Are we there yet?

[Traveler]

Back in my previous life when my eternal partner and I were raising the next generation - and we were driving somewhere in the car - the most common phrases were, "Are we there yet?"  and "how much further?"   I always found that question to be most annoying; mostly because the person asking the question was seldom paying attention to anything going on and even worse they never seemed to care all that much about what was going on.

In today's world it almost seems that the opposite is happening.  Everybody seems to think they are an expert and know what is going on.  Mostly that the country, the world or something is going to he#@ in a handbasket which is being carried mostly by politicians.   And so there are statements like - the second coming must be soon because things cannot get much worse but then, even an amateur student of history knows that things have been much worse. 

So my question is -- Are we there yet?  If we are not there - how long before we get there?

During my scout master hiking days - when my boys would ask - how much further?  My answer was always - just 4 more miles.  A few hours later when they would ask again - the answer was always - just 4 more miles.  I ran across one of my boys that is now a dad with boys of his own.  I asked how things were going.  He smiled and responded  --  I just need to get through the next 4 miles.

So my questions are - are we there yet and do we still have 4 more miles?

 

The Traveler

[Fether]

7 hours ago, Traveler said:

So my questions are - are we there yet and do we still have 4 more miles?

I’ve entertained the idea that there is no “end” when comes to human kind as a whole. Signs of the times are there to remind us that there is an end. But that end isn’t the second coming, the end is whenever we leave this life.

”this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” Alma 34:32.

I believe this is primarily why people of every generation have been saying “the end is nigh!”. They are both right and wrong. They are wrong in their intention, that the end of the world and the second coming is within the next 20 years or so. They are right in that the true end, the only end that matters, is indeed close. 
 

If I stand on a street corner and shout “the end is near!” Within the next 90 years. That statement will have been fulfilled for everyone in earshot.

Now, I do believe there to be an ultimate “end” when it comes to this world. However, I am not so sure that end, the one no one can seem to time correctly, is not nearly as important as the end that is much more easy to time, our own death.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Fether