquity is pardoned, and that they have received at the Lord's hand double for all their sin; and the Lord will bear witness of this by his mighty power, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm will the Lord do this, and with fury poured out. Poured out upon whom? Upon all the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles who will not receive the truth, their times being fulfilled. It will be expressly the day of the Lord's judgment, or, in other words, the hour of the Lord's judgment, that is spoken of in the 14th chapter of Revelations, when the angel brings the Gospel.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.10, p.220, Wilford Woodruff, June 2, 1863

I rejoice that the Lord still holds the door open, that we still have the privilege of sending the Elders to the nations; while this door remains open we shall continue to preach the Gospel to the Gentile world. When they reject it it will be taken from them and then we go to the Jews, and the ten tribes will come from the north to Zion to be crowned under the hands of the children of Ephraim. And the remnant of the Lamanites who are cursed below all humanity that we are acquainted with--who have been filled with the spirit of bloodshed which they have inherited from their fathers--they will embrace the Gospel in the due time of the Lord. They are of the house of Israel, and this spirit of war will be taken from them and they will become the children of God, but not until the Gentiles have entirely rejected the Gospel. Anciently it was preached to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles; in the latter times it will be first preached to the Gentiles and then to the Jews--the first shall be last and the last first. This is the great work which is laid upon us to-day. We should be true and faithful to-day, and then we ought to follow this practice until death, and then shall we be entitled to have a crown of life. Is it not more honorable to do good than to do evil; to try to do good than to do evil; to try to honor and serve God who is our Father and who has given us every blessing, than sin against him? Would not such a course bring more happiness and pleasure to us than to blaspheme the name of God and dishonor ourselves, bringing darkness and condemnation to our spirits?

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.176 - p.177, Orson Pratt, March 26, 1876

The great object of the angel in restoring the Gospel was, in the first place, to fulfill the times of the Gentiles. Inquires one--"What do you mean by that?" I mean that God will send this Gospel, restored by an angel, to every nations, kindred, people, and tongue in the Gentile world before he will permit his servants to go to the scattered remnants of Israel; and they will labor with, preach to and declare the work of God to the Gentile nations, and seek to bring them to a knowledge of the ancient Gospel, and to organize a Church among them, so far as they will hearken to and receive their testimony. Then, when the Gentile nations shall reject this Gospel and count themselves unworthy of eternal life, as the Jews did before them, the Lord will say--"It is enough, come away from them, my servants, I will give you a new commission, you shall go to the scattered remnants of the house of Israel. I will gather them in from the four quarters of the earth, and bring them again into their own lands. They shall build Jerusalem on its own heap; they shall rear a Temple on the appointed place in Palestine, and they shall be grafted in again." Now that, in short, is the nature of the great latter-day preparatory work for the coming of the Son of Man.

18 ¶ Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.

19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

20 But I will remove far off from you the northern [army], and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.

21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.

22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.

23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first [month].

24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.

25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.

5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem [shall be] my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David [shall be] as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

9 ¶ And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

11 And [men] shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

31 Therefore, as I said concerning the sons of Moses--for the sons of Moses and also the sons of Aaron shall offer an acceptable offering and sacrifice in the house of the Lord, which house shall be built unto the Lord in this generation, upon the consecrated spot as I have appointed--

D&C 128:24

24 Behold, the great day of the Lord is at hand; and who can abide the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap; and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839-42 Pg.171

Thus we behold the keys of this Priesthood consisted in obtaining the voice of Jehovah that He talked with him [Noah] in a familiar and friendly manner, that He continued to him the keys, the covenants, the power and the glory, with which He blessed Adam at the beginning; and the offering of sacrifice, which also shall be continued at the last time; for all the ordinances and duties that ever have been required by the Priesthood, under the directions and commandments of the Almighty in any of the dispensations, shall all be had in the last dispensation, therefore all things had under the authority of the Priesthood at any former period, shall be had again, bringing to pass the restoration spoken of by the mouth of all the Holy Prophets; then shall the sons of Levi offer an acceptable offering to the Lord. "And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord." (See Malachi 3:3.)

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839-42 Pg.172

Elijah was the last Prophet that held the keys of the Priesthood, and who will, before the last dispensation, restore the authority and deliver the keys of the Priesthood, in order that all the ordinances may be attended to in righteousness. It is true that the Savior had authority and power to bestow this blessing; but the sons of Levi were too prejudiced. "And I will send Elijah the Prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord," etc., etc. Why send Elijah? Because he holds the keys of authority to administer in all the ordinances of the Priesthood; and without the authority is given, the ordinances could not be administered in righteousness.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839-42 Pg.173

These sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging to the Priesthood, will, when the Temple of the Lord shall be built, and the sons of Levi be purified, be fully restored and attended to in all their powers, ramifications, and blessings. This ever did and ever will exist when the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood are sufficiently manifest; else how can the restitution of all things spoken of by the Holy Prophets be brought to pass. It is not to be understood that the law of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of ceremonies; this has never been spoken of by the prophets; but those things which existed prior to Moses' day, namely, sacrifice, will be continued.

In a discourse on the Second Coming of Christ, given April 6, 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: "Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple, and water come out from under the temple, and the waters of the Dead Sea be healed. It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple, &c.; and all this must be done before the Son of Man will make His appearance." (Teachings, p. 286.) In a revelation to Joseph Smith, given November 3, 1831, the Lord said: "Let them. . . who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion," which was then being established in America. "And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house." (D&C 133: 12-13.) That is to say, let the Jews gather in their own Jerusalem, a city built upon four hills or mountains, a city in whose mountains they shall build the house of the Lord in due course.

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

10 Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

32 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD [will be] the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

17 So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.71 ZION AND JERUSALEM: TWO WORLD CAPITALS.

When Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon, he learned that America is the land of Zion which was given to Joseph and his children and that on this land the City Zion, or New Jerusalem, is to be built. He also learned that Jerusalem in Palestine is to be rebuilt and become a holy city. These two cities, one in the land of Zion and one in Palestine, are to become capitals for the kingdom of God during the millennium.

In the revelations to the Church in this dispensation the Lord made it known that the western hemisphere is the land of Zion. This knowledge has made clear many passages in the Old Testament that were somewhat obscure and which led the world into some confusion in their interpretations of some passages in the Old Testament referring to Zion and the city New Jerusalem. Songs have been sung, discourses preached and books written about the coming of the New Jerusalem. Those who have sung, or preached, or written, have had the mental picture of Jerusalem of old becoming this new holy city, but the Lord made this matter clear. It is true that Jerusalem of old will be rebuilt in due time and will become a [p.242] sanctified city, the headquarters for the King of kings on the eastern hemisphere. This western half of the earth has been declared by the Lord as a land "choice above all other lands." It was the land where Adam dwelt and where men lived before the flood. It was given as an inheritance to the people of Jared after the flood. When they were destroyed for their wickedness, the hemisphere was given to Joseph, son of Jacob, and his descendants. By the commandment of the Lord, Lehi and his family and those who followed him came here to possess it. It is still the land of Joseph and on this continent, known by revelation as the land of Zion, the New Jerusalem is to be built. There will be two capitals in that day; one in Zion, or the American Continent, and one in Jerusalem, and as Isaiah informs us, here a House of the Lord will be built in Zion and another in Jerusalem, "for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." This is not merely a figure of speech for sake of euphony but has a literal meaning.

With the restoration of the gospel and the setting up of the ecclesiastical kingdom of God on earth, the restoration of the true government of God commenced. Through this Church and kingdom a framework has been built through which the full government of God will eventually operate. With the ushering in of the millennial era the present ecclesiastical kingdom will be expanded into a political kingdom also, and then both civil and ecclesiastical affairs will be administered through it. Then there will be two great world capitals, and the law shall go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isa. 2:1-4.)

At the time there will be two world capitals, "for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isa. 2:3; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, pp. 66-72.) That resurrected personages will have positions of power and responsibility in the kingdom is evident from John's millennial statement: "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:10; 20:4.) Of this the Prophet Joseph Smith said: "Christ and the resurrected saints will reign over the earth during the thousand years. They will not probably dwell upon the earth, but will visit it when they please, or when it is necessary to govern it." (Teachings, p. 68.) Obviously many governmental offices will be filled by mortal persons living on the earth.

In the great day of restoration—a day that has commenced, but in which many things yet remain to be restored—there will finally be two world capitals, both called Zion, both called Jerusalem. One shall be the seat of government, the other the spiritual capital of the world, for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isa. 2:1-5.) That is to say, Jerusalem of old shall be restored, built up anew in glory and beauty, according to the promises, and also, another Jerusalem, a New Jerusalem, shall be established. Moroni tells us "of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven," and of "the holy sanctuary of the Lord." He says that Ether wrote both of this New Jerusalem, which should be upon the American continent, and of the restoration of the Jerusalem in the Old World, the one whence Lehi came. "And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth," the account says: "and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb: and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham." (Ether 13:1-12; 3 Ne. 20:22; 21:23-24.)

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.587

The building of these two world capitals will commence before the Second Coming and continue during the Millennium. Classifying scattered Israel as Gentiles, because they are not nationals of the kingdom of Judah (the Jews), the Lord Jesus said: "If they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance." We are the ones here named; the gospel spoken of came through Joseph Smith; we are of the house of Joseph to whom the land of America has been given as an inheritance, even as it was given to the Nephite portion of Joseph's seed. "And they [the Latter-day Saints] shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem." Israel -- all gathered remnants assisting each other -- shall build the New Jerusalem in America

When the people of the house of Jacob are prepared to receive the Redeemer as their rightful king, when the scattered sheep of Israel have been sufficiently humbled through suffering and sorrow to know and to follow their Shepherd, then, indeed, will He come to reign among them. Then a literal kingdom will be established, wide as the world, with the King of kings on the throne; and the two capitals of this mighty empire will be Jerusalem in the east and Zion in the west. Isaiah speaks of the glory of Christ's kingdom in the latter days, and ascribes separately to Zion and to Jerusalem the blessings of triumph: "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!"

Zion and Jerusalem.—David's ancient empire, which parted in twain, forming the Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel, may have been a foreshadowing of God's greater empire of the last days, which will consist of two grand divisions—two in one? Here upon the Land of Zion, "a land choice above all other lands,"k the children of Joseph, the descendants of Ephraim, are even now assembling to make preparation for Messiah's advent. The Jews will greet him at Jerusalem. Christ's Kingdom will have two capitals, one in the Old World, one in the New; one in America, the other in Palestine. "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."l[p.29]

28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel;

29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.

B. H. Roberts, The Gospel and Man's Relationship to Deity, p.232

And, as it was with those who rejected the Gospel in the days of Noah, so will it be with those who reject the Gospel in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. Such is the prediction of the prophet Isaiah. After describing the judgments that will attend the glorious coming of the Son of God, and the punishment that shall overtake the ungodly, he says:

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.3, p.50 - p.51

PEACE LOST BECAUSE GOSPEL REJECTED. Today we find this world torn asunder, wickedness prevailing in the hearts of the people, distress among the nations, bloodshed such as the world has never seen before. I am going to be bold enough to say that all of this could have been avoided; it would have been unnecessary if the inhabitants of the world had hearkened to the voice of the elders of Israel who are sent to them with this message of salvation, and which they refused to receive.

ALTHOUGH RESTORED TO THE GENTILES, THE GOSPEL WILL ALSO GO TO THE JEWS. The gospel is now restored to us Gentiles, for we are all Gentiles in a national capacity, and it will continue with us if we are faithful, until the law is bound, and the testimony sealed, and the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, when it will again revert to the Jews, whom the Lord will have prepared to receive it. They will gather to their own land, taking with them their gold and silver, and will rebuild their city and temple, according to the prediction of Moses and the prophets. When this time arrives, which is nigh, even at our doors, let the Gentile nations who reject the gospel which is now sent to them, prepare to meet the judgments of an offended God! For when their cup is full even to the brim, the Lord will then remember the chastisements of the Jews, his favored people, and at whose hands they will have received double for their iniquities. Offenses must come, said the Savior, but woe unto them by whom they come. Woe unto the Gentiles, who have administered afflictions to the Jews for these many years! Woe unto them if they now reject this only means of salvation, for the awful calamities spoken of in these books, the Bible and Book of Mormon, will certainly befall them.—JD 18:220-221, August 13, 1876.

When the Gentiles reject the gospel it will be taken from them, and go to the house of Israel, to that long suffering people that are now scattered abroad through all the nations upon the earth, and they will gather at home by the thousands, and by hundreds of thousands, and they will rebuild Jerusalem, their ancient city, and make it more glorious than at the beginning, and they will have a leader in Israel with them, a man that is full of the power of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost; but they are held now from this work, only because the fulness of the Gentiles has not yet come in. Tens of thousands among the Gentile nations will receive the gospel, but the majority of them will reject it, and then the Jews will receive it; and it will go to them with all the gifts, blessings, and powers it possessed when it was taken from them.—JD 2:200, February 25, 1855.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.1, p.309

WARNING THE WICKED. We all know that the world is in distress because of wickedness. People in every land reject the gospel, and the judgments of the Lord have been poured out upon them. These judgments are continuing and will continue if the people will not repent. The Lord has said that he will come to set things in order when the cup of iniquity is full. The missionaries of the Church have been sent out to warn the people and to gather out of the nations and out of our own land all who are willing to repent and receive the gospel. They are also commanded to warn others that they might escape the calamities and the judgments which are hound to continue if people will not receive the gospel.

Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the people of Judah among all nations "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24; JST Luke 21:24, 32). As latter-day revelation makes clear, "the times" of the Gentiles refers to the time when the fulness of the gospel will come among them (D&C 45:24-28). Latter-day revelation further teaches that in the last days the restored gospel will "go forth unto the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then, behold, and lo, they shall turn unto the Jews" (D&C 90:9-11), so "that all who will hear may hear" (D&C 1:11) and "all the families of the earth be blessed" (Abr. 2:11). When the Gentiles reject the gospel, "the times of the Gentiles [will] be fulfilled" (D&C 45:29-30).

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.1, p.658

28-30. The latter-day restoration of the gospel was destined to take place during the era of time named, "the times of the Gentiles"; the Gentiles, in general, would then reject the gospel light; and in "that generation," that is, in the age both of restoration and of rejection, the Gentile era itself would come to an end, or in other words, "the times of the Gentiles" would "be fulfilled."

Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, Vol 2, p.26

5. The coming of the Lord is nigh, and his anger is kindled against all who reject his word and his mercy. The day is soon to come when all who will not hear the voice of the Lord, or his servants, the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people. This will be a terrible thing. It has been predicted since the days of Moses. It was spoken of by Nephi (1 Nephi 22:20-22.); and by our Savior to the Nephites (3 Nephi 20:23-24; 21:11.); by Peter to the Jews (Acts 3:22-23); which words of Peter were quoted by Moroni to the Prophet Joseph Smith (P. of G. P. p. 51,) who said it was soon to be fulfilled. We must not think that this has reference merely to those who reject the Gospel, but it is also to those who have professed the name of Christ but who are unwilling to heed the word of the servants of the Lord. They are to be cut off from among the people of the covenant. (3 Nephi 21:11.) The Savior declared that, "The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity." (Matt. 13:41.) His kingdom is the Church. Even today the cleansing process is going on, but eventually it will come with dreadful suddenness, and none who work iniquity shall escape.

62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

63 And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

64 And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years the earth shall rest.

11 Wherefore, hearken ye together and let me show unto you even my wisdom--the wisdom of him whom ye say is the God of Enoch, and his brethren,

12 Who were separated from the earth, and were received unto myself--a city reserved until a day of righteousness shall come--a day which was sought for by all holy men, and they found it not because of wickedness and abominations;

And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself. And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy; And the general assembly of the church of the first-born shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch .

34 And his people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven, and sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days, or the end of the world;

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 57, p.328

2. The land of promise] To the Latter-day Saints Missouri is the land of promise. There the City of Zion will be established. There the City of Enoch, coming down from heaven, will meet the City of the Saints, and the two will be united and known as the New Jerusalem.

THE CITY OF ENOCH.—It would appear that the translated residents of Enoch's city are under the direction of Jesus, who is the Creator of worlds; and that he, holding the keys of the government of other worlds could, in his administrations to them, select the translated people of Enoch's Zion, if he thought proper, to perform a mission to these various planets, and as death had not passed upon them, they could be prepared by him and made use of through the medium of the holy priesthood to act as ambassadors, teachers, or messengers to those worlds over which Jesus holds the authority.—MA, 76.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., The Way to Perfection, p.310 City of Enoch To Return

When all this comes to pass, surely the earth will be in commotion as it readjusts itself to assume its paradisiacal glory. All this must come to pass, because it is a part of the great restoration, and all things are to be restored, both in heaven and in earth in this dispensation. Among these changes the City of Enoch with its inhabitants is to return and join in the grand celebration at the coming of Christ to reign, and all the prophets of old and the righteous saints shall be gathered in the grand assembly of rejoicing.

