Studying the Signs of the Second Coming of Christ
And now we only wait to hear the joyful news declared unto us by the mouth of angels, of his coming; for the time cometh, we know not how soon. Would to God that it might be in my day; but let it be sooner or later, in it I will rejoice.
-Alma 13:25
Joseph Smith once asked the Lord when the second coming of Christ would be. In his words:
“I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following:
15 Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter.
16 I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face.
17 I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time.”
D&C 130:14
If the prophet cannot even receive an answer to this question, surely we cannot hope to get even close. In his life, Jesus said,
“¶ But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”
- Mark 13:32
“I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.”
- D&C 49:7
There have been many who have tried to calculate the time based on verses in Revelation and other places, but I don’t think that’s the approach the Lord wants us to take.
“And he that believeth shall be blest with signs following, even as it is written.
And unto you it shall be given to know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man;”
- D&C 68:10-11
The Lord wants us to watch for the signs of His coming, and understand how close His coming is by following the signs, not by discovering the date. He wants us to watch for and recognize the signs of the times. He wants us to study the scriptures to know at what point we stand. We may not know what signs will come at what times, but He wants us to know the scriptures well enough that when a sign comes, we recognize it. He has so packed the scriptures with signs of His coming that only those who study the scriptures and hearken to the words of the living prophets can even recognize the signs when they come.
“And again, it shall come to pass that on as many as ye shall baptize with water, ye shall lay your hands, and they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and shall be looking forth for the signs of my coming, and shall know me.”
- D&C 39: 23
“And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,”
D&C 45:16
James E. Talmage:
“The precise time of Christ’s coming has not been made known to man. By learning to comprehend the signs of the times, by watching the development of the work of God among the nations, and by noting the rapid fulfillment of significant prophecies, we may perceive the progressive evidence of the approaching event. His coming will be a surprise to those who have ignored His warnings, and who have failed to watch”.
James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 362
George Q. Cannon:
“The greatest events that have been spoken of by the holy prophets will come along so naturally as the consequence of certain causes, that unless our eyes are enlightened by the Spirit of God, and the spirit of revelation rests us, we will fail to see that these are the events predicted by the holy prophets. And so with the great events that will take place in the future; they will come along in so natural a manner, the Lord will bring them to pass in such a way that they will not be accepted by the people, except by those who can comprehend the truth, as the fulfillment of the predictions of the prophets.”
George Q. Cannon, JD, 21:267
There is certainly a great deal that we don’t know. That is clear. But there is also a good deal that we do know, and it can be helpful to occasionally review these things, so we can recognize the signs of the times, and know at what point we stand on the chronology of events to precede the second coming of Jesus Christ.
President Harold B. Lee said of studying the signs of the times,
“One more matter: There are among us many loose writings predicting the calamities which are about to overtake us. Some of these have been publicized as though they were necessary to wake up the world to the horrors about to overtake us. Many of these are from sources upon which there cannot be unquestioned reliance.
“Are you… aware of the fact that we need no such publications to be forewarned, if we were only conversant with what the scriptures have already spoken to us in plainness?
“Let me give you the sure word of prophecy on which you should rely for your guide instead of these strange sources which may have great political implications.
“Read the 24th chapter of Matthew—particularly that inspired version as contained in the Pearl of Great Price. (JS—M 1.)
“Then read the 45th section of the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord, not man, has documented the signs of the times. [D&C 45]
“Now turn to section 101 and section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants and hear the step-by-step recounting of events leading up to the coming of the Savior. [D&C 101; D&C 133]
“Finally, turn to the promises the Lord makes to those who keep the commandments when these judgments descend upon the wicked, as set forth in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 38. [D&C 38]
“Brethren, these are some of the writings with which you should concern yourselves, rather than commentaries that may come from those whose information may not be the most reliable and whose motives may be subject to question. And may I say, parenthetically, most of such writers are not handicapped by having any authentic information on their writings.”
Harold B. Lee, “Admonitions for the Priesthood of God,” Ensign, Jan 1973, 104
The scriptures are packed with teachings about the second coming of Jesus Christ. Let us treasure up the words of eternal life, and there will be very little surprise as the signs unfold.
Bruce R. McConkie:
“Treasure up the Lord’s word. Possess it, own it, make it yours by both believing it and living it. For instance: the voice of the Lord says that if men have faith, repent, and are baptized, they shall receive the Holy Ghost. It is not sufficient merely to know what the scripture says. One must treasure it up, meaning take it into his possession so affirmatively that it becomes a part of his very being; as a consequence, in the illustration given, one actually receives the companionship of the Spirit. Obviously such persons will not be deceived where the signs of the times and the Second Coming of the Messiah are concerned”
(McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:662).
Here are some additional sources that are official publications of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the subject of the second coming of Jesus Christ:
Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Liahona, May 2004, 7–10
“Chapter 41: Signs of the Second Coming,” Gospel Principles, 265
D&C Institute Student Manual (Go to Enrichment H)
Gospel Principles, chapters 41-44
Doctrines of the Gospel Institute Manual (Go to chapter 34)
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The Second Coming Series
Part 1:Studying the Signs of the Second Coming of Christ
Part 2:The Restoration and Spreading of the Gospel
Part 4:The Gathering of Israel
Part 5:Destruction of the Wicked
Part 9:Conditions During the Millennium
Part 10:The Work and Purpose of the Millennium
Filed under: Second Coming , Christ, church, gospel, Jesus, jesus christ, Joseph Smith, last days, lds, mormon, prepare, prophet, restoration, Second Coming, signs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, zion
