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.

Many or most countries of the world are closing businesses, closing schools, banning large gatherings, and telling people to work from home and to "shelter in place."  That is the case here in America.  Many people have been laid off from their jobs, and have no income.  The stock market is plummeting.

The death rate is not high, but the virus is deadly to the most vulnerable.  The reason for the order to shelter in place and to stay home is to keep the virus from spreading too rapidly.  Hospitals and medical personnel would be overwhelmed.

In New Jersey a family named Fusco got together for a family gathering on 10 March 2020.  National news shows a picture of Mrs. Fusco with all 11 of her adult children.  One of them apparently brought the virus to the celebration.  Mrs. Fusco died of the disease just 8 days after the get-together.  She died not knowing that she was preceded in death by her eldest son and daughter.  A second son died later in the day, and three of her other children are in the hospital in critical condition.  The daughter died 3 days after the get-together.

We served our shift in the Meridian Temple on 11 March.  A day or two later the Church announced that all church services worldwide would be canceled until further notice.  Temples worldwide are closed to all but living ordinances.  Missionaries are being removed from the hardest hit areas.  They're being released early, or are being reassigned elsewhere.  All non-native missionaries have been removed from South Korea, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, and Africa.  The announcement about removing missionaries from Africa just happened yesterday.

On Monday we got Sister Katrina Bott's regular e-mail from Vancouver, Washington.  On Tuesday she was home, having been released from her mission four or five months early.

Universities across the country are all closed.  All classes are being conducted on-line.  Abby and Jonah arrived home to Katie's house yesterday.  They'll stay in her bunk house, and Jonah will do his schooling on-line.  Isaac and Levi are probably coming.  Since room at Katie's house is limited, Isaac and Levi will probably move back in with us.

Katie and her kids are staying away from us.  As of yesterday, so are the Bradfords.  We aren't going anywhere.  My siblings and I even canceled our regular 6:30 A.M. Friday morning walks.

Jonah's father, in California, and Steve Moultrie's sister, in Vancouver, Washington, both think that they're dying with the disease.  They can't get their breath.  Steve's sister went to the doctor.  He told her that he's sure that she would test positive for the virus, but that he doesn't have a testing kit, and that he can't hospitalize her until her condition is dire.  He told her that she was the 28th patient he'd seen that day with the same symptoms.  People die from the disease with pneumonia-like symptoms.

How is this going to play out?  What's going to happen?

There is a long-standing prophecy in the Church that the day will come when the missionaries will be called home.  Is this it?  There is another prophecy that we will yet live upon what we produce.  Is this the time?

Two years ago the Church put in place home-centered, Church supported gospel learning with the thought that someday we might not be able to go to regular church meetings.  I am amazed at the Church's forethought and preparation.

I gave patriarchal blessing number 55 last Sunday.  That will probably be my last for some time inasmuch as candidates won't be meeting with their bishops to obtain patriarchal blessing recommends.

This is an election year.  The rhetoric between the two political parties, and between the Republican presidency and Democratic parts of Congress has been warlike.  They hate each other.  They can't work together on anything.  Suddenly, however, the rancor has abated.  The two parties are unitedly and quickly passing legislation to help those who are financially afflicted by the disease.  It's going to cost a trillion dollars.

It struck me last night that it's rather like the situation in the Book of Mormon where "the famine did continue, and the work of destruction did cease by the sword."  (Helaman 11:5).  The war stopped because the people became distracted by the greater problem.

This will abate.  We still have a decade ahead where life will make an attempt to return to normal, but we are in the lead-up to the difficulties that will precede the Second Coming.