All translated beings accordingly receive what amounts to an instantaneous death and resurrection. Those who were translated before the resurrection of our Lord "were with Christ in his resurrection." (D. & C. 133:55.) Those who have been translated since the resurrection of Christ shall continue to live as mortals until the Second Coming when they shall receive their immortal glory. It will be resurrected, not translated beings, who shall return with the city of Enoch.

As we might surmise, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon contains a full and complete account of all things pertaining to the New Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ. From the writings of Ether, preserved in full on those plates, Moroni digested for us a few salient facts that enable us to glimpse what is to be. He tells us the American continent "was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and [the place of] the holy sanctuary [temple] of the Lord." This New Jerusalem is the City of Enoch, which shall return after the Lord comes again. "Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ [the days of his glorious Second Coming], and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land." This New Jerusalem seems to be the one built by the saints in the latter days to which the New Jerusalem from heaven shall come.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.588

As to the return of the City of Enoch, John said: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. This is the Millennial earth that is to be after the Lord returns. "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." Enoch's people, now resurrected and glorified, shall return in all their glory to that earth which once was theirs. "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." The Lord Jesus shall dwell on earth with men again.

Awaiting its Return.—According to these teachings, the City of Enoch is now on a terrestrial plane, awaiting its return to Earth, when the season is ripe and the preparation complete for its reception. The change wrought upon its inhabitants by translation not being equivalent to resurrection, they must undergo a further change to prepare them for celestial glory. The Saints remaining on Earth to meet the Lord will likewise be changed, not by the sleep of death, but "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," at the time of the Savior's coming.t When he comes, Enoch's City will come with him, Zion from above blending with Zion from below, as spirit and body in the resurrection.

Also, the book of Revelation speaks of "the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven" (Rev. 21:2, 10). This may relate to the return of the city of Enoch, the Zion that in Enoch's day was caught up into heaven (Moses 7:12-21, 59-64).

Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 6, p.187

In his vision concerning the second advent of our Lord, Enoch saw a new City of Zion, a New Jerusalem, on this (the American) Continent. (v. 62; also, Doctrine and Covenants 84:3) He saw that Jesus, the King, that he himself (Enoch), and many Saints from the City of Enoch beyond the veil, were to meet the Saints of the latter days in this City of New Jerusalem in America. Those Saints of the Zion [p.188] of Enoch and the Saints gathered from every part of the Earth are to be the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem in Jackson County, Missouri, (v. 63; Ether 13:3)

In Chapter 26 the fact was pointed out that Enoch and his city, known as Zion, were translated and the Lord declared that that city had become His abode forever. In verse 63 of Enoch's [p.213] vision of the latter days (quoted above), the Lord told the ancient Patriarch that when He came to earth to usher in the Millennium that Enoch and his people would return with Him. There they would meet with the Saints of God who had established a New Jerusalem. Also, according to verse 64, the "Holy City," known as Zion, would be the abode of the Lord during the Millennium. Other prophets saw in vision the return to the earth of the City of Enoch. For example, Ether, the last of the Jaredite prophets, spoke "of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the Holy Sanctuary of the Lord."13 Also, John the Revelator saw the return of the City of Enoch; and of this event, he wrote:

1 ¶ And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

5 Of the tribe of Juda [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand.

6 Of the tribe of Aser [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses [were] sealed twelve thousand.

7 Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand.

8 Of the tribe of Zabulon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand.

11 Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel--twelve thousand out of every tribe?

A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.

18 When the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father's name written on their foreheads.

At his Second Coming, "the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father's name written on their foreheads." (D. & C. 133:18; Rev. 14:1-5.) These 144,000 are Gods, as the name on their foreheads specifies; their callings and elections have been made sure; they are exalted personages; they are "redeemed from among men, ... And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Rev. 14:4-5.) They have attained perfection.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843–44, p.366

I am going on in my progress for eternal life. It is not only necessary that you should be baptized for your dead, but you will have to go through all the ordinances for them, the same as you have gone through to save yourselves. There will be 144,000 saviors on Mount Zion, and with them an innumerable host that no man can number. Oh! I beseech you to go forward, go forward and make your calling and your election sure; and if any man preach any other Gospel than that which I have preached, he shall be cursed; and some of you who now hear me shall see it, and know that I testify the truth concerning them.

B.H. Roberts, The Seventy's Course in Theology, First Year, p.19

It must not be understood that this passage limits the number of quorums to seven times seventy, for the Prophet, at the time the quorums were being organized, stated that "If the first Seventy are all employed and there is a call for more laborers, it will be the duty of the seven presidents of the first Seventy to call and ordain other Seventy, and send them forth to labor in the vineyard, until if needs be, they set apart seven times seventy, and even until there are 144,000 thus set apart for the ministry." (See Church History, Vol. II: 221 and Notes.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.1, p.491

34-36. Though "there is none other God but one" for men on this earth to worship, yet "there be gods many, and lords many" throughout the infinite expanse of eternity. (1 Cor. 8:4-7.) That is, there are many exalted, perfected, glorified personages who reign as gods over their own dominions. John saw 144,000 of them standing with Christ upon Mount Zion, all "having his Father's name written in their foreheads" (Rev. 14- 1), which is to say that they were gods and were so identified by wearing crowns so stating. Indeed, to each person who overcomes and gains exaltation, Christ has promised: "I will write upon him the name of my God," and he shall "sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev. 3:12, 21.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.492

And now we learn that after the converts are made, after there kindreds of the earth, there will be those among them who advance and progress until they become kings and priests. See Rev. 1:1-6; 5:1-14; 20:4-6. John here sees 144,000 of these kings and priests, 12,000 from each tribe, converted, baptized, endowed, married for eternity, and finally sealed up unto eternal life, having their calling and election made sure. See 2 Pet. 1:1-19.

Otten & Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine & Covenants, Vol.2, p.41

One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand

It is refreshing to receive correct understanding from the Lord as to the identity and mission of the 144,000. (See Bible, Revelation, chapter 7) The Lord said these are 144,000 high priests who are called to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and gather as many as will come unto Him. (See D&C 77:11)

16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

11 After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.

23 He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land;

24 And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.

26 And they who are in the north countries shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence.

27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.

28 Their enemies shall become a prey unto them,

29 And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land.

30 And they shall bring forth their rich treasures unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.

31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.

32 And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.

13 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews; and the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

26 And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem.

27 Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name.

28 Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.

29 And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward.

10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

Latter-day Zion, a "Promised Land" for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, includes the city New Jerusalem that will be built in the Americas (A of F 10) and, in another sense, the stakes of the Church in all the world. Members also believe that the New Jerusalem is where the "lost ten tribes" will first come (D&C 133:26).

First let us say something further about the restoration of the ten "lost tribes of Israel." Strange to say, notwithstanding all that has been written, there are many members of the Church who think that these "lost tribes" were scattered among the nations and are now being gathered out and are found through all the stakes and branches of the Church. They reach this conclusion because the [p.186] general opinion is that these tribes went into the North, and it is the northern countries from whence most of gathered Israel has been found. Then again, explorers presumably have been to the north pole; they have passed over the pole in their air ships and no land or people comparable to the ten tribes has been discovered. Whether these tribes are in the north or not, I am not prepared to say. As I said before, they are "lost" and until the Lord wishes it, they will not be found. All that I know about it is what the Lord has revealed, and He declares that they will come from the North. He has also made it very clear and definite that these lost people are separate and apart from the scattered Israelites now being gathered out. If this be not true, then the commission of Moses to the Prophet Joseph Smith is without meaning, wherein we read: "Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north." The statement that the tribes are to be led from the north harmonizes perfectly with the words of Jeremiah (Jer. 16:14-15) and Section 133, verses 26 to 34. Surely there must be a time when this great body of people will come to the children of Ephraim to receive their blessings. At their presence the mountains will tremble; they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down. They will bring forth their rich treasures to [p.187] the children of Ephraim, at whose hands they shall receive the rich blessings which the Gospel and its ordinances offer them. Speaking of this, Elder Orson F. Whitney has said:

"It is maintained by some that the lost tribes of Israel—those carried into captivity about 725 B. C.—are no longer a distinct people; that they exist only in a scattered condition, mixed with the nations among which they were taken by their captors, the conquering Assyrians. If this be true, and those tribes were not intact at the time Joseph and Oliver received the keys of the gathering why did they make so pointed a reference to 'the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north'? This too, after a general allusion to the 'gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth.' What need to particularize as to the Ten Tribes, if they were no longer a distinct people? And why do our Articles of Faith give these tribes a special mention?" (See Saturday Night Thoughts, p. 174.)

Another striking statement pointing to the fact that these people are now in a body in preparation for their return is the statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith at the conference held in Kirtland, June 3 to 6, 1831. At this conference the Prophet said: "John the Revelator was then among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long [p.188] dispersion." The Savior also bore witness that these tribes were in a body like the Nephites and he would visit them. (3 Nephi 15:20 and 16:1-4.)

We do not say that occasional blood descendants of Reuben or Naphtali or others of the other tribal heads shall not return to their Palestinian Zion, or assemble in an American Zion, or find their way into the stakes of Zion in all nations, all before the Second Coming of Christ. Some shall no doubt return to Canaan as true believers and members of the true Church, with the intent and purpose of fulfilling the scriptures and building up the ancient cities of Israel. This may well happen in some small measure, and to it there can be no objection. Great movements have small beginnings, and floods that sweep forth from bursting dams are first forecast when small rivulets trickle from the pent-up reservoirs. But we do say that the great day of the return of the Ten Tribes, the day when the assembling hosts shall fulfill the prophetic promises, shall come after our Lord's return. In this connection let us turn to the word of scripture.

Matthias F. Cowley, Wilford Woodruff—His Life and Labors, p.448

"And when the Lord saw fit to hide

The ten lost tribes away,

Thou, earth, was severed to provide

The orb on which they stay."

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section One 1830–34, p.17

And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land, to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country. The people of the Lord, those who have complied with the requirements of the new covenant, have already commenced gathering together to Zion, which is in the state of Missouri; therefore I declare unto you the warning which the Lord has commanded me to declare unto this generation, remembering that the eyes of my Maker are upon me, and that to Him I am accountable for every word I say, wishing nothing worse to my fellowmen than their eternal salvation; therefore, "Fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come." Repent ye, repent ye, and embrace the everlasting covenant, and flee to Zion, before the overflowing scourge overtake you, for there are those now living upon the earth whose eyes shall not be closed in death until they see all these things, which I have spoken, fulfilled. Remember these things; call upon the Lord while He is near, and seek Him while He may be found, is the exhortation of your unworthy servant.

LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL

Commenting on this, Elder George Reynolds has written: "They determined to go to a country where never men dwelt, that they might be free from all contaminating influences. That country could only be found in the north. Southern Asia was already the seat of a comparatively ancient civilization. Egypt flourished in northern Africa, and southern Europe was rapidly filling with the future rulers of the world. They had, therefore, no choice but to turn their faces northward. The first portion of their journey was not however north; according to the account of Esdras, they appear to have at first moved in the direction of their old homes, and it is possible that they originally started with the intention of returning thereto, or probably in order to receive the Assyrians they started as if to return to Canaan, and when they had crossed the Euphrates, and were out of danger from the hosts of the Medes and Persians then they turned their journeying feet toward the polar star. Esdras states that they entered in at the narrow passages of the River Euphrates, the Lord staying the springs of the flood until they were passed over. The point on the River Euphrates at which they crossed would necessarily be in its upper portion, as lower down would be too far south for their purpose.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.457

LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL

The Lost Tribes are not lost unto the Lord. In their northward journeyings they were led by prophets and inspired leaders. They had their Moses and their Lehi, were guided by the spirit of revelation, kept the law of Moses, and carried with them the statutes and judgments which the Lord had given them in age past. They were still a distinct people many hundreds of years later, for the resurrected Lord visited and ministered among them following his ministry on this continent among the Nephites. (3 Ne. 16:1-4; 17:4.) Obviously he taught them in the same way and gave them the same truths which he gave his followers in Jerusalem and on the American continent; and obviously they recorded his teachings, thus creating volumes of scripture comparable to the Bible and Book of Mormon. (2 Ne. 29:12-14.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.458

LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL

In due course the Lost Tribes of Israel will return and come to the children of Ephraim to receive their blessings. This great gathering will take place under the direction of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for he holds the keys of "the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north." (D. & C. 110:11.) Keys are the right of presidency the power to direct; and by this power the Lost Tribes will return, with "their prophets" and their scriptures to "be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim." (D. & C. 133:26-35.)

Reynolds and Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2., p.353

It is very evident from the foregoing quotation that Ephraim or at least a large portion of that tribe, had at some period of its history, separated from the rest of the Tribes of Israel, and at the time of this restitution it was to dwell in a land far from the north country in which the residue were hidden. These tribes are to have the frozen barriers of the north melted, so that the ice shall flow down, then a highway is to be cast up for them, in the midst of the [p.354] great deep; next, they cross barren deserts, and a thirsty land and eventually arrive with their rich treasures at the home of Ephraim, the first born of God of the House of Israel, to be crowned with glory at his hands.

"The judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked, to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home; or in other words, the Gospel will be taken from the gentiles, and later on will be carried to the Jews."

"The western boundaries of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that as President Young tells us, 'when we return to that place there will not be as much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.'

"Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to the test that will try the very best of them.

"The pressure will become so great that the righteous among us will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes."

Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.64 - p.65, Orson Pratt, July 25, 1875

After the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, which period is set in the mind of God, another scene will open up before the world, in the grand panorama of the last days. What is that? The downfall of the Gentile nations. Says one--"Whom do you call Gentiles?" Every nations excepting the literal descendants of Israel. We, the Latter-day Saints, are Gentiles; in other words, we have come from among the Gentile nations, though many of us may have the blood of Israel within our veins. When God has called out the righteous, when the warning voice has been sufficiently proclaimed among these Gentile nations, and the Lord says "It is enough," he will also say to his servants--"O, ye, my servants, come home, come out from the midst of these gentile nations, where you have labored and borne testimony for so long a period; come out from among them, for they are not worthy; they do not receive the message that I have sent forth, they do not repent of their sins; come out from their midst, their times are fulfilled. Seal up the testimony among them and bind up the law." What then? Then the word of the Lord will be--"O, ye, my servants, I have a new commission for you. Instead of going forth to convert the Gentile nations, go unto the remnants of the house of Israel that are scattered in the four quarters of the earth. Go and proclaim to them that the times of their dispersion are accomplished; that the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled; that the time has arrived for my people Israel, who have been scattered for generations in a dark and cloudy day, to gather unto their own homes again, and to build up old Jerusalem on its former heap. And then will commence the gathering of the Jews to old Jerusalem; then the ten tribes in the northern regions, wherever they may be, after having been concealed from the nations for twenty-five hundred years, will come forth and will return, as Jeremiah has said, from the north country. A great company will come, and they will sing in the height of Zion, and "flow together for the goodness of the Lord, for wine and for oil, and for the young of the flock; and their souls shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all." What a happy time for them, when they come from their cold quarters in the north! The Jews dispersed among the Gentiles will not come and sing in the height of Zion, or but very few of them, they will go to Jerusalem. Some of them will believe in the true Messiah, and thousands of the more righteous, whose fathers did not consent to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God, will receive the Gospel before they gather from among the nations. Many of them, however, will not receive the Gospel, but seeing that other are going to Jerusalem they will go also; and when they get back to Palestine, to the place where their ancient Jerusalem stood, and see a certain portion of the believing Jews endeavoring to fulfill and carry out the prophecies, they also will take hold and assist in the same work. At the same time they will have their synagogues, in which they will preach against Jesus of Nazareth, "that impostor," as they call him, who was crucified by their fathers. After awhile, when tens of thousands of them have gathered and rebuilt their Temple, and re-established Jerusalem upon its own heap, the Lord will send forth amongst them a tremendous scourge. What will be the nature of that scourge? The nations that live in the regions round about Jerusalem will gather up like a cloud, and cover all that land round about Jerusalem. They will come into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, east of Jerusalem, and they will lay siege to the city. What then? The lord will raise up two great Prophets, they are called witnesses, in the Revelations of St. John. Will they have much power? Yes, during the days of their prophesying they will have power to smite those who undertake to destroy them, and until their testimonies are fulfilled they will be able to keep at bay all those nations besieging Jerusalem, so that they will not have power to take that city. How long will that be? Three and a half years, so says John the Revelator. If any man hurt them, they shall have power to bring upon that man, nation or army, the various plagues that are there written. They will have power to smite the earth with plague and famine, and to turn the rivers of water into blood. And when they have fulfilled their prophecy, then the nations that have been lying before Jerusalem so long, waiting for an opportunity to destroy the city, will succeed in killing these two Prophets, and their bodies, says John's revelations, will lie in the streets of Jerusalem three days and a half after they are killed. What rejoicing there will be over the death of these men! Those who have been waiting so long and anxiously for this to take place, will no doubt send gifts one to another, and if the telegraph wires are not destroyed, they will telegraph to the uttermost parts of the earth that they have succeeded in killing the two men who had so long tormented them with plagues, turning the waters into blood, etc. But by and by, right in the midst of their rejoicing, when they think the Jews will now certainly fall a prey to them, behold there is a great earthquake, and in the midst of it these two Prophets rise from the dead, and they hear a voice up in the heavens saying--"Come up hither;" and they immediately ascend in the sight of their enemies.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.14, p.332 - p.333, Orson Pratt, February 11, 1872

