Friday, December 11, 2020

The Second Coming

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1. NEPHI SEES THE CLEANSING OF AMERICA*

PRESIDENT NELSON'S PROPHECY


"We live in the day that “our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation.” We have front-row seats to witness live what the prophet Nephi saw only in vision, that “the power of the Lamb of God” would descend “upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory1 Nephi 14:14

"You, my brothers and sisters, are among those men, women, and children whom Nephi saw. Think of that!" Hear Him, April 2020 Conference talk by President Russell M. Nelson

This is one of the most dramatic and pivotal prophecies in all scripture, seen also by Moroni, Micah, John the Revelator Jesus Christ. He said we will see it come to pass. This is the greatest prophecy I've heard any living prophet speak in my generation. 

 “This is a hinge point in the history of the Church. Things are going to move forward at an accelerated pace of which this is a part. We think the Church is an old Church. It’s 189 years old. But it’s only the beginning. Just project out what the next future will be and the Church is going to have an unprecedented future. Unparalleled. We’re just building up to what’s ahead now.” President Nelson, March 2019

We live in that time prophesied; we are the people charged with ushering in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ; we are to gather God’s children, those who will hear and embrace the truths, covenants, and promises of the everlasting gospel. President Nelson calls it “the greatest challenge, the greatest cause, and the greatest work on [the] earth today.”13 Of that miracle I bear my witness. Elder Rasband April 2020 GC

WHAT WILL WE WITNESS?

Let's break down Nephi's prophecy: 

"And he (the angel) said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, who so belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. 1 Nephi 14:10

Nephi is saying there will be a polarization into two groups. One, the church of the devil, who will align itself with a world government of tyranny, survillance, and control while the other, the church of the Lamb of God, will resist, and stand for liberty and trust in God for salvation:

WHAT IS THE GREAT DIVISION?

"For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other—either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken." 1 Nephi 14:7
 
This is the angel speaking to Nephi. He says people will be divided into two groups: one will be convinced unto peace and eternal life; the other will be delivered to captivity and destruction. Those who are blinded are led into captivity. Blinds block light and a mind that is blinded is one who doesn't accept evidence.

The church of the devil is also called the mother of abominations, the whore of all the earth or as John called it, "the beast." The church of the Lamb of God is also called the saints of God. Hardness of their hearts means they have un-changable feelings. These are those who accept the lies or deception of the "beast" and follow him down destruction. 

"And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. 

"And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people." 1 Nephi 14:10-11

Is there a group who has control over all the earth today? Yes. They are the Gadianton Robbers of our day:

“I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world.” Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Talk, November 1988 

The secret combination spoken of is composed of international and national bankers, rich influential people and politicians who work in secret, behind the scenes, to bring about a world order. That order is bent on controlling everyone living on earth. (much more on this below)

WHAT CAUSES THIS GREAT DIVIDE?

Both the Lord and Satan or the two churches will perform mighty miracles. The deception of Satan will be as convincing as the evidence the Lord provides. President Russell M.Nelson talked about this:

"Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." Russell M. Nelson, " Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives' April 2018 General Conference

How is it possible the Lord can do His mightiest work and we still need the influence of the Holy Ghost? Can't we just listen to the Prophet?  This is because the deception from the "beast" is so convincing that it appears to be true. Both churches are equally convincing. It will also be difficult for people to side with the church who are smaller in number. 

"And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw. 1 Nephi 14:12

WHY ARE SO MANY BLIND TO THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CONSTITUTION?

Another way of putting this question is: why are there so many members of the church, who have read the Book of Mormon, know that two civilizations on the American continent were destroyed by secret combinations.....and yet can't see that the same thing is happening today? I think there are at least two reasons.

The first is that many people including members are uneducated. They are too lazy or too distracted or too busy to educate themselves on what is happening. Where do they get their opinions? The media. My brother said, "The media has a story to tell and they tell it well."  If a person depends on mainstream media for their information they will find themselves lied too, misled and deceived. Many American's don't want to believe the "media" they have trusted their whole lives would lead the astray. It is easier to just go along. There is a key book that will open up a whole new world to these people: 

"I wish that every citizen of every country in the free world and every slave behind the Iron Curtain might read this book. Ezra Taft Benson speaking of None Dare Call It Conspiracy by Gary Allen

If you are unaware that there are international bankers and influential people who control the major parts of our society and in fact most if not all the world, then you are destined to believe the lies that they use to deceived you. These people don't have your best interest at heart, in fact they want to make you a slave of their state.

Nephi said it well:

“…Others will he pacify and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell..........Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion.” 2 Nephi 28:21-24

The second reason people don't value liberty and freedom and the basic values the Founders believed in that made our nation great. In the late 20th Century socialism earned a bad name. Chinese communists killed 73 million people and the Soviets killed 58 million. No communist country to date has been successful in bringing freedom or a prosperous economy. Only when China kept their communist government and allowed a free market economy did they begin to prosper. And yet many people mistakenly think that the liberal idea of equalizing income in a country works. It doesn't. 

President McKay taught of "Two Contending Forces. Those forces are known and have been designated by different terms throughout the ages. 'In the beginning' they were known as Satan on the one hand, and Christ on the other....in these days they are called 'domination by the state,' on one hand, 'personal liberty,' on the other, communism on one hand, free agency on the other." David O. McKay, Two Contending Forces, May 18, 1960

"The position of this Church on the subject of Communism has never changedWe consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work among men that exists on the face of the earth.

"Communism debases the individual and makes him the enslaved tool of the state, to which he must look for sustenance and religion. Communism destroys man’s God-given free agency." David O. McKay Communism: A Statement of the Position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH OF THE DEVIL BELIEVE?

"The ideology of the church of the devil is founded on the belief that there is no God, no intelligent design, no purpose in our creation, and no life after death. The atheistic theories of creating and the origins of life, emphasize scarcity, and the survival of the fittest. Within that framework salvation consists in prolonging existence in mortality as long as possible. Fear of death is the primary motivation. The values of this ideology are focused on the material, while spiritual evidence is rejected and values such as liberty and dignity are secondary.

"As those beliefs permeate our culture, Satan introduces the concept of collective salvation. The idea that our salvation depends upon the compliance of all mankind to regulations calculated to save us all. This ideology is already being applied in the areas of infectious disease and climate change.

"As a fanatical religion this new morality is emerging, using guilt, shame, & scorn towards those who don't comply with the new commandments.

"When a person truly believes these doctrines as the foundation for their worldview it is considered noble, wise and courageous, and selfless to sacrifice liberty for the salvation of the whole, and even to attack the enemies of their salvation, those who dissent and support freedom."

"The church of the devil are those who align themselves with the emerging world government that seeks to overthrow freedom. The church of the Lamb are those who don't unite with it. 

"Satan had an alternative plan to save everyone, a meritless plan of safety and security for all that required the destruction of agency, or freedom to choose. Here are some fitting campaign slogans that may have been used for satan's plan. "Better safe than sorry" "I am doing this for myself", "We're all in this together" and I'm choosing to do this for my loved ones."  Light and Truth, Youtube videos

"In order to get and maintain their power the church of the devil uses fear. FDR championed government policies not in the Constitution in the 1930s because people feared the depression and were willing to let FDR add more government.  Rham Emanuel said it best, " Never let a good crisis go to waste." War is a crisis which causes fear, weakens the country and makes money for the world's bankers. In the 1970s the crisis was the planet running out of food; in the 1980s it was the nuclear apocalypse,; in the 90's it was the ozone layer is disappearing, in the 2000s it has been climate apocolpyse and in 2020 it is Covid. In each case the answer has been more government, more control and less freedom for the American people." Kent Gardiner

H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) once said, "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed - and hence clamorous to be led to safety - by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."  Global "warmists" cannot produce believable or sustainable hobgoblins with science, so they must turn their beliefs into a religion. Quote: H.L. Mencken, In Defense of Women

HOW DOES THE BEAST GET FULL CONTROL?

The false-christ's or the beast is an anti-christ because it proposes an opposing plan of salvation that destroys agency and excludes Jesus Christ. This beast will perform calculated to cause fear, terror, and shame intended top cripple the world into accepting total surveillance and control as our only salvation. The false christ's are not religious figures but nonetheless offer salvation to those who follow them. 

John Taylor: ."...the delusion will be so much stronger that Princes, Presidents, Governors, and the chief Captains, will be constrained to bow to it. Their credulity will be taxed beyond the power of resistance. The workers of these mysterious and supernatural arts will bring to their aid both natural nd supernatural causes that will challenge and defy disputation.

"The senses and judgment of men cannot withstand such imperative facts as will arrest their observations. For it cannot be denied that facts and truths will constitute such a measure of the ingredients of these mysterious and wonderful arts as to give them an irresistible strength of conviction to those who are un-enlightened by the Spirit of God...Therefore their foolish hearts become darkened, and God suffers Satan to compound and mix up truth and error in such proportions as to be captivating and strongly delusive. As a snare, this composition will be ingeniously mixed and administered to all nations by skillful and practiced hands.

"And who shall be able to withstand? Do you think that your great sagacity and the compass of your profound, philosophical turn of mind will enable you to detect the error and delusion of these arts? Oh, man, this is a vain hope. God Himself will allow Satan to ply your scrutinizing eye with powers and sophistications far beyond your capacity to detect." Millennial Star, 30 April 1853, Vol 15, Pages 289-292. This article is attributed to Pres. John Taylor and believed it was put together by Parley P Pratt.

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH OF THE LAMB BELIEVE?

"On the other hand those aligned with the church of the Lamb have a fundamentally different ideological basis for their values and behaviors. Our lives did not begin with birth and do not end in death. This planet was purposefully created for mankind to inhabit. Our physical life on earth has a much greater purpose than to merely survive as long as possible. Our purpose is to be free to experience good and evil and we may know to prize the good. Jesus Christ came to heal and repair the wounds of experiencing evil. As we come to know what is good through experience, we choose good and receive joy like God the Father. 

"The saints of the church of the Lamb are those who stand for individual liberty, trusting in God as the author of human rights, and human dignity. They hold fast to the iron rod the word of God, the light of Christ within them and the divine principles set forth in God's political law, the U.S. Constitution. they will receive divine strength by tapping into the power of covenants, including the covenant of America." Light and Truth, Youtube videos

WHAT MOTIVATES ONE CHURCH TO FIGHT THE OTHER?

Satan's collectivist ideology causes people to feel that they can't be safe until every person is compelled to live the religion of global sustainability. This ideology necessarily requires an aggressive offensive approach towards opposing ideas. Light and Truth, Youtube videos

"And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God." 1 Nephi 14:13

"I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer's leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be  require to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil." Ezra T. Benson, General Conference October, 1988, "I Testify".

WILL PERSECUTION TAKE PLACE?

“…but we do not need to let our fears displace our faith. We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith.  

"Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.” The Future of the Church: Preparing the World for the Savior’s Second Coming, Liahona, April 2020

“This Church, when restored in its fulness, will prepare the world for the coming of the Lord,” but not before Christ’s followers are persecuted, he said.

“Church members in the Samoan Islands will not be immune from being persecuted,” he said, warning them to “prepare to be persecuted, even every day,” and telling them they have a solemn duty to prepare for it.

“Please protect your families from the deception you will see in your future,” he said. “That’s why we are all busily engaged in this work. We have to fortify our people against attacks of the adversary.” Russel M Nelson, May 18, 2019  Apia, Samoa

“We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.” ‘Hear Him’, April, 2020 GC

WILL EVERYONE CHOOSE?

"I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer's leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil. As these conflicts rage, either secretly or openly the righteous will be tested. God's wrath will soon shake the nations of the earth and will be poured out on the wicked without measure. But God will provide strength for the righteous and means of escape; and eventually and finally truth will trump." Joseph Fielding Smith, Signs of the Times 1952 pp 116-120-121

WILL THE POLARIZATION INCREASE?

“We are witnessing an ever greater movement toward polarity. The middle-ground options will be removed from us as Latter-day Saints. The middle of the road will be withdrawn.” Elder Bednar, October 2020 talk, Holland quote originally given in 1998

"In the days ahead, those who believe in Jesus Christ will need the friendship; and the support of one another." We Talk of Christ, April 2020, Neil L. Anderson

"Sadly, some who you thought were your friends will betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair. However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy." Russell M. Nelson, The Future of the Church: Preparing the world for the Savior's Second Coming

WILL WE GATHER FOR SAFETY?

"The False Assumption which particularly plagues us today is this: Many Church members have assumed (are assuming) that they will never have to flee their current homes, that they are already living in a place of safety...and that the wicked will be cleansed from among them. After all, their ancestors had been brought to the place of safety by the hand of the Lord.

"The problem with this assumption is simple...No where in sacred history does such a scenario ever present itself. In fact the opposite seems to be true.. The righteous gather to a place of peace and safety and are blessed. After a period of time the people began to be divided into the two groups...those who still keep the commandments and those who don’t. The longer the time period...the greater the division and the more those who have become wicked dominate the once righteous society. They take over control of the government and pass laws to help them in their quest for power and riches. The true humble followers of Christ become the very small (and diminishing) minority of the society." Robert K Young, Tent Cities in the Last Days 

WHAT DO WE NEED FOR THE BATTLE? 

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. (This is the verse President Nelson says we will witness!) 1 Nephi 14:14

"Why will we need the power of God? to avoid deception and battle Satan.

"If preparation is our key to embracing this dispensation and our future with faith, how can we best prepare?

“Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church–and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing—a famine in this land of one year’s duration could wipe out a large percentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned.” Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Report, April 1969, p.10-12

"For decades, the Lord’s prophets have urged us to store food, water, and financial reserves for a time of need. The current pandemic has reinforced the wisdom of that counsel. I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation.

