Last Days

                    I know that we are living in the latter days and know many prophecies concerning the "last days" of the earth.  I believe that we have entered the "last days" before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  Since I - nor anyone else - do not know the exact day and time that Christ will return, I also do not know how long the "last days" will continue; however, I believe we are close.  Here are some reasons why I believe we are nearing the end of time as we know it.

                    Prophets and Apostles tell us that the Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ was written and brought forth to help us prepare for the second coming of Jesus Christ.  In my daily reading of the Book of Mormon, I have been reading about the conditions on the American continents at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ and particularly those signs of His death.  At the time of Christ's death, the American continents experienced great commotion and upheaval among the elements of nature. 

                    "And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land.

                    "And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.

                    "And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land" (3 Nephi 8:5-7).

                    During this great storm numerous cities burned, others were sunk in the depths of the sea, and still others were buried by earth.  The "whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth" (3 Nephi 8:12). 

                    I watched a documentary about Hurricane Sandy and learned some details about how this storm was much worse than others.  There were illustrations about how several forces of nature met in the New Jersey/New York area.  There was a powerful hurricane moving up the East Coast of the United States.  At the same time a winter storm was moving from Montana across the northern states.  There was a low pressure area over Greenland that caused the wind currents to push the hurricane force winds onto shore rather than pushing them off shore as they usually do.  I could not help but think that it was a "perfect storm" - all things coming together to reek great suffering in New Jersey and New York.  Could this "perfect storm" be a fore taste of storms to come?  Could this horrible storm be a reminder that God is all powerful and is in control of all things?  Sandy is not the only "great storm" that has done great damage.  New Orleans has not completely rebuilt after Katrina; cities in the Mid-West are still rebuilding after tornados.  We know from recent storms that great cities can be destroyed in a matter of minutes and hours.

                    Other problems caused by great commotion and upheaval among the elements of nature are "famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes" (Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:29).  Could these upheavals in nature be the reason why King Salmon did not return to the rivers of Alaska in 2012?  Could this commotion be causing the great 2012 drought that plagues 60 percent of the land in the Lower 48 states.  I understand that this drought is worse than the one that took place during the Dust Bowl days.  That drought lasted for most of a decade - ten years!  The dust caused the deaths of many people from a disease that was known as "dust pneumonia," which plagued mostly the oldest and youngest people.

                    Another "sign" that we should be watching is the Middle East.  Iran is close to having nuclear weapons; many Muslim nations have vowed that they would drive Israel into the sea and destroy all Jews.  Israel continues to be attacked by various groups in the Middle East.  How long will it be before the groups combine to fight Israel?

                    These are just a few of the signs that we are in the last days.  Stay tuned for more comparisons!

                    

Signs of the Second Coming

                    The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth has been foretold for hundreds and thousands of years.  No person besides Heavenly Father knows when the Savior will come back to the earth to rule and reign, but God has revealed through His prophets how we can know when the coming of the Savior is near.  The Savior likened His return to the earth to a pregnancy.  Women recognize the signs that foretell the birth of their babies, but they do not know - unless surgery is scheduled - the exact day, hour, or minute that their babies will be born.  The key in any of these situations is to watch for the signs.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He will return to earth to rule and reign for one thousand years.  I believe that His Second Coming is near and may even occur during my lifetime.  I look forward to this event with great excitement and wonder.

The Savior told Joseph Smith, “I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory … and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:11). Jesus has also given numerous signs and events that will warn us when the time of His coming is near.

Followers of Jesus Christ look forward to His coming again and have done so for thousands of years.  We expect it to be a time of peace and joy and yet understand that we will experience great trials and calamities before He returns.  Heavenly Father has forewarned us about these difficult times because He wants us to be prepared to survive them.  He also expects us to prepare ourselves spiritually in order to be ready when the Savior comes in His glory.  This is the reason He has revealed these signs to His prophets throughout the ages.  He said that all of the Savior’s faithful followers will know what the signs are and will be watching for them (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:39).  Studying the scriptures will help us to know the signs and to be obedient and faithful.