But before Israel can be gathered, these records, according to the predictions contained in them, must be sounded abroad, not only to the great and powerful nation, the Republic of the United States, and the Canadas, but to all the nations of the Gentiles, that all may be left without excuse. Already the time has far gone by for this warning to the Gentiles. Forty-two years out of the generation has already passed, and the same generation to whom these records were revealed shall not pass away until the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. When that period shall arrive, as I said in my lecture during the week, there will come a day of the Lord's especial power, the day of power spoken of by the psalmist David where he addresses the Lord, saying: "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Israel have never been willing to receive Jesus from the day that they were cut off as bitter branches that brought forth no good fruit, until the present period. Generation after generation has passed away, and they still remain in unbelief, and they still remain in their scattered condition among all the nations and countries of the earth. But when the day of the Lord's power shall come, when he shall send forth his servants with the power of the priesthood and apostleship to the nations and to the scattered remnants of the house of Israel that dwell in the islands of the sea afar off, he will show forth his power in that day in such a conspicuous manner that all Israel, as it were, will be saved. As it is written by the Apostle Paul, "Blindness in part hath happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved." All Israel in that day will hear the voice of the Lord and the voice of his servants; all Israel, in that day, will see the arm of the Lord made bare in signs and mighty wonders in effecting the restoration of his chosen people to their own land. Then will be fulfilled that which is spoken of in the 20th chapter of Ezekiel concerning their restoration: "For with a mighty hand, saith the Lord, and with fury poured out will I rule over you, and I will gather you out of the nations and from the countries wherein you were driven with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm and with fury poured out, and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face like as I plead with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you saith the Lord God." That has never been fulfilled, but it will be fulfilled when scattered Israel return to their own land. A similar scenery is to be enacted to that which was enacted when Israel were brought forth out of the land of Egypt, while they were in the wilderness. Go back to that period and behold the Lord descending upon Mount Sinai, speaking with the voice of a trump in the ears of twenty-five hundred thousand people, the thunders rolling, the lightnings flashing and the voice of Jehovah heard by a whole nation. You marvel at this, it was great and wonderful; but another day is to come when those sceneries enacted in the wilderness of the land of Egypt will be almost entirely forgotten, swallowed up in the greater manifestations of his power, not alone on Mount Sinai, but among all the nations of the earth. Wherever Israel is scattered there will the servants of God be, and his power working wonders, signs and miracles for the gathering of that people and restoring them to their own land. And when they are gathered together in a vast body the Lord intends to take that multitude into the wilderness before he permits them to go into the land of their fathers, and when he gets them into that wilderness, he says, "I will plead with you face to face, like as I plead with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt." Yet we are told by the present generation there is to be no more revelation, no more miracles, no more manifestations of the power of the Almighty, no more the voice of God speaking from the heavens, no more of the manifestations of his glory, or the showing of himself personally to his people. How wonderfully this generation of Christendom will be mistaken in that day when Israel will go again to their own land, and when the Lord God shall stretch forth his hand to the nations of the Gentiles, saying, "Your times are fulfilled, my servants have been sent forth in your midst, they have declared the word of the Lord to you all the day long, but you would not hear or receive their testimony, now the summer is ended and your times are fulfilled. Now will I gather my people Israel from the four quarters of the earth."

Joseph F. Smith, Jr., Conference Report, April 1911, p.124-125

From time to time, some one, filled with hatred of the truth, in the blind desire to destroy the work of the Lord, appeals to the nations to cast out the elders of Israel who are carrying this message of salvation unto all who will believe, and warning others that they may be left without excuse. It would be a sorry day for any nation, where the gospel is being preached, should it conclude to drive the elders of the Church from is borders and deny them the right to preach the gospel among the people. The elders insure peace unto the nations, so long as they will hear the message of salvation and will protect and defend the truth. When the time comes that the nation; will cast the elders out, and no longer receive their testimony, but "bow to Satan's thrall," as we heard in the anthem this afternoon, woe be unto them. We read in the word of the Lord that after the testimony of the elders will come wrath and indignation upon the people. For after their testimony will cone the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause suffering and sorrow and men shall fall upon the ground for fear. There shall come also the testimony of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. All things shall be in commotion and men's hearts shall fail them because of fear that shall come upon the people. These things shall follow the testimony of the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, when the people of the world reject them and drive them from their borders. We go unto them with a message of peace, of truth, of eternal salvation, calling upon them to repent of their sins and enter into the true fold, where they may receive rest. When they will not do this, but to the contrary, will listen to the unrighteous and condemn the truth, then God will withdraw the Gospel from among them. In that day the time of the Gentiles will be fulfilled, and the gospel will be carried to the Jews. For this gospel must be preached to them as well as to the Gentile nations, and a remnant of the Jews will gather--as they are gathering since the dedication of their land for their return--in Palestine, and as a remnant of Ephraim and his fellows are now gathering to the land of Zion. The Jews, in due tithe will be established in their own land, and the Lord will come, according to His promise, unto His people in the hour of their distress, and will deliver them from their enemies. Then will they look upon Him and discover His wounds and shall say: "What are these wounds in Thine hands." And He shall answer them: "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." Then will they fall down and worship Him as their Redeemer--the Son of God. After that they will be cleansed of their sins and shall receive the gospel. And the nations that seek to destroy Jerusalem in that day will the Lord destroy, for he shall be King over all the earth and righteousness shall prevail among the people. Zion shall be established on this continent; Jerusalem will be re-established on the old continent, and wickedness will depart from the earth; for when Christ comes and the righteous with Him, the wicked will be as stubble and will be consumed.

You will find it recorded in one of the revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith and the elders of this Church, that after the testimony of the elders should come the testimony of lightnings, of thunder, of earthquakes, of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, and of destruction, the elements being engaged in bearing testimony—the thunder would cry repentance. CR1923Oct:31-32

88. And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.

89. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

90. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. (Revelation Dec. 27/28, 1832; the "olive leaf message of peace") D&C 88:88-90

At present the message of peace is being heralded to the world by more than 5000 duly commissioned servants of the Lord, representing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The mission of these ambassadors is to cry repentance unto this generation as well as to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. Should this message be rejected, the Lord has warned the people as follows:

"For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

"And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

"And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people." (D&C 88:89-91)

As the representatives of our Heavenly Father, we admonish people everywhere to turn unto the Lord and forsake evil, lest His judgments overtake them. Only through a return to the teachings of the Master can peace come to the world and the kingdom of God be made ready for the return of the Prince of Peace to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Christmas message in Church News) MOFP6:283

All we have heard and we have experienced is scarcely a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, "Come home: I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth," all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands; and they will destroy each other, caring not for blood and lives of their neighbors, of their families, or for their own lives. (In Bowery, July 1860; JD8:123) DBY:111-12; DGSM:95

Before the Lord destroyed the old world, he directed Noah to prepare an ark; before the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, he told Lot to "flee to the mountains;" before Jerusalem was destroyed Jesus gave his disciples warning, and told them to "flee out of it;" and before the destruction of the world, a message is sent; after this, the nations will be judged, for God is now preparing his own kingdom for his own reign, and will not be thwarted by any conflicting influence, or opposing power. The testimony of God is first to be made known, the standard is to be raised; the gospel of the kingdom is to be preached to all nations, the world is to be warned, and then come the troubles. (The Government of God, p. 101) TLDP:328-29

Call ye, therefore, upon them with loud proclamation, and with your testimony, fearing them not, for they are as grass, and all their glory as the flower thereof which soon falleth, that they may be left also without excuse—

Burton, ed., We Believe, Last Days

8. And that I may visit them in the day of visitation, when I shall unveil the face of my covering, to appoint the portion of the oppressor among hypocrites, where there is gnashing of teeth, if they reject my servants and my testimony which I have revealed unto them.

9. And again, I will visit and soften their hearts, many of them for your good, that ye may find grace in their eyes, that they may come to the light of truth, and the Gentiles to the exaltation or lifting up of Zion.

10. For the day of my visitation cometh speedily, in an hour when ye think not of; and where shall be the safety of my people, and refuge for those who shall be left of them? (Revelation received Jan. 19, 1841) D&C 124:7-10

15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

14 ¶ But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

12 When you, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place; whoso readeth let him understand.

8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.

22 Behold, it is my will, that all they who call on my name, and worship me according to mine everlasting gospel, should gather together, and stand in holy places;

Latter-day Revelation Concerning the Gathering -- We have found abundant proof of the severely literal fulfilment of prophecies relating to the dispersion of Israel. The predictions relative to the gathering have been but partly fulfilled; for, while the work of concentration has been well begun, and is now in active progress, the consummation is yet future. It is reasonable, then, to look for revelation and prophecy concerning the subject in modern scripture as well as in the inspired writings of former times. Speaking to the elders of the Church in this dispensation, the Lord declares the purpose of gathering His people "even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings" and adds: "And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts; Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked."

Early Latter-day Saints first encountered the concept of a New Jerusalem separate from the Old World Jerusalem in Book of Mormon prophecies that the land of America was to be "the place of the New Jerusalem" (3 Ne. 20:22; Ether 13:3). More information came in September 1830, soon after the Church was organized, when a revelation mentioned building a New Jerusalem near the Missouri River at a location soon to be revealed (D&C 28:9). Another revelation that same month enjoined the Saints to "bring to pass the gathering of [the Lord's] elect," suggesting both the work of missionaries and the physical gathering of the faithful to a designated location. It also stressed that the Saints should be "gathered in unto one place" (D&C 29:7-8).

Soon after the missionaries left Ohio for the West in December 1830, Sidney Rigdon left for New York, accompanied by Edward Partridge. They brought news of the conversions in Ohio and urged Joseph Smith and the membership to move there. Joseph was prepared to take the suggestion seriously because of revelations he received concerning the gathering of the Church (D&C 37:1-4; 38:31-33). Indeed, for the remainder of the century, converts to the Church would assemble at a central gathering place, first in Ohio, then in Missouri, in Illinois, and finally in Utah. Another revelation focused on the second coming of Jesus Christ and on the destructions to be visited upon the world before that event occurred. It said that before those tribulations, the people of God were to "be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land" (D&C 29:8). A further revelation spoke of a city of Zion to be built somewhere in the West (D&C 28:9). These hints led Church members to realize that they would not remain long in New York.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.2, p.55, Orson Pratt, October 7, 1854

Very well, then, the Saints are to be gathered, and they are to come not only by thousands, but tens of thousands, scores of thousands, and hundreds of thousands are to be assembled from among the nations. How is this to be brought about? Through the servants of the living God. This is what the Lord told us before one Saint was gathered. In a revelation, given in the presence of six Elders, in Sept, 1830, the Lord says, "Ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect, for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts, therefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father, that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face this land."

The spirit of gathering had already rested upon her, and he explained to her the importance of this principle of the gospel. The Father desires that His children shall be gathered in unto one place where their hearts shall be prepared against the day when tribulation and desolation shall come upon the wicked. The Psalmist referred to this subject and exclaimed: "Gather my Saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." (Ps. 1:5.) Isaiah, looking to the future, saw that in the last days the mountain of the Lord's house should be established in the tops of the mountains, to which all nations should go. (Isaiah 2:2.) Here the Lord was to give them one heart, and make an everlasting covenant with them. (Jer. 32: 37-44.) And in that day the Lord should set His hand again the second time to recover the remnants of His people. (Isaiah 11:11-16.) John, the revelator, saw this time, and heard a voice from heaven saying: "Come out of her (Babylon) my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev. 18:4.) It was, therefore, in strict accordance with the scriptures that she should have the desire to gather, as well as that the Saints should have an assembling place where they might learn to walk in the paths of God more strictly than in the world. There are ordinances, too, to be performed in the holy temples, for the living and the dead, that cannot be done elsewhere. It is not well, however, that this act of gathering should be considered thoughtlessly and in haste, but rather with deliberation and careful forethought.

At this point in Jesus' discourse, Matthew and Luke insert the statement, "Whoso readeth let him understand." We know that Daniel foretold that desolation, born of abomination and wickedness, would sweep Jerusalem as with a flood in the day that the Messiah was cut off from among the living. (Dan. 9:27; 11:31: 12:11.) According to Luke's account Jesus said: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." The sorrows and evils of this dread day we shall relate shortly. The counsel that the saints should then "stand in the holy place" means that they should assemble together where they could receive prophetic guidance that would preserve them from the desolations of the day. The place of their assembly became holy because of the righteousness of the holy ones who comprised the Lord's congregation. As Matthew recorded:

From this circumstantial forecast of conditions then directly impending, the Lord passed to other developments that would immediately precede the destruction of Jerusalem and the total disruption of the Jewish nation. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place," said He, according to Matthew's account, and virtually so also as stated by Mark, or "when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies" as Luke writes, "then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." This was a specific sign that none could misunderstand. Daniel the prophet had foreseen the desolation and the abominations thereof, which comprised the forcible cessation of temple rites, and the desecration of Israel's shrine by pagan conquerors.

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

See ABOMINATIONS, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Daniel spoke prophetically of a day when there would be "the abomination that maketh desolate" (Dan. 11:31; 12:11), and the phrase was recoined in New Testament times to say, "the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet." (Matt. 24:15.) Aside from the prophetic setting and relying solely on the plain meaning of words, we would conclude that this phrase (abomination of desolation) would have reference to some great act or status of corruption and befoulment, of contamination and filthiness, which would bring to pass destruction, ruination, devastation, desolation.

24 ¶ But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

6 ¶ Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:

8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be as] flames.

9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

11 And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

18 And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

21 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22 And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling [fig] from the fig tree.

19 For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

1 ¶ OH that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

2 As [when] the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, [that] the nations may tremble at thy presence!

3 When thou didst terrible things [which] we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.

8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

4 And the mountains shall be molten under him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, [and] as the waters [that are] poured down a steep place.

6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it [is] a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land];

11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted.

13 Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of Hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

23 Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll?

2 Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation--behold, when the Lord shall come, yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God--then will ye say that there is no God?

8 And it shall be a great day at the time of my coming, for all nations shall tremble.

9 But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood; and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked.

23 Wherefore, be not deceived, but continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth--and all this when the angel shall sound his trumpet.

118 For, with you saith the Lord Almighty, I will rend their kingdoms; I will not only shake the earth, but the starry heavens shall tremble.

119 For I, the Lord, have put forth my hand to exert the powers of heaven; ye cannot see it now, yet a little while and ye shall see it, and know that I am, and that I will come and reign with my people.

87 For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree.

88 And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.

89 For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

90 And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.

22 And it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found.

23 He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land;

24 And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.

61 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;

66 But before that day he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men's hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked.

"The stars which fall to Earth, are fragments, which have been broken off from the Earth from time to time, in the mighty convulsions of nature. Some in the days of Enoch, some perhaps in the days of Peleg, some with the ten tribes, and some at the crucifixion of the Messiah. These all must be restored again at the "times of the restitution of all things." This will restore the ten tribes of Israel; and also bring again Zion, even Enoch’s city. It will bring back the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God; that you and I may partake of it. When these fragments, (some of which are vastly larger than the present Earth) are brought back and joined to this Earth, it will cause a convulsion of nature; the graves of the Saints will be opened, and they rise from the dead; while the mountains will flow down, the valleys rise, the sea retire to its own place, the islands and continents will be removed, and Earth will be rolled together as a scroll. The Earth will be many times larger than it is now. "If I have told you of Earthly things and ye believed not; what would you do if you were to be told of Heavenly things?"

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.634

When the earth was first created all the land was in one place and there were no mountains and valleys of the kind that now exist. At the Second Coming of Christ the sea will be driven back to its place in the north, the continents shall become one land again, every valley shall be exalted, every mountain shall be made low, and the earth shall cease bringing forth thorns and noxious weeds, but shall become as the garden of the Lord. (D. & C. 133:20-31, 44.)

14. PHYSICAL CHANGES OF EARTH AT SECOND COMING. -- Great changes are in store for the earth and all things on its face when our Lord comes in glory. "Not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man." (D. & C. 88:87.) "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isa. 40:4-5; D. & C. 49:23; Ezek. 38:19-20.)

The Lord "shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided. And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh." (D. & C. 133:23-25.) This will be the day when there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, when the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory when the great millennium will be ushered in. (Isa. 65:17-25; D. & C. 101:23-32; Tenth Article of Faith.)

The Lamb of God opened each seal to show forth the great things of each succeeding thousand years, things that would begin or occur during that period. When he opened the sixth seal -- and we are now living near the end of the sixth period of a thousand years -- "lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind." (Rev. 6:12-13.) There may be more than one occasion when the light of the sun and the moon shall be withheld from men, and when it will seem as though the very stars in the firmament are being hurled from their places. What is here recited could mean that the light of the sun is blotted out by smoke and weather conditions, which would also make the moon appear "as blood." This falling of the stars "unto the earth" could be meteoric showers, as distinguished from the stars, on another occasion, appearing to fall because the earth itself reels to and fro. Perhaps the passage has reference to both types of falling stars. The latter-day revelation that seems to parallel John's words has come to us in this language: "Not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree." (D&C 88:87.)