"In that regard, we can learn a lot from Captain Moroni. As commander of the Nephite armies, he faced opposing forces that were stronger, greater in number, and meaner. So, Moroni prepared his people in three essential ways.

"First, he (Moroni) helped them create areas where they would be safe—“places of security” he called them. Second, he prepared “the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord. And third, he never stopped preparing his people—physically or spiritually. Let us consider these three principles.

"Life with God is a life filled with peace. This is because spiritual blessings come to the faithful. Receiving personal revelation is one of the greatest of those blessings." Russell M Nelson, Embrace the Future with Faith, 2020 October Conference

WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DON'T PREPARE?

If we are not prepared what happens to us when the times of troubles takes place? Will we be rescued by ward members or the federal government or state and local officials or the Church?

"Most members of the Church also work under a second false assumption. This is because they are confused about two separate principles of the gospel and how to correctly apply them. These principles are the principles of justice and mercy

"They confuse the mandate/commandment of sharing and taking care of the poor and needy with sharing their food with the rebellious. This false assumption is held not only by the rebellious (who often use it to justify their rebellious ways and minimize the outlined consequences) but by many of the obedient as well. There is a big difference between the two concepts of taking care of the truly poor and needy and taking care of the rebellious.

"It is one thing to share with those who either did not know the commandment or were prevented from complying (the truly needy and poor)...and something completely different to share with those who willfully rebelled against the commandment and were disobedient.

How many times have you heard the phrase (or something like it)....oh, I don’t have any food storage...I will just share with my neighbor who has food storage. (Unfortunately, most of the neighborhood thinks the same...and so if it was allowed to come to pass, the family who had sacrificed and gathered the one year food storage would have nothing left after a few days.)"

"And yet... because of the nature of the true disciple...they would share with the disobedient, because they would share with any and all. What is the answer to this dilemma? Luckily, the Lord takes the problem and the decision away from us. Again, we go to the scriptures to see what the Lord has done in a similar type situation. Robert K Young, Tent Cities in the Last days, p 13, 15

Note: It may be, when the scourges come, those with food storage will be able to avoid the plague by simply staying home and living on their food storage.

After talking about reviewing his food storage Elder Bednar related the parable of the 10 virgins:

“And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. David A. Bednar, October Conference 2010, We Will Prove them Herewith

“Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

“And the rebellious shall be cut off out of the land of Zion, and shall be sent away, and shall not inherit the land.

“For, verily I say that the rebellious are not of the blood of Ephraim, wherefore they shall be plucked out.” D&C 64:34-36

"And now the heart of the question.... “Is it right and just for the obedient who have sacrificed their means to be obedient and laid up in store for their families...to give to those who had the same opportunity...but who refused to obey the commandment and laid up nothing?” Wouldn’t that be rewarding the rebellious for their rebelliousness? How are the disobedient going to suffer the consequences of their actions or inactions? How will the obedient gain from being obedient... if they have given all their food away during a time of famine?

"It is one thing to share with those who either did not know the commandment or were prevented from complying (the truly needy and poor)...and something completely different to share with those who willfully rebelled against the commandment and were disobedient." Robert K Young, Tent Cities in the Last days, p 13, 15

THE TWO CHURCHES GO TO BATTLE

Later Nephi explains what will happen when the two churches go to battle:

"And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

"And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.

"For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.

"For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous.

"Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire." 1 Nephi 22:13-17

WHO WILL SUFFER THE WRATH OF GOD?

"These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth." D&C 76, speaking of those who are Telestial, who sill suffer here on earth

"And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfill his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things." 2 Nephi 6:12

Those who fight against Zion are the the church of the devil and will inherit the telestial glory and will suffer the wrath of God on the earth while those who are Terrestrial or Celestial will continue on earth into the millennium. 

"Joseph Fielding Smith: When the reign of Jesus Christ comes during the millennium, only those who have lived the telestial law will be removed. The earth will be cleansed of all its corruption and wickedness. Those who have lived virtuous lives, who have been honest in their dealings with their fellow man and have endeavored to do good to the best of their understanding, shall remain." Doctrines of Salvation, 3:62

2. MORONI SEES OUR DAY*

"Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

"And I know that ye do awalk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not blift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of cvery fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts." Mormon 8:35-36

Secret combinations are explained:

"Yea, why do ye build up your asecret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads?

"Behold, the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the ablood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer." Mormon 8:40-41

Moroni saw the secret combinations of our time:

Wherefore, O ye Gentiles, it is wisdom in God that these things should be shown unto you, that thereby ye may repent of your sins, and suffer not that these murderous combinations shall get above you, which are built up to get apower and gain—and the work, yea, even the work of bdestruction come upon you, yea, even the sword of the justice of the Eternal God shall fall upon you, to your overthrow and destruction if ye shall suffer these things to be.

Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this asecret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up.

For it cometh to pass that whoso buildeth it up seeketh to overthrow the afreedom of all lands, nations, and countries; and it bringeth to pass the destruction of all people, for it is built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies; even that same liar who bbeguiled our first parents, yea, even that same liar who hath caused man to commit murder from the beginning; who hath chardened the hearts of men that they have dmurdered the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out from the beginning. Either 8:23-25


3. JOHN SEES THE CLEANSING OF AMERICA*

WHEN WILL CHRIST APPEAR?

"But notwithstanding all these things we write, His coming will overtake the world unawares, as the flood did the people in the days of Noah." A Voice of Warning, Parley P. Pratt. 1837, p 46

"But I tell you this, it shall come as a thief in the night, when many of us will not be ready for it." Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation Vol 3 pp 52-53

"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Matt 24:44

"Joseph Fielding Smith: The Lord has never revealed to us when the day will come, but has given us knowledge enough by which we may know that the day is not far away. When I say 'not far away,' I am not setting any definite number of years...People say all kinds of things but no man knows the day of his coming and no man is going to know and I don't think the Twelve will know it. I have my doubts that the Presidency of the Church will know, because the Lord says he will come when no one is expecting it, but he has given us signs and the world is full of them today, signs of his coming as he draws nigh.Take Heed Yourselves p 19-20

“While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know it's exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us.” Dallin H. Oaks, April 2004 General Conference

The apostle Mark indicates that the gospel would be preached to all of the world and the abomination of desolation which the Savior just described would happen to the Jews and Jerusalem soon after His death, would occur again as a sign indicating the nearness of his coming.

"But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains." Mark 13:14

"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

"And again, verily I say unto you, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night--

"Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light and that day shall not overtake you as a thief" D&C 106:4-5

DO THE SCRIPTURES TELL US WHAT SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS MEAN?

What the signs and wonders are and when they shall appear have not been revealed. As signs appear it will be apparent, to the faithful saints, that the end is near but the exact time will not be revealed.

The signs and wonders will "enchant and entertain the Saints" but "terrify and awe the sinners of the earth." History of the Church, 1:440

"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." D&C 88:87

WILL THE GOSPEL BE PREACHED TO THE ALL WORLD BEFORE THE SECOND COMING?

"And the gospel must first be published among all nations." Mark 13:10

"Some day, in the providence of the Lord we shall get into Red China and Russia and the Middle East, and so on, until eventually the gospel will have been preached everywhere, to all people and this will occur before the second coming of the Son of Man...

"I have no hesitancy whatever in saying that before the Lord comes, in all those nations we will have congregations that are stable, secure, devoted, and sound. We will have progressed in spiritual things to the point where they have received all of the blessings of the house of the Lord. That is the destiny.

"People from all nations will have the blessings of the house of the Lord before the Second Coming."
McConkie, All Are Alike Unto God, 1978 Religious Educators Symposium, SLC: The LDS Church Educational System, 1979 p 3

Bruce R. McConkie: The revealed words speak of...there being congregations of...covenant people of the Lord in every nation, speaking every tongue, and among every people when the Lord comes again..." Mexico and Central America Area Conference Report 16 Aug 1972, p 45

The following scripture is interesting in regard to the previous quotes:  

"And then (after Christ comes in verse 52) shall the aheathen nations be bredeemed, and they that cknew no dlaw shall have part in the efirst fresurrection; and it shall be gtolerable for them." D&C 45:54

DOES AMERICA NEED CLEANSING?

"Who would ever have guessed that America would outlaw prayer, Bible reading, or the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. Or legalize the abortion of forty million American babies in a single generation. Or tolerate a flow of murders, robberies, violent assaults, and rapes exceeding that of any other nation in the world? Or who would have thought that with the hundreds of millions spent to build prisons, the most dangerous types of criminals would be turned loose on the streets because officials claimed they had no room to hold them? Or who would have believed the filth pouring forth from books, magazines, television and motion pictures? or thousands of children being sexually abused, even by their own parents? Or the legalizing of sodomy as an optional judicially protected lifestyle and calling it part of the "new morality"?"  The Cleansing of America, Cleon Skousen

Paul: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:28-32

THE RISE OF THE FIRST WORLDWIDE DICTATORSHIP (OR THE BEAST) AS SEEN BY JOHN

"Beginning with Revelation, chapter 13, John talks about an event which unfolds on the earth after the opening of the seventh seal and the beginning of the half hour of silence in heaven referred to.....

"John says the first worldwide dictatorship (beast) will come into its full dimension of power shortly after the year 2,000 but its beginning will be during the sixth seal. It is not a single dictatorship, but a coalition of nations. ( Similar to the Gadianton Robbers in the Book of Mormon) Here is how John describes it:

“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” Revelation 13:1

"The reference to HIS horns and HIS heads demonstrates that these nations were a unified coalition. We do not know why seven heads would have ten horns and ten crowns unless three of these nations had colonial dominions.

"John leaves no doubt that this monster rising out of the sea was a Satanicinstitution. Speaking of the monster as a united entity, John says “the dragon” (Satan) gave him his power and his seat of authority. Rev 13:2

"John describes the figurative symbols used by God, and says this dictatorship had the sinister cunning of a leopard, the feet and claws of a bear, and the teeth and mouth of a lion." The Cleansing of America by Skousen

WHAT DOES THE BEAST REPRESENT?

The horns represent 10 governments.
The whore represent the wicked world.
The beast represent the secret combinations who control world governments.

DOES A SECRET COMBINATION CONTROL AMERICA TODAY?

"Who are the "Gadianton Robbers" in the beginning of the 7th seal? They are a group of people who run the Federal Reserve; international bankers, billionaire industrialists, Wall Street tycoons, influential people and politicians. Most are behind the scenes and their names are kept secret. In the past they made the Russian Revolution possible with financial support. They profit from wars by loaning money to both sides of conflicts which includes both World wars. They want America to be in debt because they collect the interest on the debt and this gives them leverage to control governments. This has been true for the last 120 years. They pick presidents and chart the course of a country. They spread Satan's agenda across America and the world by promoting abortion, divorce, sex slavery, war, homosexuality, lawlessness, disease and sexuality through foreign aid. They are in a war against the Constitution and want complete control of the populations who they loan money too. They meet regularly to promote their agenda. Some of the groups are known. One such group is called the Conference on Foreign Relations. 

"This group wants chaos in America and the destruction of the Constitution. As of 2020 they appear to be in complete control of the government, CDC, media, academia and the economy." Kent Gardiner

FDR once said "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way." He was in a good position to know. 

“I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world.” Ezra Taft Benson, Conference Talk, November 1988

the father of lies … stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness. 2 Nephi 9:9

"It is important to note that the controlling powers behind the scenes helped cause the First World War and the Second World War by giving funds to first arm and then re-arm Germany, were also the main agents that funded the establishment and rise of Communism in Russia and throughout the world. These international Gadianton robbers have helped to foment wars, revolution, confusion etc in their quest for power. These powers have continued to this day as a behind the scenes influence of political kingdoms much like the Gadianton robbers described in the Book of Mormon. These powers, identified for many years as the powers that control the international banks are on the verge of succeeding in their quest to overthrow or control the world. In actuality this is the seat of power of the Beast. As A Thief in the Night by Roger K. Young 1999, p 29

It is interesting that the word "conspiracy" has been made to look extreme or absurd. In fact the best information on how conspiracies work is found in the Book of Mormon. There, the secret society called Gadianton Robbers destroy both the Jaradite and Nephite nations.  The same is happening to America. "None Dare Call It Conspiracy" by Garry Allen is the best book on the topic. 

  "Secret combinations are tools of Lucifer to accomplish his purpose and to destroy the works of God. The devil 'stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.' (2 Ne. 9:9.) They keep men from accepting the gospel; they destroy the freedoms and true worship of the saints; and they spread wickedness and abominations everywhere." Bruce R McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p 64

“If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.

I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity under the name of funding is but swindling futurity on a large scale.” Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1816. ME 15:2

WHO FINANCED THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION?

"Lord Alfred Milner, wealthy English man and front man for the Rothschilds, served as paymaster for the International bankers in Petrograd during the Bolshevik Revolution. Milner later headed secret society known as The Round Table which was dedicated to establishing a world government whereby a clique of super-rich financiers would control the world under the guise of Socialism. The American subsidiary of this conspiracy is called the Council on Foreign Relations and was started by, and is still controlled by leftist international bankers. 

