Today I’m going to continue re-sharing the short video series the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been publishing. Today M. Russell Ballard shares how he hears the voice of the Savior. It seems like we don’t give ourselves enough quiet to hear the influence of the Spirit.
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
I don’t think I need to remind you about all the crazy things going on in the world today. If you haven’t given any thought today to the rioting happening throughout the nation, then you’ve probably been worrying about the Corona Virus. In my area, we’ve just begun to get over worrying about earthquakes. With all craziness set on high, you’ve probably wondered when the Savior Jesus Christ is coming and how far off that might be.
When Is the Savior Coming?
I’m not going to be pretending that by an intensive study of 30 different ancient languages and texts of the Bible, and by the divining of Nosferatu’s writings that I’ve managed to nail down the date of the Second Coming. That’s a very slim branch to be climbing out on especially when the scriptures tell us the exact opposite of knowing.
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” – Matthew 24:36
“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
So, if you run across anyone who claims to know the date of the second coming, you can listen politely then walk away with a surety that you know something they don’t know…
In 1996 M. Russell Ballard spoke to the student body at Brigham Young University:
Now, with the Lord’s help, I would like to speak to you about a subject that is on a lot of people’s minds. My intention is not to alarm or to frighten but to discuss the significant and interesting times in which we are now living, to consider some of the events and circumstances we can anticipate in the future, and to suggest a few things we can all do to fortify ourselves and our families for the challenges and trials that will surely come into all of our lives at one time or another.
Toward the end of the Savior’s ministry, His disciples came to Him with several questions all centered around one key prophetic event: “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).
Two thousand years ago, Christ’s followers were concerned about that. Every generation of believers since then, I think, has been concerned about the last days to one degree or another. So the Lord’s response to His disciples is meaningful to all of us. To the first question—“When shall these things be?”—He said, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (see Matthew 24:3–4). That is very significant.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. [Matthew 24:5–7]
I want to pause here for a moment and suggest to you, if you haven’t been aware, that some of these things seem to be occurring with ever-increasing regularity. If you measured the natural disasters that have occurred in the world during the last ten years and plotted that year by year, you would see an acceleration.
The earth is rumbling, and earthquakes are occurring in “divers places.” Human nature being what it is, we don’t normally pay much attention to these natural phenomena until they happen close to where we are living. But when we contemplate what has happened during the past decade, not only with earthquakes but also with regard to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and the like, you would see an accelerating pattern.
So can we use this scientific data to extrapolate that the Second Coming is likely to occur during the next few years, or the next decade, or the next century? Not really. I am called as one of the apostles to be a special witness of Christ in these exciting, trying times, and I do not know when He is going to come again. As far as I know, none of my brethren in the Council of the Twelve or even in the First Presidency know. And I would humbly suggest to you, my young brothers and sisters, that if we do not know, then nobody knows, no matter how compelling their arguments or how reasonable their calculations. The Savior said that “of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36).
I believe when the Lord says “no man” knows, it really means that no man knows. You should be extremely wary of anyone who claims to be an exception to divine decree. But while the exact timing of the Second Coming remains in doubt, there is no question that scriptural prophecy relative to that momentous and sacred event is being fulfilled, sometimes in remarkable ways.
Even though we have established that no man knoweth the day of the Savior’s return, I’m going to go out on that very thin limb and make a prediction. The uncertainty caused by the virus, the failing economy, protests and rioting, and earthquakes can feel like this is the end, but I’m going to make my prediction as “not today”. And in saying this I’m predicting it’s not happening today as I write this, not your today as you read. For all-I-know by the time you’re reading this, it could be your today.
What’s Next?
Every time a prophet or apostle has spoken about the Second Coming they’ve always been optimistic about the future. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 24:6, “see that ye be not troubled”. We should be practicing our faith every day and trusting in the Lord to bless us as only He can. He knows our needs better than we know them.
Our lives seem to be put on hold as we shelter away from the rest of society to prevent ourselves from getting sick, but imagine the quiet blessings we’ve been given in this period. We are less busy so we can spend more time studying the scriptures. There’s so much uplifting media available online for your viewing pleasure. Get to know your family who you might have been neglecting because of your busyness.