1 ¶ AND I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image.

3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead [man]: and every living soul died in the sea.

4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous [are] thy judgments.

8 ¶ And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

12 ¶ And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

17 ¶ And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great.

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

1 ¶ AND there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

9 ¶ And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

"And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, God your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth." These, then, are the seven last plagues, the plagues that pour out the fulness of the wrath of God upon the wicked, the plagues that usher in the second coming of the Son of Man:

Journal of Discourses, Vol.2, p.195, Wilford Woodruff, February 25, 1855

Angels are sent as ministering spirits to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. We believe the Lord means what He says. We believe Israel were led formerly by Prophets who were full of wisdom and truth; and they are again to be led by holy Prophets, that have the Priesthood of the Most High upon them, and power to lead and to teach the children of men. When Daniel the Prophet declared that the kingdom of God should be set up in the last days, and that it should break in pieces all other kingdoms, and have no end, he meant what he said. When we read the prophecies that declare unto us that great wickedness shall be upon the earth in the latter days, and that great plagues will he poured out upon the world; that angels are to pour out the vials of the wrath of the Almighty, and that previous to this all men are to be warned by the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we believe those declarations will have a literal fulfilment.

"One of the seven angels which had the seven vials," out of which were poured the seven last plagues, said to John: "Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have made drunk with the wine of her fornication." What sins must men commit to be found deserving of death? The sins of Babylon -- what are they? Who is she to be burned with fire? The angelic reply cries out: Because of her fornication; that is, because of false worship, false religion, and a false plan of salvation, because she guides men to worship false gods. And if the Judge of all the earth, whose judgments are just, decrees the death penalty, who shall question the wisdom of the verdict, or say him nay on the day of the execution?

26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men's hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

33 And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolation’s; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another.

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great.

Thus it is that the prophetic word speaks of wars and rumors of wars as being among the signs of the times. Jesus set the stage for our consideration of these matters when, discoursing on Olivet, he said of the gathered ones of Israel at the last days: "And they shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars. Behold I speak for mine elect's sake" -- he is baking of those in our day who will be able to distinguish what the scriptures say about the ancient wars from what they say relative to those of the present; they are the ones who shall catch the vision of a new order of blood and cage reserved for the last days -- "for nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (JS-M 1:28-29.) And also: "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." (D&C 45:33.) He is here giving the wars of the last days a place of preeminence and standing among all the wars of the ages.

One of the signs of the times is that the elements (meaning weather conditions and such things as bring about earthquakes and the like) shall be in commotion in the last days. (D. & C. 88:87-92.) When the Lord comes, the elements (meaning the earth itself and all that composes it) shall melt with fervent heat, and all things shall be made new. (D. & C. 101:25; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; 3 Ne. 26:3; Morm. 9:2.) And finally, when this earth becomes a celestial sphere, the natural elements of which it is composed will become immortal and eternal. (D. & C. 77:1; 88:16-32; 130:9.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.691 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

9. SIGNS OF THE TIMES TO BE FULFILLED. -- Many revelations summarize the signs and world conditions, the wars, perils, and commotions of the last days. Preceding our Lord's return, the prophetic word tells of plagues, pestilence, famine, and disease such as the world has never before seen; of scourges, tribulation, calamities, and disasters without parallel; of strife, wars, rumors of wars, blood, carnage, and desolation which overshadow anything of past ages; of the elements being in commotion with resultant floods, storms, fires, whirlwinds, earthquakes -- all of a proportion and intensity unknown to men of former days; of evil, iniquity, wickedness, turmoil, rapine, murder, crime, and commotion among men almost beyond comprehension. (Matt. 24; Luke 21; D. & C. 29; 43; 45; 86; 87; 88:86-98; 133; Jos. Smith 1; Mal. 3; 4.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.712 SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN

See SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SIGNS, SIGN-SEEKING, SIGNS OF THE TIMES, SON OF MAN. Among the heavenly signs and wonders of the last days, one is to stand out particularly as the harbinger of the coming of our Lord. It is singled out and known as the sign of the Son of Man. (Jos. Smith 1:36; Matt. 24:29-30.) "There will be wars and rumors of wars," the Prophet said, "signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, etc. But the Son of Man will come as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east." (Teachings, pp. 286-287.) When this sign is given, however, it will be known to and identified by the Prophet of God on earth. (Teachings, pp. 279-280.)

For example, modern revelation declares that these are the last days. This period of the earth's history may be recognized by several signs: The fulness of the gospel will be restored and preached to all the world (D. & C. 39:11; 1:23); work will be done for the spirits of the dead (D. & C. 76:73; 124:29-36; also Sections 127 and 1 28); mighty, natural events will take place, from the darkened sun to tremendous earthquakes, and the whole earth will be in commotion and many will be destroyed because of wars, pestilence, and fear. (D. & C., Sections 29, 45, 49, 84, 87, 88) These are also signs of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. (D. & C. 45:39) All who fear the Lord will anxiously look for these signs as they appear. (D. & C. 45:39) Yet, despite these signs, none shall know the exact time of His coming:

It will be a terrible time, with "wars, and rumors of wars" (JS-M 1:28), with world unrest; "nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes" (JS-M 1:29). "And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold" (JS-M 1:30). Yet at that very time "this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come" (JS-M 1:31). A thick pall of dust and smoke shall cover the earth, "the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light" (JS-M 1:33). The generation in which these things happen will see the final end (see JS-M 1:34): unlike all the other great destructions, this one involves the entire globe, when "all the tribes of the earth mourn" (JS-M 1:36). Then the Son of Man shall come, but first "he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet" for a last gathering--"and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds" (JS-M 1:37). "As it was in the days which were before the flood," it will be business as usual right up until the end, which shall come suddenly and unexpectedly: "They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be" (JS-M 1:42-43). Again an interesting comparison occurs when the Lord likens himself to a thief in the night. There are no criminal connotations; the metaphor is used purely to describe the manner of his coming--it will be a complete surprise. How does one prepare for it, then? One does not. Jesus makes it very clear that the only preparation is to live every day as if the Lord were coming on that day. In striking contrast to the Jerusalem situation, he gives no specific instructions but explains that "then shall be fulfilled that which is written, that in the last days, two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken, and the other left; two shall be grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken, and the other left" (JS-M 1:44-45), which means that there is no point in devising ingenious schemes for survival. There is but one real course of escape. What you should do is to watch yourself at all times (see JS-M 1:46); to be found doing good all the time (see JS-M 1:49); to not act as if it were going to be business as usual indefinitely, as if the great event belonged to a vague and indefinite future (see JS-M 1:51). The one thing you can be sure of is that it will be "in such an hour as ye think not" (JS-M 1:48). So the only preparation is to do what? To abstain from taking advantage of others, oppressing the poor, and living in luxury (see JS-M 1:52).

Nor is war all we face; as the crusades of carnage increase, so will the plagues and pestilence. Famine and disease will stalk the earth. And for some reason, as yet undiscovered by modern geologists, earthquakes will increase in number and intensity. These are the last days, and the judgments of God are at hand.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.6, p.49, Orson Hyde, November 1, 1857

As well might we be made to believe that the student could solve every problem of Euclid, who had never learned simple addition, as to believe the Government our impartial friends while they decline to redress our wrong. The conduct of the "unjust judge" towards the "poor widow" might raise the blush of shame upon our national cheek, if the nation possessed as fine sensibilities and as much discernment as that "unjust judge". He saw that his own peace, ease, and happiness depended upon his avenging the "poor widow." And if the peace, ease, and happiness of these United States, in future, do not depend upon their redressing "Mormon" wrongs, (though they may not fear God, neither regard man,) then the Lord does not speak by me . The nation will soon find out whether "wrath and indignation some upon the people in the shape of earthquakes, thundering, and lightnings, tempests,--the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds; and all things being in commotion, while fear comes upon all people." The nations may have occasion to consider the treasures of hail and snow reserved for the last days--even the day of battle for the controversy of Zion. They may yet learn that the nation and kingdom that will not serve Zion shall perish; yes, that such nations shall be utterly wasted.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.6, p.340, Orson Hyde, April 6, 1854

Not only has the dispensation for the gathering of the Saints come, but the wicked also will be gathered. You know it is said, in the last days, there shall be "wars and rumours of wars, and earthquakes in divers places; and again, "When these things begin to come to pass," "lift up your heads" and rejoice, "for your redemption draweth nigh." Again, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." How often we hear it said by many who profess to be Saints. "This thing and that thing are wrong." Perhaps certain men have lost their property: it is mysteriously missing. "Really," say they, "we feel offended because such things are practised, and we will not stay among such a people where such things are." This is the natural feeling of those who give way to this spirit of complaining, and they centre all the blame at head-quarters--on the men who are proclaiming against such practices night and day, both verbally and in their daily example.

5 Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand.

15 And there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men;

SORROW AND FEAR PRECEDE AND ACCOMPANY SECOND COMING. -- As the signs of the times unfold, as the plagues and desolations of the last days multiply, "There shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men." (D. & C. 29:15.) Fear of the future shall increase in the hearts of the wicked until they shall call on the rocks and the hills to fall on them and hide them "from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:12-17; Luke 23:30-31.) After the Lord finally comes, the spirit of grace and supplication shall be poured out on the remaining Jews; they shall learn that they crucified their King; and then "they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn." (Zech. 12:10-14.)

Weeping shall prevail among the wicked in the last days, for calamities shall be poured out upon them because of their iniquities. (D. & C. 29:15; 45:53; 112:24.) "Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children," our Lord told the daughters of Jerusalem as he foresaw the future desolations that would befall them and their seed. (Luke 23:27-31.) Among the damned souls in hell "there shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil." (Alma 40:13-14; Mosiah 16:2; Hela. 13:32-33; Jas. 5:1-6; D. & C. 19:5; 101:89-91; 133:73.)

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord." There is a certain smugness in the Church, a feeling that all these things are for others, not for us. But do not the same hurricanes often destroy the homes of the righteous as well as the wicked? And do not the same drouths often burn the crops of the saints along with those of the Gentiles? Do not the righteous and the wicked often fight side by side in the same wars? And do not atomic bombs fall on all the inhabitants of doomed cities? Where, then, shall the vengeance of the last days be found? The Lord says: "And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord." (D&C 112:24-26.) Vengeance is for the wicked, in and out of the Church, and only the faithful shall be spared, and many of them only in the eternal perspective of things.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.9, p.54 - p.55, Heber C. Kimball, April 14, 1861

There are many good books for you to read, and that are full of good instruction. Here are the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Book of Doctrine and Covenants. You will see many revelations in the last-named book that are already fulfilled, and there are others that are still in the future. The Almighty through his Prophets foretold that the nation would make war upon this people, and that he would come out of his hidingplace, and pour out his judgments upon those that rebel against him, and who persecuted his people, and set themselves against his house. Then it shall go forth like a mighty whirlwind upon the face of the whole earth. In this country the North and the South will exert themselves against each other, and ere long the whole face of the United States will be in commotion, fighting one against another, and they will destroy their nationality. They have never done anything for this people, and I don't believe they ever will. I have never prayed for the destruction of this Government, but I know that dissolution, sorrow, weeping, and distress are in store for the inhabitants of the United States, because of their conduct towards the people of God. Then the judgments will go forth to the nations of the earth. I have an understanding of these things, and I sincerely hope that you comprehend as clearly as I do. If you do, you will strive to prepare for those things that are coming upon the earth in these last days.

Then shall be fulfilled that which is written, that in the last days 'two shall be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other shall be left;' and what I say unto one I say unto all men: watch, therefore, for ye know not at what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up; but would have been ready. Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh. Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler, over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing; and verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in that hour that he is now aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth: And then cometh the end of the wicked, according to the prophecy of Moses, saying, they should be cut off from among the people. But the end of the earth is not yet, but by and by.

Messenger and Advocate (Sept. 1835) John Whitmer "Cleanliness," p.189

This plainly specifies the work, that they have to perform; before the great day of the Lord comes; when "the sun shall be darkened and the moon turn into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven; and there shall be greater signs in heaven above and in the earth beneath; and there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men; and there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth: and it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent: for behold my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not."

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

It is not to be wondered at, that those various plans should exist, for the world is in a horrible situation. Jesus prophesied of it, and said, there should be upon the earth "distress of nations, perplexity, men's hearts failing them, for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming upon the earth," Luke xxi. 25, 26. Men see these things, and their hearts fear; confusion, disorder, misery, blood, and ruin, seem to stare them in the face; and in the absence of something they try toe foregoing remedies, as a sailor, in the absence of something great, noble, and magnificent, suited to the exigency of the case, they try the foregoing remedies, as a sailor, in the absence of a boat, would cling with tenacity to any floating piece of wreck, to save him from a watery grave.

And amid it all, natural disasters shall be everywhere, "the sea and the waves roaring" -- there shall be no safety upon the waters in the last days -- "men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Ought not men's hearts to fail them for fear when they see the volcanic eruptions, the earthquakes, the famine, the pestilence, the plagues, and the disease? It is as though the very human race is about to be destroyed. Is this to be the end of the earth and of all life upon its face? "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." And among all the inhabitants of the earth, only the Latter-day Saints will have any peace of mind. Jesus' next words are addressed to them: "And when these things begin to come to pass" -- and we are seeing some of them now, though the great day of fulfillment lies ahead -- "then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:25-28.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol.3, p.426 - p.427

"The Holy Great One will come forth from his dwelling, and the eternal God will tread upon the earth, even on Mount Sinai, and appear from his camp, and appear in the strength of his might from the heaven of heavens. And all shall be smitten with fear, and the watchers shall quake, and great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth. And the high mountains shall be shaken, and the high hills shall be made low, and shall melt like wax before the flame. And the earth shall be wholly rent in sunder, and all that is upon the earth shall perish, and there shall be a judgment upon all men. But with the righteous he will make peace, and will protect the elect, and mercy shall be upon them. And they shall all belong to God, and they shall be prospered, and they shall all be blessed. And he will help them all, and light shall appear unto them, and he will make peace with them. And behold! he cometh with ten thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to destroy all the ungodly: And to convict all flesh of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the old Testament, vol. 2, pp. 188-189.)

Now you behold the apple tree and all the trees, when they begin to shoot forth their leaves, ye know of your own selves that summer is nigh at hand; and so likewise when ye shall see great earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and plagues of every kind; the sea breaking beyond its bounds and all things in commotion; the nations distressed with perplexity; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking for the things which are coming on the earth; when you see signs in the heaven above, and in the earth beneath, blood, and fire and vapor of smoke, the sun turned to darkness, the moon to blood, and stars hurled from their courses; when you see the Jews gathering to Jerusalem, and the armies of the nations gathering against them to battle, you may know, with a perfect knowledge that Christ's coming is near, even at the doors. "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."26

Another of our Lord's predictions concerning His second coming is as follows: "And they [the disciples] asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: Go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. * * * And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Journal of Discourses, Vol.3, p.135 - p.136, Parley P. Pratt, October 7, 1855

Now, when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled there will be an uprooting of their governments and institutions, and of their civil, political, and religious polity. There will be a shaking of nations, a downfall of empires, an upturning of thrones and dominions, as Daniel has foretold, and the kingdom and power, and rule on the earth will return to another people, and exist under another polity, as Daniel has further foretold. But let me read it here, let Jesus speak in his own words, or the writer for him. Now understand that we have got down to the present time, that is sure with this prophecy, no man can mistake it. Jerusalem has been overthrown, and not one stone of that magnificent temple has been left upon another. A great portion of that nation fell by the edge of the sword, and the residue went captive among all nations, and their city has been trodden under foot of the Gentiles, and will be until their times are fulfilled, that is, until they have had their reign out. Then what will happen? We will read; "And there shall be signs in the sun." Has anybody seen them?--not away back among those other things; there were signs in the air then; Josephus tells you about it, and this book tells you about it, as I have been reading to-day in this chapter, about the signs which happened as a forerunner of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the Jews as a nation. Now after the Jews have remained among the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, as a forerunner of this latter overturn "there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon." Have any of you seen them during the last 30 years? I have. "And in the stars." Have you seen any signs in the stars? Think back for the last 30 years. "And upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And THEN"--not some other time. Are there any Millerites here who have been setting a time for the Son of Man to come? "Then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory." Not you, my disciples, whom I told a little while ago should be delivered up to the synagogues, and to prisons, and be beheaded, and suffer many things; not you whom I have warned to take heed lest you are deceived by false Christs that shall come to you; and when you should hear of wars and commotions to be not terrified, &c.; but Jesus Christ now directs his attention to another age; this does not refer to you my followers, you will be dead, and in paradise when these things that I now refer to shall take place. But THEY. Who? The people who shall live when the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled--when their reign is about to come to an end, the generation that will be alive when Jerusalem and the Jews are about to be restored, and the full end of all Gentile polity is about to usher in. "Then shall they see," those that shall live in those days. And what shall they see? "The Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."