"According to his grandson John, Jacob Schiff , long time associate of the Rothschilds, financed the Communist Revolution in Russia to the tune of $20 million. According to a report on file with the State Department, his firm, Kuhn Loeb and Co. bankrolled the First Five Year Plan for Stalin. Schiff’s partner and relative, Paul Warburg, engineered the establishment of the Federal Reserve System while on the Kuhn Loeb payroll. Schiff’s descendants are active in the Council on Foreign Relations today. " 

"In the Bolshevik Revolution we have some of the world's richest and most powerful men financing a movement which claims its very existence is based on the concept of stripping of their wealth men like the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Schiffs, Warburgs, Morgans, Harrimans, and Milners. But obviously these men have no fear of international Communism. It is only logical to assume that if they financed it and do not fear it, it must be because they control it. Can there be any other explanation that makes sense? Remember that for over 150 years it has been standard operating procedure of the Rothschilds and their allies to control both sides of every conflict. You must have an "enemy" if you are going to collect from the King. The East-West balance-of-power politics is used as one of the main excuses for the socialization of America. Although it was not their main purpose, by nationalization of Russia the Insiders bought themselves an enormous piece of real estate, complete with mineral rights, for somewhere between $30 and $40 million." None Dare Call It Conspiracy, Gary Allen

WHO CONTROLS THE FEDERAL RESERVE?

"All those who have sought dictatorial control over modern nations have understood the necessity of a central bank. When the League of Just Men hired a hack revolutionary named Karl Marx to write a blueprint for conquest called The Communist Manifesto, the fifth plank read: "Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly." Lenin later said that the establishment of a central bank was ninety percent of communizing a country. Such conspirators knew that you cannot take control of a nation without military force unless that nation has a central bank through which you can control its economy. None Dare Call It Conspiracy, p 31-32  

"The Federal Reserve System is not Federal; it has no reserves; and it is not a system at all, but rather, a criminal syndicate." Eustace Mullins

"It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning." Henry Ford

"When the Federal Reserve Act was passed, the people of these United States did not perceive that a world banking system was being set up here. A super-state controlled by international bankers and international industrialists acting together to enslave the world for their own pleasure. Every effort has been made by the Fed to conceal its powers but the truth is - The Fed has usurped the government!" Louis Thomas McFadden

“Sneaky and underhanded, the Federal Reserve has been sucking the life blood out of the United States since 1913. Like a black widow spider, it weaves a web of corruption and deceit. Unknown to its prey, the FED's bite is poisonous, deep, long-lasting and brings financial upheaval and misery to Americans.” Jim McCarthy, The Money Spiders, the Ruin-NATION of the United States by the Federal Reserve

"History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance."  James Madison

"By remaining behind the scenes, they (the Rothschilds) were able to avoid the brunt of public anger which was directed, instead, at the political figures which they largely controlled. This is a technique which has been practiced by financial manipulators ever since, and it is fully utilized by those who operate the Federal Reserve System today." G. Edward Griffin

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is eager to enter into close relationship with the Bank for International Settlements....The conclusion is impossible to escape that the State and Treasury Departments are willing to pool the banking system of Europe and America, setting up a world financial power independent of and above the Government of the United States....The United States under present conditions will be transformed from the most active of manufacturing nations into a consuming and importing nation with a balance of trade against it. Louis Thomas McFadden

"The depression was the calculated 'shearing' of the public by the World Money powers, triggered by the planned sudden shortage of supply of call money in the New York money market....The One World Government leaders and their ever close bankers have now acquired full control of the money and credit machinery of the U.S. via the creation of the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank." Curtis Bean Dall

"The few who understand the system, will either be so interested from its profits or so dependent on its favors, that there will be no opposition from that class." Mayer Amschel Rothschild

"Most Americans have no real understanding of the operation of the international money lenders. The accounts of the Federal Reserve System have never been audited. It operates outside the control of Congress and manipulates the credit of the United States." Barry Goldwater

"We have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board. This evil institution has impoverished the people of the United States and has practically bankrupted our government. It has done this through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it." Louis Thomas McFadden

"The financial system has been turned over to the Federal Reserve Board. That Board administers the finance system by authority of a purely profiteering group. The system is Private, conducted for the sole purpose of obtaining the greatest possible profits from the use of other people's money." Charles August Lindbergh, father to the aviator and politician

“When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you - When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - You may know that your society is doomed.” Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

"Politicians should wear sponsor jackets like Nascar drivers, then we know who owns them." Robin Williams

In America, they call it "lobbying." Everywhere else in the world they call it "Bribery and Corruption." unknown author

Movie: Money Masters, documentary on international bankers.


WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE SILENCE IN HEAVEN?

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (a half hour is 21 years in the Lord's time)

And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. Revelation 8:1-2

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. Revelation 8:7

"It was Jesus himself, after using the similitude about Noah and the Second Coming, who said; "Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed....Remember Lot's wife." Luke17:2832

"And there shall be silence in heaven (heaven is not speaking) for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled;

"And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him.

"And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven—

"They are Christ’s, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up (Taken up to heaven) to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God.

"And after this another angel shall sound, which is the second trump; and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ’s at his coming; who have received their part in that prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh." D&C 88:95-99

"Immediately after the sounding of this trump there will be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. Whether the half hour here spoken of is according to our reckoning thirty minutes, or whether it be according to the reckoning of the Lord we do not know. We know that the word hour is used in some portions of the Scriptures to represent quite a lengthy period of time. For instance, we, the Latter-day Saints, are living in the eleventh period of time; and for aught we know the half hour during which silence is to prevail in heaven may be quite an extensive period of time. During the period of silence all things are perfectly still; no angels flying during that half hour; no trumpets sounding; no noise in the heavens above; but immediately after this great silence the curtain of heaven shall be unfolded as a scroll is unfolded. School children, who are in the habit of seeing maps hung up on the wall, know that they have rollers upon which they are rolled up, and that to expose the face of the maps they are let down. So will the curtain of heaven be unrolled so that the people may gaze upon those celestial beings who will make their appearance in the clouds. The face of the Lord will be unveiled, and those who are alive will be quickened, and they will be caught up; and the Saints who are in their graves, will come forth and be caught up, together with those who are quickened, and they will be taken into the heavens into the midst of those celestial beings who will make their appearance at that time. These are the ones who are the first fruits, that is, the first fruits at the time of his coming." Orson Pratt Journal of Discourses, Vol 16, p 328

Modern day scripture tells us this:

"But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, (before the judgments begin) an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud.

"Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you; for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.

"Then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations. (Judgement)

"And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to and fro, and the heavens also shall shake.

"And the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly." D&C 45:45-49

Joseph Smith translation of Genesis concerning saints being translated:

"For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course;

"To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God; to do all things according to his will, according to his command, subdue principalities and powers; and this by the will of the Son of God which was from before the foundation of the world.

"And men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, 
were translated and taken up into heaven." Genesis 14:30-32


WHAT PLAGUES AND WOES HAPPEN AFTER THE SILENCE IN HEAVEN?

"Before this earth becomes a fit habitat for the Holy One, it must be cleansed and purified. The wicked must be destroyed; peace must replace war; and the evil imagination in the hearts of men must give way to the desires for righteousness. How shall this be brought to pass? There are two ways: 1 plagues and pestilence and wars and desolation 20 Then, at his coming, the vineyard will be burned. The residue of the wicked will be consumed. No corruptible thing will remain. And this earth will then become a fit abode for the Prince of Peace." Bruce R McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p 378

Bruce R McConkie: And when the Lamb "had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." If the time here mentioned is "the Lord's time" in which one day is a thousand years, the half hour would be some twenty-one years. Abraham 4:4 and Peter 3:8

McConkie: "And I saw the seven angels which stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets." And thus the scene is set for the recitation of the plagues and woes and sorrows that are to sweep the earth after the opening of the seventh seal:

1.  The first angel: Hail and fire descend (resulting in a famine)
2.  The second angel: The sea is smitten
3.  The third angel: Earth's waters are polluted
4.  The fourth angle: The light bearing luminaries are smitten
5.  The fifth angel: Modern warfare curses the world (the first woe)
6.  The sixth angel: Armageddon spreadeth destruction (the second woe
7.  The seventh angel: Christ comes and destroys the wicked by fire. (the third woe)

Note: "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." The third woe, the burning of the vineyard, shall soon commence." Rev 11:1-14 , Bruce R McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p 392

Note: McConkie says John's visions are not chronological--deliberately so- and we cannot, with our present knowledge place on a chronological chart each thing of which he speaks. Some of the woes proclaimed are of such a nature as to have a continuing or a repeated fulfillment. Bruce R McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p 379

WHEN WILL THE JUDGMENTS BEGIN?

"The judgements of God will be poured out upon the wicked to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home. Or, in other words, the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and later on will be carried to the Jews." Heber C Kimball Deseret News May 23, 1931 p 3 

Brigham Young: "Do you think there is calamity abroad now among the people? Not much. All we have yet heard and all we have experienced is scarcely a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them "Come home: I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth." all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightenings and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, how idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands. Brigham Young Journal of Discourses vol 8 p 123, 1860

"The Lord is not going to disappoint either Babylon or Zion with regard to famine, pestilence, earthquake or storms, he is not going to disappoint anybody with regard to any of these things, they are at the doors...Lay up your wheat and other provisions against a day of need, for the day will come when they will be wanted, and no mistake about it. We shall want bread and the Gentiles will want bread, and if we are wise we shall have something to feed them and ourselves when famine comes." Wilfford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses Vol 18, p 121. 1873

"When God has called out the righteous, when the warning voice has been sufficently proclaimed among the Gentile nations, and the Lord says, "It is enough," he will also say to his servants "O, ye , my servants, come home, come out from the mist of these Gentile nations, where you have labored and born testimony for so long a period; come out from among them, for they are not worthy' they do not receive the message that I have sent forth, they do not repent of their sins, come out from their midst, their times are fulfilled. Seal up the testimony among them and bind up the law." Orson Pratt Journal of Discourses Vol 18, p64, 1875

"And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off...

"For it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fullness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off." Either 2:9-10

HOW DOES THE LORD SPEAK?

"The Lord said they would not heed that warning voice no more than they had heeded the warning voice of his servants. But I want to call the attention of the Latter-Day Saints, and indeed if I had the power, the attention of all the world to the fact that God is speaking through the elements. The earthquakes, the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, bringing such dire destruction as we have seen are the voice of God crying repentance to this generation, a generation that only in part has heeded the warning voice of the servants of the Lord." Melvin J. Ballard, Conference Report, Oct 1923 p 31

"And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence they will not remember him." Helaman 12:3

HOW LONG DOES THE BEAST HAVE FULL POWER?

“And there was given unto him [of the many kingdoms collectively] a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue FORTY AND TWO MONTHS.Rev 13:5

"So the first dictatorship reaches a point where it dominates the world and sustains the ongoing society of immorality, abortion, non-religious education, and high crimes and misdemeanors.

"And so, as John says, it will continue until at some point the first dictatorship will attain a position of absolute power for three-and-a-half years. Then an amazing thing will happen."  The Cleansing of America, Cleon Skousen

WHAT MISTAKE DOES THE BEAST MAKE?

However, at this point, John saw that the first dictatorship (beast) would make a lethal mistake which will eventually wipe it out of existence. Here is what happens:

“And he [beast or dictator] opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (Religious persecution of the saints.)

“And it was given unto him to make WAR AGAINST THE Saints and to OVERCOME them: and power was given him over all mankind, and tongues and nations.” Rev 13:6-7

2021 President Biden at his inauguration: "A cry for survival comes from the planet itself. A cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear.

"And now, a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat." 

Tucker Carlson:
"So, again, what is a White supremacist? You might be surprised to learn just how broad the definition has become. Bloomberg News has described a wall along our southern border as "a Monument to White Supremacy," so be certain not to support that. Colin Kaepernick, who seems to have the unequivocal support of corporate America, calls the Fourth of July an example of White supremacy. Better put away the fireworks and the hot dogs.

"The United States Army, a trusted institution if there ever was one, has an entire manual on what is and what is not White supremacy. Apparently, among the tell-tale signs of a committed White supremacist are these: Celebrating Columbus Day, using the term "American exceptionalism", any support for federal border security or English-only measures or "education funding from property taxes". Using the phrase "there's only one human race" is White supremacy, too, according to the Army.

"Here's the problem: Let's say you don't buy those definitions. Let's say you're, for example, White but poor and you have trouble accepting the idea that you're benefiting from some kind of structural advantage. Well, you'd better shut up about it if you know what's good for you, because according to the United States Army, the "denial of White privilege" is a classic sign of, yes, White supremacy. So no complaining." Tucker Carlson, January 20, 2021

FROM THIS POINT ON, THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP WILL DRIFT INTO OBLIVION

Just as John’s account reaches a point of supreme suspense with the monster declaring war against the Saints – and overcoming them – John tells us the first dictatorship has been obliterated.

But what happened? He doesn’t tell us what happened! He simply closes the account of the first dictatorship with this rather amazing philosophical comment:

“If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” Rev 13:9-10

In other words, the first dictatorship has disintegrated into ashes and the faith of the saints is vindicated.

But what brought this about after the first dictatorship turned on the Saints and overpowered them?

Perhaps John left out this vital part of his story so it could be told by his Master. In any event we now have the whole story in the Book of Mormon, and it probably gives us far greater details than John could have provided.

THE RESURRECTED JESUS TELLS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP

"When the resurrected Jesus appeared to his “other sheep” on the American continent in 34 A.D., he talked a lot about America in the latter days. He talked about the Gentiles coming from Europe and setting up the first free people in modern times. He talked about their riches and their power. But he also talked about their wickedness. He said the pure original gospel would be restored among them but unless they embraced it as a people, America would be entirely cleansed of its gentile wickedness and this continent would be largely depopulated." Cleon Skousen

Here is the way Jesus said it:

“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priest crafts, and whoredoms, and of secret combinations, and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father,  I WILL BRING THE FULNES MY GOSPEL FROM AMONG THEM.” 3 Nephi 16-10

HOW WILL AMERICA BE CLEANSED?

On God’s prophetic time line, the cleansing of America was recognized in heaven as such a monumental watershed in history that God was talking about it with his prophet Micah clear back around 700 B.C.: 

And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.

And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots:

And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds:

And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers:

Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands.

