“The time has come.” It’s not infrequent to hear of scenarios where people convince themselves that Christ’s Second Coming is at the doors, and the time has come for them to take extreme measures.
One such scenario happened recently. A family left their home with a wad of cash and supplies and made a run for it because “the time was now” to escape the wrath to come.
Hysteria on the topic of the end of times, Armageddon, and the Second Coming of Christ are not new. People have wondered about the Second Coming of Christ before he even died.
We need to calm ourselves and be still. There is no need for hysteria.
There seems to be a false idea that we will not be warned of Christ’s coming. Many point to these string of verses in Matthew 24:
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 ¶ Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
What is clear from this passage is that we will not know the day and hour that the Lord will come. However, look at this passage from Joseph Smith-Matthew, which is an extract from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet in 1831: Matthew 23:39 and chapter 24. Do you get the same sense of being caught completely off guard by Christ’s coming?
36 And, as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;
37 And whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived, for the Son of Man shall come, and he shall send his angels before him with the great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the remainder of his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
38 Now learn a parable of the fig tree—When its branches are yet tender, and it begins to put forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh at hand;
39 So likewise, mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near, even at the doors;
40 But of that day, and hour, no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my Father only.
As I read this inspired version, it is much more comforting to me for a few reasons:
- Whoso treasureth up my word shall not be deceived
- He shall send his angels before him
- Mine elect, when they shall see all these things, they shall know that he is near
For those who seek to follow the Lord and heed his living prophet, deception will be avoided, angels will guide us, and we shall be warned and know when Christ is near.
Second Coming Warning Like Samuel the Lamanite
We will not know the day and hour of Christ’s Second Coming, but what about the year? Is that a possibility?
I would say 100% yes. Why would I say that? Because it has happened in the past.
The people on the American continent were given a prophetic warning of when Christ would come by the living prophet in Helaman 14:
1 And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many more things which cannot be written.
2 And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.
Samuel gave the people a warning and let them know that they have five years to prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ. Ezra Taft Benson said:
The record of the Nephite history just prior to the Savior’s visit reveals many parallels to our own day as we anticipate the Savior’s second coming.
It would seem to me that another prophetic warning and prediction would be entirely possible. Could “President Bednar” be the one to give us a 5 year warning sometime in future? Who knows.
One thing that is for certain – we must stand with the living prophet and the brethren and never be deceived by someone who claims to have received a revelation or have inside information that not even God’s prophet is entitled to.
Prophetic Preparation for Second Coming
God will prepare us for the events that are to come. He is already doing so. Listen to a few of the words from living prophets and Church leaders.
“I love you and thank you and now bless you with the ability to leave the world behind as you assist in this crucial and urgent work. Together we can do all that our Heavenly Father needs us to do to prepare the world for the Second Coming of His Beloved Son.” – Russell M. Nelson
“The rising generation will become the nurturers of the generation to follow. The multiplier effect will produce a miracle. It will spread and grow over time, and the Lord’s kingdom on earth will be prepared and ready to greet Him with shouts of hosanna. There will be peace on earth.” – Henry B. Eyring
“The world is being prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior in large measure because of the Lord’s work through His missionaries.” – Neil L. Andersen
“For those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel, more than ever before we are required to confront the reality that we are getting ever closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. True, great difficulties yet await those on the earth at His return, but in this regard, the faithful need not fear.” – Christoffel Golden
Go Ye Now in Peace
The Second Coming will surely be a time of commotion, but it will also be a time of joy. I envision it being something similar to the time when the city of Enoch was being established. Many think that everything was grand at that time, but the reality is that Satan was raging in the hearts of men at the same time that the city of Enoch was established.
15 And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God;
16 And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.
17 The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people. And the Lord blessed the land, and they were blessed upon the mountains, and upon the high places, and did flourish.
18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.
19 And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days, that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.
20 And it came to pass that Enoch talked with the Lord; and he said unto the Lord: Surely Zion shall dwell in safety forever. But the Lord said unto Enoch: Zion have I blessed, but the residue of the people have I cursed.
While war and bloodshed surrounded them, the glory of the Lord was also with his people. While the people fought against God, others dwelt in righteousness. If we choose to follow the Prince of Peace, peace will be our reward. The living prophet will always point us to Christ. In the words of Ezra Taft Benson:
“Learn to keep your eye on the prophet. He is the Lord’s mouthpiece and the only man who can speak for the Lord today. Let his inspired counsel take precedence. Let his inspired words be a basis for evaluating the counsel of all lesser authorities. Then live close to the Spirit so you may know the truth of all things.”
May we rely on guidance from our living prophet and take peace in the Holy Spirit that can safely lead us in the paths of righteousness.
What do you think? Will a prophet ever give us a “Samuel the Lamanite warning” and tell us how many years we have to prepare for Christ’s coming?
James Zundel
Sunday 12th of November 2023
Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth His secrets unto His servants the prophets."
Ralph Welliver
Thursday 2nd of November 2023
President Nelson has used the phrase, "In coming days...", which I have seen as both a general comment and a specific one. It has led me to feel that maybe the Lord would manifest himself to the world by intervening in wars with the world watching and seeing an unmistakable demonstration of His power. Then I think of the word "expedient". You will find that word 63 times in the Book of Mormon. It is an indication of the necessity to move forward with some appropriate action, given that all prerequisite preparations have been put in place. A call to action, if you will. So, the phrase, "In coming days..." may refer to those of us who are faithfully looking for great signs and wonders and not to the world at large. Of course, there may be some of each in the future, but it all comes down to this for me. Keep on doing what the Prophet asks us to do. Keep on faithfully moving forward. In this way, we will have a front-row seat in the events surrounding the Lord's return. With this approach, I don't concern myself with the exact timing of the Lord's return. Though I am curious and filled with anticipation, I am content to focus on the work we are doing under the direction of His Prophet.
Eric Cluff
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
3 Ne. 8:5 states: “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.”
This is when the storm and the three days of darkness occurred. If this is an example for us to understand His timing for the second coming, we might look for His coming around the second week of April in 2034, about 10 years and six months from now. Meanwhile, we should keep alert to other signs to watch for to validate and gauge our nearness to His coming. First, the Gospel must be preached in EVERY nation. Second, the descendants of the 10 lost tribes must come to Zion and assist to build the Temples that will serve as the Lord’s center place for governing the Earth at what is currently Jackson County, MO, just NorthEast of Kansas City. Lastly, we should keep our eyes to the sky to watch for rainbows, as every year that we see a rainbow there will be a harvest. But in that year that there is no visible rainbow, we will know that the coming of the Lord is eminent. Then will occur the sun being darkened, the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from heaven, signaling the opening of the 7th thousand years. Then will follow silence in the heavens for half an hour. Then will the heaven be opened and the sign of the Son of Man will be given.
Sally Dewsnup
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
I'm 73 but I certainly hope He comes again in my lifetime. I want to watch it all unfold.
Wana Lu Burr
Wednesday 1st of November 2023
Thank you for sending this. I had been wondering about this very thing, that what does our church say about the Lords coming. It is showing up all around us by others and this has been my answer. Thank you again.