Journal of Discourses, Vol.3, p.136, Parley P. Pratt, October 7, 1855

That is the proud sight that is to be seen in connection with the end of the Gentile rule, or the breaking up of the Gentile nations, when their times are completed; when Jerusalem is to be rebuilt, to be no more trodden down nor governed by them, when the Jews are to be restored; and when there are signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, and upon the earth, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after the things that are coming, then shall they see, not the crucified Jesus hanging upon the ignominious cross, mocked by the wicked Jews, not persecuted by a Herod, clothed in all the pomp and pride of Gentile authority, not a Roman army to overthrow and succeed the Jewish polity, but they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud clothed with great power and great glory.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.3, p.136 - p.137, Parley P. Pratt, October 7, 1855

Whether there has been signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations, and perplexity, men's hearts failing them for fear, in the last few years, I will leave each one to draw his own conclusion. If this has not already been sufficiently fulfilled, one thing is certain, it is being fulfilled, and when it is sufficiently completed the Son of Man will be seen in heaven with power and great glory, as sure as you ever saw a Jew, that is, it is a fact. "And when these things begin to come to pass," for that is an important point, "then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." Does it not appear a little strange that Peter, and James, and John, and the Jewish nation have to wait until then for their redemption, and the dead and the living, as well as the Latter-day Saints? They have to wait until then, whether in this world or in the other, for the redemption of their bodies, unless they died before Christ, and rose from the dead when he did, and the Jews must wait until then for the redemption of their nation and national polity, and for their triumph over their enemies, and for the putting down of all other power, and for the establishment of the reign righteousness on the earth, the redemption of their friends, and vengeance on all those who have shed the innocent blood whether of Latter-day Saints or Former-day Saints. This is the day of their redemption, be in what world they may, they are preparing for it. "Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." When? Not when Jerusalem is compassed with armies, not when they (the Jews) are destroyed by the edge of the sword, not while wandering among the nations of the earth from age to age, not while the Gentile powers bear rule, but when the sun, moon, and stars shall put forth their signs, the heavens shake, and men's hearts failing them for fear, looking for the things that are coming upon the earth--then is the time to begin and look up, to lift up your heads and rejoice, ye spirits that are waiting for redemption, whether ye are in this world or in the other, straighten your backs in your hard toil, and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

"This is a day of warning. It will be followed by a time of judgments. The Lord is about to shake terribly the kingdoms of this world. War, pestilence, famine, earthquake, whirlwind, and the devouring fire, with signs in the heavens and on the earth, will immediately precede the great consummation which is close at hand. These are the last days. All that has been foretold by the holy prophets concerning them is about to be literally fulfilled. The everlasting Gospel has been restored to the earth as one of the signs of the latter days. Israel is being gathered. The elect of God are assembling from the four quarters of the earth. The way is opening for the redemption of Judah. Soon all things will be in commotion: men's hearts failing them for fear and looking for the things that are coming on the earth. The places of refuge appointed are in Zion and in Jerusalem. The Lord, even Jesus the Messiah, will come to His holy Temple. He will be glorified in His Saints, but will take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel. He will break in pieces the nations as a potter's vessel. He will sweep the earth as with a besom of destruction. He will establish righteousness upon it and give dominion to His people. 'The meek shall inherit the earth and the wicked be cut off forever.' Therefore, repent and turn unto Him, all ye nations, and obey Him, all ye people, for these words are true and faithful and are given by His Spirit! Salvation has come unto you; reject it not lest ye fall and perish. The time is at hand!"

Charles W. Penrose, Rays of Living Light, Handbook of the Restoration, p.175

This is a day of warning. It will be followed by a time of judgments. The Lord is about to shake terribly the [p.176] kingdoms of this world. War, pestilence, famine, earthquake, whirlwind, and the devouring fire, with signs in the heavens and on the earth, will immediately precede the great consummation which is close at hand. These are the last days. All that has been foretold by the holy prophets concerning them is about to be literally fulfilled. The everlasting gospel has been restored to the earth as one of the signs of the latter days. Israel is being gathered. The elect of God are assembling from the four quarters of the earth. The way is opening for the redemption of Judah. Soon all things will be in commotion: "men's hearts failing them for fear and looking for the things that are coming on the earth." The places of refuge appointed are in Zion and in Jerusalem. The Lord, even Jesus the Messiah, will come to his Holy Temple. He will be glorified in his Saints, but will "take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the gospel." He will break in pieces the nations as a potter's vessel. He will sweep the earth as with a besom of destruction. He will establish righteousness upon it and give dominion to his people. "The meek shall inherit the earth and the wicked be cut off forever." Therefore, repent and turn unto him, all ye nations, and obey him, all ye people, for these words are true and faithful and are given by his Spirit! Salvation has come unto you; reject it not lest ye fall and perish. The time is at hand![p.177]

Evening and Morning Star (Dec 1833) Oliver Cowdery "Signs in the Heavens," p.116

But Luke makes this subject very plain, after giving a relation of that notable prophecy of the Lord concerning the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and the captivity of the Jews: [Luke 21:24-27] that they should be led into all nations, and Jerusalem be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled, he says, There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory. [Luke 21:25-27] Need this language be mistook? can we figure in our minds a belief that these sayings have been fulfilled? or were the apostles mistaken? or did not Christ declare that these things should be?

Prior to the eventful day when satan is to be bound, and the Son of man comes to reign on the earth, there are to be "signs in the Sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the power of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory:" Luke 21:25,26,27. Also, Joel having in view the same thing, says, "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The Sun shall be turned into darknes, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come."—Joel 2:30,31.— Malichi says, "that all the proud, yea, and all they that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts." Paul to the Thessalonians says, "that he (the Lord) shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

There are various signs put forth by the inspired writers, also, which are to precede his coming; among the number we quote the following, recorded in Luke, 21:25. "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea & waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear," &c. These signs, are to leave the world without excuse, & to prepare the righteous for the coming of the eventful period, as they (the Saints) will be found watching. The unbelieving world will be taken as a thief in the night: the reason is obvious, they do not believe in revelations, signs and wonders. When spots [signs] appear in the sun, (which has recently been the case,) that racks the ingenuity of the astronomers -- a natural cause is assigned. When all nature is alarmed by the commotion of the starry heavens; as was the case in 1833 -- it is but an idle tale, nothing but metcore. When the howling tempest, and furious tornado, comes rolling the sea ("waves") beyond her bounds, desolating cities, sweeping of its thousands -- it is a light thing, the winds has blown a little harder than usual. When the bellowing earthquakes rend the earth, and she opens her mouth upon its inhabitants, and swallows them up as though they were mere insects -- the naturalist is again set to prove that God had no hand in the matter. If the devouring element desolates our beautiful cities in an hour, and leaves them in heaps -- it is only the work of incendiaries. When aspiring Tyrants are carrying their conquests from nation to nation, and from sea to sea, drenching the earth with blood -- it is merely a thirsting for power, something common to man; and yet the inspired writers have told us that these would be SIGNS, and they should forebode Christ's coming.

20 And it shall come to pass that the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air shall devour them up.

But what of the fate of those who fought against her? In spite of her fall, Jerusalem shall be victorious. Though she is taken and pillaged and her women ravished, yet in the end she shall be victorious. As to her enemies the account says: And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth." Already man has created weapons that will have this very effect upon those upon whom the death-dealing powers are sent forth. And lest any assume that the ancient word shall not be fulfilled in the full and literal sense, the Lord in our day acclaims: "I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them; And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets; And it shall come to pass that the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air shall devour them up." (D&C 29:18-20.)

We expect to see many strange things in these last days. Before the great day comes, the Lord says: [D&C 29:16-20] There shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth: and it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent: for the cup of mine indignation is full; for, behold my blood shall not cleanse them if they repent not: wherefore, I will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them, and their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me, and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets: and it shall come to pass, that the beasts of the forests, and the fowls of the air, shall devour them up.

1 ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

10 ... in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

4 You shall declare the things which have been revealed to my servant, Joseph Smith, Jun. You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned.

9 For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth;

41 And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

24 For after today cometh the burning--this is speaking after the manner of the Lord--for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.

3 It is contrary to the will and commandment of God that those who receive not their inheritance by consecration, agreeable to his law, which he has given, that he may tithe his people, to prepare them against the day of vengeance and burning, should have their names enrolled with the people of God.

17 And again, the hearts of the Jews unto the prophets, and the prophets unto the Jews; lest I come and smite the whole earth with a curse, and all flesh be consumed before me.

24 And every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea, that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed;

25 And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth.

See ETERNAL DAMNATION, FIRE, SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, SONS OF PERDITION, SPIRITUAL DEATH 1. In ancient days the wickedness and abominations practiced in Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim became so great that the Lord utterly destroyed those cities by raining fire and brimstone upon them. (Gen. 10:19; 19:24-25; Hos. 11:8; Luke 17:29.) Similar destruction awaits the wicked in the day of vengeance, the great and dreadful day of the Lord, for the Lord will again rain upon the ungodly fire and brimstone from heaven. (Ezek. 38:22; Rev. 9:17-18; D. & C. 29:21.)

Generation

16. THE GREAT AND DREADFUL DAY OF THE LORD. -- To the wicked the Second Coming will be a great and dreadful day, a day of sorrow and desolation, a day of burning and vengeance, a day of judgment which the wicked shall not abide. "For the presence of the Lord shall be as the melting fire that burneth, and as the fire which causeth the waters to boil. O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence -- When thou doest terrible things, things they look not for....

19. VINEYARD TO BE BURNED AT HIS COMING. -- Malachi asked: "Who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?" (Mal. 3:2.) In answer he said that Christ would come in judgment and be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, and all who live after the manner of the world, all who live a telestial law. All these -- the proud and the wicked -- would be as stubble when "the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven." (Mal. 3; 4.)

Every corruptible thing shall be consumed in this day of burning. The elements shall melt with fervent heat and all things shall become new, that is, the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory. (D. & C. 101:23-31.)

23 Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming.

In the last days there are also great upheavals. Destruction and death stalk the highways of earth. There is danger all about. But, the tithepayer has claim upon protection. "Verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned. For after today cometh the burning." (D. & C. 64:23, 24) The Lord in his mercy opens the windows of heaven upon his faithful children and repays a thousandfold according to their needs.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, Vol 2, p.10

4. "Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming." So the Lord instructed the Saints. There are many who accept this declaration merely as a figure of speech; but it is a statement given in complete earnestness and solemnity. The people of the Lord have always been called upon to sacrifice. This is an essential principle of the Gospel. Likewise they are instructed to pay their tithes and offerings. It is a very strange thing that there are those in the Church who seem to feel that it will be a happy day when the law of consecration is established, yet they do not keep the law of tithing. They seem to think that it will be much simpler and more easy to obey the law of consecration than it will be to observe the law of tithing. We may say, however that it is extremely [page 11] doubtful if any person who could pay tithes honestly and does not do so, will ever have the privilege of partaking of the law of consecration. How can we live the higher law, if we cannot live the lesser law?

Using the same type of language as Malachi had done, the Lord in our day announced: "Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming. For after today cometh the burning -- this is speaking after the manner of the Lord -- for verily I say, tomorrow all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts; and I will not spare any that remain in Babylon. Wherefore, if ye believe me, ye will labor while it is called today." (D. & C. 64:23-25.)

What is it that we thus learn from the Lord with reference to those who shall abide the day of his coming? We learn that those in Israel who are refined and purified shall walk unharmed in the furnace of Nebuchadnezzar, as it were, and upon their bodies the millennial fires have no power. Not a hair of their heads shall be singed, and the smell of fire shall not cling to their garments. But as for the sorcerers, the adulterers, the false swearers, those who oppress the poor, and those who rob God -- none of these shall abide the day. And as to his own covenant people who choose to rob him of that which is his, the Lord in our day has issued this warning: "Behold, now it is called today until the coming of the Son of Man, and verily it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming." (D&C 64:23.)

Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.160

In the present dispensation the law of tithing was revived, and the keeping of that law is one of the first duties of the Latter-day Saints. About eighteen months after the organization of the church, September 11, 1831, the Lord, through Joseph the Seer, made this important declaration. Speaking after the manner of the Lord, he called "to-day," from the giving of the revelation until the coming of the Son of Man and said "Verily I say unto you, it is a day of sacrifice, and a day for the tithing of my people; for he that is tithed shall not be burned. For after today cometh the burning." That is, at the coming of the Son of Man; "For verily I say, to-morrow"—that is, at my coming—"all the proud and they that [p.161] do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, for I am the Lord of Hosts;" Doc. & Cov. 64. 23, 24.

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

7 ¶ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. Revelation 8:13

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

1. The First Angel: Hail and Fire Descend.
2. The Second Angel: The Sea Is Smitten
3. The Third Angel. Earth's Waters Are Polluted.
4. The Fourth Angel. The Light-Bearing Luminaries Are Smitten.
5. The Fifth Angel: Modern Warfare Curses the World.
6. The Sixth Angel: Armageddon Spreadeth Destruction.

7. The Seventh Angel: Christ Comes and Destroys the Wicked.

"The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up." Is this the "overflowing rain, and great hail stones, fire, and brimstone," of which Ezekiel spoke? (Ezek. 38:22.) Could all this be brought to pass through atomic warfare, or will it come by natural disasters, as when God rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah? Speculatively, most of the plagues and destructions here announced could be brought to pass by men themselves as they use the weapons and armaments they have created.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41 Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

28 For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence [against] the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

17 And it shall be, [that] whoso will not come up of [all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that [have] no [rain]; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.3, p.101

I will here say, as truly as the God of heaven lives, and has established His throne on high, just so truly will He bring to pass the fulfillment of His words. He will pour out that flood of judgments upon our nation and upon all the nations of the earth, which has been proclaimed by every inspired man since the world began. The seals will be opened, the plagues poured out, and Great Babylon will fall. This generation has been warned for the last fifty years by inspired and righteous men, and after their testimony will come the testimony of thundering, of lightning, of floods, of earthquakes, and of pestilence, and famine, and war, and the flames of devouring fire, for by fire and by sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord will be many. For the Lord has said, "My sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon Idumea, or the world; and who is able to stand?"

James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.3, p.101

I will here say, as truly as the God of heaven lives, and has established His throne on high, just so truly will He bring to pass the fulfillment of His words. He will pour out that flood of judgments upon our nation and upon all the nations of the earth, which has been proclaimed by every inspired man since the world began. The seals will be opened, the plagues poured out, and Great Babylon will fall. This generation has been warned for the last fifty years by inspired and righteous men, and after their testimony will come the testimony of thundering, of lightning, of floods, of earthquakes, and of pestilence, and famine, and war, and the flames of devouring fire, for by fire and by sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord will be many. For the Lord has said, "My sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon Idumea, or the world; and who is able to stand?"

Isaiah's great prophecy relative to the fire and desolation that will attend the Second Coming is preserved for us in these words "For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. And they [those who are left] shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me," saith the Lord, "for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." (Isa. 66:15-16, 24.)

From yet another passage, in which Isaiah is speaking of the Second Coming and the Millennium, we select these words relative to the final great war: "For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. . . . I will gather all nations and tongues. . . . And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." (Isa. 66:16, 18, 24.) Not only shall the dead bodies of the slain pollute the earth, but their spirits shall also be cast into hell, there to suffer the torments of the damned.

The "body," as that of the Church, is rendered "carcase" in both authorized and revised versions. For the application of the figure -- of eagles gathering about a carcase -- to the assembling of scattered Israel, see JS-M 1:27, where we read: "so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth." Among Bible scholars, a favorite interpretation of the passage, "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together," is that Christ was likening unto eagles (revised version "vultures") the angels that shall come with Him to execute judgment upon mankind, and unto a carcase the corruption of sin. See Matt. 24:28; compare Luke 17:37.

Hugh Nibley, Ancient Documents and the Pearl of Great Price, p.9

[p.9] If you are looking for the gospel, this is what to look for. This is what will be found. And then we come to the Restoration here. This is how it is going to be: "For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth [this is added and is very important] so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." The gospel will spread in this manner, as the sun comes. Gradually and imperceptibly it spreads, but rapidly. I'm going to give you a parable how it will be, he says. This is the one that puzzles so many people because it sounds so unpleasant to compare the elect gathering in the Church to a carcass, a rotting corpse in the desert. But the purpose of every image, or parable, or metaphor is to emphasize one particular point right across the way. In verse 47 he says that the Lord will come as a thief in the night. Does that mean he is going to come to rob people, that he is going to come over the wall, that he is going to be sneaky, that he is going to be dishonest? Of course not. It means he will come in the manner that a thief comes and takes you by surprise when you are not expecting it. In that sense he will come, and in that sense only. We get the same thing here. Here he says, "And now I show unto you a parable. Behold, wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together;" That's all the New Testament says. What do you mean, wheresoever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together? That isn't a pleasant image. So we have to be told here: "so likewise shall mine elect be gathered from the four quarters of the earth."