And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities.

And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard." Micah 5:7-15

Having already discussed this momentous event with one of his prophets, Jesus therefore quoted Micah to the Nephites. He introduced it by saying:

“And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land for your inheritance.

“And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people – then shall ye WHO ARE A REMNANT OF THE HOUSE OF Israel go forth among them, and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many, and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

“Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.” 3 Nephi 20:14-20

WILL THERE BE A SECOND CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA?

Brigham Young told of hearing the Prophet speak of the coming destruction of the United States:

"The whole government is gone; it is as weak as water. I heard Joesph Smith say nearly thirty years ago, "They shall have mobbings to their hearts' content, if they do not redress the wrongs of the Latter-day Saints." Mobs will not decrease but will increase until the whole government becomes a mob, and eventually it will be state against State, city against city neighborhood against neighborhood. Methodists against Methodists, and so on." Brigham Young Deseret News, vol 9, p2 May 1, 1861

Orson Pratt predicted the following: 

"The great American Republic is now one of the most powerful governments in the world . . . . But that great–that powerful nation–is destined to an utter overthrow. If it be asked, why is America to suffer? The answer is, because they have rejected the kingdom of God, and one of the greatest divine messages ever sent to man; because they have sanctioned the killing of the Saints, and the martyrdom of the Lord’s Prophets, and have suffered his people to be driven from their midst, and have robbed them of their houses, and homes, and land, and millions of property, and have refused to redress their wrongs.

"For these great evils, they must suffer; the decrees of Jehovah have gone forth against them; the sword of the Lord has been unsheathed, and will fall with pain upon their devoted heads. Their great and magnificent cities are to be cut off. New York, Boston, Albany, and numerous other cities will be left desolate. Party will be arrayed in deadly strife against party; State against State; and the whole nation will be broken up; the sanguinary weapons of the dreadful revolution will devour the land. Then shall there be a fleeing from one city to another, from one State to another, from one part of the continent to another, seeking refuge, from the devastations of bandits and armies; then shall their dead be left unburied, and the fowls of heaven shall summer upon them, and the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

"Moreover, the Lord will visit them with the deadly pestilence which shall sweep away many millions by its ravages; for their eyes shall fall from their sockets, and their flesh from their bones, and their tongues shall be staid in their mouths, that they shall not be able to blaspheme against their Maker. And it will come to pass, that the heavens will withhold their rains and their fruitful fields be turned into barrenness, and the waters of their rivers will be dried up, and left in standing pools, and the fish therein will die; and the Lord will send forth a grievous plague to destroy the horses and cattle from the land. Thus by the sword and by pestilence, and by famine, and by the strong arm of the Almighty, shall the inhabitants of that wicked nation be destroyed. In that day a remnant shall repent, and be numbered with the people of Zion, and shall know that the Lord hath spoken, and hath fulfilled his decrees upon the land, and executed his fierce justice upon the oppressors of his people. (Orson Pratt, Mill Star, 28:633-34, 1866; Masterful Discourses of Orson Pratt, pp. 156-157)

"The great, powerful and populous city of New York, that may be considered one of the greatest cities of the world, will in a few years become a mass of ruins. The people will wonder while gazing on the ruins that cost hundreds of millions to build, what has become of its inhabitants. Their houses will be there, but they will be left desolate. So saith the Lord God. That will be only a sample of numerous other towns and cities on the face of this continent." Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, vol 20, p 151, 1879

"What then will be the condition of that people, when this great and terrible war shall come? It will be very different from the war between the North and the South, Do you wish me to describe it? I will do so. It will be a war of neighborhood against neighborhood, city against city, town against town, county against county, state against state, and they will go forth destroying and being destroyed and manufacturing will, in a great measure, cease, for a time, among the American nation. Why? Because in these terrible wars, they will not be privileged to manufacture, there will be too much bloodshed—too much mobocracy—too much going forth in bands and destroying and pillaging the land to suffer people to pursue any local vocation with any degree of safety. What will become of millions of the farmers upon that land? They will leave their farms and they will remain uncultivated, and they will flee before the ravaging armies from place to place; and thus will they go forth burning and pillaging the whole country; and that great and powerful nation, now consisting of some forty millions of people, will be wasted away, unless they repent." Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, vol 20, p 151, 1879

"When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, “Come home; I will now preach my own sermons to the nations of the earth,” all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders and lightnings, and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations, and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands; and they will destroy each other, caring not for the blood and lives of their neighbors, of their families, or for their own lives. They will be like the Jaredites who preceded the Nephites upon this continent, and will destroy each other to the last man, through the anger that the Devil will place in their hearts, because they have rejected the words of life and are given over to Satan to do whatever he listeth to do with them. You may think that the little you hear of now is grievous; yet the faithful of God’s people will see days that will cause them to close their eyes because of the sorrow that will come upon the wicked nations. The hearts of the faithful will be filled with pain and anguish for them." Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses vol 8, p 123, 1860

WILL AMERICA BE CLEANSED BY A SCOURGED?

Joseph Smith saw a vision of the cleansing of America and wrote:

“And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country....Repent ye, repent ye, and embrace the everlasting covenant, and flee to Zion before the overflowing scourge overtakes you. ” Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith p 17

In one revelation the Lord mentions a coming scourge. He says:

“For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it? The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people. It shall not be stayed until the Lord comes.

“Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.

“But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works; with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.D&C 97:22-26

A scourge is a whip used to flog and inflict great pain upon individuals. The Lord has decreed one or more great scourges for the last days, scourges that will cleanse the world.

There are three other accounts by those who were allowed to see visions of what it will be like when the cleansing of America occurs.


1. John Taylor Vision: 

"I went to bed as usual at about 7:30PM. I had been read­ing a revela­tion in the French lan­guage. My mind was calm, more so than usual if possible, so I composed myself for sleep, but could not. I felt a strange feeling come over me and apparently be­came partially uncon­scious. Still I was not asleep, nor ex­actly awake, with dreary feeling. The first thing that I recognized was that I was in the tabernacle of Ogden, Utah. I was sit­ting in the back part of the build­ing for fear they would call on me to preach, which however they did, for after sing­ing the second time they called me to the stand.

"I arose to speak and said that I did­n’t know that I had anything es­pecially to say, ex­cept to bear my tes­timony of the Latter-day work, when all at once it seemed as if I was lifted out of myself and I said, “Yes, I have something to say and that is this: Some of my brethren have been ask­ing, “What is be­coming of us? What is the wind blowing?” I will answer you right here what is coming very shortly.”

"I was then in a dream, im­mediately in the city of Salt Lake, and wandering around in the streets and in all parts of the city, and on the doors of the houses I found badges of mourn­ing and I could not find a house but was in mourning. I passed my own house and found the same sign there, and I asked the ques­tion, “Is that me that is dead?” Someone gave me the an­swer, “No, you will get through it all.”

"It seemed strange to me that I saw no person in the streets in all my wan­dering around the coun­try. I seemed to be in their houses with the sick, but saw no funeral proces­sion, nor anything of the kind, but the city looking still and as though the people were praying. And it seemed that they had controlled the dis­ease, but what the dis­ease was I did not learn; it was not made known to me. I then looked over the country, north, east, south, and west, and the same mourning was in every land and in every place.

"The next thing I knew I was just this side of Omaha. It seemed though I was above the earth, and look­ing down upon it. As I passed along upon my way east I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs, trav­eling to the moun­tains on foot. I won­dered how they would get through with such a small pack on their backs. It was re­markable to us[?] that there were so few men among them. It didn’t seem to me as though the cars were run­ning, the rails looked rusty and the roads aban­doned; and I have no con­ception of how I traveled as I looked down upon the peo­ple.

"I continued east by the way of Omaha and Council Bluffs, which were full of disease. There were women every­where. The state of Illinois and Mis­souri were in a tumult, men killing one an­other, women joining the fight­ing, fam­ily against family in the most horrid manner.

I imagined next that I was in Wash­ington and I found desola­tion there. The White House was empty and the Halls of Congress the same, and everything in ru­ins. The people seemed to have left the city and left it to take care of itself.

"I was in Baltimore. In the square where the Monument of 1812 stands in front of the Char­les Hotel. I saw dead piled up so as to fill the street square. I saw mothers cutting the throats of their own children for their blood. I saw them suck it from their throats to quench their own thirst and then lie down and die. The water of Che­sapeake Bay was stagnant, and the stench arising from it on ac­count of their throw­ing their bod­ies into it so terrible, that the very smell carried death with it. I saw no man ex­cept they were dead or dying in the streets and very few women. Those I saw were crazy and in an ugly condi­tion. Everywhere I went I beheld the same sights all over the city; it was terrible be­yond description to look upon.

"I thought this must be the end; but no, I was seemingly in an instant in the city of Philadel­phia. There eve­rything was still. No living soul was there to greet me. It seemed the whole city was with­out any inhabi­tants. In the south of Chestnut Street and in fact everywhere I went, the putrefaction of the dead caused such a stench that it was impos­sible for any living thing to breathe, nor did I see any living thing in the city.

"Next I found myself in Broadway, in the city of New York, and there it seemed the people had done the best they could to overcome the disease, but in wandering down Broad­way I saw the bodies of beautiful women lying, some dead and oth­ers in a dy­ing condition, on the sidewalks. I saw men come out of cellars and ravish the per­sons of some that were yet alive and then kill them and rob their bodies of all the valu­ables they had upon them. Then before they could get back to the cellar they would roll over a time or two and die in ag­ony. In some of the back streets I saw them kill some of their own offspring and eat their raw flesh, and in a few minutes die them­selves. Every­where I went I saw the same scene of horror and de­struction and death and rap­ine.

"No car­riages, buggies, or cars were running; but death and de­struc­tion were every­where. Then I saw fire start and just at that moment a mighty East wind sprang up and car­ried the flames over the city and it burned until there was not a sin­gle building left standing there, even down to the waters edge. Wharves and shipping all seemed to burn and follow in common destruction where the “great city” was a short time ago. The stench from the bodies that were burn­ing was so great that it was carried a long dis­tance cross the Hudson Bay and carried death and destruction wherever it pene­trated. I cannot paint in words the horror that seemed to compass me about; it was beyond description of man.

"I sup­posed this was the end; but it was not. I was given to understand the same horror was being en­acted all over the coun­try, east, west, north, and south. Few were left alive, still there were some.

"Immediately after I seemed to be standing on the left bank of the Mis­souri River, opposite e the City of In­de­pendence, but there was no city. I saw the whole state of Missouri and Illi­nois and all of Iowa, a complete desert with no living being there. A short dis­tance from the river how­ever, I saw twelve men dressed in temple robes, stand­ing in a square or nearly so (and I under­stood it repre­sented the Twelve Gates of the New Jerusa­lem.) Their hands were uplifted in consecration of the ground and lay­ing the corner stone of the tem­ple. I saw myraids of an­gels hovering over them, and saw also an immense pil­lar of clouds over them and heard the angels singing the most heav­enly music. The words were “Now is estab­lished the King­dom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down.”

I saw people com­ing from the river and from the desert places a long way off to help build the temple and it seemed that hosts of an­gels all helped to get material to build with and I saw some of them who wore temple clothes come and build the tem­ple and the city, and all the time I saw the great pillar of clouds hovering over the place.

"Instantly, however, I found my­self again in the taber­nacle at Ogden. And yet, I could still see the building go on and I got quite animated in call­ing on the people in the tabernacle to listen to the beautiful music, for the an­gels were singing the same music I had heard be­fore. “Now is estab­lished the King­dom of God and his Christ, which shall never more be thrown down.”

"At this I seemed to stagger back from the pulpit and Brother Francis D. Richards and some others caught my arm and prevented me from falling. Then I fin­ished so abruptly. Still even then I had not fainted, but was simply ex­hausted.

"Then I rolled over in bed and awoke just as the city clock was strik­ing twelve." (Source: Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, June 15, 1878, “A Vision, Salt Lake City, Night of Dec 16, 1877”)

NOTE: There are some that dispute whether or not it was John Taylor that had this vision. The vision does, in fact, come from the journal of Wilford Woodruff. It is verified that it was not Wilford Woodruff that had the vision. Many believe it to be John Taylor’s vision.

2. George A. Smith Vision
Shortly after World War II ended, President George Albert Smith had a vision of another great and terrible war which would yet take place. He said it would be so bad that it would make World War II look like a “training exercise.” It would involve many of the countries of the world, including Germany, Hungary, Israel, Turkey, the United States and the Soviet Union. Thousands of tanks would be transported in huge trucks so they would be in place where they were needed when the war began. The United States would have missiles in Europe which carried an atomic bomb. However, the United States would be committed to many far-reaching alliances and would withdraw its missiles to satisfy the Soviet Union. Then the war would begin and people would “die like flies”. The military power of the Soviet Union at this time would be much greater than the United States.

He said the United States would take away the weapons of the people. They would have their missiles in big holes in the ground, which he described as being like grain silos. The Soviets would send their own missiles to try to destroy them, as well as U.S. military bases and cities. They would also send in ground troops.
President Smith indicated that this attack would take place on a holiday after the Presidential election, but before the official inauguration. He said that the President at this time would be of Greek ancestry. (some people used to refer to blacks as greeks) President Smith said that the conditions after the war would be “dreadful” and would make the worst times of the depression seem “like a Sunday School picnic” in comparison. The Full Vision of President George Albert Smith, David Hughes Horne, P.E., Chemical Engineer, 28 February 1989

3. Patriarch Charles D. Evans vision
"Simultaneously the nation had reached an unparalled prosperity, wealth unbounded, new territory was acquired, commerce extended, finance strengthened, confidence was maintained, and peoples abroad pointed to her as the model nation, the ideal of the past realized and perfected, the embodiment of the liberty sung by poets, and sought for by sages.

