The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

It’s interesting to me to see how the Book of Mormon demonstrates a pattern that can be seen in today’s society of preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The pride cycle, the secret combinations, the people’s trusting in money and position – all of it sounds quite familiar to our time.

Here are a few examples -

Never in Nephite history had the Lamanites and Nephites learned to really get along until now, buying, selling, and trading in a manner that would have been unheard of in previous generations. In our day, never in history has there been a more global economy. Never in history have people been as able to buy, sell, trade, and visit other countries as it is able today.

The Nephites had been dealing with secret combinations for over a generation, but now secret combinations were threatening their very lifestyles. Gangs have been an internal issue for a few decades, but now terrorists threaten both the freedoms of their own countries and the economy of the world.

Following the Nephite prophets became extremely unpopular. Our society has become so “individualistic” that following a prophet is considered blindness, and those who do so are thought of as extremists.

These are just a few examples, but the more one studies the Book of Mormon, the more they find parallels between the time just preceding Christ’s appearance to the Nephites and the time preceding His appearance to the world.
Since both the Sunday school and Relief Society/priesthood lessons mention the Second Coming this week, here is an index to the recent Second Coming series from this blog:

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 3:The Earth in Turmoil

Part 4:The Gathering of Israel

Part 5:Destruction of the Wicked

Part 6:The Day is at Hand

Part 7:Three Comings

Part 8:Zion

Part 9:Conditions During the Millennium

Part 10:The Work and Purpose of the Millennium

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The Second Coming: part 7

Three Comings

Jesus Christ’s second coming will be a world event, but there are at least two other appearances that He will make prior to making Himself known to the entire world. Though we do not know if there will be other appearances that He will make as part of His second coming, the prophets have declared clearly at least three:

1. Christ’s appearance to the Saints in Zion

2. His appearance to the Jews

3. His appearance to the whole world

Christ’s Appearance to the Saints in Zion

I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to

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The Second Coming: part 6

The Day is at Hand

1. Prophets declare that the time is close
2. The Gospel to reach every nation
3. Prophecy of the Rainbow
4. Silence for Half an Hour
5. Two witnesses
6. Our responsibility to prepare for His coming

The Prophets Declare that the Time is Close

Though we do not know the time, the prophets have declared that the time is close. For those who

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The Second Coming: part 5

Destruction of the Wicked

What do we know about the destruction of the wicked that is to occur at the second Coming of Jesus Christ? The Lord and His prophets have told us a great deal about this part of the second coming. Unfortunately, over the centuries, ever since Christ taught that He would be coming again to the earth to cleanse the earth from sin, there have been many false doctrines taught that have confused the minds of Christ’s followers.

Here is a list of a few of the things that the scriptures and modern day prophets have assured us will occur:

1.Prior to Christ’s coming, the world will greatly increase in evil
2.There will be a separation of the wheat and the tares
3.The righteous will be brought to the safety of Zion
4.The Lord will be wearing red at His coming
5.The wicked will be destroyed
6.There will be a second and final destruction of the wicked after the millennium
7.The righteous need not fear

Prior to Christ’s Coming, Evil will Increase

“And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be

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The Second Coming: part 4

The Gathering of Israel

That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.

Deuteronomy 30:3

One of the greatest aspects of the second coming is the gathering of Israel. While the gathering of Israel is generally thought of us one great event, it can be broken down to separate parts, which include:

1.The saints gathering to church headquarters.
2.Israel gathering by the preaching of the gospel throughout the world.
3.The Jews returning to Jerusalem.
4.The return to Adam Ondi Ahman and the building of Zion.
5.The return of the lost tribes from the north.
6.The return of the city of Enoch in the Millennium.

The Saints Gathering to Church Headquarters

And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with

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The Second Coming: part 3

The Earth in Turmoil

…And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.

D&C 88:87-92

87 For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree.
88 And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.
89 For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.
90 And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.
91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.
92 And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is

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The Second Coming: part 2

The Restoration and Spreading of the Gospel

There are two great categories of signs of the second coming. We are all aware of those that involve calamities and destructions to precede that time, but the greater category, and more important signs are those involving the restoration of the gospel. The gospel is to spread into all the world – and must be, before His coming. Because we are in the midst of the fulfillment of these prophecies, they are often overlooked, but they are the most important prophecies relating to His coming.

Joseph Fielding Smith:

“Many things have taken place during the past one hundred and thirty-six years to impress faithful members of the Church with the fact that the coming of the Lord is near. The gospel has been restored. The Church has been fully organized. The priesthood has been conferred upon man. The various dispensations from the beginning have been revealed and their keys and authorities given to the Church. Israel has been and is being gathered to the land of Zion. The Jews are returning to Jerusalem. The gospel is being preached in all the world as a witness to every nation. Temples are being built, and ordinance work for the dead, as well as for the living, is performed in them. The hearts of the children have turned to their fathers, and the children are seeking after their dead. The covenants which the Lord promised to make with Israel in the latter days have been revealed, and thousands of gathered Israel have entered into them. Thus the work of the Lord is advancing, and all these things are signs of the near approach of

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The Second Coming: part 1

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.”

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