GPC41: Comments and Resources

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Gospel Principles
Unit 9: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Chapter 41: Signs of the Second Coming 
Comments and Resources

Elder Ezra Taft Benson said:
"In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of 'famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes...' (Matthew 24:7)  The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur.  These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional...
"Yet, through all of this, the Lord Jesus Christ has said: 'If ye are prepared ye shall not fear' (D&C 38:30)."  ("Prepare Ye," Ensign, Jan. 1974, pp. 68-69; also in Conference Report, Oct. 1973, p. 89)

During the study of this topic, we will learn some of the signs of the Savior's second coming and how you can prepare to meet him.

Resources
Gospel Principles, chapter 41.
Jesus the Christ, chapter 32.
Topical Guide: Last days
Bible Dictionary:  <http://Scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/contents> Abomination of Desolation'


Concept 1: Jesus Christ Will Return to the Earth.

'The Savior told Joseph Smith, "I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory . . . and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand" (D&C 29:11; see also chapters 43 and 44, "The Second Coming of Jesus Christ" and "The Millennium").  Jesus has told us that certain signs and events will warn us when the time of his second coming is near.  This second coming is also called "the great and dreadful day of the Lord" (D&C 110:16).

Discussion

Acts 1:9-11
"9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

What great truth did the two angels tell the Apostles?


Concept 2: Signs Will Tell Us of Jesus' Coming

'For thousands of years, followers of Jesus have looked forward to the Second Coming as a time of peace and joy.  But before the Savior comes, the people of the earth will experience great trials and calamities.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to be prepared for these troubles.  He also expects us to be spiritually ready when the Savior comes in his glory.  Therefore, he has given us signs, which are events that will tell us when the Savior's second coming is near.  Throughout the ages God has revealed these signs to his prophets.  He has said that all faithful followers of Christ will know what the signs are and will be watching for them (D&C 45:39 "And it shall come to pass that 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." ).  If we are obedient and faithful, we will study the Scriptures  and know of the signs.

Discussion

Why is it important to know the signs of the Second Coming?  How may we know the signs?


Concept 3: What Are the Signs Foretelling Jesus Christ's Coming? Part 1

'Some of the signs foretelling the second coming of Jesus Christ have already been or are now being fulfilled.  Others will be fulfilled in the future.

Wickedness, War, and Turmoil
 Many of the signs are terrifying and dreadful.  The prophets have warned that the earth will experience great turmoil, wickedness, war, and suffering.  The prophet Daniel said that the time before the Second Coming would be a time of trouble such as the earth has never known (Daniel 12:1 "AND at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.").  The Lord said, "The love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound" (D&C 45:27). "And all things shall be in commotion; and . . . fear shall come upon all people" (D&C 88:91).  We can expect earthquakes, disease, famines, great storms, lightnings, and thunder (Matthew 24:7 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."; D&C 88:90 "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.").  Hailstorms will destroy the crops of the earth (D&C 29:16 "And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth.").

Jesus told his disciples that war would fill the earth: "Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars. . . .  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew 24:6-7).  These wars will continue until a great and final war, the most destructive the world has known.  In the midst of this war the Savior will appear. (See Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 732.)

Many of these signs are being fulfilled.  Wickedness is everywhere.  Nations are constantly at war. Earthquakes and other calamities are occurring.  Many people now suffer from devastating storms, drought, hunger, and diseases.  We can be certain that these calamities will become more severe before the Lord comes.

However, not all the events preceding the Second Coming are dreadful.  Many of them bring joy to the world.

The Restoration of the Gospel 
The Lord said, "Light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel" (D&C 45:28).  Prophets of old foretold the restoration of the gospel.  The Apostle John saw that the gospel would be restored by an angel (Revelation 14:6-7
"6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 
7. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.").  In fulfillment of this prophecy, the angel Moroni and other heavenly visitors brought the gospel of Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith.

The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon 
The Lord told the Nephites of another sign: the Book of Mormon would come to their descendants (see 3 Nephi 21).  In Old Testament times the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel foresaw the coming of the Book of Mormon 
Isaiah 29:4-18; 
"4. And thou shalt be brought down, [and] shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
5. Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones [shall be] as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
6. Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
7. And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
8. It shall even be as when an hungry [man] dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, [he is] faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
9. Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
10. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
11. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it [is] sealed:
12. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
13. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14. Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [even] a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid.
15. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16. Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
17. [Is] it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
18. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness."

