Second Coming
Prophecy and the Second Coming
These are troubling times. It would be easy to become anxious and disturbed if one did not have faith that God is in control, and that His plan, purposes, and prophecies are being carried out.
It is plain to those who are watching that the Lord’s Second Coming is drawing near. The signs are ever more abundant. My personal expectation is that the target date is 6 April 2034. That date will be the 2000th anniversary of the Savior’s resurrection. That date will be Easter, as well as the Passover. April 6th is very obviously an important, and significant, date to the Lord. That is why He decreed that the Church should be organized on that date.
Who Are the Ukrainians?
I have long been fascinated by statements in the scriptures indicating that the lost tribes of Israel are in “the north countries.” (Ether 13:11, D&C 110:11, D&C 133:26-32, Isa. 49:12, Jer. 3:18).
I worked in the Boise Temple with Steve Buss, who served as a co-mission president in Siberia. I asked him, “What do the patriarchal blessings say about those people?”
A Stunning Time
I first became aware of the passage of time when I was in the first grade. I suppose that before then there were no milestones to mark the passage of time, so I was unaware. But that school year provided a milestone, and those nine months of the first grade were really, really long.
Read MoreImitating Isaiah
“A commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah,” the Lord said in 3 Nephi 23:1.
Isaiah’s words truly are great. They’re filled with prophecies, many of which will not be fully understood until their fulfillment. His words are also beautiful, and have a cadence unique to him. Many of his verses are couplets that state the same thing twice, but with different words. Could I write like Isaiah? Here is my attempt:
That Which Has Been
It is said, “That which has been is that which shall be,” or that “history repeats itself.”
It occurs to me that two of the world’s most momentous and significant events are going to be repeated, and we’d better be ready for them.
Eyes Glued to the Horizon
It is a dismal morning. The valley is enshrouded in smoke from distant forest fires. The smoke is causing me to miss what would otherwise be a beautiful sunrise. I have an appointment each morning at this hour with the sun as it ushers in a new day, but today the sun has missed our appointment, and the light is diminished.
Read MoreSpectator or Participator
Conditions are building toward the greatest event the world has ever known. The greatest and most momentous event was not a particular battle or war; nor was it the eruption of Mount Tambora, which is thought to have produced the loudest sound ever heard on earth. The greatest event was not the striking of the earth by an asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs. It was not an earthquake or a tsunami that killed hundreds of thousands. It was not even the birth of Christ. All of these things happened as precursors for the greatest event.
Read MoreIn An Instant
Mary Magdalene went to the tomb weeping, and in the deepest distress. She found the tomb empty, which compounded her sorrow. She turned to the gardener(as she supposed) who was standing there, and asked where Jesus’ body was. Jesus said, “Mary.” Suddenly recognizing Him, her utmost sorrow was replaced by unspeakable joy in an instant.
Read MoreUnique Experience?
It is nearly 5:00 A.M. I stood for some minutes in my dark living room contemplating the valley. The valley was in darkness but pockmarked with the lights of people’s yard lights and the lights of Haines. Nothing moved. No one was even out checking their calving cows. Everything is peaceful and still.
Read MoreWake-up Call
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.
COVID-19
The world is upside down. The COVID-19 virus made its appearance in Wuhan, China in December, and has now spread around the world. It hits the elderly particularly hard. 80% of deaths from the disease are elderly people. 75% of deaths are males. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared it a pandemic a few days ago. It is particularly bad in Italy, Iran, and South Korea, as well as in China.
Read MoreNo One Knows
“Grampa, you got to see the new century in. You got to see the beginning of a new millennium. What was it like? Was it exciting?”
Read MoreThoughts On Time
28 May 2019
Where in the world has May gone? Where has the year gone? Yesterday it was winter and the snow lay three feet deep.
No Funeral
I look forward to the Millennium. I look forward to the Lord’s second coming when the earth will be cleansed of all unrighteousness,
Read MoreDoves and Pigeons
A lesson might be taken from the passenger pigeon, the American bison, and the ring-necked dove.
Read MoreSlow Learners
How much better, how much wiser, how much more righteous are we than the ancients?
Read MoreWeak and Simple Things
I’m the intermediary for mail between 16 missionaries from Vanuatu and their families. Here is a beautiful email that just came from Dack Tivles that I’m to give to his parents. Dack is serving a mission in Paris, France.
Read MoreCastaways
There are so many islands in the island nation of Vanuatu that I don’t think they can be counted. Many are small, unnamed, and uninhabited.
Read MoreThe Door Is Closing
I am beset with temptations just as all men are. My greatest desire is to be good, and to do good, and to follow Jesus faithfully. But I’m weak.
Read MoreThe Day Will Come
We spend our lives looking forward. We look forward to future events. Some we anticipate with eagerness and pleasure. Others we dread.
Read MoreChrist Has Come
Prophets of old foretold the coming of Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of the world. They prophesied that He would come as a baby to a virgin named Mary, and be born in a humble stable in the City of David in the land of Judea. They prophesied that a new star would arise to announce His birth. The prophets said that He would be baptized of John, and that He would go forth teaching the people, healing the sick, raising the dead, and that He would be rejected by the people. It was prophesied that the Jews and the Gentiles would both consent to His death, and that they would kill Him. It was prophesied that He would be crucified and that His body would lie in the tomb for three days.
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