"But," continued the messenger, Thou beholdest a change. Confidence is lost. Wealth is arrayed against labor, labor against wealth, yet the land abounds with plenty for food and raiment, and silver and gold are in abundance. Thou seest also that letters written by a Jew have wrought great confusion in the finances of the nation which, together with the policy of many wealthy ones, has produced distress and do presage further sorrow."

"Factions now sprang up as if by magic; capital had entrenched itself against labor throughout the land; labor was organized against capital. The voice of the wise sought to tranquilize these two powerful factors in vain. Excited multitudes ran wildly about; strikes increased; lawlessness sought the place of regular government. At this juncture I saw a banner floating in air whereon was written the words Bankruptcy, Famine, Floods, Fire, Cyclones, Blood, Plague. Mad with rage men and women rushed upon each other. Blood flowed down the streets of cities like water. The demon of bloody hate had enthroned itself on the citadel of reason; the thirst for blood was intenser than that of the parched tongue for water. Thousands of bodies lay untombed in the streets. Men and women fell dead from the terror inspired from fear. Rest was but the precursor of the bloody work of the morrow. All around lay the mournfulness of a past in ruins. Monuments erected to perpetuate the names of the noble and brave were ruthlessly destroyed by combustibles. A voice now sounded aloud these words, Yet once again I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word yet once again signifies the removing of things that are shaken, as of things that are made; that those things that cannot be shaken may remain."

"Earthquakes rent the earth in vast chasms, which engulfed multitudes; terrible groanings and wailings filled the air; the shrieks of the suffering were indescribably awful. Water wildly rushed in from the tumultuous ocean whose very roaring under the mad rage of the fierce cyclone, was unendurable to the ear. Cities were swept away in an instant, missiles were hurled through the atmosphere at a terrible velocity and people were carried upward only to descend in unrecognized mass. Islands appeared where ocean waves once tossed the gigantic steamer. In other parts voluminous flames, emanating from vast fires, rolled with fearful velocity destroying life and property in their destructive course. The seal of the dread menace of despair was stamped on every healing visage; men fell exhausted, appalled and trembling. Every element of agitated nature seemed a demon of wrathful fury. Dense clouds, blacker than midnight darkness, whose thunders reverberated with intonations which shook the earth, obscured the sunlight. Darkness reined, unrivalled and supreme.

"Again the light shone, revealing an atmosphere tinged with a leaden hue, which was the precursor of an unparalleled plague whose first symptoms were recognized by a purple spot which appeared on the cheek, or on the back of the hand, and which, invariably, enlarged until it spread over the entire surface of the body, producing certain death. Mothers, on sight of it, cast away their children as though they were poisonous reptiles. This plague, in grown persons, rotted the eyes in their sockets and consumed the tongue as would a powerful acid or an intense heat. Wicked men, suffering under its writhing agonies, cursed God and died, as they stood on their feet, and the birds of prey feasted on their carcasses.


"I saw in my dream the messenger again appear with a vile in his right hand, who addressing me said: Thou knowest somewhat of the chemistry taught in the schools of human learning, behold now a chemistry sufficiently powerful to change the waters of the sea."

"He then poured out his vile upon the sea and it became putrid as the blood of a dead man, and every living soul therein died. Other plagues followed I forbear to record. A foreign power had invaded the nation which, from every human indication, it appeared would seize the government and supplant it with monarchy. I stood trembling at the aspect, when, lo, a power arose in the west which declared itself in favor of the constitution in its original form; to this suddenly rising power every lover of constitutional rights and liberties throughout the nation gave hearty support. This struggle was fiercely contested, but the stars and stripes floated in the breeze, and, bidding defiance to opposition, waved proudly over the land. Among the many banners I saw, was one inscribed thus: The government based on the constitution, now and forever;" on another Liberty of Conscience, social, religious, and political."

"The light of the gospel which had but dimly shown because of abomination, now burst forth with a luster that filled the earth. Cities appeared in every direction, one of which, in the center of the continent, was an embodiment of architectural science after the pattern of eternal perfections, whose towers glittered with a radiance emanating from the sparkling of emeralds, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones set in a canopy of gold and so elaborately and skillfully arranged as to shed forth a brilliancy which dazzled and enchanted the eye, excited admiration and developed a taste for the beautiful, beyond anything man had ever conceived." The Contributor, an LDS magazine, vol. 15, pp. 638-841


WHAT IS A SCOURGE?

Desolating: barren, devastated: a treeless, desolate landscape; deserted; uninhabited; solitary; lonely; feeling abandoned by friends or by hope; forlorn; dismal; gloomy: desolate prospects

Brigham Young who also saw the terrible plagues and scourges and related them to the Word of Wisdom. Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 123

"I refer to a revelation given in the year 1833, called the Word of Wisdom. We fail to obey it today, and we shall fail tomorrow unless we make a short turn and determine in our own minds that we will obey it. How many of us have disregarded that revelation, in every particular? It is to be found on page 240 of the Doctrine and Covenants, and it shadows to me that a time will come in the midst of this people when a desolating scourge will pass through our ranks, and the destroying angel will be in our midst as he was in Egypt when he slew all the firstborn of the Egyptians. God says “the destroying angel shall pass by” and shall not harm you if you will observe to do these things." Journal of Discourses, Brigham Young, Jr. 15:26

A modern revelation verifies the reality of this terrible pestilence and it is just as ghastly and abhorrent as that which these three men saw in vision. Four separate passages from the D&C speak of such latter-day scourges named "a desolating scourge" or "an overflowing scourge".

For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. D&C 5:17

"And there shall be weeping and wailing among the host of men. And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth...Wherefore, I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them: and their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones and their eyes from their sockets." D&C 29:17-20

“And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.”

"But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die." D&C:45:31-32

And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another. D&C 45:30-33

"The Lord's scourge shall pass over by night and by day and the report thereof shall vex all people." D&C 97:21-23

"I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness. And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness-Until all shall know me, who remain." D&C 84:96-98

Joseph Smith spoke of Zion:

"The city of Zion spoken of by David, in the one hundred and second Psalm, will be built upon the land of America. "And the ransomed of trhe Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads" (Isaiah 35:10) and then they will be delivered from the overflowing scourge that shall pass through the land..." Joseph Smith Documentary History of the Church vol 1 p315

WILL THE JUDGMENTS BE INSTANTANEOUS OR WILL THERE BE A WARNING?

Some people talk about the world being burned up, about plagues, pestilence, famine, sword, and ruin, and all these things being instantaneous. Now it would not be just for the Lord to punish the inhabitants of the earth without warning. For if the world are ignorant of God, they cannot altogether be blamed for it; if they are made the dupes of false systems, and false principles, they cannot help it; many of them are doing as well as they can while, as we have before stated, it would be unjust for the world to continue as it is. It would at the same time be as unjust to punish the inhabitants of the world for things that they are ignorant of, or for things over which they have no control. Before the Lord destroyed the inhabitants of the old world, he sent Enoch and Noah to warn them. Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he sent Lot into their midst. Before the Children of Israel were carried captive to Babylon, they were warned of it by the Prophets; and before Jerusalem was destroyed, the inhabitants had the testimony of our Lord, and his Disciples. And so will it be in the last days; and as it is the world that is concerned, the world will have to be warned." John Taylor, The Government of God, 1852 p 95

WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE BEAST?

"False worship brings damnation. And so we hear the next angel say, of those in Babylon: "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand" -- whoso readeth let him understand---"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever recieveth the mark of the name." Revelation 14:8-11

"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all.." As Isaiah said: "It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation." Isaiah 13:20

WHAT PART WILL THE LAMANITES PLAY IN THE CLEANSING?

And it shall come to pass also that the aremnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation. D&C 87:5, The remnants are the people Lamanites who broke off of the main branch of Jacob's family. They are sometimes refered to as the remnant of Jacob.

Note the word “also,” meaning this verse is a new topic different from the previous verse. The footnote on remnants says go to 3 Nephi 21:12 where Jesus talks about the Lamanites vexing the Gentiles. Another footnote says go to D&C 109:65 where the remnants of Jacob will "be converted from their wild and savage condition to the fullness of the gospel.” referring to the Lamanites. 

"And they shall assist, my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem.” 3 Nephi 21:23 

Christ identifies the remnant of Jacob, aka the Laminites as "my people." They will help with the building of the New Jerusalem. 

"There are some very important portions of this prophecy, D&C 87, however, which yet remain to be fulfilled. To add to the sufferings and great calamities of the American nation, they will be greatly distressed by the aborigines, who will "marshal themselves and become exceedingly angry," and vex them "with a sore vexation." This event we believe may not take place in its fullness until the nation has been greatly weakened by the death of millions in their own revolutionary battles. To what extent the Indians will have power over the nation is not stated in this revelation; but from what Jesus informed their forefathers at the time of his personal ministry among them, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, they will have power in a great measure of the whole nation...(3 Nephi 9:8-12) and also cites other Book of Mormon references...It appears more improbable, now to the people of the United States, that the Indians should ever become so powerful an enemy and so dreadful a scourge to them, than it did before the commencement of the rebellion, (Civil War) that they would ever engage in so dreadful a civil war as that now raging. Yet this will as surely be fulfilled as have the other portions of the prophecy." Daniel H. Wells, Millennial Star, Vol 27, pp 186-187 March 25, 1865"

"Do not misunderstand me, do not think that all the Lamanite tribes are going to be converted and receive this great degree of education and civilization before we can return to Jackson County. Do not think this for a moment, it will only be a remnant; for when we have laid the foundation of that city and have built a portion of it, and have built a Temple therein, there is another work which we have got to do in connection with these remnants of Jacob whom we shall assist in building the city. What is it? We have got to be sent forth as missionaries to all parts of this American continent. Not to the Gentiles, for their times will be fulfilled; but we must go to all those tribes that roam through the cold regions of the north--British America, to all the tribes that dwell in the Territories of the United State3s; also to all those who are scattered through Mexico, and Central and South America and the object of our going will be to declare the principles of the Gospel to them, and bring them to a knowledge of the truth. "Then shall they assist my people who are scattered on all the face fo the land, that they may be gathered in to the New Jerusalem." Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 17, p 301 Feb 7, 1875.

WHERE WILL THE CLEANSING BEGIN?

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth...And upon my house (temple) shall it begin and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord." D&C 112:24-26

"For the time is come that judgement must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? and if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1 Peter 4:17-18

"I further testify, that unless the Latter-day Saints will live their religion, keep their covenants with God and their brethren, honor the priesthood which they bear, and try faithfully to bring themselves into subjection to the laws of God, they will be the first to fall beneath the judgments of the Almighty, for his judgments will begin at his own house. Joseph F. Smith, Conference Report April 1880, p 6

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.

"And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;

"First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord." D&C 112:24-26

Neil A Maxwell:

"But make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters; in the months and years ahead, events will require of each member that he or she decide whether or not he or she will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions.

"President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had “never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional, or political life” (CR, April 1941, p. 123). This is a hard doctrine, but it is a particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ." Neil A Maxwell Meeting the Challenges of Today, BYU 1978:

WILL THE RIGHTEOUS BE PROTECTED?

For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?

The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come;

For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works.

Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her. D&C 97:22-25

HOW CAN THE RIGHTEOUS PROTECT THEMSELVES?

Perhaps the reason Nephi was so anxious to tell us about the things he saw was to assure us that our Heavenly Father would not be unmindful of us. As we have already seen, the Lord said:

“Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.” D&C 97:25

This is confirmed in another revelation where the Lord says:

“But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die…When all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you will all be fulfilled.” D&C 45:32-35

As President Heber C. Kimball described these prophecies of the latter days, the people asked him, “What will become of this people?” He replied:

That will depend, altogether upon our conduct. We have it within our power; God has given it to us to save ourselves from the desolation and calamities that will come upon this nation. How? By doing that which is right… .If we do this, prosperity will be upon the inhabitants…prosperity will be upon the towns and cities erected by this people, the hand of the Lord will be over us to sustain us, and we will spread forth…

“Now we have the choice. It is within our reach… .And on the other hand, we can reach forth the hand and partake of wickedness and bring desolation and destruction upon our borders.” Journal of Discourses. vol. 12:344

Heber C Kimball and Willard Richards: While the wicked fear and tremble at surrounding judgments, the Saints will watch and pray and waiting the final event in patience, will look calmly on the passing scenery of a corrupted world, and view transpiring events as confirmation of their faith in the holy gospel which they profess and rejoice more and more, as multiplied signs shall confirm the approach of the millennial day. Fifth General Epistle, 209, 216

In 1979 Gordon B. Hinkley said: This period will be "a time of great and terrible fears, of cataclysmic upheavals of nature, of weeping and wailing, of repentance too late, and of crying out unto the Lord for mercy" to the wicked, but to the righteous this will "be a day for thanksgiving." We Need Not Fear His Coming 82-83

Marion G Romney: All the acts of government, all the armies of the nations, all the learning and the wisdom of man together cannot turn these calamities aside. The only way they can be averted is for men to accept and conform to the way of life revealed by God our Heavenly Father. Calamities will come as a matter of cause and effect. Conference Report Apr 1977, p 76

"I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in very segment of our society. It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted that ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world.

"I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer's leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil. As these conflicts rage, either secretly or openly the righteous will be tested. God's wrath will soon shake the nations of the earth and will be poured out on the wicked without measure. But God will provide strength for the righteous and means of escape; and eventually and finally truth will trump.

I testify that it is time for every man to set in order his own house both temporally and spiritually...

