The Return of the King -- Part 5
- L Rshaw
- Apr 26, 2020
- 12 min read
Updated: Jul 9, 2022
"What can you think of that could be more important than preparing the world for the Second Coming? All other tasks -- all other goals -- pale in comparison with getting ready for the Lord"
--- Russell M. Nelson (Prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
One of the great blessings of living during the Restoration of the gospel is modern revelation about things not just in the past, but things that are yet to come --- including the Second Coming. Of course, there is much still that has not yet been revealed, but there have been additional revelations given in the course of the last two hundred years that supplement what is found in the scriptures. Some of these were given to Joseph Smith and some to other prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This means that in many ways, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a unique understanding of the Second Coming and the days ahead. This blog post will cover just a few of those things, but there is too much to cover all of them.
**NOTE: If you wish to get in contact with missionaries of the Church to learn more, you can do so at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/missionary-visit
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A WORK IN PROGRESS
When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830, the first General Conference, there were six members of the Church. On the first weekend of April 2020, we watched a special broadcast of the 190th General Conference that commemorated the First Vision of Joseph Smith 200 years ago marking the start of the Restoration (See "Return of the King --- Part 4.1"). To further commemorate the important event it was, a proclamation (a document), was presented by the Church as a witness to the world of what the Restoration means called, "The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World". And what a powerful testimony it is! As of 2020, there were over 16.5 million members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints worldwide, an incredible contrast from the six individuals who could fit in a single room not all that long ago! (See "An Intro to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints")
As of April 2020, there were 168 operating temples around the world with others at various stages of planning and construction (See "Temples --- Holy Houses of the Lord"). On Sunday, April 5th, 2020, eight more temples were announced including a temple in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and another in Shanghai, China. The restored gospel and accompanying blessings continue to go forth to all the world at an incredible rate! The prophet Joseph Smith said this of the Lord's work amidst the persecution and various challenges the people faced in those early days (See "Joseph Smith --- A Name Had For Good and Evil"):
"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
Nothing can stop the work of God. I know this to be the Church of Jesus Christ and led by Him. He is in control and this is His one true kingdom upon the Earth. It's the very same straight and narrow path that has existed since the beginning of the world (See "Return of the King --- Part 1"). His promises are sure. His word will always come to pass. Even when the future feels so uncertain to us, He has a plan that is guaranteed to come to pass in His time and in His way. (See "The Plan of Salvation and Happiness")
So, what are some of the other things that still need to happen before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Although, as I said before, nobody knows the day He will come, He's revealed things that would come to pass in our days; the revelations of the "Last Days" go back as far as the Old Testament. Many things have already come to pass and are happening presently, but there are things that haven't happened yet that need to happen before the Second Coming. These are things beyond our control but are promised to precede the return of Jesus Christ.
So, let me mention only briefly a couple of the numerous revelations that have been given in our day through modern-day prophets in the last two centuries with the obvious disclaimer that I am not a prophet nor any kind of authority on the matter. I'm not going to talk about most of the specifics because this isn't the place to preach esoteric doctrine and simply because there is too much I could write about. The things that matter most are that we have simple faith in Jesus Christ, repent, and make and keep our covenants in the Church. I only mention a couple of revelations to reiterate that Heavenly Father already has everything mapped out --- a perfect plan of happiness for us --- and that we need not fear the future because the future is wondrous. If we are true and faithful, the future is something we joyfully anticipate.
We've already talked about many of the terrible "Signs of the Times" (See "Return of the King --- Part 3") so let's talk about some good things that need to happen before the Second Coming.
THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO EVERY NATION
Firstly, the Gospel must be preached to every nation (Matt. 24:14), and "Israel" (That's to say God's covenant-making people) must be gathered. This is referred to as, "The Gathering of Israel" (Deut. 4:27-31). This is a work in progress already. As previously mentioned, the Priesthood keys of "The gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north" were restored by Moses in the Kirtland Temple (D&C 110:11; see also "Return of the King --- Part 4.2").
Tens of thousands of full-time missionaries are serving in almost every country of every continent at any given time with a few exceptions, and the miracle of technology certainly plays a role as well to reach remote places (like this blog for example) where access to missionaries may be limited. Additionally, there has been a long ongoing invitation for every member of the Church to share the gospel with their own friends in casual ways, sharing their testimonies, inviting them to meet with the missionaries and come to church, etc (See "Member Missionary Work"). There is still a lot of work to be done yet, and places to go, but the Lord's missionary efforts are incredible. Although the current circumstances of the world have temporarily necessitated changes to the way missionary work is done due to COVID-19, the Lord's work continues to go forth one way or another. Nothing can stop the work of the Lord.
