The last post talked about things to come and hardship we will soon see the world go through. In the following I will outline what the scriptures have to say about how we can endure it.

“God is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth shall be removed, and though the mountains shall be carried into the midst of the sea, and the waters thereof roar, being troubled, and the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Yet there shall be a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy of the tabernacle of the Most High. For Zion shall come and God shall be in her midst; she shall not be moved. God shall help her right early. The heathen shall be enraged and their kingdoms shall be moved, and the Lord shall utter his voice, and the earth shall be melted. The Lord of Hosts, who shall be with us, the God of Jacob, our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he shall make in the earth in the latter days. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear asunder. He burns the chariot in the fire and says unto the nations, Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts shall be with us, the God of Jacob, our refuge.” Psalms 46:1-3 RE

The preceding scripture is taken out of context by most of Christendom. It is seen as a quick place of comfort without regard for the context of why it is said. Most of scripture either prophecies of Christ and his earthly missions or prophecies of his second coming. This is a prophecy of David of his second coming and his counsel to us in the latter days. Even in his fallen state he tells us to know and understand what is happening. Especially he asks us to come to know God and receive of salvation for it is one thing to believe and it is one thing to know.

Paul saw our day and said “This know also: that in the last days, perilous times shall come; for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof. From such turn away, for of this sort are they who creep into houses and lead captive silly women loaded with sins, led away with diverse lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. But you have fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra — what persecutions I endured. But out of them all, the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution; for evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them and that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. And all scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable — for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 2:8-9 RE

We must not be drawn in by the Babylonian creeds, the vain deceptions and the evil state of the world while living in it. We must not be of it. We have the words before us in Scripture. We have the examples of those who have gone before and seen our day.

In 1833 Joseph co-authored and approved the following letter to the saints with this prophecy. It again counsels for preparing for the day of the Lord by attaining unto their own salvation and enduring through sore trials the coming of the Lord.

“We have all been children and are too much so at the present time, but we hope in the Lord that we may grow in grace and be prepared for all things which the bosom of futurity may disclose unto us. Time is rapidly rolling on and the prophecies must be fulfilled. The days of tribulation are fast approaching, and the time to test the fidelity of the saints has come. Rumor with her ten thousand tongues is diffusing her uncertain sounds in almost every ear. But in these times of sore trial, let the saints be patient and see the salvation of God. Those who cannot endure persecution, and stand in the day of affliction, cannot stand in the day when the Son of God shall burst the veil, and appear in all the glory of his Father, with the holy angels.” T&C 102:3

We get to choose how we endure whether we suffer in misery or suffer with a glad heart and cheerful countenance. We get to decide how we feel and that comes from a knowledge of salvation and that which is to come.

I hear from my friends and close acquaintances that it is all coming to an end and that we ought to prepare to recluse from the world. I would say nay to that. We must be leaven and do our duty hearkening unto our commandments not a few so that the Lord can work with us. In a day that is gowning cold, callous and dark; a world that is ever learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth, we must grow closer to the Lord and commune with Him so that we may prepare for His coming. Both personally and cosmically.

I’d like to address the concern that its all falling apart. Yes it is, but we know from prophecy what that will look like.

“But as it was in the days of Noah, so it shall be also at the coming of the Son of Man, for it shall be with them as it was in the days which were before the flood. For until the day that Noah entered into the ark, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not until the flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 11:11 RE

This means that there will still be an economy. However horrible it may be the world will still go on doing its things despite its oblivious nature. There will still be work to be performed by the followers of Christ albeit it will be much harder.

Whenever the Lord has had a people on the earth; those with whom he has established a covenant, they have had to endure sore trials and many hard things. When the sons of Alma had returned with their brethren from among the Lamanites and had established a place for them in Jershon they finished the job by saying the following. “Now when our hearts were depressed and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us”, “bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success”, “we have been patient in our sufferings, and we have suffered every privation; yea, we have traveled from house to house, relying upon the mercies of the world — not upon the mercies of the world alone, but upon the mercies of God.” “we have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks, and we have been stoned, and taken, and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison; and through the power and wisdom of God, we have been delivered again. And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul, and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some.” (Alma 14:20 RE Paraphrased) Theirs was a missionary effort. Our commandments may be different but nonetheless, it has been written that we must put off the natural man and yield to the enticing’s of the spirit and become a saint through the atonement of Christ becoming meek, submissive, humble, patient, full of love and willing to submit to all things the Lord sees fit to inflict upon us. (Mosiah 1:16 RE) Doing so and losing our selves we will find our salvation. The Lord exalts those who would lower themselves and debases those who exalt themselves. Wehn, we do this the mercies of God are present, and we are sustained. We (the people reading this post this day) must pay attention and gird up our loins.

“Let your loins be girded about, and have your lights burning, that you yourselves may be like unto men who wait for their lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they may open unto him immediately. Truly I say unto you, blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he comes, shall find watching, for he shall gird himself, and make them sit down to a meal, and will come forth and serve them. For behold, he comes in the first watch of the night, and he shall also come in the second watch, and again he shall come in the third watch. And truly I say unto you, he has already come, as it is written of him. And again, when he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, blessed are those servants when he comes that he shall find so doing, for the Lord of those servants shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to a meal, and will come forth and serve them.” Luke 8:25 RE (BTW all of chapter 8 is worth a read in connection with this post)

We must repent, ponder, pray and do. Its a simple recipe and we must not put off the day of our salvation. We must work before the night comes and no more work can be done. Consider what Alma has taught in the following.

“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now? Have ye walked keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say — if ye were called to die at this time — within yourselves that ye have been sufficiently humble, that your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins? Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not, ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold, ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of Heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life. Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared. And I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand; and he knoweth not when the time shall come, for such an one is not found guiltless.” Alma 3:5 RE