I testify that no many years hence the earth will be cleansed. Jesus the Christ will come again this time to vanquish His foes and ro rule and reign on the earth. Joseph Fielding Smith, Signs of the Times 1952 pp 116-120-121

"I explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that is is a false idea at that the Saints will escape all the judgements, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and "the righteous shall hardly escape;" still many of the Saints will escape for the just shall live by faith; yet any of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc. by reason of the weakness of the flesh, ad yet be saved in the Kingdom of God." Joseph Smith, Journal of Discourses vol 4 p 162

Wilford Woodruff: "Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors" I'll tell you. The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection. They are the only mortal beings. No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgements. They are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely. They will come down like the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah. And none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury." Young women's Journal Aug 1894, p 512

Let the righteous among this people abide in their righteousness, and let them cleave unto the Lord their God; and if there are those among them who will not keep his commandments, they will be cleansed out by the judgments of which I have spoken. But if the majority of this people will be faithful, the Lord will preserve them from their enemies, from sword, pestilence and plague, and from every weapon that is lifted against them. Orson Pratt Journal of Discourses vol 13, p 362 1873

WHO WILL REBUILD AMERICA?

There will be a gigantic task to perform after America has been cleansed of her wickedness but the wreckage and ruin of a whole civilization has been left behind.

1. The first group will be the righteous saints whom the Lord has preserved. All these will have been disciplined in Priesthood principles and will have studied God’s law so they will know’ what to do. In very short order, the other groups will lean upon this first group for guidance.

2. The second group will be made up of the members of God’s kingdom from all over the world. After America is cleansed and the clouds of the second dictatorship are beginning to replace the first dictatorship the Saints will be anxious to rally when the Priesthood leaders sound the trumpet and call them to gather to America. The Lord says:

“Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and. then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.” 3 Nephi 21:27-28

And of course for the members of The Church, that’s America! The Lord speaks of these gathering Saints from all over the world in a modern revelation:

“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.” D&C 45:71

3. The third group to help reconstruct the western hemisphere will be the righteous gentiles who survive the cleansing. This is an interesting group of people. They are of many faiths. They love the Lord, they bow the knee in contemplation of his coming. They admire his Church and love the Saints. But they don’t join the Church. Nevertheless, they want to live under God’s Law and be part of God’s kingdom. The amazing part is that God extends an invitation to the righteous gentiles to be part of the political kingdom of God.

Brigham Young knew that a lot of the Saints would expect the kingdom of God to be only members of the church, but President Young said that is not the way the Lord planned it. Here are his words:

“The Kingdom of God [Those living under God’s Law] consists in correct principles; and it mattereth not what a man’s religious faith is; whether he be a Presbyterian, or a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Latter-day Saint or ‘Mormon,’ or a Catholic or Episcopalian, or Mohammedan, or even pagan, or anything else, if he WILL BOW THE KNEE AND WITH HIS tongue CONFESS THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, and will support good and wholesome laws for the regulation of society, we hail him as a brother, and will stand by him while he stands by us in these things; for every man’s religious faith is a matter between his own soul and his God alone.” Millennial Star, vol. 10, March 15, 1848, p. 87; Hyrum Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom, Salt Lake City Bookcraft, 1973, p. 396

4. Finally, there is the fourth group will help restore the western hemisphere. These are the peacemakers . They are people in other parts of the world who see they are about to be drafted into Prince Gog’s vast, second dictatorship. They may have even heard that he has ambitions to set up an army of 200,000,000. Rev 9:16 So all of these are allowed to flee to America. The Lord says:

“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.” D&C45:68

How grateful these peace-loving families will be after Prince Gog gets going with the second dictatorship. The scripture says:

“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.” D&C 45:69

John Taylor: And now you may write it down, any of you, and I will prophesy it in the name of God. And then will be fulfilled that prediction to be found in one of the revelations given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Those who will not take up their sword to fight against their neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety And they will come, saying, we do not know anything of the principles of your religion but we perceive that you are an honest community; you administer justice and righteousness, and we want to live with you and receive the protection of your laws, but as for your religion we will talk about that some other time. Will we protect such people? Yes, all honorable men. When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States the Elders of Israel will b e found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men, and extending the hand of fellowship to the oppressed of all nations. Journal of Discourses 21:8

Heber C. Kimball spoke about the arriving handcarts with: "Is this the end of it? No; there will be millions on millions that will come much in the same way, only they will not have handcarts, for they will take their bundles under their arms, and their children on their backs, and under their arms, and flee, and Zion's people will have to send out relief to them, for they will come when the judgements come on the nation." Heber C. Kimball Journal of Discourses Vol 4 p 106, 1856

John Taylor's vision: "The next I saw, I was just this side of Omaha. It seemed as though I was above the earth looking down to it as I passewd along on my way east and I saw roads full of people principally women with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs traveling to the mountains on foot and I wondered how they could get there with nothing but small pack upon their backs. It was remarkable to me that there were so few men among them. It did not seem as though the car's were running. The rails looked rusty and the road abandoned and I have no conception how I traveled myself.
Heber C Kimball Journal of Discourses vol 4 p 106, 1856

THE NEW JERUSALEM

"...gather out mine elect (the converts to the4 gospel) from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, a Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem." Moses 7:62-63

WHO WILL SAVE THE CONSTITUTION?

"Once all of these choice groups of people are in place they will set about building the New Jerusalem and setting up ideal Zion cities from one end of the American continent to the other. To accomplish this, the whole structure of government and economics will be changed as well as the adoption of a highly elevated society." The Cleansing of America, Skousen

"Even this Nation will be on the very verge of crumbling to pieces and tumbling to the ground when the constitution is upon the brink of ruin this people will be the Staff up (on) which the Nation shall lean and they shall bear the constitution away from the very verge of destruction...I know these things by the visions of the Almighty." Joseph Smith 

Elder Ezra T. Benson: I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith. But it will not be saved in Washington. It will be saved by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church--men and woman who will subscribe to and abide by the principles of the Constitution. The Contributor, an LDS magazine, vol. 15, pp. 638-84

WHO WILL BUILD UP ZION?

Now how do we know, but when the gates of Zion shall be open to the nations, that the Gentiles will come flocking in, like a flowing stream? A flowing stream is one that runs continually; and the Gentiles will, in that day, come to us as a flowing stream, and we shall have to set our gates open continually, they will come as clouds and as doves in large flocks. Do you suppose that the Gentiles are going to be ignorant of what is taking place? Now this will not be the case, they will perfectly understand what is taking place. The people will see that the hand of God is over this people; they will see that He is in our midst, and that He is our watchtower, that He is our shield and our defense, and therefore, they will say, “Let us go up and put our riches in Zion, for there is no safety in our own nations.”

"Those nations are trembling and tottering and will eventually crumble to ruin, and those men of wealth will come here, not to be baptized, but many of them will come that have never heard the servants of God; but they will hear that peace and health dwell among us, and that our officers are all peace officers, and our tax-gatherers men of righteousness. Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses vol 3, p 16 1855


AMERICA IS SEALED OFF

This isolation of the righteous and peace-loving people in America& will be an ideal situation for the building of theNew Jerusalem and setting up numerous Zion cities on the western hemisphere. Concerning America at this particular time, the Lord says:

And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

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.

In other words the righteous of the world flee to America.

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. D&C 45:66-71

While all of these new arrangements are being worked out among the four groups of survivors in America, God will begin to isolate America with what Luke called, “waves roaring.”

“Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters., And it shall be said in days to come that none IS ABLE TO GO UP TO THE LAND OF ZION UPON THE WATERS, but he that is upright in heart. D&C 51:15-16

This verse would suggest that while America is by violent seas it will be impossible for ordinary people to either fly or sail across the turbulent oceans in an effort to get to Zion or America.

Another scripture implying complete isolation of the western hemisphere is the Lord’s statement we have already quoted which says:

“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.” D&C 45:69

Joseph Smith warned that when the signal goes out to gather to Zion, the people must not tarry or they may lose their opportunity to even get to Zion. He said:

“The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says, Ye shall not have time to have gone over the earth (our missionaries), until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, fires and earthquakes; one pestilence after another.
D&C 45:67

WHERE ARE THE TEN TRIBES?

The scriptures tell us that the ten tribes are in the lands of the north, the south, the west. or the ends of the earth, all nations, or the far countries. In other words the ten tribes have been dispersed among nations throughout the world. They will be found through missionary work, a work that is going on today.

Elder McConkie: True it is that they are lost from the knowledge of the world; they are not see and recognized as the kingdom they once were; but in general terms, their whereabouts is known. They are scattered in all the nations of the each, primarily in the nations north of the lands fo their first inheritance. New Witness for Articles of Faith p 520

“And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country.” Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith p 17

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO JACKSON COUNTY MISSOURI?

"The western boundary of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that as President Young tell us, when you return to that place there will not be left so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail." Heber C Kimball, Deseret News, Church Department, May 23, 1931. This is referred to as the "Yellow Dog Prophecy."

"Well then, to return to the prophesying, when the time shall come that the Lord shall waste away this nation, he will give commandment to the people to return and possess their own inheritance which they purchased some forty-four years ago in the state of Missouri." Orson Pratt Deseret Evening News, Vol 8, No 265 Oct 2, 1875 p 6

Four years later he told the saints:

"Now, there are a great many cities in the United States that will not be totally destroyed when the inhabitants are swept off the surface of the earth. Their houses, their desolate cities will still remain, unoccupied until Zion in her glory and strength shall enlarge the place of her tents, and stretch forth the curtains of her habitations. That is the destiny of this nation, and the destiny of the Latter-day Saints." Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 24, pp 31-32, Oct 26, 1879

"We shall go back to Jackson County. Not that all this people will leave these mountains, or all be gathered together in a camp, but when we go back there will be a very large organization consisting of thousands, and tens of thousands, and they will march forward, the glory of God overshadowing their camp by day in the form of a cloud, and a pillar of flaming fire by night, the Lord's voice being uttered forth before his army. Such a period will come in the history of this people, and when it arrives the mountains and the hills will be ready to break forth with a loud voice before the Lord's army, and the very trees of the field will wave to and fro by the power of God, and clap like hands. The everlasting hills will rejoice, and they will tremble before the presence of the Lord; and his people will go forth and build up Zion according to celestial law.

"Will not this produce terror upon all the nations of the earth? Will not armies of this description, though they may not be as numerous as the armies of the world, cause a terror to fall upon the nations? The Lord says the banners of Zion shall be terrible. If only one or two millions of this people were to go down and build the waste places of Zion, would it strike the people of Asia and Europe with terror? Not particularly, unless there was some supernatural power made manifest. But when the Lord's presence is there, when his voice is heard, and his angels go before the camp, it will be telegraphed to the uttermost parts of the earth and fear will seize upon all people, especially the wicked, and the knees of the ungodly will tremble in that day, and the high ones that are on high, and the great men of the earth." Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses vol 15, p354 1873


WHAT INFLUENCE WILL THE NEW JERUSALEM HAVE ON THE WORLD?

"...That true light which is of God, will be rendered visible to the eyes of all the inhabitants of that city. And shall I limit it there? No. The light will shine so conspicuously from that city, extending to the very heavens, that it will in reality be like unto a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid, and it will have quite a tendency to strike terror to all the nations of the earth. Will all see it? No, some may be too far off, beyond the ocean, to behold that miraculous light that will shine forth in this city, but I will tell you the effect it will have upon the kings, queens, rulers, congressmen and judges of the earth—they will hear of it by telegraph; the news will be flashed over the civilized nations of the earth, but they will not believe it. They will say, “Let us cross the ocean, and let us see this thing that is reported to us by telegraph; let us see whether it is so or not.” Well, when they get within a day or two's journey of the city they will be alarmed. Some of these kings and nobles, when they see the light shining forth like the northern lights in the arctic regions, illuminating the whole face of the heavens—when they see this light shining forth long before they reach the city, fear will take hold of them there, says the Psalmist, in the 48th Psalm, they will become weak, and their knees will smite together like the knees of Belshazzar. They will try to haste away from the glory of God and from the power of God, and to get out of the country as soon as possible. Fear and terror will be upon them. It will have an effect upon many other kings and nobles, more pure in heart, more honest, that are willing to receive the truth; it will have a different effect upon them,...." Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol 24, p 29, Oct 26, 1879

... After Zion is built in Jackson County, and after the Temple is built upon that spot of ground where the cornerstone was laid in 1831; after the glory of God in the form of a cloud by day shall rest upon that Temple, and by night the shining of a flaming fire will fill the whole heavens round about; after every dwelling place upon Mount Zion shall be clothed upon as with a pillar of fire by night, and a cloud by day, about that period of time, the ten tribes will be heard of, away in the north, a great company, as Jeremiah says, coming down from the northern regions, coming to sing in the height of the latter-day Zion. Their souls will be as a watered garden, and they will not sorrow any more at all, as they have been doing during the twenty-five hundred long years they have dwelt in the Arctic regions. They will come, and the Lord will be before their camp, he will utter his voice before that great army, and he will lead them forth as he led Israel in ancient days. This long chain of Rocky Mountains, that extends from the cold regions of the north away into South America, will feel the power of God, and will tremble before the hosts of Israel as they come to sing on the heights of Zion. In that day the trees of the field will clap like hands, says the Prophet, and in that day the Lord will open waters in the wilderness, and streams in the desert, to give drink to his chosen, his people Israel. And when they come to the height of Zion they shall be crowned with glory under the hands of the servants of God living in those days, the children of Ephraim, crowned with certain blessings that pertain to the Priesthood, that they could not receive in their own lands. Orson Pratt Journal of Discourses, vol 18, p 68, July 25, 1875

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE AT ADAM-ONDI-AHMAN?