Missionary work --- the spreading of the gospel to the world --- is happening now, and it will continue to happen before the Second Coming, during the Second Coming, and during the Millennium. At some point before the end of the Earth but after the Ten Tribes come from the North (See "The Return of the King --- The Final Part"), there will be 144,000 High Priests, 12,000 from each of the 12 Tribes, that will play an important part in gathering Israel from around the world to the Church (D&C 77:11), whether through missionary efforts or even perhaps temple work, during a time where the world will be experiencing great calamities and commotion. Among the 144,000 may be resurrected beings. In any case, these will be servants of God embued with divine power, even a power that will preserve them from the calamities of the world. This is a detail that is often misinterpreted by some religions to mean that only 144,000 people will be saved in the Second Coming (Rev. 7:1-8), a belief that is not true in the least. It's the exact opposite --- to bring as many as will to Christ that they too might be saved.
A NEW JERUSALEM BUILT ON THE AMERICAN CONTINENT
Another great precursor to the Second Coming is a "New Jerusalem" shall be built on the American continent (Article of Faith 10). This is a city that Jesus Christ will visit at His coming. This is an undertaking that will commence in the Lord's timing by revelation.
In the early days of the Church in this last dispensation (See "The Return of the King --- Part 2"), the members of the Church were commanded to gather in the western mountains of the United States in part to escape persecution but also to build the kingdom of God and receive temple blessings (See "Joseph Smith --- A Name Had For Good and Evil"). But as membership grew worldwide down to the present, the notion to build Zion became more about taking the blessings of the gospel to the world rather than gathering them all in one location. The word Zion appears repeatedly in all the books of scripture of the Church. In latter-day revelation, Zion is defined as “the pure in heart” (D&C 97:21) but in some instances may refer to an actual geographic location. For example, the New Jerusalem is sometimes called "The City of Zion" or just "Zion" because it's where many of the "pure in heart" will gather at the coming of the Lord. The commandment to "gather Israel" isn't a literal gathering to one place for the time being. The present mandate is to "build" Zion wherever we are by purifying our hearts and dispersing the blessings of the gospel to others.
You may wonder, where will the New Jerusalem be built? And do we know what purpose it serves? The answer to these questions is, yes! This was revealed to Joseph Smith. (D&C 57:1-2; 45:66-67)
In 1831, the Lord commanded the members of the Church to travel to the state of Missouri near what was then the far west border of the United States but it was not unoccupied. Once he arrived in Missouri, Joseph Smith learned through revelation that the site for the city of Zion was on land situated below a bend in the Missouri River, about 10 miles east of the Missouri-Indian territory line (currently the Missouri-Kansas border). The center place for the New Jerusalem would be in Independence, Missouri, which at the time had a few hundred residents. At the time the revelation was given, most of the land had already been claimed by settlers, requiring the Saints to negotiate with the land’s legal possessors in order to purchase the land. At the time when Indian removal—the separation of one race from another—had become a national policy of the U.S. government, Joseph Smith’s revelations moved in another direction. Rather than marginalizing Indians, pushing them to the outskirts of civilization, the revelations brought Zion to them, putting God’s holy city in their midst. Zion was to be found between them. The land today, part of which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints but not in its totality at the present day. The other religious organizations that share the land are among those that broke away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, namely the Community of Christ that owns the bulk of the land (See "See Others As They May Become"), then the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the Stone Church. Collectively, the land together is known as "The Temple Lot".
There's too much that might be said of the purpose of the New Jerusalem, and things more which I simply don't have the answers for, so I won't discuss them here other than the New Jerusalem will be a refuge from the world and a spiritual stronghold because the presence of the Lord will be upon it.
And so, the significance of this land, is that it has been revealed that the building of the New Jerusalem will begin at the Temple Lot in Independence Missouri (D&C 84:2-4). The prophet Brigham Young taught that the Lord would first come to America before He visited Jerusalem (Journal of Discourses; Volume 11, pg 187). More specifically, the first of His appearances will be in His temple in the New Jerusalem to select righteous individuals. His appearance in America will not be known at large at this time, but His appearance to the world at large will come later.