Some of the signs of the Savior’s Second Coming have already been fulfilled or are in the process of being fulfilled.  The rest will be fulfilled in the future.  These signs are always revealed through the prophets, and many of them will be dreadful and terrifying.  We have been warned that the earth will experience great turmoil, wickedness, war, and suffering.  The prophet Daniel said that the time before Christ comes again will be a time of trouble such as the earth has never previously known (see Daniel 12:1).

The Lord said, “The love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:27).  “And all things shall be in commotion; and … fear shall come upon all people” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:91).  We can expect earthquakes, disease, famines, great storms, lightning, and thunder (see Matthew 24:7; Doctrine and Covenants 88:90).  Hailstorms will destroy the crops of the earth (see Doctrine and Covenants 29:16).

When the disciples of Jesus Christ asked Him about His Second Coming, the Lord told them, “Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars….  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom” (Matthew 24:6-7).  The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Be not discouraged when we tell you of perilous times, for they must shortly come, for the sword, famine, and pestilences are approaching.  There shall be great destructions upon the face of this land, for ye need not suppose that one jot or tittle of the prophecies of all the holy prophets shall fail, and there are many that remain to be fulfilled yet” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church:  Joseph Smith [2007], 252).

Many of these signs are currently in the process of being fulfilled.  Wickedness is everywhere – in every city, state and nation of the world.  At any given time, two or more nations are at war.  Earthquakes and other calamities are occurring regularly.  Millions of people are now suffering from terrible storms, drought, hunger, and diseases.  These calamities will certainly become more severe before the Lord comes.

Some of the events of the Second Coming bring joy to the world.  Some of the joyful events are:  the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached in the entire world, the coming of Elijah, the Lamanites becoming righteous and respected, and the building of the New Jerusalem.

The Lord explained, “Light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fullness of my gospel” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:28).  Prophets of old foretold the Restoration of the gospel, and the Apostle John saw in vision that the gospel would be restored by an angel (see Revelation 14:6-7).  The angel Moroni and other heavenly beings brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith and fulfilled this prophecy.

When Jesus Christ visited the Nephites, He gave them another sign of His coming:  the Book of Mormon would come to their descendants (see 3 Nephi 21).  The Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel foresaw the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (see Isaiah 29:4-18; Ezekiel 37:16-20).  These prophecies are being fulfilled in our day.  The Book of Mormon was brought forth and is currently being taken to the entire world.

Jesus Christ told His disciples that the “gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14; see also Joseph Smith – Matthew 1:31).  He has also revealed that all people will hear the fullness of the gospel in their own language (see Doctrine and Covenants 90:11).  Ever since the Restoration of the Church, missionaries have been preaching the gospel, and tens of thousands of missionaries are now preaching the gospel in many countries of the world in many different languages.  Before Christ returns to earth and during the Millennium, the truth will be taken to all nations.

The prophet Elijah held the sealing power during his life on earth, and the prophet Malachi prophesied that Elijah would bring that power back to earth before the Savior comes:  “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).

Elijah the prophet came to Joseph Smith in April 1836.  Soon after his visit, people began to take greater interest in genealogy and family history.  Sealing ordinances are performed in the temples for both the living and the dead.

The Lord said, “Before the great day of the lord shall come, … the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose” (Doctrine and Covenants 49:24)  He meant that the Lamanites would become a righteous and respected people when His coming was near.  There are great numbers of the descendants of Lehi who are receiving the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As the coming of Jesus Christ draws near, faithful Saints will build the New Jerusalem – a righteous city of God where Jesus Christ Himself will rule.  (See 3 Nephi 21:23-25; Moses 7:62-64; Articles of Faith 1:10.)  In the latter-days, the Lord revealed that the city would be built in the state of Missouri in the United States (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:2-3).

There are many signs given in the scriptures for the Second Coming, and these are just a few of them.  I encourage you to go to the scriptures and find other signs.

The exact time of the Second Coming has not been revealed.  The Lord said, “The hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven” (Doctrine and Covenants 49:7).  Christ taught this principle when He gave the parable of the fig tree.  He explained to His disciples that when we see leaves coming out on a fig tree, we can know that summer is near.  He then explained that we can know that His coming is near when we see the signs described in the scriptures.  (See Matthew 24:32-33.)