Spring Hill is named by the Lord Adam-ondi-Ahman, because said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people or Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet. D&C 116:1

Elder Orson Pratt: "whole term Adam-ondi-Ahman means Valley of God, where Adam dwelt. It is in the original language spoken by Adam, as revealed to the Prophet Joseph" Journal of Discourses 18:348

This council in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman is to be of the greatest importance to this world. At that time there will be a transfer of authority from the usurper and impostor, Lucifer, to the rightful King, Jesus Christ. Judgment will be set and all who have held keys will make their reports and deliver their stewardships, as they shall be required....Our Lord will then assume the reigns of government; directions will be given to the Priesthood; and He, whose right it is to rule, will be installed officially the voice of the Priesthood there assembled. This grand council of Priesthood will be composed, not only of those who are faithful who now dwell on this earth, but also of the prophets and apostles of old, who have had directing authority.....When this gathering is held, the world will not know of it; the members of the Church at large will not know of it, yet it shall be preparatory to the coming in the clouds of glory of our Savior Jesus Christ as the Prophet Joseph Smith has said. Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith ; 157-158

We are committed to the fact that Adam dwelt on this American continent. But when Adam dwelt here, it was not the American continent, nor was it the Western Hemisphere, for all the land was in one place, and all the water was in one place. There was no Atlantic Ocean separating the hemispheres. Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3:74

THE APPEARANCE OF CHRIST TO AMERICA

And I looked, and low, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundreds forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. Rev 14:1 and D&C 133:17-18

We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn. D&C 77:11

The Prophet Joseph Smith referred to the 144,000 as "saviors on mount Zion" and added they would be accompanied toy "an innumerable hose that no man can number." History fo the Church 6:365

4. WHAT DID JESUS SAY, IN THE BOOK OF MORMON, ABOUT THE CLEANSING OF AMERICA?*

11 Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause ahim to bring forth unto the bGentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be ccut off from among my people who are of the covenant. (This is the great division, people will be forced to choose faith or be destroyed)

12 And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a alion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. (The remnant of Jacob are the Lamanites; they will have great strength.)

13 Their hand shall be lifted up upon their aadversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. (The Lamanites of today will destroy their enemies.)

14 Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles except they arepent; for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy bchariots; (Transportation will be taken away.)

15 And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy astrongholds; (Buildings will be demolished.)

16 And I will cut off awitchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; (Witchcrafts are false teachings.)

17 Thy agraven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands; (Things people idolize will be removed.)

18 And I will pluck up thy agroves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. (Groves are evil/immoral places of worship in the Old Testament; cities will be destroyed.)

19 And it shall come to pass that all alyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away. (The cleansing of America will take place. )

20 For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that aday whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I bcut off from among my people, O house of Israel; (Those who don't believe in Christ, both in and out of the church, will be cut off or destroyed.)

21 And I will execute avengeance and bfury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. (The Lord destroys the wicked in a fury.)

22 But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and aharden not their hearts, I will bestablish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be cnumbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their dinheritance; (This land is America)

23 And they shall assist my apeople, 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 bNew Jerusalem. (After the destruction of the wicked the New Jerusalem will be built.)

24 And then shall athey assist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem. (People gather to the New Jerusalem.)

25 And then shall the apower of heaven come down among them; and bI also will be in the midst. (The power of heaven which was predicted for our generation by President Nelson, April 2020, and Christ will rule in the New Jerusalem.)

26 And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even awhen this gospel shall be preached among the remnant of bthis people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people, yea, even the tribes which have been clost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem. (The lost tribes are gathered into the church.)

27 Yea, the work shall commence among all the adispersed of my people, with the Father to prepare the way whereby they may bcome unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. (The gathering of saints continues.)

28 Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father among all nations in preparing the way whereby his people may be agathered home to the land of their inheritance. (The gathering takes place to the land they will inherit.)

29 And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall anot go out in bhaste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward. (The Lord will protect the righteous as they travel.)  3 Nephi 21:11-29, words of Jesus Christ in America to the Nephites and Lamanites

5. WHAT DOES JOHN SAY ABOUT THE SECOND BEAST?*

THE RISE OF THE SECOND MILITARY DICTATORSHIP (BEAST)

While all of this orderly progress has been occurring in “sealed-off” America something totally evil will have been hovering over the rest of the world. After the collapse of the first military dictatorship, it will immediately allow numerous world leaders with satirical ambitions to begin maneuvering for an opportunity to claw their way to the top and build another world empire. Here is the way John described what he saw happening: The Cleansing of America, Cleon Skousen

“And I beheld ANOTHER BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE EARTH; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake like a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the FIRST beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (This best appears like a lamb.)

“And he doeth great wonders, so he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of these miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword and did live.

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free or bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark; or the name of the beast, or the number of his name…. and his number is Six hundred three score and six.” Revelation 13:11-18

It was the ambition of the second dictatorship to exercise “all the power of the first beast. . .and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:12

Ezekiel tells us that this second dictatorship was designed to mobilize all the gentile nations of the world under a massive army. But what happens to the heathen nations?

“And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance;” 3 Nephi 21:21-22


WHAT HAPPENS TO ISRAEL?

As the prophetic story unfolds, we learn that since the fall of the first dictatorship some remarkable things have happened in Israel.

First, the Jews have gathered their people and their wealth from all over the world to the security of Israel. They will have built their capital city of Jerusalem into a magnificent metropolis secured by heavy walls. Ezekiel, chapters 40-43

Second, the prophet Zechariah (6:12-13) tells us that a beautiful temple will occupy the heights of Mount Moriah where the “Dome of the Rock” once stood.

We cannot help wondering how all of this can happen.

THE WORLDWIDE GATHERING OF THE JEWS

Ezekiel describes in chapter 34 how scattered and distressed the Jews will be when the Lord reaches out to rescue them. The Lord said to Ezekiel:

‘.. .yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out….and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the river, and all the inhabited places of the country…. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, EVEN MY SERVANT, Davida prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.” Ezekiel 34:6, 11-13, 23-24

Many scholars, including the King James translators, thought these passages referred to the Savior. However, as we have just seen in Ezekiel, chapter 34, verses 23 and 24 the Lord specifically refers to this particular Davida as his “servant.”

Joseph Smith referred to this Prince David and said he would replace his great ancestor temporarily because “the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him [ancient David] and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage.” Doc. History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 253

The administration of this outstanding leader apparently will last a long time, clear over to the time when the Ten Tribes return and become one with Judah. Ezekiel 37:22-24

In Ezekiel, chapter 46, we read how David, the prince, will conduct the services at the temple when they come to worship the Lord, and Jeremiah said:

“For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his (Israel’s] yoke from off thy neck and.. .they shall serve the Lord their God MID DAVID THEIR KING, WHOM I SHALL RAISE UP TO THEM.” Jeremiah 80:8-9

Notice that in all of these passages “David” is identified as a servant of the Lord and not the Lord himself.

Isaiah speaks of this great leader of Israel in the latter days as a “rod” that would come from “the stem of Jesse,” which is Christ. D&C 113:2.

In a modern revelation the Lord said:

“Behold, thus saith the Lord, It (the rod) is a servant in the hands of Christ, which is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom is laid much power.” D&C 113:4

There has been some question as to whether this refers to Prince David or Joseph Smith. In either case we have an interesting disclosure by the Lord that this distinguished leader is a mixture of both Judah and Ephraim. It would be amazing to the Jews if David turned out to be partly Ephraim and it certainly would be somewhat surprising to the members of the restored kingdom if Joseph Smith turned out to be part Jewish. The Cleansing of America, Cleon Skousen

As David the prince gathers the Jews from all over the world to the land of Israel, there will be both wealth and manpower to beautify the city of Jerusalem. We learn later that he will raise up its mighty walls as a defense and then rebuild the temple. Zechariah 6:12-13

For the Jews, this will be their 4th temple. This is the temple seen by Ezekiel in vision and the one to which the Savior will come. The three previous temples – One built by Solomon around 950 B.C., the one built by Zerubbabel around 516 B.C., and the one built by Herod at the time of Christ were all destroyed, and while this fourth temple will be attack fl, it will continue to survive right into the Millennium.

WHO WILL BUILD THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM?

Orson Pratt: The Temple at Jerusalem will undoubtedly be built, by those who believe in the true Messiah. The construction will be, in some respects different from the Temples now being built. It will contain the throne of the Lord, upon which he will, at times, personally sit, and will reign over the house of Israel for ever. It may also contain twelve other thrones, on which the twelve ancient Apostles will sit, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel It will, very likely, have an apartment, with a table on which food and drink will be prepared, such as are suitable to the taste and happiness of immortal resurrected beings, thus fulfilling the words of Jesus--"Ye that have followed me in the regeneration shall eat and drink at my table and sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel Matt 19:28, Journal of Discourses 19:20.

Elder McConkie: There is only one people who know how to build temples and what to do in them when they are completed. That people is the Latter-day Saints. The temple in Jerusalem will not b e built by Jews who have assembled there for political purposes as at present. It will not be built by a people who know nothing whatsoever about the sealing ordinances and their application to the living and the dead. It will not be built by those who know nothing about Christ and his laws and the mysteries reserved for the saints. But it will be built by Jews who have come unto Christ, who once again are in the true fold of their ancient Shepherd, and who have learned anew about temples because they know that Elijah did come not to sit in the vacant chair at some Jewish feast of the Passover, but to the Kirkland Temple on April 3, 1836, to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. The temple in Jerusalem will be built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millennial Messiah pp 179-80

GOG, THE MIGHTY EMPEROR OF THE SECOND WORLD DICTATORSHIP

Ezekiel says the second dictatorship which will arise at this time is headed up by a fierce and ambitious tyrant named Gog the height of his power he will be like the leader of the first dictatorship and consider himself totally invincible, but the Lord said to his prophet:

“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him.” Ezekiel 38:2

This happens right at the time the beautiful edifice of the temple is being raised up to crown the heights of Mount Moriah. 75 This will be the most elaborate “house of the Lord” ever constructed, and no doubt Prince Gog will have his spies carefully reporting every phase of its construction. Of course, he will be contemptuous of the Jewish belief that this is a holy place – a center of sacred worship. On the contrary, Prince Gog will look upon this temple as a mighty treasure house in which the Jews have stored away their wealth from all over the world.

As the greedy eyes of Gog are focused on the loot he will derive from a raid on Jerusalem, the Lord is saying:

“Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief of princes of Mesheck and Tubal; and I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them, clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.” Ezekiel 38:3-4

The Lord had Ezekiel describe precisely what this bloodthirsty tyrant would do:

“Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.” Ezekiel 38:9

Because the Lord could read Gog’s mind, he said:

“Thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates, to take spoil, and to take a prey, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land..” Ezekiel 38:10-12

GOG LOOKS TOWARD JERUSALEM

It appears that Gog will have conquered all of Europe and Asia before he turns his greedy war machine on the land of Palestine. This man will have established terroristic Gadiantonism and a murder-cult criminal spoils system everywhere but in America. John says:

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16-17

It is interesting that the whole earth will be under his domination exept North and South America. As we have mentioned earlier a modern revelation says he would have invaded America except for his fear of the consequences. Gog and his cohorts are quoted in this scripture as saying:

“Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible, wherefore we cannot stand.” D&C 22: 16-17

Some of this may have been due to heavenly powers possessed by God’s servants in Zion similar to that which Enoch exhibited during the first thousand years of human history. It says:

“…their enemies came to battle against them; and he (Enoch] spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions were heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.” Moses 7:18-14

But in the beginning of the second dictatorship seen by John, the violent Gog and his hordes of ferocious military forces will be spreading their “abomination of desolation” in every direction. Daniel 11:31

JOEL WITNESSES A VISION OF HORROR – THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

A prophet named Joel – living several centuries before Ezekiel – used two whole chapters to describe the terrifying weapons of modern warfare which Gog would employ to set up his second dictatorship. Joel could scarcely find words to describe what he saw. In fact, until the nuclear age, no generation could have completely comprehended what Joel was trying to describe:

“A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” Daniel 2:2-3

Joel felt he was seeing the very ultimate in destructive warfare. He said:

“There hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.” Joel 2:2

Joel did his best to describe what he saw:

“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.” Joel 2:4

But these were not like any horses he had ever seen. Notice his bold attempt to describe the strange mobile units which he saw:

“Like the noise of chariots [not of horses] on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble;…they shall run like mighty men [once more the simile changes] they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break ranks: neither shall one thrust another, they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses: and they shall enter in at the window like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble.” Joel 2:5-10

It sounds very much as though the prophet is attempting to describe helicopter gun ships and a modern armored division rumbling across a city with cannon and flame-throwers spreading destruction all around.

THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

But at Jerusalem Gog and his mighty host will come to a sudden halt. It turns out that Prince David has two powerful allies that Gog would have never suspected. He has 2 prophets whom God will raise up among the Jews with powers unlike anything Gog has seen. An angel describes what he sees the two prophets will be able to do:

“If any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” Rev 11:5-6

For three-and-a-half years these prophets will hold Gog and these great gentile armies at bay. Rev 11:2-3

When the prophet Joel saw the predicament in which the Jews would find themselves, he knew there was no human power that could save them. Apparently, even before Joel saw the two prophets demonstrating their powers, Joel pleads with the Jews to begin their fasting and prayer with fervent pleadings that God will intervene and save them. He cried:

“Rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God…. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation … let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach.” Joel 2:13-16

WHAT DOES THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION LOOK LIKE?

Isaiah's great prophecy relative to the fire and desolation that will attend the Second Coming is preserved for us in these words: "For behold the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many...And they (those who are left) shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me." saith the Lord, "for their worm shall not die, neithter shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." Isaiah:66:16, 24

Truly, in the last days men "shall be drunken with theire own blood, as with sweet wine." Isaiah 49:26

TRAGEDY AMONG THE JEWS

In spite of all the prayers and petitions of the Jews, Gog will launch a do-or-die assault on the walls of Jerusalem,- at the height of his stubborn fury his army does succeed in penetrating the strong walls and kill the two prophets. Then they will slaughter the Jews by the thousands as they make their way toward the temple.

