Capstone Practicum
Second Coming
1) The Lord has
long spoken of the necessary preparations for His Second Coming. To Enoch, He
declared, “Righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send
forth out of the earth, … and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the
earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the
earth.”(Moses 7:62) The prophet Daniel prophesied that in the latter
days the gospel would roll forth unto the ends of the earth as a “stone [that
is] cut out of [a] mountain without hands.”(Daniel 2:45) Nephi spoke
of the latter-day Church as being few in number but spread upon all the face of
the earth. (1Ne. 14:12-14) The
Lord declared in this dispensation, “Ye are called to bring to pass the
gathering of mine elect.”(D&C 29:7)
Neil L Anderson – “Preparing the World
for the Second Coming” Apr. 2011 General Conference
2) Those awaiting the Savior’s coming will
“look for [Him].” And He has promised, “I will come”! The righteous will see Him
“in the clouds of heaven [with all the holy angels], clothed with power and
great glory.” (D&C 45:44) “An
angel shall sound his trump, and the saints … from the four quarters of the
earth” (D&C 45:45-46) will “be caught up to meet him.” (D&C 88:96)
Those “that have slept,” meaning those worthy Saints who have died,
“shall [also] come forth to meet [Him].” (D&C 45:45; also 29:13; and
88:96-97)
The scripture
reads, “The Lord [will] set his foot upon [the] mount,” (D&C 45:48) and
“[He] shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it.”(D&C
45:49)
Neil L Anderson – “Preparing the World
for the Second Coming” Apr. 2011 General Conference
3) Biblical and
modern prophecies give many signs of the Second Coming. These include:
1. The fulness of
the gospel restored and preached in all the world for a witness to all nations.
2. False Christs
and false prophets, deceiving many.
3. Wars and rumors
of wars, with nation rising against nation.
4. Earthquakes in
divers places.
5. Famine and
pestilence.
6. An overflowing
scourge, a desolating sickness covering the land.
7. Iniquity
abounding.
8. The whole earth
in commotion.
9. Men’s hearts
failing them.
(See Matt. 24:5-15; JS-M 122,28-32;
D&C45:26-33)
Dallin H. Oaks – “Preparation for the
Second Coming” Apr. 2004 General Conference
4) The Lord expects us to be as faithful, as devoted, as
courageous as those who went before us. They were called to give their
lives for the gospel. We are called to live our lives for the same
purpose. In these last days we have special reason to do so.
Before that sacred night in Bethlehem,
the events of history and the words of the prophets of all dispensations
prepared the way for the first coming of the Lord and His Atonement. Similarly,
history and prophecy laid the groundwork for the Restoration of the gospel
through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Do we have eyes to see that the events and
prophecies of our time are preparing us for the Savior’s Second
Coming?
I bear special witness that our Savior
Jesus Christ lives. I testify that His hand has been over the work of the
Restoration from before the foundation of this world and will continue until
His Second Coming.
Robert
D. Hales – “Preparations for the Restoration and the Second Coming – My Hand
Shall Be Over Thee” Oct. 2005 General Conference
5) Our work for
the dead bears witness that Jesus Christ will come again to this earth. In the
final verses of the Old Testament, Jehovah declared, “Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
“And he shall turn the heart of the
fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest
I come and smite the earth with a curse.”
(Mal. 4:5-6; see also 3
Ne. 25:5-6; D&C 2:1-3 ).
D. Todd Christofferson – “The
Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus” Oct. 2000 General Conference
6) Four matters are indisputable
to Latter-day Saints: (1) The Savior will return to the earth in power and
great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace.
(2) At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a
resurrection of the righteous. (3) No one knows the time of His coming, but (4)
the faithful are taught to study the signs of it and to be prepared for it. I
wish to speak about the fourth of these great realities: the signs of the
Second Coming and what we should do to prepare for it.
The Lord has declared, “He that
feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even
for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man,” signs that will be shown “in
the heavens above, and in the earth beneath” (D&C 45:39-40).
Robert
D. Hales – “Preparations for the Restoration and the Second Coming – My Hand
Shall Be Over Thee” Oct. 2005 General Conference
7) In the 25th chapter of the book of Matthew, the Savior
tells us this concerning the faithful who will be on His right hand at His
triumphal return:
“Then shall the King say unto them … Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty,
and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I
was in prison, and ye came unto me.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw
we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee?
“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:34-40)
Elder Richard L.
Evans once counseled, “We can’t do everything for everyone everywhere, but we
can do something for someone somewhere.” (Richard Evans’ Quote Book
(1971), 51.) Thomas S. Monson – “The Bridge Builder”
Oct. 2003 General Conference
8) My young friends, the world
will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The scriptures
declare that “all things shall be in commotion.”(D&C 88:91) Brigham Young
said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the
Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the
spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of
Satan rise.”
More concerning
than the prophesied earthquakes and wars are the spiritual whirlwinds that can
uproot you from your spiritual foundations and land your spirit in places you
never imagined possible, sometimes with your barely noticing that you have been
moved.
Neil L. Anderson – “Spiritual Whirlwinds” Apr. 2014 General
Conference
9) The prophecies of the last days lead me to believe
that the intensity of the battle for the souls of men will increase and the
risks will become greater as we draw closer to the second coming of the Lord.
Preparing
ourselves and our families for the challenges of the coming years will require
us to replace fear with faith. We must be able to overcome the fear of enemies
who oppose and threaten us. The Lord has said, “Fear not, little flock; do
good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock,
they cannot prevail.” (D&C 6:34.)
M. Russell Ballard – “Duties, Rewards and Risks” Oct. 1989 General Conference
M. Russell Ballard – “Duties, Rewards and Risks” Oct. 1989 General Conference
10) “We do not
know when this game will end, and we do not know the final score, but we do
know that when the game finally ends, our team wins. We will continue to go
forward “till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah
shall say the work is done”
Dallin H. Oaks – “Preparation for the
Second Coming” April 2004 General Conference
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/04/preparation-for-the-second-coming?lang=eng
Second Coming
In Sunday School class, a fellow stood, proclaiming
his studied view.
Some of this theories sounded good and some of them
bugged me too.
No one, he said, can truly say when Jesus will come
again.
Not even the prophets know the day and he started to
bug me then.
Because of this and because of this, which prophecy
has foretold,
And he had a very impressive list, that honestly left
me cold.
Cause don’t go telling me nobody knows, then tell me
that you do!
Those ancient prophets, don’t you suppose, could be
misunderstood by you?
To say that we’ve got at least six more years and
probably more than ten,
Might bring me down into fits of tears! The nerve of some learned men!
We all try to watch and study the signs that show us
he’ll come ere long.
As the church expands and the world declines, don’t
tell me my hope’s all wrong!
At least let me dream of a quick release that I won’t
have to wait much more.
Or I won’t have to wait until I decease since he’s
right at the flipping door!
Just let me think he’ll be here any day since it’s
easier on my heart!
That Mom’s here to witness, I hope and I pray but
she’s starting to fall apart!
How many generations have passed since Joseph Smith
said it was near?
Oh,
give me the faith to endure to the last or else, make the date somewhat clear! 
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