What happens when there is a carcass in the desert, or anywhere else? The eagles come, or the vultures, or the buzzards (whatever they are going to be) from all directions. All of a sudden they appear out of nowhere. It's quite miraculous to see. How do they know? How can they see? Their eyesight is absolutely fabulous. From miles away you see the specks coming, and where the carcass is they gather in a mysterious way from all directions (in a way that can't be explained). This is the way the Saints are going to be gathered in the last days. First, the light breaks in the East. We have that hymn, "The Morning Breaks, the Shadows Flee." The light breaks in the East in that manner. It doesn't necessarily have to be the East. Oh how they argued about that East business. What do you mean about the East? Did it come from the Orient? No, not necessarily, I'm talking about how the light begins. It always begins in the East in the dawn. That's the way it is. It spreads in that manner, it says, and covereth the whole West. "For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east," that's the manner in which these things will take place. Then the people will be gathered together to Zion. How? In the same miraculous manner in which the eagles are gathered together to an object nobody else can see. So likewise shall they be gathered. But it will be a bad time, unfortunately. Now wait a minute. Verses 1-20 are the end of Jerusalem; verses 20-25 are the fate of the Christians and the sectaries. The sectaries are those in the desert and those in the secret conventicles. They were very common.

Then I have thought as I have looked into the faces of these magnificent congregations of Latter-day Saints, which have assembled here, that if the words of the prophets are true, Christ Himself, being the greatest of them all, we know, we have this assurance, that at sometime subsequent to the period in which He ministered in the flesh. His gospel must come back to earth and be established again among men. He taught this to His disciples from the beginning, that He must leave them, that He must suffer for the sins of the world, but just as He testified of His glorious resurrection from the dead, so He told them that the time would come when His gospel would again be preached upon earth for the redemption of his covenant people. Regarded in a general sense, that would be a little indefinite, and so they asked Him what should be the sign of His coming and of the end of the world. He warned them that they be not deceived, that many should come in His name and deceive many, that false prophets would arise and false Christs would arise, and that if possible their sophistry would be such that it would deceive the very elect; but, this He gave them as a guide, wherever the body is there will the eagles be gathered together, or in other words, wherever My gospel is preached, wherever the Church of Christ shall exist, there will the fruits of the Gospel be manifest among the people. That restoration was to be in the latter days. It was to be in a time when kingdoms would be divided, one against the other; it was to be in a time when there would be religious confusion, when one would cry lo here and another lo there, a time when there would be war in the land and contention and earthquakes, and when the sea would heave itself beyond its bounds, and the people of the world be in confusion.

Why are these dire calamities decreed? The prophet makes the reason clear, it is because both priest and people have transgressed the law of the Lord, changed the ordinances of his Church and broken the everlasting covenant. Our Lord gave us the key by which we may know the voice of the good Shepherd when this time of confusion and distress is upon us. When his disciples asked him whither they should go, or look, he replied: "Wheresoever the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together," and, wherever the true Church of Christ is, there will the fruits of his gospel be manifested in the lives of the people.

18 Wherefore, I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them.

Healings there have been in profuse abundance, but none—up to this point and as far as we know—has involved a leper, "a man full of leprosy." None has dealt with a body and soul plagued with a living death, one whose body was in process of rotting, decaying, and returning to the dust to gain merciful surcease from the torments of the flesh. Before the Second Coming, "the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them;. . . and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets." (D&C 29:18-19.) Before and at the time of his First Coming, there were many in Israel who were lepers, possessors of such a vile and degenerating disease that they `were anathema to everyone and a curse to themselves. Except for the extent of the coming latter-day plague, it can scarcely be worse than the hell and torment and physical affliction suffered by the lepers of Jesus' day.

But what of the fate of those who fought against her? In spite of her fall, Jerusalem shall be victorious. Though she is taken and pillaged and her women ravished, yet in the end she shall be victorious. As to her enemies the account says: And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth." Already man has created weapons that will have this very effect upon those upon whom the death-dealing powers are sent forth. And lest any assume that the ancient word shall not be fulfilled in the full and literal sense, the Lord in our day acclaims: "I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them; And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets; And it shall come to pass that the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air shall devour them up." (D&C 29:18-20.)

Flesh Shall Fall From Off Their Bones, and Eyes From Sockets:

19 And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets;

"And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." Could this be the same plague of which Zechariah speaks when he says that men's "flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth"? (Zech. 14:12.) Does it have reference to these words of latter-day revelation: "And their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets"? (D&C 29:19.) Is this a plague that will result from atomic fallout? Or from some worldwide pollution of the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink? It is to come upon those who worship at the altars of evil, leaving the inference that those only will escape who have faith in the Lord and who exercise the power of the priesthood to rebuke the evils that otherwise would afflict them.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

14 But, behold, I say unto you that before this great day shall come the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall be turned into blood, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and there shall be greater signs in heaven above and in the earth beneath;

9 But before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood; and the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall, and great destructions await the wicked.

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.

49 And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places.

Wonders In Heaven And On Earth

The words of the prophets are rapidly being fulfilled, but it is done on such natural principles that most of us fail to see it. Joel promised that the Lord would pour out his spirit upon all flesh; the sons and daughters should prophesy; old men should dream dreams and young men should see visions. Wonders in heaven and in the earth should be seen, and there should be fire, blood and pillars of smoke. Eventually the sun is to be turned into darkness and the moon as blood, and then shall come the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Some of these signs have been given; some are yet to come. The sun has not yet been darkened. We are informed that this will be one of the last acts just preceding the coming of the Lord.

Now I have read these passages of Scripture from these various prophets. Here you will find Isaiah saying the Lord will pour out war upon all the world; Jeremiah saying the same thing and speaking of these terrible things; Daniel saying so; Ezekiel saying so. We find Joel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, all proclaiming that in this last day, the day when the sun shall be darkened and the moon turned to blood and the stars fall from heaven, that the nations of the earth would gather against Jerusalem. All of them speak of it; and when that time comes, the Lord is going to come out of His hiding place. You can see what a terrible condition it is going to be; and the Jews besieged, not only in Jerusalem but, of course, throughout Palestine are in the siege; and when they are about to go under, then the Lord comes. There will be the great earthquake. The earthquake will not be only in Palestine. There will not be merely the separation of the Mount of Olives, to form a valley that the Jews may escape, but the whole earth is going to be shaken. There will be some dreadful things take place, and some great changes are going to take place, and that you will find written in the book of Ezekiel (38:17-23), which I did not read to you.

Samuel the Lamanite, centuries later and a bare forty years before the crucifixion, rehearsed in detail to the Nephites the destructions and desolations that would attend that event. "In that day that he shall suffer death," the Lamanite prophet said, "the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead." While our Lord's body lay in the tomb, while his eternal Spirit preached among the righteous dead, darkness enshrouded the Americas. Far removed though they were from the criminal events, no Nephite and no Lamanite would be unaware that their prophets had foretold the death of their Messiah and said that it would be known by three days of dooming darkness. Where else in all the history of the earth have continents been enveloped in darkness for three days? How could such an event do aught but witness the truth of the promised event?

As we might surmise, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon contains a full and complete account of all things pertaining to the New Jerusalem and the second coming of Christ. From the writings of Ether, preserved in full on those plates, Moroni digested for us a few salient facts that enable us to glimpse what is to be. He tells us the American continent "was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and [the place of] the holy sanctuary [temple] of the Lord." This New Jerusalem is the City of Enoch, which shall return after the Lord comes again. "Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ [the days of his glorious Second Coming], and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land." This New Jerusalem seems to be the one built by the saints in the latter days to which the New Jerusalem from heaven shall come.

Many passages and even whole books of scripture have been lost through the carelessness or wickedness of the record keepers. (1 Ne. 13.) Even some of the revelations given in this dispensation have been lost, as for instance the 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon (D. & C. 10) and the account of the words spoken by the angelic ministrants who restored the Melchizedek Priesthood. There are also many revelations, known in former days, which are lost in the sense that the Lord withholds them from this generation pending such time as men acquire the faith and righteousness which will entitle them to receive the added truths. When men gain the same faith enjoyed by the Brother of Jared, for instance, the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon -- a volume of scripture known to the Jaredites and Nephites in certain ages of their histories (Mosiah 28:11-19; Alma 63:12; Ether 4:1-7) -- will again be revealed.

For the future, there is to be new revelation that will dwarf into comparative insignificance all the knowledge now revealed from heaven. When the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon comes forth it will "reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof," and in this final dispensation, "all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be even unto the end of the earth." (2 Ne. 27:10-11, 22; 30:18.) "In that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things -- Things which have passed, and hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof -- Things most precious, things that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven." (D. & C. 101:32-34.)

Without any question, however, the scripture that is yet to come forth, which will reveal more of the mind and will and purposes of the Lord than any other, is the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon. Moroni says that "there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared." All of these things are recorded in the sealed portion of the book. Of them, the Lord said to Moroni: "They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord. And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are." (Ether 4:4-7.)

THE SEALED PORTION OF THE BOOK OF MORMON

I am wondering if you will permit me to say this closing word. I am wondering about the sealed portion of the record appertaining to the Book of Mormon. When will it come to the people of the Church? I am of the opinion that if we were perfectly prepared and followed carefully the revelations and instructions we have already received in the Church possibly that sealed portion could be brought to the people through faith and good works.

20 And the angel said unto me: Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

21 Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been.

22 And he shall also write concerning the end of the world.

27 And I, Nephi, heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

20 ¶ But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.

21 For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead.

22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

15 For while we were doing the work of translation, which the Lord had appointed unto us, we came to the twenty-ninth verse of the fifth chapter of John, which was given unto us as follows--

16 Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, concerning those who shall hear the voice of the Son of Man:

17 And shall come forth; they who have done good, in the resurrection of the just; and they who have done evil, in the resurrection of the unjust.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839–42, p.199

As concerning the resurrection, I will merely say that all men will come from the grave as they lie down, whether old or young; there will not be "added unto their stature one cubit," neither taken from it; all will be raised by the power of God, having spirit in their bodies, and not blood. Children will be enthroned in the presence of God and the Lamb with bodies of the same stature4 that they had on earth, having been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; they will there enjoy the fullness of that light, glory and intelligence, which is prepared in the celestial kingdom. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, for they rest from their labors and their works do follow them."

NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION.—What, will everybody be resurrected? Yes, every living being. "But every man in his own order, Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end." That is, the saints shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years. One of the apostles says, "But the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years are expired." But all must come forth from the grave, some time or other, in the selfsame tabernacles that they possessed while living on the earth. It will be just as Ezekiel has described it—bone will come to its bone, and flesh and sinew will cover the skeleton, and at the Lord's bidding breath will enter the body, and we shall appear, many of us, a marvel to ourselves.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.274

ALL MEN TO BE RESURRECTED. No person who has lived and died on this earth will be denied the resurrection. Reason teaches this, and it is a simple matter of justice. Adam alone was responsible for death, and therefore the Lord does not lay this to the charge of any other person. Justice demands that no person who was not responsible for death shall be held responsible for it, and therefore, as Paul declared, "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.274

In his great mercy, love, and justice, our Father in heaven has provided that all his children who have gained mortality shall live again. The soul cannot be destroyed. The spirits of all men are eternal. They lived before this mortal life came, and through the atonement of Jesus Christ, they shall live after this mortal life is ended.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.273 - p.274

SONS OF PERDITION AND THE RESURRECTION AND THE UNIVERSAL NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION.

It has been taught by some that the resurrection would not be universal among those who have received mortal bodies, that some known as sons of perdition would be denied the privilege of the resurrection. It is very strange that such a doctrine could be entertained in the face of the many instructions and revelations coming from the Lord and his holy prophets. They universally testify that all shall come forth from the dead. Justice demands this because men are not responsible for death and hence are entitled to redemption from its grasp.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.275

JOSEPH SMITH TEACHES RESURRECTION OF SONS OF PERDITION. Let us consider now some of the sayings of later prophets, This is from the Prophet Joseph Smith: "There have been remarks made concerning all men being redeemed from hell; but I say that those who sin against the Holy Ghost cannot be forgiven in this world or in the world to come; they shall die the second death. Those who commit the unpardonable sin are doomed to Gnolom—to dwell in hell, worlds without end. As they concoct scenes of bloodshed in this world, so they shall rise to that resurrection which is as the lake of fire and brimstone. Some shall rise to the everlasting burnings of God; for God dwells in everlasting burnings, and some shall rise to the damnation of their own filthiness which is as exquisite a torment as the lake of fire and brimstone."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.277

"In many minds there has been a great misapprehension on the question of the resurrection. Some have had the idea and have taught it, that the sons of perdition will not be resurrected at all. They base this idea, and draw this conclusion from the 38th and 39th verses of section 76, of the book of Doctrine and Covenants, where the Lord says:

"'Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath. For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.'

"A careful reading of these verses, however, and especially of the preceding paragraphs, will show that the Lord does not, in this language, exclude even the sons of perdition from the resurrection. It is plain that the intention is to refer to them explicitly as the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power 'For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb.' This excluded class are the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power, and 'the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the suffering of his wrath.'

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.277

"This is by no means to say that they are to have no resurrection. Jesus our Lord and Savior died for all, and all will be resurrected—good, bad, white and black, people of every race, whether sinners or not; and no matter how great their sins may be, the resurrection of their bodies is sure. Jesus has died for them, and they all will be redeemed from the grave through the atonement which he has made."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.279

CAIN TO RULE OVER SATAN. Sons of perdition will have an ascendancy over Satan himself, because he has no body. But who is Perdition? The Lord said to Cain: "If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt rule over him; For from this time forth thou shalt be the father of his lies; thou shalt be called Perdition; for thou wast also before the world."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.279

Satan wanted him because Cain had a body, He wanted more power. A man with a body of course will have greater power than just a spirit without a body.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.280

Cain sinned with his eyes open, so he became Perdition, the father of lies.

11 Wherefore, beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope of glory in him before he manifesteth himself in the flesh.

21 And there cometh a resurrection, even a first resurrection; yea, even a resurrection of those that have been, and who are, and who shall be, even until the resurrection of Christ--for so shall he be called.

22 And now, the resurrection of all the prophets, and all those that have believed in their words, or all those that have kept the commandments of God, shall come forth in the first resurrection; therefore, they are the first resurrection.

23 They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death.

24 And these are those who have part in the first resurrection; and these are they that have died before Christ came, in their ignorance, not having salvation declared unto them. And thus the Lord bringeth about the restoration of these; and they have a part in the first resurrection, or have eternal life, being redeemed by the Lord.

25 And little children also have eternal life.

18 For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again.

54 And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.295

FIRST RESURRECTION AT SECOND COMING. While there was a general resurrection of the righteous at the time Christ arose from the dead, it is customary for us to speak of the resurrection of the righteous at the Second Coming of Christ as the first resurrection. It is the first to us, for we have little thought or concern over that which is past. The Lord has promised that at the time of his Second Advent the graves will be opened, and the just shall come forth to reign with him on the earth for a thousand years.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Six 1843–44, p.295

So plain was the vision, that I actually saw men, before they had ascended from the tomb, as though they were getting up slowly. They took each other by the hand and said to each other, "My father, my son, my mother, my daughter, my brother, my sister." And when the voice calls for the dead to arise, suppose I am laid by the side of my father, what would be the first joy of my heart? To meet my father, my mother, my brother, my sister; and when they are by my side, I embrace them and they me.

After the spirit leaves the body, it remains without a tabernacle in the spirit world until the Lord, by his law that he has ordained, brings to pass the resurrection of the dead. When the angel who holds the keys of the resurrection shall sound his trumpet, then the peculiar fundamental particles that organized our bodies here, if we do honor to them, though they be deposited in the depths of the sea, and though one particle is in the north, another in the south, another in the east, and another in the west, will be brought together again in the twinkling of an eye, and our spirits will take possession of them. We shall then be prepared to dwell with the Father and the Son, and we never can be prepared to dwell with them until then. Spirits, when they leave their bodies, do not dwell with the Father and the Son, but live in the Spirit world, where there are places prepared for them. Those who do honor to their tabernacles, and love and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, must put off this mortality, or they cannot put on immortality. This body must be changed, else it cannot be prepared to dwell in the glory of the Father. 8:28.

I want a part in the resurrection. The angel said, "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection." I want to have part in the first resurrection. It is that which leads me to hope. It is that hope which buoys me up under difficulties and sustains me while passing through tribulation, for I know as well as Job knew that my "Redeemer lives, and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the earth," and I know that I shall stand upon it with him. I therefore bear this testimony.—JD, 13:231, May 6, 1870.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.286

KINDS OF RESURRECTED BODIES. In the resurrection there will be different kinds of bodies; they will not all be alike. The body a man receives will determine his place hereafter. There will be celestial bodies, terrestrial bodies, and telestial bodies, and these bodies will differ as distinctly as do bodies here, for example, the white European, the Negro, the Philippino, the Indian.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.287

Bodies will be quickened according to the kingdom which they are judged worthy to enter. Elder Orson Pratt many years ago in writing of the resurrection and the kind of bodies which would be raised in these kingdoms said:

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.287

"In every species of animals and plants, there are many resemblances in the general outlines and many specific differences characterizing the individuals of each species. So in the resurrection. There will be several classes of resurrected bodies; some celestial, some terrestrial, some telestial, and some sons of perdition. Each of these classes will differ from the others by prominent and marked distinctions; yet, in each, considered by itself, there will be found many resemblances as well as distinctions. There will be some physical peculiarity by which each individual in every class can be identified."

