Prelude to the Lord's Return

[SpiritDragon]

Hi everybody, my Sunday School class would like to know more about signs of the times and the lead up to the second coming of Jesus Christ. I find this to be a vast topic that no matter how much I've studied it there is more to understand. I realize that in simplest terms any of us can meet our maker at any time and the critical thing is to live right. We also know that no one knows the time of His coming, but we are supposed to watch.

I'm hoping to have a place here to compile various teachings on the Second Coming and there sources. I'm not sure the best way to organize it, but it seems to me that there would be general and ongoing signs such as wars and rumours of wars as well as specific events such as the building of a temple in Jerusalem. 

Anyone that wants to join in by sharing is welcome. I just ask that as much as possible we back up any teachings with scriptural citations or prophets/ apostles credited with saying them under what circumstance.

[JohnsonJones]

That's a pretty broad subject.  The big scriptures in the Room would be Revelation and Isaiah.

I'd also say that the Book of Mormon is a type and a Shadow of the Last days, especially the Book of Helaman and the first portion of the Book of 3rd Nephi.  When we see what happened to the society of the Nephites and Lamanites right before the Death of our Savior and his coming to visit them in his Ressurected form, we can see what our own times may be like.  Luckily it also shows that after he came there was a great period of peace which we can hope for too (if we survive the Last days that is).

[SpiritDragon]

Event: Building up of New Jerusalem starting at the Temple Mount

Source: D&C 84:1-5

Quote

1 A revelation of Jesus Christ unto his servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and six elders, as they united their hearts and lifted their voices on high.

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 Jerusalemshall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be rearedin this generation.

5 For verily this generation shall not all pass away until an houseshall 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.

 

[SpiritDragon]

Just now, JohnsonJones said:

That's a pretty broad subject.  The big scriptures in the Room would be Revelation and Isaiah.

I'd also say that the Book of Mormon is a type and a Shadow of the Last days, especially the Book of Helaman and the first portion of the Book of 3rd Nephi.  When we see what happened to the society of the Nephites and Lamanites right before the Death of our Savior and his coming to visit them in his Ressurected form, we can see what our own times may be like.  Luckily it also shows that after he came there was a great period of peace which we can hope for too (if we survive the Last days that is).

Thanks @JohnsonJones I think that's why I find it so overwhelming. I figure that by actually documenting my findings over time and letting others share insights as well that I will eventually have a better grasp on the topic and perhaps it won't be too late to help out youth I teach. Even it I'm not terribly useful to those I teach now, there is no time like the present to start getting a better grasp on the topic.

[Guest]

23 minutes ago, SpiritDragon said:

Hi everybody, my Sunday School class would like to know more about signs of the times and the lead up to the second coming of Jesus Christ. I find this to be a vast topic that no matter how much I've studied it there is more to understand. I realize that in simplest terms any of us can meet our maker at any time and the critical thing is to live right. We also know that no one knows the time of His coming, but we are supposed to watch.

I'm hoping to have a place here to compile various teachings on the Second Coming and there sources. I'm not sure the best way to organize it, but it seems to me that there would be general and ongoing signs such as wars and rumours of wars as well as specific events such as the building of a temple in Jerusalem. 

Anyone that wants to join in by sharing is welcome. I just ask that as much as possible we back up any teachings with scriptural citations or prophets/ apostles credited with saying them under what circumstance.

Coming of The Lord by Gerald Lund.

[SpiritDragon]

It also seems tied to the building of the New Jerusalem that the City of Enoch will return to the Earth.

Quote

Moses 7:

59 And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father; and he called unto the Lord, saying: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? Forasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine Only Begotten; thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself, but through thine own grace; wherefore, I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth.

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;

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;

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.

This link may be of future interest as well:

http://emp.byui.edu/satterfieldb/quotes/Millennium/Zion, New Jerusalem, City of Enoch.html

[SpiritDragon]

1 minute ago, Carborendum said:

Coming of The Lord by Gerald Lund.

I may need to add that to my Christmas list.

[mikbone]

 

Quote

“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.’”
~ Joseph Smith, Jr.

https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-10-march-1844-as-reported-by-wilford-woodruff/8

History of the Church, 6:254; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith on Mar. 10, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Wilford Woodruff.

 

One of my favorites.  Because who doesn't like looking for rainbows.  So either the physics that cause rainbows to appear will change or more likely we are in for one heck of a worldwide drought.  How is your food supply coming?