Above all remember that things will only get better before they get worse, or is it get worse before it gets better. It’s really hard to say… But, ultimately, in the end, things will get a whole lot better for those who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And since the Lord is not coming today, I’m going to try and make the best of it and have faith.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a short video yesterday featuring Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elder Bednar shares how he is able to hear the voice of the Lord in his own life. I feel it is universal to all who are trying to learn how to feel the Spirit in their life. We could all use a spiritual boost from the Spirit every day.
I like how he says that “the scriptures are the prerecorded voice of the Lord” and then describes the spirit as a non audible voice and a feeling in the mind and heart. I can attest to that as I’ve felt that feeling in my mind and in my heart at times when I have felt the Holy Ghost giving me guidance in my life.
I needed something to do on Easter, so I went online and downloaded some of the videos from Christ from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website and I edited them together to create a video for my family.
I didn’t intend to share it with anybody else, so there are a few spots that I felt are sloppy and need further edits, but I ran out of time. Enjoy! The full talk below is also extremely worth watching. Don’t skip it.
Music: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church allows for the use of the footage for personal, non-commercial use, so I hope they also allow for it to be edited for personal and non-commercial use
Last night in General Conference the prophet revealed a beautiful new logo for the church.
I don’t know if we had an official logo before this announcement, but I think it could have been considered an image or silhouette of the Angel Moroni statue which is found on the east center spire of the Salt Lake temple.
The Logo Incorporates Several Important Elements
Front and center the logo displays Thorvaldsen’s Christus. The Church uses the Christus extensively in its literature and other publications and it is widely associated with the Church.
The Church purchased a replica of the statue in the 1950s to illustrate to the world our belief in Jesus Christ. Since then the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has placed 17 other statues throughout the world. The two most famous of the statues are found in the Salt Lake Temple Square Visitor’s Center and the newly completed Rome, Italy Temple.
Next, the logo prominently displays the Church’s name. When I was a kid the title of the church was all one font size, then in the summer of 1997, they changed it to have “Jesus Christ” in a larger text to help emphasize our belief in Christ.
The rectangle around the title represents a cornerstone referencing the passage in the Bible of “Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”
Third, surrounding the Christus is an archway symbolizing Christ’s emergence from the tomb.
One last element I noticed was the converging angled lines found in the outro in all of the recent media presentations the church has produced. I think it’s a nice inclusion of existing branding the church has been using.
President Nelson said of the logo, “[The symbol] portrays the resurrected, living Lord reaching out to embrace all who will come unto Him.”
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The time finally arrived for Joseph to take possession of the plates. It was known that Joseph would be receiving the plates, so in the early hours of September 22, 1827, Joseph went to the Hill Cumorah to receive the plates. Emma accompanied Joseph and waited in the wagon for Joseph while he climbed the hill.
At the location of the plates the Angel Moroni appeared to Joseph and gave him another warning, he said, “You will have to be watchful and faithful to your trust or you will be overpowered by wicked men, for they will lay every plan and scheme that is possible to get them away from you. And if you do not take heed continually, they will succeed.” (Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–45, book 6, [1])
Joseph had tried to get hold of a lockbox before he retrieved the plates but was unsuccessful, so before Joseph returned home with the plates he hid the plates in a hollowed-out log until he could find a box to store the plates.
Back at the Smith home, Lucy was fretting over Joseph’s task as she served breakfast to Joseph Sr., Joseph Knight, and Josiah Stowell. When Joseph and Emma entered the house Lucy had to leave the room when she saw that Joseph was empty-handed. Joseph followed Lucy and reassured her that he had gotten the plates and handed her a cloth that contained the Urim and Thummim. The Urim and Thummim were seer stones the Lord prepared for the translation of the plates.
The day after receiving the plates, Joseph Smith took a job repairing a well in order to earn some money to get a lockbox. That same day Joseph Sr. overheard a group of men plotting to steal the plates. Joseph rushed home to share what he’d overheard. Joseph Jr. was an hour’s drive away working on the well, so Emma traveled to see him.
Joseph returned home and then went to recover the hidden plates. He wrapped the plates in a shirt and headed for home.