I believe that Heavenly Father loves all of His children and wants us to be prepared.  Because we know these signs, we can put our lives in order and prepare for those times yet to come.  We know that we must be prepared spiritually in order to survive the calamities of the great and dreadful day, but we can also look forward with joy to the coming of the Savior.  The Lord said, “Be not troubled, for, when all these things [the signs] shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:35).  He said that those who are righteous when He comes will not be destroyed “but shall abide the day.  And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; … and their children shall grow up without sin….  For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:57-59).

Antichrist

According to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published on May 9, 2011, "Historic flooding, a record-breaking tornado outbreak and devastating wildfire activity made April 2011 a month of historic climate extremes across much of the United States." These national disasters are in addition to earthquakes and tsunamis in recent months. Are these record-breaking natural disasters signs that the Last Days are here? I believe that they are. Whether or not you believe that we are living in the Last Days, you may find a book by Joel Richardson interesting. The book is entitled The Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast.

I found the entire book riveting. My attention was first caught by Richardson's comparison between the information we find in the book of Revelation in the Bible and Islamic traditions and opinions. It seems to me that someone took the information in Revelation and wrote just the opposite view. "The coming of the Mahdi is the central crowning element of all Islamic end-time narratives." (See p. 21).

Richardson made the following summary of the various Islamic traditions and opinions of Muslim scholars. The man eagerly awaited by the Muslims of the world is summarized as follows: 1) "The Mahdi is Islam's primary messiah figure." 2) "He will be a descendant of Muhammad and will bear Muhammad's name (Muhammad bin Abdullah)." 3) "He will be a very devout Muslim." 4) "He will be an unparalleled spiritual, political, and military world leader." 5) "He will emerge after a period of great turmoil and suffering upon the earth." 6) "He will establish justice and righteousness throughout the world and eradicate tyranny and oppression." 7) He will be the caliph and imam (vice regent and leader) of Muslims worldwide." 8) "He will lead a world revolution and establish a new world order." 9) "He will lead military action against all those who oppose him." 10) "He will invade many countries." 11) "He will make a seven-year peace treaty with a Jew of priestly lineage." 12) "He will conquer Israel for Islam and lead the `faithful Muslims' in a final slaughter/battle against the Jews." 13) "He will establish the new Islamic world headquarters from Jerusalem." 14) "He will rule for seven years (possibly as much as eight or nine)." 15) "He will cause Islam to be the only religion practiced on the earth." 16) "He will appear riding a white horse (possibly symbolic)." 17) "He will discover some previously undiscovered biblical manuscripts that he will use to argue with the Jews and cause some Jews to convert to Islam." 18) "He will also rediscover the Ark of the Covenant from the Sea of Galilee, which he will bring to Jerusalem." 19) "He will have supernatural power from Allah over the wind and the rain and crops." 20) "He will possess and distribute enormous amounts of wealth." 21) "He will be loved by all the people of the earth." (See pp. 31-32.)

Richardson listed his comparisons between the Antichrist described in the Bible and the Islamic Messiah: 1) The Antichrist will be a "powerful political and military world leader." (See Daniel 7:7-27 and Revelation 13:2, 4-8.) 2) The Antichrist will be a "spiritual world leader." (See Revelation 13:4,8; 19:20.) 3) The Antichrist will wage a "targeted campaign against Jews and Christians." (See Revelation 12:1-6, 9, 13-14, 17; 13:5-7; Daniel 7:25.) 4) The Antichrist will attack Jerusalem to make it the seat of authority. (See Ezekiel 38:9-12; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:1-2, 16-22.) 5) The Antichrist will make a "seven-year treaty with Israel." (See Daniel 9:27; Isaiah 28:14-15.) 6) The Antichrist will "change the set times and the laws." (See Daniel 7:25.) 7) The Antichrist will ride a white horse. (See Revelation 6:1-2.)

In addition to likening the Mahdi to the Antichrist, Richardson warns that the Muslims believe that a prophet they call Jesus will assist the Mahdi. This Jesus will be a "faithful Muslim," even "the greatest Muslim evangelist," and will "abolish Christianity," slay Jews, and be "a good Muslim family man." Muslims also believe that a "false prophet" who calls himself Jesus Christ will come to fight against the Muslims. (See pp. 52-57.)

This book is really interesting because it clearly explains how the battle against Israel will come about and why so many people will be deceived in the last days. I highly recommend this book!