[SpiritDragon]

I was studying in Doctrine and Covenants 45 today as part of my preparation for tomorrow.

Quote

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

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.

30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

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.

33 And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they kill one another.

It seems evident to me that this is referring to the restoration breaking through the darkness of the Great Apostasy, but also wondered about the earthquakes and so on that I tend to think of as more the closing hours leading up to the Second Coming. I'm also curious to learn more about the desolating sickness covering the land. Has this already happened? If so what was/is it?

[Anddenex]

If you check Youtube and type in John Taylor or Wilford Woodruff prophecy one of them goes over a dream they had (vision). In here he talks about a desolating sickness. If what he specifies is true and will happen, it will be a scary desolating sickness and some other worse things.

 

[JohnsonJones]

6 hours ago, Anddenex said:

If you check Youtube and type in John Taylor or Wilford Woodruff prophecy one of them goes over a dream they had (vision). In here he talks about a desolating sickness. If what he specifies is true and will happen, it will be a scary desolating sickness and some other worse things.

 

Some have speculated that the sickness talked about is symbolic of something else, and today many feel the sickness is here already.  The sickness that many feel this is talking about is the plague of pornography that assails the Western World today.

Just a thought regarding what some think the sickness represented.

They stated that it afflicted every household and every family and the stink of it was everywhere if I recall.

[Tyme]

All I know is that I want to be marked as Christ's like it talks about in Revelations. The sooner he comes the better. Just wait until I get baptized and can make covenants in the Temple.

Edited December 9, 2018 by Tyme

[Anddenex]

4 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

Some have speculated that the sickness talked about is symbolic of something else, and today many feel the sickness is here already.  The sickness that many feel this is talking about is the plague of pornography that assails the Western World today.

Just a thought regarding what some think the sickness represented.

They stated that it afflicted every household and every family and the stink of it was everywhere if I recall.

Thanks, that is definitely a possibility. There were two things my  mind was remembering: 1) the stink, and 2) some other worse things I didn't want to write. My #2 is the only hesitation I would have regarding specifying it solely meant pornography.

[SpiritDragon]

13 hours ago, Anddenex said:

If you check Youtube and type in John Taylor or Wilford Woodruff prophecy one of them goes over a dream they had (vision). In here he talks about a desolating sickness. If what he specifies is true and will happen, it will be a scary desolating sickness and some other worse things.

 

I couldn't find a good rendition on Youtube with my limited effort, but I believe I found the account you are speaking of:

Quote

I went to bed as usual at about 7:30PM. I had been read­ing a revela­tion in the French lan­guage. My mind was calm, more so than usual if possible, so I composed myself for sleep, but could not. I felt a strange feeling come over me and apparently be­came partially uncon­scious. Still I was not asleep, nor ex­actly awake, with dreary feeling. The first thing that I recognized was that I was in the tabernacle of Ogden, Utah. I was sit­ting in the back part of the build­ing for fear they would call on me to preach, which however they did, for after sing­ing the second time they called me to the stand.

I arose to speak and said that I did­n’t know that I had anything es­pecially to say, ex­cept to bear my tes­timony of the Latter-day work, when all at once it seemed as if I was lifted out of myself and I said, “Yes, I have something to say and that is this: Some of my brethren have been ask­ing, “What is be­coming of us? What is the wind blowing?” I will answer you right here what is coming very shortly.”

I was then in a dream, im­mediately in the city of Salt Lake, and wandering around in the streets and in all parts of the city, and on the doors of the houses I found badges of mourn­ing and I could not find a house but was in mourning. I passed my own house and found the same sign there, and I asked the ques­tion, “Is that me that is dead?” Someone gave me the an­swer, “No, you will get through it all.”

It seemed strange to me that I saw no person in the streets in all my wan­dering around the coun­try. I seemed to be in their houses with the sick, but saw no funeral proces­sion, nor anything of the kind, but the city looking still and as though the people were praying. And it seemed that they had controlled the dis­ease, but what the dis­ease was I did not learn; it was not made known to me. I then looked over the country, north, east, south, and west, and the same mourning was in every land and in every place.

The next thing I knew I was just this side of Omaha. It seemed though I was above the earth, and look­ing down upon it. As I passed along upon my way east I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs, trav­eling to the moun­tains on foot. I won­dered how they would get through with such a small pack on their backs. It was re­markable to us[?] that there were so few men among them. It didn’t seem to me as though the cars were run­ning, the rails looked rusty and the roads aban­doned; and I have no con­ception of how I traveled as I looked down upon the peo­ple.