Lucy Smith writes about Joseph’s trip back home with the plates, “After proceeding a short distance, he thought it would be safe to leave the road and through the woods. Traveling some distance after he left the road, he came to a large windfall, and as he was jumping over a log, a man sprang up from behind it and gave him a heavy blow with a gun. Joseph turned around and knocked him down, then ran at the top of his speed. About half a mile farther he was attacked again in the same manner as the former and ran on again; and before he reached home he was assaulted the third time. In striking the last one, he dislocated his thumb, which, however, he did not notice until he came within sight of the house, when he threw himself down in the corner of the fence in order to recover his breath. As soon as he was able, he arose and came to the house. He was still altogether speechless from fright and fatigue of running” (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, 107-8).
Joseph had successfully made it home with the plates! Joseph needed a place to keep the plates so he sent his youngest brother Don Carlos down the road to the home of his older brother Hyrum to get a box in which to store the plates. It wasn’t until the plates were safe in the box that Joseph relaxed.
I asked my daughter what the Book of Mormon is and she said, “Some people talking about Jesus and their lives and some stuff like that.” That is the answer of a 10-year-old who has grown up in a home where she has grown up learning different stories and memorizing passages from the Book of Mormon.
She’s not wrong.
The Book of Mormon is scripture that originated here on the American continent. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has published a brief video about what the Book of Mormon is.
Unfortunately, a one-minute video isn’t long enough to understand what the Book of Mormon is. I probably won’t do it justice, but I’ll give it a try.
The History
The Book of Mormon is a compilation of the writing of prophets much like the prophets of the Bible.
The first prophet in the Book of Mormon is Lehi. Lehi and his family lived in Jerusalem at around 600 B.C. which was in the time of Jeremiah in the Bible.
The Lord warns Lehi of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and tells him to take his family and flee. The family traveled to the seashore where Lehi’s son Nephi (the narrator of the first part of the Book of Mormon), was instructed by the Lord how to build a ship in which the family would sail to what we now call the American continent.
Establishing a Nation
Not all was well in Lehi’s family. The two eldest sons were real complainers and fought the trip at pretty much every point.
Once the family arrived on the new continent, those two brothers and their families separated from the rest and they would eventually become two civilizations called the Nephites for those who followed Nephi and the rest of the family, and Lamanites for those who followed the brothers Laman and Lemuel.
Over time God continued to call prophets. One such prophet was Enos. You can watch a video my family made about Enos Here.
Also over time, the peoples’ righteousness fluctuated and there were conflicts between the Nephites and the Lamanites.
A large portion of the book named after the principal author Alma, describes numerous wars between groups of Nephites and Lamanites.
Why the Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ
The crowning part of the Book of Mormon is Christ’s visit to the inhabitants of the continent.
During Christ’s ministry, He said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” — John 10:16.
Following Christ’s resurrection, He came here to the American continent and ministered to the people for a short while. This account can be found in 3 Nephi 11-27 in the Book of Mormon.
For many years following Christ’s visit, there was peace in the land, but that was not to last. Eventually, contention crept back into their lives and the Book of Mormon was finalized with bloodshed and complete destruction of the Nephite civilization.
One of the last Nephites was Mormon, a prophet and historian. Mormon was the one who compiled all of the available historical records and that is why the book is named after him.
Mormon had a son named Moroni to whom he passed the plates of the Book of Mormon. Moroni was the last to record in the book. He took the plates and buried them in what would one day become New York.
How We Got the Book of Mormon
In 1823 Moroni visited Joseph Smith and instructed Joseph in the translation of the plates into what we know as the Book of Mormon.
I encourage you to read the several posts I’ve written about Joseph Smith regarding his life, the personal visit of God the Father and Jesus Christ, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The story begins with Getting to Know Joseph Part 1
In Conclusion
I’m going to simply let you read the second half of the Introduction Page in the Book of Mormon. It puts it best.
Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
In addition to Joseph Smith, the Lord provided for eleven others to see the gold plates for themselves and to be special witnesses of the truth and divinity of the Book of Mormon. Their written testimonies are included herewith as “The Testimony of Three Witnesses” and “The Testimony of Eight Witnesses.”
We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, that Joseph Smith is His revelator and prophet in these last days, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once again established on the earth, preparatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah.