26 March 2020

Doctrine and Covenants 45:30-31 puts forth a troubling prophecy:

"And in that generation (during the Restoration of the gospel and just preceding the coming of Christ) shall the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

"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."

The world is currently in the midst of a global pandemic which began in China in early December 2019, three and a half months ago.  It is a new coronavirus which has been named COVID-19.  It has sickened hundreds of thousands, and to date has killed over 20,000.  The great majority of deaths has been among the elderly, particularly those with other underlying health issues.  75% of the deaths have been men.  Businesses worldwide have closed their doors under orders from their governments, and people have been ordered to stay at home to help stop the spread of the disease.  The fear is that hospitals and health care systems will become overloaded and not be able to handle all of the sick.

The Church, during this month of March 2020, canceled all church meetings worldwide until further notice.  All temples were closed to all activity except living ordinances.  Yesterday came the announcement that the temples are to be closed even for living ordinances.  Pity those who still have their weddings pending.  Hopefully they took heed and moved their weddings forward while the window of opportunity was open.

Missionaries are being sent home early.  All missionaries are being removed from some countries, and the rest are being told to not leave their apartments.  There is a very real possibility that all missionaries may soon be sent home.

And so the questions:  Is this the "overflowing scourge" and the "desolating sickness" that shall cover the land?  Is this the time when the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled and the missionaries be called home prior to the coming of the Savior?

I don't think so.  I think this is a practice run and a wake-up call.  This sickness is not desolating.  It will abate, and things will return to normal.  But it is a warning.  It is a warning from the Lord.  There is a much worse contagion in our future.  We'll see it in the next decade.  Those who are wise will take heed, lay in their supplies, and will notice those areas in which they're not properly prepared.

During the next emergency we should be prepared to do without not only grocery shopping, but also electricity.  No electricity would mean no heat and no water.  These things should be prepared for.  We would need an alternative way to cook our food.

I am going to install our little Trolla wood stove at the head of the stairs in the addition.  We could cook on that.  We could close off the addition and be warm there.  I need to lay in a supply of firewood.

We have a little hand pump with which we could pump water up out of our well.  I need to get it set up.

We have barrels full of wheat, but we have no way to grind it without electricity.  I need to address that issue.

Adam says that since we have propane, we should install an on-demand hot water heater.  He also suggests that we should consider installing solar panels, and that the state of Oregon might even pay the expense.  I must look into these things.

Marjorie showed me the following verse from D&C 5:19:

"For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming."

The phrase "shall continue to be poured out from time to time" is significant.  In 2014 there was an outbreak of Ebola in Africa.  There have been several outbreaks since.  In 2012 there was an outbreak of MERS, another coronavirus.  It is still present in 27 countries.  In 2002 was the SARS outbreak.  It was contained.  Before that there was the AIDS outbreak beginning about 1981.  And of course there was the outbreak of Spanish flu in 1918 that killed over 50 million people worldwide.  These things come "from time to time," and they're coming more rapidly.

These are all new diseases, caused by new microorganisms that were new to science.  There will be more.  We will have a window of opportunity to prepare for the next scourge.  We need not fear nor do drastic things, but we need to prepare.  The two verses that I quoted at the beginning of this article are followed by this assurance:  "But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved..."  (D&C 45:32).

Nephi saw this day and these events, reported on them in chapter 22 of first Nephi, and took pains to give no less than seven reassurances to the faithful.  In verses 16 through 22 he said that:

"...he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous..."

"...the righteous (will) be preserved..."

"...the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved..."

"For behold, the righteous shall not perish..."

"And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people..."

"And the righteous need not fear..."

We have been warned, so let us prepare.