45 But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud.

46 Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you; for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.

96 And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him.

97 And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven--

98 They are Christ's, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God.

13 For a trump shall sound both long and loud, even as upon Mount Sinai, and all the earth shall quake, and they shall come forth--yea, even the dead which died in me, to receive a crown of righteousness, and to be clothed upon, even as I am, to be with me, that we may be one.

In the great Olivet Discourse, Jesus spoke of the signs of his coming, of the redemption of his saints, and of the restoration of scattered Israel. He held up the hope of a glorious resurrection as the greatest triumph any of his saints could achieve in the day of redemption. "For as ye have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the restoration of the scattered Israel," he said. (And may we here insert that all of the faithful of all of the ages have striven or are now striving so to live that they will come forth from their graves and enter into their immortal rest at the earliest possible time.) And so Jesus told of the signs and wonders that would precede and attend his glorious return, and of the plagues and desolations to be poured out upon the world, and then, by way of promise, said: "But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud." The first resurrection will precede the desolations and horrors to be poured out upon the wicked without measure in the day of our Lord's return. "Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you," he continues, "for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth." That is to say, the saints who are alive and who are worthy shall be caught up to meet the Lord and the heavenly hosts that accompany him.

Through the medium of latter-day revelation the Lord has said: "Behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory, with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off. But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud." Of the many signs and wonders which shall attend the Lord's glorious coming we have this partial description: "And the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven -- They are Christ's, the firstfruits; they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him."

But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept, shall come forth to meet me in the cloud. Wherefore if ye have slept in peace blessed are you, for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected, and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth; then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations, and then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro, and the Heavens also shall shake and the Lord shall utter his voice and all the ends of the earth shall hear it, and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly, and calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed, and they that have watched for iniquity, shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

Evening and Morning Star (Dec 1832) William Phelps "Resurrection of the Just," p.49

This promise to Enoch, and many others to others, have been withheld from man, for many generations, on account of wickedness, and for want of faith; Still the bible has ever contained the blessed promise, though not as plain as the Lord has revealed in these last days. In fact the redemption of the bodies of the righteous, is one of the glorious mysteries of the Lord, unfolded unto them in the gospel: that they, by obeying the commandments of the Lord, in all things, may live again in the flesh, on earth. Thus Job, who was a man perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil, came so near to his privilege that he knew that these things are so, and exclaimed: [Job 19:25] I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. -- And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reigns be consumed within me. But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me? Be ye afraid of the words: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment. This is a positive declaration, and leaves no room for doubt or cavil. It is to the point: I shall see God in the flesh, for myself and not for another, and that, too, in the last days, when he shall stand upon the earth. No wonder the two men that stood by when the Savior ascended up to heaven, after the crucifixion, could say: [Acts 1:11] ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go into heaven. Truly, he went in a cloud and shall come in a cloud; he went in the flesh and shall come in the flesh: For, as saith the Lord, [D&C 45:45-46] But before the arm of the Lord shall fall an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept, shall come forth to meet me in the cloud. Wherefore if ye have slept in peace blessed are you, for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected, and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth. And the language of the Psalmist is very plain on this subject: The righteous shall inherit the land. David rested on this promise when he said: [Ps. 27:4] -- One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. Let it be remembered that David desired this thing, before the temple of Solomon was built: Knowing as he says in the 71st Psalm, Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again, and shall bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

In the Millennium, when the Kingdom of God is established on the earth in power, glory and perfection, and the reign of wickedness that has so long prevailed is subdued, the Saints of God will have the privilege of building their temples, and of entering into them, becoming, as it were, pillars in the temples of God, and they will officiate for their dead. Then we will see our friends come up, and perhaps some that we have been acquainted with here. If we ask who will stand at the head of the resurrection in this last dispensation, the answer is -- Joseph Smith, Junior, the Prophet of God. He is the man who will be resurrected and receive the keys of the resurrection, and he will seal this authority upon others, and they will hunt up their friends and resurrect them when they shall have been officiated for, and bring them up. And we will have revelations to know our forefathers clear back to Father Adam and Mother Eve, and we will enter into the temples of God and officiate for them. Then man will be sealed to man until the chain is made perfect back to Adam, so that there will be a perfect chain of Priesthood from Adam to the winding-up scene.

Now a few words to the brethren and sisters upon the doctrine and ordinances of the house of God. All who have lived on the earth according to the best light they had, and would have received the fulness of the Gospel had it been preached to them, are worthy of a glorious resurrection, and will attain to this by being administered for, in the flesh, by those who have the authority. All others will have a resurrection, and receive a glory, except those who have sinned against the Holy Ghost. It is supposed by this people that we have all the ordinances in our possession for life and salvation, and exaltation, and that we are administering in these ordinances. This is not the case. We are in possession of all the ordinances that can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know you would ask what they are. I will mention one. We have not, neither can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of the resurrection. They will be given to those who have passed off this stage of action and have received their bodies again, as many have already done and many more will. They will be ordained, by those who hold the keys of the resurrection, to go forth and resurrect the Saints just as we receive the ordinance of baptism, then the keys of authority to baptize others for the remission of their sins. This is one of the ordinances we cannot receive here, and there are many more. We hold the authority to dispose of, alter and change the elements; but we have not received authority to organize native element, to even make a spear of grass grow.

When Joseph Smith's body was laid in the grave, his spirit, like unto the Son of God, went into the spirit world with the keys of this dispensation to unlock the prison doors. There were fifty thousand millions' of spirits that never saw the face of a prophet, or heard a gospel sermon in their lives, until Joseph Smith preached to them the message of salvation. Those people in the spirit world have got to have equal rights in the gospel dispensation with those on the earth. That is the reason why Jesus went to preach to the spirits in prison. Joseph Smith will hold the keys of this dispensation throughout the countless ages of eternity, as Peter, James, and John will hold theirs. He (Joseph Smith) will come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, and will rise up in judgment against this generation. He sealed his testimony with his blood. That testimony is in force upon all the world from the hour of his death. These are eternal truths.—JD 22:346, October 23, 1881.

Journal of Discourses, Vol.25, p.32 - p.33 - p.34, Erastus Snow, February 2nd, 1884

The next mission will be to come and prepare the way in Zion, and in her Stakes, and in the temples of our God for turning the key of the resurrection of the dead, to bring forth those that are asleep, and to exalt them among the Gods. And who will be first and foremost? Why, he whom God has chosen and placed first and foremost to hold the keys of this last dispensation. How long will it be? It is not given to me to say the month, the day, or the hour; but it is given unto me to say that that time is nigh at hand. The time is drawing near (much nearer than scarcely any of us can now comprehend) when Joseph will be clothed upon with immortality, when his brother Hyrum will be clothed upon with immortality, when the martyrs will be raised from the dead, together with their faithful brethren who have performed a good mission in the spirit world--they, too, will be called to assist in the work of the glorious resurrection. The Lord Jesus, who was the first fruits of the dead, the first fruit of them that sleep, and who holds the keys of the resurrection, will bring to pass the resurrection of the Prophet Joseph and his brethren, and will set them to work in bringing about the resurrection of their brethren as He has set them to work in all the other branches of the labor from the beginning. And the Lord Jesus will appear and show Himself unto His servants in His temple in holy places, to counsel and instruct and direct. He will appear in the glory of His Father, in His resurrected body, among those who can endure His presence and glory. And all this I expect long before He will waste away and destroy the wicked from off the face of the earth. True, we have, in our limited understandings, perhaps imagined, many of us, that this glorious resurrection was to come upon us, and upon the whole world suddenly, like the rising of the sun. But you must remember the sun does not rise the same hour and the same moment upon all the earth. It is twenty-four hours in rising and twenty-four hours in setting. So with the resurrection. There is a day appointed for the resurrection of the righteous. And it is sealed upon the heads of many that if they are faithful and true, they shall come forth "in the morning of the first resurrection;" but the morning lasts from the first hour of the day until mid-day, and the day lasts till night; and the rest of the dead--those who are not prepared or counted worthy to have part in the first resurrection--shall not live again until the thousand years are ended. In other words, the first resurrection will have been ended, and another period appointed for the resurrection of the rest of the dead. But this "morning of the first resurrection" is nigh at hand, and blessed are those who, through their faithfulness, shall be counted worthy to have part in it; for they shall be crowned kings and priests with God and the Lamb--they shall reign with Christ and in the midst of His people, and carry on the work of the redemption and resurrection of the Saints of God. And while in some parts of the world the Elders of Israel are preaching the Gospel unto the heathen nations who have not been ripened for destruction, but whose kings and mighty men have perished, and whose governments have been broken in pieces and wasted away, and the government of the Kingdom of God has been extended over them; while this is going on in some portions of the world, in other places, even in Zion and in her Stakes and in Jerusalem, the children of God will be engaged in the redemption of their dead in the temples of our God, and in the resurrection of those that are counted worthy of so great a salvation.

But in the morning of the resurrection you will find Joseph Smith holding the keys of this kingdom and dispensation at the head of all Israel who belong to this dispensation; he will hold them to the endless ages of eternity, notwithstanding that we shall all get our reward for what we do. The keys of the kingdom were given to Joseph Smith. They were placed on the heads of other men to make use of on earth for a short time; and when we get through we shall all have our reward.

65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.

66 These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.

67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.

68 These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

9 ¶ I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

26 But the judgment Adam shall sit, and they shall take away his anti-christ dominion, to consume and to destroy [it] unto the end. *Note Italics Added for Clarification-Another name for Adam is "Judgment" because of his role as judge in the last days.

49 Yea, and blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from henceforth, when the Lord shall come, and old things shall pass away, and all things become new, they shall rise from the dead and shall not die after, and shall receive an inheritance before the Lord, in his holy city.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Two 1834–37, p.83

First, I shall begin by quoting from the prophecy of Enoch, speaking of the last days: "Righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten, His resurrection from the dead (this resurrection I understand to be the corporeal body); yea, and also the resurrection of all men; righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, a Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming, for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion a New Jerusalem." (Moses 7:62, 1902 edition.)

Smith and Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, Sec. 58, p.337

11. After that cometh the day of my power] Zion will be built, The Temple will be reared. Enoch's Zion, the "Jerusalem which is above," will meet the Saints who have part in the first resurrection, and those who will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and they will all be united. Then will come the day of God's power. The poor and the lame, the blind and the deaf will all be invited to partake of the blessings of the Millennium. The Earth will not be freed from all defects at once. The work of redemption will be gradual.

Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.163

49. These are they that arise in their bodies of flesh,

When the trump of the first resurrection shall sound;

These are they that come up to Mount Zion, in life,

Where the blessings and gifts of the spirit abound.

16 And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear.

17 Wherefore, I, the Lord, have said that the fearful, and the unbelieving, and all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, and the whoremonger, and the sorcerer, shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

18 Verily I say, that they shall not have part in the first resurrection (*Refers to preceding verses 63:16,17).

50 And again we bear record--for we saw and heard, and this is the testimony of the gospel of Christ concerning them who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just--

51 They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given--

52 That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;

53 And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true.

54 They are they who are the church of the Firstborn.

55 They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things--

56 They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory;

57 And are priests of the Most High, after the order of Melchizedek, which was after the order of Enoch, which was after the order of the Only Begotten Son.

58 Wherefore, as it is written, they are gods, even the sons of God--

59 Wherefore, all things are theirs, whether life or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs and they are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

60 And they shall overcome all things.

61 Wherefore, let no man glory in man, but rather let him glory in God, who shall subdue all enemies under his feet.

62 These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever.

63 These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people.

64 These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.

65 These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just.

66 These are they who are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all.

67 These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.

68 These are they whose names are written in heaven, where God and Christ are the judge of all.

69 These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.

70 These are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical.

"These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever." Theirs is an inheritance in heaven. "These are they whom he shall bring with him, when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people. These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection. These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just." And it is of them that we have spoken as we have recounted how the heavens would roll together as a scroll; how the saints on earth would be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; and how the dead in Christ would rise first.

All who live or who have lived in mortality will, through the power of the Redeemer, be resurrected in due time. All will live forever! All will receive some degree of salvation, if the right to it has not been forfeited. But those who receive the ordinances of the endowment and are properly sealed or married and who keep the covenants they made with the Lord are promised by him that "these are they who shall have part in the first resurrection.

1 ¶ THE hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which [was] full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, [there were] very many in the open valley; and, lo, [they were] very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but [there was] no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

13 And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken [it], and performed [it], saith the LORD.

"I have been requested to relate an experience I had in 1908 or 1909 in San Juan County, Utah. I was just making a new home in Blanding, and the whole country was covered with trees and sage brush. I was working to clear the ground to plant a few acres of corn. My little son, Ray, seven or eight years old, was there to help me plant the corn. I would plow around the piece of ground and then he would plant the furrow with corn. Then I would cover it and plow it again.

While I was plowing around the piece of ground I discovered there were ancient houses there; that is the remains of them. As I was plowing I noticed that my plow had turned out the little skeleton of a small child—the skull and backbone. Most of the bones, of course, were decayed and gone. Part of the skeleton was there, so I stopped immediately. The plow had passed it a little.

I turned and looked back against the bar of the plow and between the handles. As I was looking at the little skeleton that I had plowed up, wondering, all of a sudden to my surprise, I saw the bones wiggle and begin to change position and to take on a diferent color. And within a minute there lay a beautiful skeleton. It was a perfect little skeleton.

Then I saw the inner parts of the natural body coming in, the entrall, etc. I saw the flesh coming on and I saw the skin come on the body when the inner parts of the body were complete. A beautiful head of hair adorned to top of the head, and in about a half minute, after the hair was on the head, the child raised to her feet. She was lying a little on her left side with her bak toward me. Because of this, I was not able to discern the sex of the child, but as she raised up, a beautiful robe came over her left shoulder and I saw it was a girl.

As she looked at me and I looked at her for a quarter of a minute, we just looked at each other smiling. Then in my desire to get hold of her, I said, "Oh you beautiful child" and as I reached to embrace her, she disappeared.

That was all I saw and I stood and wondered—and I thought for a few minutes. My little boy was wondering why I was there so long; because he was down at the other end of the row, anxious to come and plant corn.

Now I couldn’t tell that story to anyone because it was so mysterious and such. "Why should I have such a miraculous experience?" I couldn’t feature a human being, being in such a condition as to accidently plow that little thing up and see it come to life-the body or skeleton, of a child five to seven years old, I’d say.

I couldn’t tell the story to anyone, until, finally one day I met a dear friend of mine, Stake Patriarch Wayne H. Redd of Blanding. He stopped me on the street and said, "Zeke, you have had an experience on this mesa and you won’t tell me. I want you to tell it to me. Well, I told it to him. Then he had me tell it to meeting houses and many socials, fast meetings and at conference time.

I wondered, and it worried me for many years as to why I was allowed to see what I did-a common man like me and uneducated. Why was I, a common man, allowed to see such a marvelous manifestation of God’s power.

One day while I was walking alone with my hoe on my shoulder, going to hoe some corn, something said to me, "Stop under the shade of that tree for a few minutes and rest." This just came to me and I thought I would, so I stopped and this was given to me.

It was an answer to prayer. I prayed incessantly for an answer as to why I was priveleged to see the resurrection. I was told why. When the child was buried it was either in time of war with the different tribes or it was winter when the ground was frozen and they had no tools to dig deep graves. They just planted the little body as deep as they could under the circumstances. When it was done the sorrowing mother knew that it was such a shallow grave and in her sorrow she cried out to the group that were present, "that little girl, the first beast that comes along will smell her body and will dig her up and scatter her to the four winds. Her bones will be scattered all over the flats."

There just happened to be a man present holding the Priesthood (A Nephite or Jaredite), I don’t know which, because they both had been in this country. I’ve been in their houses and I know it. This man said, "Sister, calm your sorrows. Whenever that little body is disturbed or uncovered, the Lord will call her up and she will live." Since that time, I have taken great comfort, great cheer and consolation with praise in my heart and soul, until I haven’t the words to express it, that it was I who uncovered that little body. Thanks for listening to me. I just can’t tell this without crying."

We bear the image of our earthly parents in their fallen state, but by obedience to the Gospel of salvation and the renovating influences of the Holy Ghost, and the holy resurrection, we shall put on the image of the heavenly, in beauty, glory, power and goodness. Jesus Christ was so like the Father that on one occasion in answer to a request, "Show us the Father," he said, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." 11:123.

When the body comes forth again, it will be divine, God-like according to the capacity and ordinations of the Lord. Some are foreordained to one station, and some to another. We want a house, and when we get it and our spirits enter into it, then we can begin to look forth—for what? For our friends. We want them resurrected. Here is this friend and that friend, until by-and-by all are resurrected. And the earth is resurrected? Yes, and every living thing on the earth that has abided the law by which it was made. Then that which you and I respect, are fond of, and love with an earthly love, will become divine, and we can then love it with that affection which it is not now worthy of. 9:140.