There will be a time in the future when many, not all, members of the Church will return to Jackson County, Missouri. It will be there that "The City of Zion" will be constructed -- "The New Jerusalem", that is to say, "a city of God" (D&C 57). A revelation for the city with a detailed layout was drawn up in the summer of 1833 which included, "...a grid of roads and 24 civic and church structures all consecrated as “temples” for different purposes" (which to me sounds mimetic to something like Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah). The prophet Brigham Young explained that although the Lord will direct the work by revelation, men will have to perform the actual labor. The Book of Mormon defines the working force that will build the temple by saying, "They [the Gentiles] shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come..." (3 Nephi 21:23); so this includes 1) The Gentiles, 2) The Lamanites, and 3) Many of the House of Israel.
This event is significant because Christ will appear in the temple in the New Jerusalem, at which time He will give his laws to Zion and minister unto the people. He will then make other appearances with different purposes at other times but at least we know that the city of the New Jerusalem must be built before any of them, in other words, before the Second Coming.
Roughly 65 miles northeast of the Temple Lot is another special location. It was revealed to Joseph Smith in a revelation in 1835 that when Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden, they dwelt in a place by the name Adam-ondi-Ahman (note that the Church does not confirm nor deny that the Garden of Eden was at or near this place). It was in this place that Adam gave his last blessing to the residue of his posterity who was righteous, from Seth to Methuselah, three years before Adam died at age of 930 according to the book of Genesis (D&C 107:53-57; Gen. 5:5). On May 19, 1838, it was revealed to Joseph Smith that that place called Adam-ondi-Ahman was Spring Hill, Missouri. In section 116 of the Doctrine and Covenants, it says:
"Spring Hill is named by the Lord Adam-ondi-Ahman, because, said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet." (D&C 116)
Christ will also appear at Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri, at which time He will receive the keys of the kingdom and hold judgment on the nation of the earth.
And at some point, Christ will also appear on the Mount of Olives and in the temple at Jerusalem, Palestine, at which time He will save Israel in the battle of Armageddon. (See "The Return of the King --- The Final Part")
OTHER SIGNS
There are many other things that have been prophesied of the last days, some joyful and others more foreboding. There will be challenges like we are now facing, among which are those often cited in the "Signs of the Times" including wars, rumors of wars, natural disasters, false prophets, false Christs, etc. This will include a great battle that was prophesied of through the Old Testament that some call "Armageddon" or "The War with God and Magog". As terrible as it will be, this is not a war that will destroy the world. This is a conflict centralized in Palestine and Jerusalem wherein Jesus Christ will soon after appear and destroy the wicked. At His coming, there will be a great change to the face of the Earth. Thereafter when Christ appears, there will begin a thousand years of peace on the Earth. But even then, there are many miraculous things that must happen before Armageddon, specifically a change and resolution to the current situation beginning with the House of Israel again dwelling and prospering in the land (See Ezekiel 36:24; 37:21; Ezekiel 36:10–12, 33–36; Ezekiel 36:8, 29–30, 34–35; Ezekiel 37:22; Zechariah 1:16–17; 2:12; 12:6; 3 Nephi 20:46; Isaiah 19:16–17; Zechariah 10:3, 5–6). If you want to learn more about this subject you can do so here.
But let me sum it up with these words of comfort from the Lord himself, "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13). As I've tried to describe only briefly, there are many great things to come and it is not complete indiscriminate destruction; it is because God is loving and merciful and blesses those who keep His commandments.
ONE DAY CLOSER
Although we don't know when Christ will come again, it probably won't be tomorrow. Nevertheless, I find the words of President Nelson back in September 2019 incredibly wise:
"What can you think of that could be more important than preparing the world for the Second Coming? All other tasks -- all other goals -- pale in comparison with getting ready for the Lord. I don't know when He's coming again but we're a day closer today than we were yesterday."
NEXT UP
I was planning on writing a lot more about things to come in the last days before the Second Coming, but I feel like this was what matters most right now. Be at peace! But still, please be wise and take care as God expects us to use our agency and to not do everything for us.
My next blog post will talk about what will go on after Christ does come again, because contrary to what some believe, the world will not be instantly destroyed. When Christ comes again, it will be to reign over the earth for a thousand years, which is referred to as "The Millennium" during which time, there will be a lot of good work to be done still. What a joyous thing to look forward to --- the Second Coming!
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