Ezekiel 37:16-20
"16. Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and [for] all the house of Israel his companions:
17. And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
18. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou [meanest] by these?
19. Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which [is] in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, [even] with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.
20. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes."

 These prophecies are now being fulfilled.  The Book of Mormon has been brought forth and is being taken to all the world.'


Concept 4: What Are the Signs Foretelling Jesus Christ's Coming? Part 2

'The Gospel Preached to All the World 
Another sign of Jesus' coming is that the "gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations" (Matthew 24:14).  All people will hear the fulness of the gospel in their own language ( D&C 90:11 "For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, by the administration of the Comforter, shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.").  Ever since the restoration of the Church, missionaries have preached the gospel.  The missionary effort has increased until now tens of thousands of missionaries preach in many countries of the world in many languages.  Before the Second Coming, the Lord will provide a way to bring the truth to all nations.

The Coming of Elijah 
The prophet Malachi predicted that before Christ came the second time, the prophet Elijah would visit the earth.  Elijah would restore the sealing powers so families could be sealed together.  He would also inspire people to be concerned about their ancestors and descendants
( Malachi 4:5-6; 
"5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
 6. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
D&C 2
"1. Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
 2. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
 3. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."). 
The prophet Elijah came to Joseph Smith in April 1836.  Since that time, interest in genealogy and family history has grown rapidly.  We are also able to perform sealing ordinances in the temples for the living and the dead.

The Lamanites Will Become a Great People 
The Lord said that when his coming was near, the Lamanites would become a righteous and respected people.  He said, "Before the great day of the Lord shall come, . . . the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose" (D&C 49:24).  Great numbers of Lamanites in North and South America and the South Pacific are now receiving the blessings of the gospel.

Building of the New Jerusalem 
Near the time of the coming of Jesus, the faithful Saints will build a righteous city, a city of God, called the New Jerusalem. Jesus Christ himself will rule there. 
(3 Nephi 21:23-25.
"23. And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.
 24. And then shall they assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem.
 25. And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst.") 

The Lord said the city will be built in the state of Missouri in the United States 
(D&C 84:3-4
"3. Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State of Missouri, and dedicated by the hand of Joseph Smith, Jun., and others with whom the Lord was well pleased.
 4. Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation.).

These are only a few of the signs that the Lord has given us.  The Scriptures  describe many more.

Discussion
List some of the signs of the Second Coming.  Discuss each one.'


Concept 5: Knowing the Signs of the Times Can Help Us

'No one except our Heavenly Father knows exactly when the Lord will come.  The Savior taught this with the parable of the fig tree.  He said that when we see a fig tree putting forth leaves, we can tell that summer will soon come.  Likewise, when we see the signs described in the Scriptures , we can know that his coming is near.  (Matthew 24:32-33. "32.  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: 33. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.")

The Lord gave these signs to help us.  We can put our lives in order and prepare ourselves and our families for those things yet to come.

We do not need to worry about the calamities but can look forward to the coming of the Savior and be glad.  The Lord said, "Be not troubled, for, when all these things [the signs] shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled" (D&C 45:35).  He said those who are righteous when he comes will not be destroyed "but shall abide the day.  And the earth shall be given them for an inheritance; . . . and their children shall grow up without sin. . . . For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver" (D&C 45:57-59).

Discussion

How can knowing the signs of the Second Coming help us?'

Additional Scriptures 

1 Corinthians 15:22-28 (the end cometh; death is done away)
http://Scriptures.lds.org/1_cor/15/22-28#22

Matthew 16:1-4 (discern signs of the times)
http://Scriptures.lds.org/matt/16/1-4#1

Matthew 24 (signs of the Second Coming)
http://Scriptures.lds.org/matt/24

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 (watch for the signs and prepare)
http://Scriptures.lds.org/1_thes/5/1-6#1

D&C 38:30 (prepare so we might not fear)
http://Scriptures.lds.org/dc/38/30#30

D&C 68:11 (we can know the signs)'
http://Scriptures.lds.org/dc/68/11#11


-----------------
Moroni 10:4-5
"4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 
5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."

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