I continued east by the way of Omaha and Council Bluffs, which were full of disease. There were women every­where. The state of Illinois and Mis­souri were in a tumult, men killing one an­other, women joining the fight­ing, fam­ily against family in the most horrid manner.

I imagined next that I was in Wash­ington and I found desola­tion there. The White House was empty and the Halls of Congress the same, and everything in ru­ins. The people seemed to have left the city and left it to take care of itself.

I was in Baltimore. In the square where the Monument of 1812 stands in front of the Char­les Hotel. I saw dead piled up so as to fill the street square. I saw mothers cutting the throats of their own children for their blood. I saw them suck it from their throats to quench their own thirst and then lie down and die. The water of Che­sapeake Bay was stagnant, and the stench arising from it on ac­count of their throw­ing their bod­ies into it so terrible, that the very smell carried death with it. I saw no man ex­cept they were dead or dying in the streets and very few women. Those I saw were crazy and in an ugly condi­tion. Everywhere I went I beheld the same sights all over the city; it was terrible be­yond description to look upon.

I thought this must be the end; but no, I was seemingly in an instant in the city of Philadel­phia. There eve­rything was still. No living soul was there to greet me. It seemed the whole city was with­out any inhabi­tants. In the south of Chestnut Street and in fact everywhere I went, the putrefaction of the dead caused such a stench that it was impos­sible for any living thing to breathe, nor did I see any living thing in the city.

Next I found myself in Broadway, in the city of New York, and there it seemed the people had done the best they could to overcome the disease, but in wandering down Broad­way I saw the bodies of beautiful women lying, some dead and oth­ers in a dy­ing condition, on the sidewalks. I saw men come out of cellars and ravish the per­sons of some that were yet alive and then kill them and rob their bodies of all the valu­ables they had upon them. Then before they could get back to the cellar they would roll over a time or two and die in ag­ony. In some of the back streets I saw them kill some of their own offspring and eat their raw flesh, and in a few minutes die them­selves. Every­where I went I saw the same scene of horror and de­struction and death and rap­ine.

No car­riages, buggies, or cars were running; but death and de­struc­tion were every­where. Then I saw fire start and just at that moment a mighty East wind sprang up and car­ried the flames over the city and it burned until there was not a sin­gle building left standing there, even down to the waters edge. Wharves and shipping all seemed to burn and follow in common destruction where the “great city” was a short time ago. The stench from the bodies that were burn­ing was so great that it was carried a long dis­tance cross the Hudson Bay and carried death and destruction wherever it pene­trated. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to compass me about; it was beyond description of man.

I sup­posed this was the end; but it was not. I was given to understand the same horror was being en­acted all over the coun­try, east, west, north, and south. Few were left alive, still there were some.

Immediately after I seemed to be standing on the left bank of the Mis­souri River, opposite e the City of In­de­pendence, but there was no city. I saw the whole state of Missouri and Illi­nois and all of Iowa, a complete desert with no living being there. A short dis­tance from the river how­ever, I saw twelve men dressed in temple robes, stand­ing in a square or nearly so (and I under­stood it repre­sented the Twelve Gates of the New Jerusa­lem.) Their hands were uplifted in consecration of the ground and lay­ing the corner stone of the tem­ple. I saw myraids of an­gels hovering over them, and saw also an immense pil­lar of clouds over them and heard the angels singing the most heav­enly music. The words were “Now is estab­lished the King­dom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down.”

I saw people com­ing from the river and from the desert places a long way off to help build the temple and it seemed that hosts of an­gels all helped to get material to build with and I saw some of them who wore temple clothes come and build the tem­ple and the city, and all the time I saw the great pillar of clouds hovering over the place.

Instantly, however, I found my­self again in the taber­nacle at Ogden. And yet, I could still see the building go on and I got quite animated in call­ing on the people in the tabernacle to listen to the beautiful music, for the an­gels were singing the same music I had heard be­fore. “Now is estab­lished the King­dom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down.”

At this I seemed to stagger back from the pulpit and Brother Francis D. Richards and some others caught my arm and prevented me from falling. Then I fin­ished so abruptly. Still even then I had not fainted, but was simply ex­hausted.

Then I rolled over in bed and awoke just as the city clock was strik­ing twelve.