I know that some people of very limited comprehension will say that all the parts of the body cannot be brought together, for, say they, the fish probably have eaten them up, or the whole may have been blown to the four winds of heaven. It is true the body, or the organization, may be destroyed in various ways, but it is not true that the particles out of which it was created can be destroyed. They are eternal; they never were created. This is not only a principle associated with our religion, or in other words, with the great science of life, but also it is in accordance with acknowledged science. You may take, for instance, a handful of fine gold, and scatter it in the street among the dust; again, gather together the materials among which you have thrown the gold, and you can separate one from the other so thoroughly, that your handful of gold can be returned to you; yes, every grain of it. You may take particles of silver, iron, copper, lead, and mix them together with any other ingredients, and there are certain principles connected with them by which these different materials can be eliminated, every particle cleaving to that of its own element.—JD, 18:333-334, December 31, 1876.

Speaking of the resurrection, the subject on which so much has been said during this conference, and appropriately said, too—we distinctly believe that Jesus Christ himself is the true, and only true type of the resurrection of men from death unto life. We believe there is no other form of resurrection from death to life; that as he rose, and as he preserved his identity, even to the scars of the wounds in his hands and feet and side, that he could prove himself to those that were skeptical of the possibility of rising from the dead, that he was indeed himself, the Lord crucified, buried in the tomb, and raised again from death to life, so it will be with you and with every son and daughter of Adam, born into the world. You will not lose your identity any more than Christ did. You will be brought forth from death to life again, just as surely as Christ was brought forth from death to life again, just as surely as those who ministered to the Prophet Joseph Smith had been raised from death to life—therefore, in the same manner in which Christ has been raised, so will life, and the resurrection from death to life again, come upon all who have descended from our first parents. The death that came into the world by Adam's transgression has been conquered, and its terror vanquished by the power and righteousness of the Son of God. He came to redeem man from the temporal death, and also to save him from spiritual death if he will repent of his sins, and will believe on the name of Christ, follow his example, and obey his laws.—Apr. C. R., 1912, pp. 135-136.

Then he showed me the resurrection of the dead—what is termed the first and second resurrection. In the first resurrection I saw no graves, nor anyone raised from the grave. I saw legions of celestial beings, men and women who had received the Gospel, all clothed in white robes. In the form they were presented to me, they had already been raised from the grave. After this, he showed me what is termed the second resurrection. Vast fields of graves were before me, and the Spirit of God rested upon the earth like a shower of gentle rain, and when that fell upon the graves they were opened, and a immense host of human beings came forth. They were just as diversified in their dress as we are here, or as they were laid down.

RESURRECTED BODIES PASS THROUGH SOLID OBJECTS. Resurrected bodies have control over the elements, How do you think the bodies will get out of the graves at the resurrection? When the Angel Moroni appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Prophet saw him apparently come down and ascend through the solid walls or ceiling of the building. If the Prophet's account had been a fraud, he never would have stated such a story (as we may be sure he never would have thought of such a thing), but would have had the angel come in through the door. Why should it appear any more impossible for a resurrected being to pass through solid objects than for a spirit, for a spirit is also matter?

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.288

It was just as easy for the Angel Moroni to come to the Prophet Joseph Smith down through the building as it was for our Savior to appear to his disciples after his resurrection in the room where they were assembled when the door was closed. "The same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.288 - p.289

Here, you see that the door was shut, "for fear of the Jews," but this did not prevent Jesus from appearing to them in the room. How could he do it? He had power over the elements. This has been explained by some scientists by the statement that we are limited to three dimensions, but superior beings may have many dimensions of which we know nothing. One learned man, who does not believe in the resurrection, stated that a mortal being, if his body could vibrate in the proper manner, could pass through solid objects. Just how resurrected beings do it, we do not know, but that it has been done we do know, for the Savior and others have done it.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.285

TANGIBLE NATURE OF SPIRITUAL BODIES. These modern blind teachers of the blind who deny the literal resurrection have a very false understanding of what is meant by a spiritual body. They have based their conclusion on the statement that Paul makes that the body is raised a spiritual body and that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. They cannot conceive in their minds of a body raised from the dead, being composed of flesh and bones, quickened by spirit and not by blood.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.285

When Paul spoke of the spiritual body, he had no reference at all to the spirit body, and there they have made their mistake. They have confused the spiritual body, or, in other words, the body quickened by the spirit, with the body of the spirit alone. They think that those who believe in the resurrection of the literal body believe that it shall be raised again, quickened by blood, which is not the case….

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.285

After the resurrection from the dead our bodies will be spiritual bodies, but they will be bodies that are tangible, bodies that have been purified, but they will nevertheless be bodies of flesh and bones. They will not be blood bodies. They will no longer be quickened by blood but quickened by the spirit which is eternal, and they shall become immortal and shall never die.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.289

PHYSICAL PERFECTION IN RESURRECTION

NO DEFORMITIES OR IMPERFECTIONS IN RESURRECTION. A little sound thinking will reveal to us that it would be inconsistent for our bodies to be raised with all kinds of imperfections. Some men have been burned at the stake for the sake of truth. Some have been beheaded, and others have had their bodies torn asunder; for example, John the Baptist was beheaded and received his resurrection at the time of the resurrection of our Redeemer. It is impossible for us to think of him coming forth from the dead holding his head in his hands; our reason says he was physically complete in the resurrection, He appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery with a perfect resurrected body.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.289

When we come forth from the dead, our spirits and bodies will be reunited inseparably, never again to be divided, and they will then be assigned to the kingdom to which they belong. All deformities and imperfections will be removed, and the body will conform to the likeness of the spirit, for the Lord revealed, "that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.289 - p.290

PERFECT AND PROPER FRAME IN RESURRECTION. The Prophet Amulek has stated the case very clearly in these words: "Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death…. The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time; and we shall be brought to stand before God, knowing even as we know now, and have a bright recollection of all our guilt.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.290

"Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body, and shall be brought and be arraigned before the bar of Christ the Son, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, which is one Eternal God, to be judged according to their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil.

"Now, behold, I have spoken unto you concerning the death of the mortal body, and also concerning the resurrection of the mortal body. I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption."

Alma testifies to this same thing. Speaking of the resurrection of our Lord which will give him power to call forth all of the dead, he says: "Yea, this bringeth about the restoration of those things of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets. The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.293

RESTORATION TO PERFECTION THROUGH RESURRECTION. In speaking about the resurrection at the funeral of Sister Rachel Grant, President Joseph F. Smith said that the same person, in the same form and likeness, will come forth "even to the wounds in the flesh. Not that a person will always be marred by scars, wounds, deformities, defects or infirmities, for these will be removed in their course, in their proper time, according to the merciful providence of God."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.293 - p.294

President Smith was in full accord with Amulek and Alma. He taught that the body will be restored as stated in Alma 11:42-45 and 40:22-23. While he expresses the thought that the body will come forth as it was laid down, he also expresses the thought that it will take time to adjust the body from the condition of imperfections, This, of course, is reasonable, but at the same time the length of time to make these adjustments will not cover any appreciable extent of time.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.294

President Smith never intended to convey the thought that it would require weeks or months of time in order for the defects to be removed. These changes will come naturally, of course, but almost instantly, We cannot look upon it in any other way. For instance, a man who has lost a leg in childhood will have his leg restored. It does not grow in the grave, but will be restored naturally, but with the power of the Almighty it will not take extended time for this to be accomplished.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.294

RESTORATION TO PERFECTION ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS. When President Smith declares that "the body will come forth as it is laid to rest, for there is no growth in the grave," he has in mind this: Infants and children do not grow in the grave, but when they come forth, they will come forth with the same body and in the same size in which the body was when it was laid away. After the resurrection the body will grow until it has reached the full stature of manhood or womanhood. He did not intend to teach that the adult who loses a leg will come forth without that leg until it can be grafted on after the resurrection. Rather, his body will come forth complete in every part. Deformities and the like will be corrected, if not immediately at the time of the uniting of the spirit and body, so soon thereafter that it will make no difference. We may be sure that every man will receive his body in its perfect frame in the resurrection.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.1, p.42

Question: "What will the state of mankind be at the resurrection? This question was raised when discussing the resurrection of the Savior. He appeared to his disciples with the wounds in his hands, feet, and side. When we come forth in the resurrection, will the earthly scars we get and the deformities remain? If we lose a part of the body, like a hand, arm, or leg, will we be made whole?

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.1, p.42

Answer: A little sound thinking will reveal to us that it would be inconsistent for our bodies to be raised with all kinds of imperfections. Some men have been burned at the stake for the sake of truth. Some have been beheaded, and others have had their bodies torn asunder; for example, John the Baptist was beheaded and received his resurrection at the time of the resurrection of our Redeemer. It is impossible for us to think of his coming forth from the dead holding his head in his hands; our reason says he was physically complete in the resurrection. He appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery with a perfect resurrected body. When we come forth from the dead, our spirits and bodies will be reunited inseparably, never again to be divided, and they will then be assigned to the kingdom to which they belong. All deformities and imperfections will be removed, and the body will conform to the likeness of the spirit, for the Lord revealed that "that which is spiritual" is in "the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created."1

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.4, p.185

Question: "Is a person resurrected to appear at the same age as that to which he or she had attained when the body was laid down? I realize that children who die will be raised as children for there is no growth in the grave, but will some appear to be thirty years old and some eighty or one hundred, in the resurrection?"

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol.4, p.185

Answer: There is no reason for any person to be concerned as to the appearance of individuals in the resurrection. Death is a purifying process as far as the body is concerned. We have reason to believe that the appearance of old age will disappear and the body will be restored with the full vigor of manhood and womanhood. Children will arise as children, for there is no growth in the grave. Children will continue to grow until they reach the full stature of their spirits. Anything contrary to this would be inconsistent. When our bodies are restored, they will appear to be in the full vigor of manhood and womanhood, for the condition of physical weakness will all be left behind in the grave.

A resurrected body, though of tangible substance, and possessing all the organs of the mortal tabernacle, is not bound to earth by gravitation, nor can it be hindered in its movements by material barriers. To us who conceive of motion only in the directions incident to the three dimensions of space, the passing of a solid, such as a living body of flesh and bones, through stone walls, is necessarily incomprehensible. But that resurrected beings move in accordance with laws making such passage possible and to them natural, is evidenced not only by the instance of the risen Christ, but by the movements of other resurrected personages. Thus, in September, 1823, Moroni, the Nephite prophet who had died about A.D. 400, appeared to Joseph Smith in his chamber, three times during one night, coming and going without hindrance incident to walls of roof (see JS-H 2:43; also The Articles of Faith, pp. 11-13). That Moroni was a resurrected man is shown by his corporeity manifested in his handling of the metallic plates on which was inscribed the record known to us as the Book of Mormon. So also resurrected beings possess the power of rendering themselves visible or invisible to the physical vision of mortals.

Brigham Young, Discourse at General Conference, October 8, 1875, Scrapbook of Mormon Literature, Vol. 2, p.41

The question may be asked, Do not the particles that compose man's body, when returned to mother earth, go to make or compose other bodies? No, they do not. Some philosophers have asserted that human body changes every seven or ten years. This is not correct, for it never changes; that is, the substances of which it is composed do not pass off and other particles of matter come and take their place. Neither can the particles which have comprised the bodies of men become parts of the bodies of other men, or of beasts, fowls, fish, insects or vegetables. They are governed by a divine law, and though they may pass from the knowledge of the scientific world, that divine law still holds and governs and control them. Man's body may be buried in the ocean, it may be eaten by wild beasts, or it may be burned to ashes, and be scattered to the four winds, yet the particles of is composed will not be incorporated into any form of vegetable or animal life, to become a component part of their structure. Are they gross, tangible, and, in their organized capacity, subject to decay and change? Yes, and if buried in the earth, they undergo decomposition and return to mother earth; but it is no matter how minute the particles are, they are watched over and will be preserved until the resurrection and at the sound of the trumpet of God every particle of our physical structures necessary to make our tabernacles perfect will be assembled, to be rejoined with the spirit, every man in his order. Not one particle will be lost.

TO PARENTS ON THE LOSS OF THEIR CHILDREN. The question may arise with me and with you—"Why has the Lord taken away my children?" But that is not for me to tell, because I do not know; it is in the hands of the Lord, and it has been so from the creation of the world all the way down. Children are taken away in their infancy, and they go to the spirit world. They come here and fulfil the object of their coming; that is, their tabernacle in the flesh. They come to receive a probation and an inheritance on the earth; they obtain a body or tabernacle, and that tabernacle will be preserved for them, and in the morning of the resurrection the spirits and bodies will be reunited, and as here we find children of various ages in a family, from the infant at the mother's breast to manhood, so will it be in the family organization in the celestial world. Our children will be restored to us as they are laid down if we, their parents, keep the faith and prove ourselves worthy to obtain eternal life; and if we do not so prove ourselves our children will still be preserved, and will inherit celestial glory. This is my view in regard to all infants who die, whether they are born to Jew or Gentile, righteous or wicked. They come from their eternal Father and their eternal Mother unto whom they were born in the eternal world, and they will be restored to their eternal parentage; and all parents who have received children here according to the order of God and the Holy Priesthood, no matter in what age they may have lived, will claim those children in the morning of the resurrection, and they will be given unto them and they will grace their family organizations in the celestial world.

THE FUTURE STATE OF THOSE WHO DIE IN INFANCY. With regard to the future state of those who die in infancy I do not feel authorized to say much. There has been a great deal of theory, and many views have been expressed on this subject, but there are many things connected with it which the Lord has probably never revealed to any of the prophets or patriarchs who ever appeared on the earth. There are some things which have not been revealed to man, but are held in the bosom of God our Father, and it may be that the condition after death of those who die in infancy is among the things which God has never revealed; but it is sufficient for me to know that our children are saved, and that if we ourselves keep the faith and do our duty before the Lord, if we keep the celestial law, we shall be preserved by that law, and our children will be given unto us there, as they have been given here in this world of sorrow, affliction, pain and distress.—JD 18:31-32, June 24, 1875.

I will say to our mourning friends, your children are taken away and you cannot help it, we cannot any of us help it; there is no censure to be given to parents when they do the best they can. A mother should not be censured because she cannot save her sick child, and we have to leave these things in the hands of God. It will be but a little time until they will be restored to us; in a little time Brother and Sister Wheeler will again have the children whose loss they now mourn.—JD 18:34, June 24, 1875.

ON THE LOSS IN INFANCY, AND THE REARING OF CHILDREN. Our children are taken away from us in infancy and childhood, and they are taken away as Job's were, in one sense of the word, through the dispensations of Providence, causing us severe trials. This we will acknowledge; but as I have already said, there are many things in this world that are far more painful and afflicting than to have our children burned to death. My friends may ask, "What is Brother Woodruff driving at in this remark?" I will tell you. I have lived in these valleys twenty-seven years since the pioneers came here. I have seen a whole generation of men and women grow up in these valleys of the mountains, and they have become parents. I have seen some, I will not say a great many, but I have seen some young men (I say nothing about maidens), who have met with untimely deaths and who have gone to the grave disgraced and a dishonor to themselves and to their parents. Circumstances of this kind are far more painful to any parent in the world than it is for their children to meet with sudden death by accident or any other way. None of us know what course our children will take. We set good examples before them, and we strive to teach them righteous principles. But when they come to years of accountability they have their agency and they act for themselves.—JD 14:130-31, June 24, 1875.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.293

CHILDREN RESURRECTED AS CHILDREN. Of course, children who die do not grow in the grave. They will come forth with their bodies as they were laid down, and then they will grow to the full stature of manhood or womanhood after the resurrection, but all will have their bodies fully restored.

Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, p.62

The following is from the Times and Seasons, vol. 5, page 617: "Mothers, you shall have your children, for they shall have eternal life: for their debt is paid, there is no damnation awaits them, for they are in the spirit. As the child dies, so shall it rise from the dead and be forever living in the learning of God; it shall be the child, the same as it was before it died out of your arms. Children dwell and exercise power in the same form as they laid them down."

RESURRECTION OF ALL THINGS / EARTH AND ALL LIFE RESURRECTED.

Every creature on the earth, whether it be man, animal, fish, fowl, or other creature, that the Lord has created, is redeemed from death on the same terms that man is redeemed. These creatures are not responsible for death coming into the world any more than we were, and since they have been created by the Father, they are entitled to their redemption and eternal duration.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.281

The earth itself shall be changed from its mortal body, for it too is a living thing now, under the curse of death, and it "abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it."

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.281

ALL LIVING THINGS RESURRECTED. "I know that, whatsoever God doeth," we read in the scriptures, "it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it." We know that all these creatures are animated by the spirit which is in them, just as man is. The Lord declared through the Prophet that "the spirit of man [is] in the likeness of his person, also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created." Is there any living creature that God has not made? If so, the power of creation has gone out of his hands. He is supreme, and all life is from him, his gift to every creature.

Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.282

The purified body will be the same body which shall rise in its "perfect form," and so we read: "And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand.

13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.