Traveler Posted July 18, 2016 Report Posted July 18, 2016 On 7/16/2016 at 11:51 PM, spamlds said: Interesting questions! Here are my opinions (not necessarily doctrine, but informed by years of study of Church history and doctrine). 1. I've never heard any authoritative source in the Church try to mark the year or even decade of the Second Coming using generations or any other event, save for the scriptural signs in Matthew 24 and the various sections of the D&C that describe the signs of the times. The Old Testament does follow a pattern showing how many generations from Abraham to Moses, and from Moses to David, and David to Jesus. Perhaps the Great Apostasy disrupted that pattern or perhaps it's just that we have lost the "place markers" that would identify which generation. Anyhow, nothing I've ever read since the Restoration began identifies a generation in that manner. .... Often authorities within the Church priesthood structure know things and when such things will take place but no announcement or even precise hints are given prior to the designated time when an announcement is made to all. Among such examples are divisions of wards or stakes, construction of new temples, creation of new missions or dividing of missions or even the extension of the priesthood to all males. At best there may be rumors that something is going to happen at stake conference. These are all very minor changes to covenants – especially in comparison to the changes Jesus the Christ will bring at his designated “second” advent or coming. Just because a general announcement is not made – we should not imply reasoning that such things are not known to anyone – often well in advance. I know personally that on the occasions that I have been “surprised” by announcements or events – that as I have then pondered that I have come to realize G-d is not withholding “secrets” from me but that I have not been “in tune” to the whisperings of the spirit that in hindsight bring witness that I could have been better prepared and ready, realizing that G-d is not a politician that makes such things know at press conferences but rather through spiritual means. My point is that for many things given and revealed – that which is sacred is not cast as pearls before swine to the whole world but only given to those spiritually in tune – or as the scriptures say “eyes that see and ears that hear” and that those are so prompted seldom speak beyond the promptings they are given and those that do not want to hear are unprepared not realizing all along that spiritual preparation (faith) must always precede empirical knowledge. The Traveler Quote
tesuji Posted July 18, 2016 Report Posted July 18, 2016 I ran across this great quote today, which seemed relevant to the last days, and to our everyday trials now too: Quote "There is no safety, only in the arm of Jehovah. None else can deliver, and he will not deliver unless we do prove ourselves faithful to him in the severest trouble. For he that will have his robes washed in the blood of the Lamb must come up through great tribulation [see Revelation 7:13-14], even the greatest of all affliction." -- Joseph Smithhttps://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-19?lang=eng Rhoades 1 Quote
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