 

[SpiritDragon]

I'm posting this link to keep track of it.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1972/05/the-future-of-the-holy-land?lang=eng

Interesting events that need to take place in the Holy Land.

[Anddenex]

5 hours ago, SpiritDragon said:

I'm posting this link to keep track of it.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1972/05/the-future-of-the-holy-land?lang=eng

Interesting events that need to take place in the Holy Land.

That is a great Ensign read.

Yes, the dream you provided above is the dream (and I couldn't find the video about this on Youtube I had previously watched). The part I didn't want to write is what is specified was happening in New York. That is pretty disturbing events if this is indeed what will happen.

[2ndRateMind]

I'm inclined to note that Christians have persistently prophesied the second coming and the end of the world, throughout the history of the church, and have equally persistently been proven wrong. So, with that precedence, I tend to regard all such premonitions, omens, harbingers, portents and signs as suspect. I place more credence, then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (ie., unexpectedly). And commend the injunction to 'live each day as if it were thy last'.

Best wishes, 2RM.

Edited December 13, 2018 by 2ndRateMind

[mikbone]

“Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth: “The way things are going, the world’s going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be.” Not so! You can look forward to doing it right --getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.”  Counsel to Youth, Boyd K Packer, Oct 2011

[mordorbund]

On 12/13/2018 at 7:31 AM, 2ndRateMind said:

I'm inclined to note that Christians have persistently prophesied the second coming and the end of the world, throughout the history of the church, and have equally persistently been proven wrong. So, with that precedence, I tend to regard all such premonitions, omens, harbingers, portents and signs as suspect. I place more credence, then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 KJV: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (ie., unexpectedly). And commend the injunction to 'live each day as if it were thy last'.

Best wishes, 2RM.

 

9 hours ago, mikbone said:

“Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth: “The way things are going, the world’s going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be.” Not so! You can look forward to doing it right --getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.”  Counsel to Youth, Boyd K Packer, Oct 2011

I would think that the kind of study and sorting of signs as suggested in the OP would help to alleviate some of the anxiety these quotes refer to.

Specifically, it would lead to a knowledge that some signs are prompts to remind us that the destination is coming (around mile marker 64, next to the McDonalds) while others are more specific to let us know that we are markedly closer to arriving (you'll enter New Jersey). This knowledge is what the OP specifically looked for.

It will also lead to a knowledge that, although there are cataclysms and a new order is established - that new order is built on many of the same principles we have at work today. Odds are your career will still be quite relevant and we'll need you to labor, as will your family. That's right, you'll still have families. There's still governmental structure and interaction with other communities. So don't drain your bank account at the first sign. Many things will continue as they are*.

 

*Cats won't exist anymore.

 

[Anddenex]

26 minutes ago, mordorbund said:

*Cats [and dogs] won't exist anymore.

Fixed

Edited December 14, 2018 by Anddenex

[mordorbund]

8 hours ago, Anddenex said:

Fixed

Apostate.

[SpiritDragon]

On 12/14/2018 at 8:57 AM, mordorbund said:

 

I would think that the kind of study and sorting of signs as suggested in the OP would help to alleviate some of the anxiety these quotes refer to.

Specifically, it would lead to a knowledge that some signs are prompts to remind us that the destination is coming (around mile marker 64, next to the McDonalds) while others are more specific to let us know that we are markedly closer to arriving (you'll enter New Jersey). This knowledge is what the OP specifically looked for.

It will also lead to a knowledge that, although there are cataclysms and a new order is established - that new order is built on many of the same principles we have at work today. Odds are your career will still be quite relevant and we'll need you to labor, as will your family. That's right, you'll still have families. There's still governmental structure and interaction with other communities. So don't drain your bank account at the first sign. Many things will continue as they are*.

 

*Cats won't exist anymore.

 

Thanks. That seems correct to me as well. I would hope that studying and understanding the events leading up to the second coming would be helpful to reduce anxiety and decrease being swayed by doom and gloom prophesies. After all, the coming of the Lord is wonderful to the righteous. As for living so that we are ready to meet our maker, there is no doubt that for many of us we'll likely arrive at that juncture before the Lord returns and we all need to be living right because we don't know when we might cross from mortality into spirit life.

*this reminds me of An American Tale... "there are no cats in America" 

[JohnsonJones]

8 hours ago, SpiritDragon said:

*this reminds me of An American Tale... "there are no cats in America" 

And the streets are paved with cheese...