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This past weekend President Uchtdorf said that we have a charge to study the signs of the times, "We are the Saints of the Latter Days...Inherent in our name is the commitment to look forward to the Savior's return! and prepare ourselves and the world to receive Him...We are charged with studying the word of God and heeding the voice of the Spirit that we may know the signs of the times and the signs of the coming of the Son of God." I earnestly seek to do that! Two of our apostles (I believe it was President Nelson and Elder Ballard) said that we must study "The Living Christ"...which Elder Hales prophesied about back in 2013. Perhaps we are to that time where the witness of the apostles related to the life and divinity of Jesus Christ is "most needed"? This is the article I wrote a few years ago...I think those of you who read will appreciate the review of where we were then in order to better understand where we are now. "The historic day our prophet lowered the missionary age was a historic day in our home as well, as my two remaining children suddenly were a year away from being able to put in their papers. Since that day the Lord’s "hastening" has been a good deal in my thoughts, and the questions that have been uppermost in my mind have been how should we hasten? and what are we hastening for? I went to the scriptures to learn of hastening and read, “Behold, I will ahasten my work in its time.” (D&C 88:73) But that was so short I wanted to know more, so I pressed on the link and went to the reference scripture, “A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a bstrong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in my time. (Isaiah 60:22 JST) and then to D&C 133:58 “To prepare the weak for those things which are coming on the earth, and for the Lord’s errand in the day when the weak shall confound the wise, and the little one become a strong nation, and two shall put their tens of thousands to flight.” I found that all of these chapters talk about the last days. Of particular import to me was that in Isaiah Joseph Smith changed the translation from “His” time to “My” time. The Lord said He would hasten His work in His time which means His time is NOW. It is “His time” or in His words “My time.” When I was my children’s age, President Kimball asked us to "lengthen our stride" and now it seems we are picking up that pace. I don’t know about others, but I have been mighty comfortable watching pretty much from the sidelines, and most likely I haven't been the only one, as a few years ago Elder M. Russell Ballard said, "Nearly 18 decades have passed since the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830. We have had 178 years to observe the fulfillment of prophecy and to watch “the truth of God” as it goes “forth boldly, nobly, and independent.”1 But we are asked to do more than “watch” as in a recent Ensign we were asked to “immerse” ourselves in His work, "Far more important is how we as members fit into the larger picture of hastening the work of salvation...Our role is to immerse ourselves in loving and serving those around us."… “As long as we reach out in kindness and love to those who need our friendship and help, we will not fail…success comes by following the inspiration that flows into our minds and hearts and simply inviting others into our gospel-centered lives.2 Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the “Hastening the Work of Salvation” broadcast spoke of the importance of love. He said, “We work together in faith and unity—faith that the Lord will guide our steps and unity with each other and with the missionaries, always motivated by our love for [Jesus Christ], our love for one another, and our love for those we serve.”3 In the Ensign article it also talked about us, it said, “As Latter-day Saints we are blessed to be living in this time when the Lord is hastening His work. Because God has a purpose in placing us on earth at this time, we have the capacity to do more than we think we can.”2 It said, “God has a purpose in placing us on this earth at this time.”2 President Eyring has said several times that when the brethren quote other prophets or repeat themselves we should give particular heed to their messages.4 So I thought it was particularly interesting a few years ago when President Monson quoted another prophet, "Said President Benson: ‘In all ages, prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation…For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the second coming of the Lord. Some individuals will fall away, but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its Head—even Jesus Christ…While this generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time: [it is that] God has saved for the final inning some of His strongest…children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly.’”5 President Benson finished off that paragraph with this prophetic statement, “And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God."6 In re-reading this talk I found it interesting where President Benson talked of “our generation” and then talked to the young adults of that time (who are now in their 50s-60s) saying “you are the generation.” The Ensign article continues, “The work of salvation is Heavenly Father’s work “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). This important work includes member missionary work, convert retention, activation of less-active members, temple and family history work, and teaching the gospel.”2 Recently I was privileged to hear a talk from my stake president where he counseled us regarding how very important attending the temple will be in the times to come as it will be our help in order to “withstand the fiery darts of the adversary.” Elder Robert D. Hales said something about this same thing in 2006 and again in 2013, where on both occasions he followed President Monson in conference. In 2006 he said, “We are living in the latter days, brothers and sisters, in the fulness of times. We must remember that we have control over who we are no matter how difficult the world becomes. Like those in 1 Nephi, the true and faithful will be able to withstand the fiery darts of the adversary when he is loosed upon this earth. Despite all the turmoil in the world, when the Savior comes to His temple, as He did in the Book of Mormon, those who are true and faithful will be there. May we be among them… 7 And then in 2013 he said, “In recent decades the Church has largely been spared the terrible misunderstandings and persecutions experienced by the early Saints. It will not always be so. The world is moving away from the Lord faster and farther than ever before. The adversary has been loosed upon the earth. We watch, hear, read, study, and share the words of prophets to be forewarned and protected. For example, “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” was given long before we experienced the challenges now facing the family. “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles” was prepared in advance of when we will need it most.”8 Joseph Smith was talking about this time I think when he said, "…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...one pestilence after another until the Ancient of Days comes…"9 Recently, a missionary (Elder Nelson in California) excitedly reported about how technology has changed his work dramatically. He talked about how it is “hastening” his work (D&C 88:73), how skype helps “nations see eye to eye” (Mosiah 16:1), and that what is happening is a fulfillment of this scripture, "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." (Matthew 24:14) In my recent scripture study I came across what seemed to me a similar scripture in that missionaries are “sending” their message into all the world. D&C 84:62, “Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature.” and then in verse 92 it says, “…and they [calamities] shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed My work, which shall be cut short in righteousness—“ There was another time of hastening that I think was significant to our day, that was in the days of Jeremiah before the destruction of Jerusalem, where the Lord told Jeremiah that he was foreordained to live in his time, that the Lord would put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth, and to “be not afraid” as the Lord would deliver him. As we look to inviting others in our lives we can also “be not afraid” as He will put His words in our mouths if we are doing our best to do His will and work. (Jeremiah 1:5-19) Elder Quentin L Cook said, "I will compare some circumstances of our day with those in the days of Jeremiah before the downfall of Jerusalem. In presenting this voice of warning..." He described many things that are similar between that time and now and talked about various forms of bondage. He talked about how Lehi’s was initially "a voice of warning, but after faithfully declaring the same message as Jeremiah, Lehi was commanded by the Lord to take his family and depart into the wilderness." Later in his talk, he said, "As the Doctrine and Covenants beautifully reads, “The righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.” That eventual joy is what I hope for. Jesus admonished us to “be not troubled.” (Matthew 24:6) I truly believe the best way to do that is to keep the vision of the new Jerusalem, the redemption of the old, the return of Enoch’s Zion and Christ’s millennial reign continually before our minds…now that vision of the future is really exciting!10 During the "Hastening the Work of Salvation" broadcast, President Thomas S. Monson said: “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work.”11 May we do His work-the works of salvation-in this His time." 1) Elder M. Russell Ballard, The Truth of God Shall Go Forth, October 2008 2) LDS.org, Hastening the Work of Salvation, Ensign, Oct. 2013 3) Elder Neil L. Andersen, The Work of Salvation, hasteningthework.lds.org. 4) President Henry B. Eyring, Safety in Counsel, Ensign, June 2008; Video recording of Providing in the Lord’s Way, Oct. Conference 2011 5) President Thomas S. Monson, Closing Remarks, Oct. Conference 2009 6) President Ezra Taft Benson, In His Steps, CES Fireside, Feb. 8, 1987; In His Steps, BYU Devotional 1979 7) Elder Robert D. Hales, Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation, General Conference, Oct. 2006 8 ) Elder Robert D. Hales, Strengthening Faith and Testimony, General Conference, Oct. 2013 9) Joseph Smith History of the Church 3:390-91. 10) Elder Marion G. Romney, Be Not Troubled, October Conference 1966 11) President Thomas S. Monson, The Work of Salvation,hasteningthework.lds.org.