The past few weeks I have been studying in D&C on the signs of the times, and what is to come. I must admit, I have gone through all the emotions. While reading D&C 45 I became a little bit of a nervous wreck. As I read deeper into the things that are to come, my heart became sick and full of despair. I found myself thinking it would be nice to not be on the earth when all the calamities are here in their fullness. As I read I found my heart crying, "Alas, my master, how shall I stay!"
I did not speak to anyone about this for several days. As it happened, my scripture study took 4 or 5 days just to get through D&C 45. I can honestly say, my hope was slipping away and I had no idea how to have faith in the future in the prophecies which should come. How can anyone survive what is to come?! I pondered over those that I love. All my sisters in RS, and I wondered if the time were to come now, would I have the faith enough to support them through all the hard things. I seriously doubted I would be able to keep my "cool" and keep unwavering upbeat faith.
But as I finished reading D&C 45 I kept asking in my heart that there had to be hope somewhere? But mine seemed to be all gone.
For verily I say unto you, that great things await you;Like the Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball--Heavenly Father sent the hope at the end of the chapter. I don't ever remember being taught this, but the verses gave me HOPE!
Ye hear of wars in foreign lands; but, behold, I say unto you, they are nigh, even at your doors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands.
And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a bland of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;I love that it is said that the wicked will say, "Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand." !!! For some reason, I did not think that "Zion" would be established until after the world was totally burned. I have never done the study on this--and boy was I messed up in thinking, but I thought when the New Jerusalem would be here after the wicked had been burned. But here it says that the glory and the terror of the Lord would be in this city and the wicked would not dare come unto it. And yet with all the wicked killing each other, there would be songs of singing of everlasting joy sung by those in the city even with the killing all around about!!! I don't profess to understand these scriptures or the order of events fully, but surely I am not misinterpreting that there will be a place of refuge while there is wickedness still on the earth. And those dwelling there will have peace and joy!!
And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.
And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.
As I read those words in D&C, after nearly feeling like I was going to collapse with fear for the future--my fear was immediately replaced with hope. And not just some hope, but my hope was and has been BRIGHT! There is hope, bright hope for our future!!! I under stand the words in the hymn, "hope smiling brightly before us, for we know that deliverance is nigh". Hope IS smiling brightly before us!
I loved these words from the D&C student manual p. 98 -
In the scriptures four words seem closely related toI love - "...He has prepared a means for His people to escape those terrible times..." And this morning in my reading I read another great quote. Harold B. Lee said:
the concept of Zion: gathering, preparation, defense,
and refuge. The tribulations and judgments that will
be poured out upon the world prior to the Second
Coming will be so extensive and devastating that if
the Lord did not prepare a means of preservation,
His people too would perish. But He has prepared a
means for His people to escape those terrible times;
that means is Zion. Enoch was told that the Lord
would preserve His people in the tribulations of the
last days by gathering His elect to Zion where they
could gird up their loins (prepare themselves) and
look forward to His coming (see Moses 7:61–62). In
an earlier revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants,
the Savior called the elders of the Church to gather
the elect so their hearts could be prepared for the day
of tribulation (see D&C 29:7–8). In 1838 the Lord
explained that the gathering to Zion and her stakes
was to be for defense and refuge from the coming
storm that will be poured out on the earth (see
D&C 115:5–6). These commands and promises are
found also in section 45. The Saints are to gather to
Zion (see D&C 45:64–65), a place of safety, peace, and
refuge (see v. 65). Even though the rest of the world
is in a state of horrible warfare (see v. 68), in Zion
(D&C 115:5–6 implies that this includes her stakes)
there will be peace and joy (see D&C 45:69–71).
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “Without Zion,
and a place of deliverance, we must fall; because the
time is near when the sun will be darkened, and the
moon turn to blood, and the stars fall from heaven,
and the earth reel to and fro. Then, if this is the case,
and if we are not sanctified and gathered to the
places God has appointed, with all our former
professions and our great love for the Bible, we must
fall; we cannot stand; we cannot be saved; for God
will gather out his Saints from the Gentiles, and then
comes desolation and destruction, and none can
escape except the pure in heart who are gathered.”
(Teachings, p. 71)
"The Lord has clearly placed theHOPE HOPE HOPE AND HOPE!!!!!!!!!!! I no longer feel this panic and fear for our future. I don't even know if I will be living in the fullness of these prophesies. The difference for me now, is that I am now OKAY/and HOPE-FILLED for the time ahead. And yea if the Lord would let me live in such a time. Never the less, His will be done.
responsibility for directing the work of gathering in
the hands of the leaders of the Church, to whom He
will reveal His will where and when such gatherings
would take place in the future. It would be well,
before the frightening events concerning the
fulfillment of all God’s promises and predictions
are upon us, that the Saints in every land prepare
themselves and look forward to the instruction that
shall come to them from the First Presidency of this
church as to where they shall be gathered. They
should not be disturbed in their feelings until such
instruction is given to them as it is revealed by the
Lord to the proper authority.” (Ye Are the Light of the
World, p. 167.)
Heavenly Father is the master architect. His blue prints include every bolt and nut needed to complete our lives and destinies. He has enough lumber to build my soul/heart securely. His plan included the sacrifice of Son, Jesus Christ, so that His completed plans of me, could become and be a masterpiece. His blue prints are not hidden away, but are fully laid open before us all. The scriptures, our P-blessing, the temple, the living prophets and apostles.
There is hope smiling brightly before us. And I have just read about the ways that His deliverance IS nigh!
My heart is full of Hope!
Bryndi
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