The Lord told the prophet Zechariah – who lived a generation after Ezekiel (520 B.C.) – that the invasion of Jerusalem will be terrible indeed. He says:

“And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity.” Zerachiah 14:2

GOG AND HIS HOSTS CELEBRATE FOR THREE-AND-A-HALF DAYS

At this juncture, Prince Gog will be supremely jubilant. In triumphant glee the dictator will order a brief cease-fire. He wants to hold a victory banquet and spread the news that the prophets who “tormented” them have been overcome and killed. Gog will not permit the bodies of the two prophets to be buried, but orders them left lying in the street while he and his generals celebrate in a drunken orgy for three-and-a-half days. Rev 1:10-11

But at the end of this period, Gog and his army will have the most shocking surprise of their lives.

The mutilated bodies of the two prophets will suddenly arise up from the ground, fully restored. Then a great voice will be heard from heaven saying, “Come up hither,” and the two prophets will ascend in a cloud as Gog and his hosts watch in amazement. Rev 11: 111-12

THE APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE JEWS

Jesus will suddenly appear on the Mount of Olives with a great host, and the scripture says he shall “utter his voice an all the ends of the earth shall hear it.” At this point the prophet Zechariah says:

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great earth quake; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains….” Zachariah 14:4

It is interesting that when Jesus makes himself visible to the Jews in the great valley between the separated halves of the Mount of Olives, he withholds his glory . Just as when he appeared after his resurrection to his apostles and others, he came as an ordinary man and had to show them the wounds in his hands and his feet and his side to prove his identity. Luke 24:13-16

So it will be when he appears to the Jews. Apparently neither he nor the Saints will appear in glory. The Jews will therefore be unafraid and gather round him in jubilant adoration. But they will still not know him. Finally, someone standing nearby will ask in curious wonderment:

“What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?” Zachariah 14:10

At this point Jesus decides to tell them the rest of the story. Here are his own words:

“Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am he that was crucified. I am the Son of God.

“And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.” D&C 45:52-53

At last the Jews will know the true identity of their great Messiah. It is none other than Jesus Christ who was slain when he came the first time because they thought he was an impostor.  Skousen, Days of the Living Christ, op. cit. pp. 828-829

Even while the Jews are in mourning because their ancestors failed to recognize the Savior, they will now try to make it up to him. In a spirit of humble adoration they will lead him to their beautiful temple and enter the holy sanctuary by the eastern gate. The gate will then be closed and never opened again. Ezekiel 44:2

This is purely symbolic, of course, since the apostles learned in their day, that the resurrected Jesus could appear and depart when the gates were closed and the doors were locked. John 20:19, 26

Latter-day revelation informs us that the Savior's voice "shall be heard among all peoples," and it shall "break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found' D&C 133:21-22

Indeed, his very presence, "shall b e as the melting fire and burneth, as the fire which causeth the waters to boil' when he comes "the mountains shall flow down." D&C 133:341

For the Jews , this is a supremely joyous time.

THE FATE OF GOG AND HIS HOSTS

Of course, Gog and his hosts will be completely oblivious to the sensational events which are taking place among the Jews who have survived their great crisis. But they will be terribly aware of something else – their own destruction. A tidal wave of devastation will be sweeping down upon them. The Lord had described to Ezekiel what would happen:

“I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.” Ezekiel 28:22

“And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee.” Ezekiel 39:2

As with the wicked Gentiles in America, the hosts of Gog are devastated by the power of God. Here is the way Zechariah describes it:

“And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in the holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” D&C 29:18, Zachariah 14:12

MOSLEMS OF OUR OWN DAY WON'T BELIEVE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT

The prophets were shown that the great events at Jerusalem would be world-wide. The city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt and millions of people in the surrounding nations will eagerly seek to visit there. The Jewish prophet Zechariah describes it:

“Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord…. In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that GOD IS WITH YOU.” Zachariah 8:22:23

The converted Christian Jews in Israel will not only make their covenants with their great Messiah through baptism, but they will have radiant testimonies to proclaim to all who come to Jerusalem their witness concerning their newly discovered gospel of salvation. The results of all this will generate a wonderful bonding among the descendants of Abraham. The Arabic nations that surround the Mediterranean and the Moslems of India, China, Russia and elsewhere will thirst for the message of the Jewish Messiah. Isaiah says this great new wave of Christian conversion will bind the Jews to their Moslem cousins:

“The Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt MY PEOPLE, and Assyria THE WORK OF MY BANDS, and Israel MINE INHERITANCE.” Isaiah 19:25

Not only will the Jews and Arabs become united but so will many of the Gentile nations. After Armageddon Zechariah says:

“And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

“And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.” Zachariah 14:16-17

CLEANSING THE LAND

The tens of thousands of the hosts of Gog who will be slain will be a plague on the land of Israel. For months the people will be laboring by day and by night to bury the dead. Ezekiel writes:

“And it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog.

“And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them….And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the to 
cleanse it: after the end of 7 months shall they search.” Ezekiel 39:11-14

WHAT IS THE SUPPER OF THE GREAT GOD?

"After the defeat by the sword of the armies of God and Magog, and in the day when the slain of the Lord cover the earth and are as dung upon its face, then the flowls and the beasts shall gorge themselves upon the flesh and blood of the dead. This awful happening, attended by all the stench and stink of the rotting corpses, is set forth in both the Old Testament and the New and in latter-day revelation. It will indeed be something to behold." Bruce R McConkie, The Millennial Mesiah, p 488-489

From the Book of Revelation:

And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:17-21

WILL THE GATHERING CONTINUE AFTER CHRIST RETURNS?

"It is in this setting, a setting that has ushered in the Millennium, that the promise is made." And I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. This is the great gathering destined to occur after our Lord's return. By way of further explanation of the triumphant events involved, Jesus now says: "For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make they horn iron and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth." Micah 4:13, Bruce R 
McConkie, The Millennial Messiah p 248

"And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel.

"And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you." 3 NEPHI 20:21-22

THE END OF BLOOD SACRIFICES AT THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM

The fourth temple in Jerusalem will be copied after the earlier temples of the Jews and will therefore be designed for blood sacrifices. However, once the Jews have learned that their Messiah has come, the purpose of these blood sacrifices – in anticipation of Christ’s sacrifice – will give them a new perspective. Nevertheless, Joseph Smith indicated that the law of sacrifice will be continued as part of the “restitution of all things” until the sons of Levi have learned how to offer these sacrifices “in righteousness.” Teachings of Joseph Smith, pp. 172-173

Such a time was anticipated by John the Baptist when he restored the Aaronic Priesthood and said:

“This (Priesthood of Aaron) shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.” D&C 13:1

Malachi indicates that the problem for the Levites is not merely learning the ritual in righteousness but having a corps of humble and righteous Levites who are worthy to perform the ordinances. He says:

“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” Malachi 3:3-4

When the Lord is fully satisfied that the “offering of Judah and Jerusalem is pleasant unto the Lord,” he will no doubt say to the Priesthood in Jerusalem as he did to the Priesthood among the Nephites:

And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” 3 Nephi 9: 19-20

It will probably be about this time that all of the higher ordinances can be introduced into the holy precincts of the temple in Jerusalem just as they will, be practiced in the beautiful temple in New Jerusalem.

THE UNITING OF EPHRAM AND JUDAH

"In fact, by this time a warm relationship will have developed between the leadership of God’s two great capitals. Both people will be worshipping the same Messiah, both people will have the same ordinances in their temples, both people will now be prepared to finish the final preparation for the Second Coming of the Messiah. As Isaiah predicted:

“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.”

"When man fell, the earth fell into space, and took up its abode in this planetary system, and the sun became our light."  Journal of Discourses 17:143

WHAT WILL THE MILLENNIUM LOOK LIKE?

"When the Millennium is ushered in, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. It will be renewed and will receive again its paradisiacal glory. The islands and continents will come together again, and there will be one land mass, as it was in the days before it was divided. It will become again a terrestrial sphere. As it was baptized in water in the days of Noah, so it shall be baptized by fire in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. The entire vineyard will be burned and the wicked will be as stubble. 

We are approaching the day of burning when the promised new heaven and new earth will be created." Bruce R McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p 365-366

WILL THERE BE SEASONS IN THE MILLENNIUM?

"Seed time and harvest, in the sense of one season following another, exist because the axis of the earth is tilted twenty-three and a half degrees from the upright. This is the reason we have summer and winter, spring and fall. The first reference in the scriptures to seasons as we know them is in connection with the flood of Noah. There is a presumption that prior to the flood there were no seasons because the axis of the earth was upright, and a similar presumption that when the Millennium comes and the earth returns to its original paradisiacal state, once again the seasons as we know them will cease and that seed time and harvest will go on concurrently at all times. The whole earth at all times will be a garden as it was in the days of Eden." Bruce R McConkie, Millennial Messiah p 413

THE SUN DARKENED

At some future point this earth will be rolled back into its former paradisiacal planetary orbit. At that time its source of light will be from God's presence rather than from the sun. In thiS sense, then the face of the sun will be hidden or darkened. D&C Encyclopedia pp 364, 435, 570

THE CITY OF ENOCH RETURNS TO EARTH?

Yet to come are two other holy cities that should not be confused with the millennial New Jerusalem; the city of Enoch and the celestial Jerusalem of the post millennial period. "John the Revelator saw in vision the holy city come down from God to heaven twice. First he saw the City of Enoch, a Holy City called the New Jerusalem, come down after the Second Coming to remain with men on earth a thousand years. ThEn with seeric eyes he beheld the celestial Jerusalem, the Holy City where God and angels dwell, come down from heaven to be with the men forever in that day when this earth becomes a celestial sphere. Revelation 21 and New Witness for the Articles of Faith p 588

The City of Enoch would again take its place in the identical spot from which it had been detached, now forming that chasm of the earth, filled with water, called the Gulf of Mexico. Joseph Young, History of the Organization of the Seventies, 1898 p 12

HOW DID JOHN VIEW THE CELESTIAL JERUSALEM?

And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

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 bZion 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. Revelation 15:66-71

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.

And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 21: 10-27

WHERE WILL RESURRECTED BEINGS DWELL AFTER THE SECOND COMING?

John Taylor: There will be a peculiar habitation for the resurrected bodies. This habitation may be compared to paradise whence man, in the beginning was driven. The Gospel Kingdom SLC 1964 p 218

Joseph Fielding Smith: During all these years men dwelling in mortality will have the privilege of associating with those who have received their resurrection. Our Lord and Savior will be a familiar figure among the righteous saints. Instruction will be given by resurrected prophets. How could wickedness remain under such conditions? those who have passed through resurrection will not, however, dwell with those in mortality. They will not stay in earthly or human homes nor sleep in the beds of mortals. Such a thing would be inconsistent. Way to Perfection p 321-13

WHAT SOURCES WERE USED FOR THIS RESEARCH?

1. What We Might Expect in The Next 25 Years by Cleon Skousen and 
2. Understand the Signs of the Times, by Perry&Perry and 
3. Behold I Come Quickly by Hoyt W. Brewster Jr.
4. The Cleansing of America by Cleon Skousen
5. Understanding the Book of Revelation by Jay A. Parry and Donald W. Parry
6. "As a Thief ion the Night" by Roger K. Young.
7. The Millennial Messiah by Bruce R. McConkie
8. The Book of Mormon
9. The Bible
10. The Doctrine and Covenant
11. The Way to Perfection, Joseph Fielding Smith

WHAT DOES A TIMELINE OF CHRIST'S RETURN LOOK LIKE?

1. The great division - 3 Nephi 21:11, 
2. War against the saints - Rev 6:9-11, 
3. Saints armed with power - 3 Nephi 3:16-20, 
4. Wrath of God begins - 3 Nephi 16:10
5. America is cleansed - 3 Nephi 16:10
6. Zion - New Jerusalem built - 3 Nephi 21:23
7. People gather to Zion - 3 Nephi 21:24
8. Christ comes to Zion - 3 Nephi 20-22
9. Pilgrimage to Zion - 3 Nephi 21:26-27
10. Sealing of 144,000 - D&C 77:11
11. Christ comes to Jerusalem - 3 Nephi 20:34
12. Israel returns to their homelands - 3 Nephi 21:28-29
13. Christ comes to the world - Rev 19:11- 20:4



notes;
The people will be organized by families into tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands. The unit of around one hundred families will be called a secular, non-denominational “ward” similar to the Anglo Saxons and ancient Israel.
The judges or captains over each unit of ten, fifty, hundred and thousand families, etc. shall be elected each year and will be selectively nominated by the supreme councils and their officers as described in Exodus, chapter 1. This procedure eliminates the need for political parties.
The people will be governed by the original inspired Constitution as revealed to the Founding Fathers and endorsed by the Lord in 1834. D&C 101:77:80 and 98:6-10
Civil and criminal law are to be administered according to the law revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai as set forth principle by principle in chapters three to nine inclusive in the author’s text, The Majesty of God’s Law, Ensign Publishing Company,1996, pp.3
The economy will be practiced in harmony with the principles laid down byAdam Smith in 1776, but in the spirit of the Golden Ru1e.
The money system will be based on gold and silver with silver as the basic medium of exchange and gold circulating at free market value. Paper money issued by the government will be redeemable in precious metal and have reserves in the vaults for any currency issued. Borrowed money will be based on guaranteed collateral at market value.
God’s “law of consecration” will be allowed to operate under the control of God’s kingdom for those who have qualified in the temple and prefer its practice to the system of competitive free enterprise.