What Will 2012 Mean for the Saints?

[Faded]

The year 2012 might just see the Second Coming happen!! Then again it might not.

"“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." -- Matthew 24:36

I take that to heart. The ancient Mayas were never told when the Second Coming would happen. The ancient Nephites were never told. Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Nephi, Alma, Mormon, Moroni, Peter, James and John all didn't know when it would happen during their mortal lives and prophets and apostles. Even now in heaven -- standing in God's very presence -- they still don't know. I always find it quite comical hearing people trying to predict when the Second Coming will happen. We don't know and we're better off not knowing.

The funny thing is, with so many people predicting when the world will end ... eventually somebody's going to guess right.

[skalenfehl]

Nobody knows the exact timeline, but we are surely near the end of the times of the gentiles. The cleansing (day of wrath, Lord's vengeance, etc) has surely begun, IMHO, and has already begun in the LDS church.

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.

[Bensalem]

What I do know is that it won't be the Second Coming or the end of the world for the wicked as that is still many years away. Even after Armageddon there are years of cleanup that would be unnecessary if it were Christ's return in glory. We know he will visit at least three times to New Jerusalem, to rescue the more righteous Jews in Jerusalem, and then when he comes in Glory.

Eventually the Saints will be gathered for refuge from God's wrath on the Earth. But before that happens I expect the end of the Euro, and then the dollar...and so the end of the world as we have known it. Most of us cannot even imagine a world where the government and the Church won't be able to provide for us in the event of unemployment or a greater calamity. But the Brethren have told us that we must be self-reliant and we ourselves should provide help to the poor and the needy through the calamities of the last days. The plan of most to be numbered among the poor and the needy could be a really bad plan...the parable of the prodigal son comes to mind (not the harlot part I don't want to offend anyone here...but perhaps the spending of his abundance/inheritance part.)

In conference the First Presidency talked of some of the men having to work past their endurance, the members of the Church needing to be self-reliant and "Welfare in the Lord's Way" (which we were told to study on the new Provident Living site.) On the new site they tell us that "preparing every needful thing" is a commandment from Heavenly Father (which tells me the Saints are most likely going to NEED these things in the future, perhaps even our future...it isn't just a test of obedience.) Elder Nelson told us in this month's Ensign that there will be difficult days ahead for the Saints.

So while I don't expect to be alive when Jesus Christ comes in glory, I do think that I might be alive when the Saints or many of the Saints are tested, are persecuted to varying degrees (see December Ensign), and where many will be gathered for refuge from the storm...at some point, some or all who have sufficient to make the trip will be asked to go to start building the New Jerusalem in preparation for His return.

So as far as 2012 is concerned I don't think it will be the end of the world...but perhaps the end of the financial world as we have known it. Just today the news is about Iran possibly stopping the flow of mid-Eastern (cheap) oil to the US, European nations defaulting, Japan and China dumping the dollar (huge), gun sales at record levels, housing prices are down nationwide, new layoffs announced, many K-marts closing, massive seal deaths most likely due to radiation poisoning, the Japanese debris making it to US shores, new missile tests from Russia, a new aircraft carrier from China, etc. etc. etc.

So whether we will still be reading similar posts a year from now or there will have been a life changing event between now and then, or even just a continued gradual decline...or good news instead...I cannot say. All we can do is be spiritually and temporally prepared in these last days and stay close to each other and the Lord.

Best wishes my friends in 2012!

Char

.

I think the future holds incredible growth for the LDS church. The more terrible things become, the more people are inclined to look to God; and the more people look to God, the more the Holy Ghost can testify of the truth of the LDS church.

God's will for the Church is hundreds of millions of saints, not just 15 million. We have a long way to go.

[lds2]

I totally agree, can you imagine what amazing things the 144,000 missionaries who are high priests are going to accomplish? So I don't believe that most of this huge growth will be before Jesus comes to Adam-ondi-Ahman, but afterwards before he comes in Glory. There will a long time in there when all the righteous are encouraged to come to the New Jerusalem. This missionary work I believe will mostly take place between His Mt of Olives and His return in Glory when the Earth will be cleansed and receive it's paradisiacal glory.

**

“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...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 [ 2 Peter 3:10 ; 1 Thessalonians 5:2 ]” (James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 362–63).

B. The Savior will make several appearances before His Second Coming to all the world.

1. Christ will appear at Adam-ondi-Ahman (see Daniel 7:9–10, 13–14 ; D&C 116 ).

2. The Savior will appear to those in the New Jerusalem in America (see 3 Nephi 21:23–25 ; D&C 45:66–67 ).

3. The Savior will appear to the Jews in Jerusalem (see D&C 45:48, 51–53 ; Zechariah 12:10 ; 14:2–5 ).

4. The Lord will appear in glory to all mankind (see D&C 45:44 ; 101:23 ; Matthew 24:30 ; Isaiah 40:5 ; JST, Revelation 1:7 ).

"His first appearance will be to the righteous Saints who have gathered to the New Jerusalem. In this place of refuge they will be safe from the wrath of the Lord, which will be poured out without measure on all nations...Yes, come He will!” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Five Marks of the Divinity of Jesus Christ,” New Era, Dec. 1980, 49–50).

■ “[Christ’s] next appearance [after his appearance in the New Jerusalem] will be among the distressed and nearly vanquished sons of Judah. (Charles W. Penrose, “The Second Advent,” Millennial Star, 10 Sept. 1859, 583).

■ “Now brethren and sisters, the great day of the Lord is coming. It is going to be a terrible day. The wicked are going to be destroyed, and when I say the wicked I do not mean everybody outside the Mormon Church. There will be countless millions of people not of this Church spared because they are not ripe in iniquity and to them we will preach the everlasting Gospel and bring them unto Christ” (Charles A. Callis, in Conference Report, Apr. 1935, 18).

Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual - Chapter 36 - The Lord's Second Coming

It might be well to remind ourselves that Enoch and his people established Zion in their day, also a time of great wickedness. We will do the same.

Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual - Chapter 35 - The Fall of Babylon and the Establishment of Zion

[lds2]

It might be well to remind ourselves that Enoch and his people established Zion in their day, also a time of great wickedness. We will do the same.

Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual - Chapter 35 - The Fall of Babylon and the Establishment of Zion

[jzorider]

People have been predicting the end of the world since the world began, and they've been wrong 100% of the time. I suggest you just enjoy the world we have, it's a wonderful place. Just assume that everything will be for as long as you live, and if the world ends, then it ends- you're not going to be any better off because you predicted it! :)

[lds2]

I agree...we need to live our lives with confidence and joy.

However, as we are in the "last days" and "perilous times" it would be provident to obey the commandment from Heavenly Father found here...

https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/04008_eng.pdf?lang=eng

as we continue to "enjoy the world we have...for it is a wonderful place!!!"

.

Edited October 14, 2012 by lds2

[jzorider]

What does "last days" mean, anyways? If the world has been around for millions of years, then the "last days" could very well be the last several hundred thousand of them. For all we know, there may be 178,000 more years left!

[lds2]

There will certainly be more than 178,000 more years in the Earth's history, and the end of the world isn't about the end of the Earth it is about the end of the wicked and the first 6,000 years of humanity moving into years where Christ will reign on the Earth.

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.