We have faith in the future, and we are preparing for that future. 24:5–15; JS—M 1:22, 28–32; D&C 45:26–33.). “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” declared Jesus Christ in a revelation to Joseph Smith in 1831.1 The Prophet, in turn, called on the Saints to prepare themselves for the Lord’s Second Coming by letting “love to God and man predominate, and reign triumphant in every mind,” that “hearts may become like unto Enoch’s2 of old.”3, By revelation, the Lord admonished Joseph “from the heavens and declare[d] His will concerning the human family.” The Lord gave His children “just and holy laws, to regulate their conduct, and guide them in a direct way, that in due time He might take them to Himself.”4 Joseph clearly felt the urgency of preparation. We need to follow His example as we prepare for when He comes to live on the earth again. How will the things they learned help them be more prepared for the Second Coming? “But would have been ready” (JS—M 1:47). I wish to speak about the fourth of these great realities: the signs of the Second Coming and what we should do to prepare for it. Brothers and sisters, as the Book of Mormon teaches, “this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; … the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors” (Alma 34:32). The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. Part of our responsibility as Latter-day Saints is to prepare ourselves and help prepare the world for the Second Coming. . But with faith in God, we trust the blessings He has promised those who keep His commandments. Even among those who profess to believe in right and wrong, there are “them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isa. A few years before the Savior was born, the prophet Samuel stood on a wall to tell the Nephites about the signs that would appear. The scriptures contain prophets’ testimonies of Jesus Christ from many different times in history. In this way, the stakes of Zion are “for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (D&C 115:6). Zion was taken to heaven because of the righteousness of those who lived in it“ (Guide to the Scriptures, “Enoch,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). “And … the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. Assign each youth a passage about the Second Coming, such as those suggested in this outline or on pages 159–61 of True to the Faith. “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. Ask the youth what questions they have about the Second Coming. The Church is His symbolic bride” (Guide to the Scriptures, “Bridegroom,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Invite them to share what they find. In all His teaching, He focused on helping His followers live the gospel with all their hearts. If we would do those things then, why not now? I testify that He shall come, as He has promised. The movies and magazines and television that shape our attitudes are filled with stories or images that portray the children of God as predatory beasts or, at best, as trivial creations pursuing little more than personal pleasure. The Lord has declared, “He that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man,” signs that will be shown “in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath” (D&C 45:39–40). By: Alexis and Ainsley Scriptures Luke 21:34-36 2 Peter 3:10-13 D&C 45:26-44 1 Nephi 22:17 D&C 49:7 Matthew 1:40 True to the Faith Review Questions At this time please share We are witnesses of Christ. What accounts would we settle? The Savior invited those He taught to act in faith and live the truths He taught. We will continue to go forward “till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540). I. (See Matt. Following the guidance of the Spirit, select one or more that will work for your class: Some youth may be fearful about the events leading up to the Second Coming. The blessings of the Most High will rest upon our tabernacles, and our name will be handed down to future ages; our children will rise up and call us blessed; and generations yet unborn will dwell with peculiar delight upon the scenes that we have passed through, the privations that we have endured; the untiring zeal that we have manifested; the all but insurmountable difficulties that we have overcome in laying the foundation of a work that brought about the glory and blessing which they will realize; a work that God and angels have contemplated with delight for generations past; that fired the souls of the ancient patriarchs and prophets; a work that is destined to bring about the destruction of the powers of darkness, the renovation of the earth, the glory of God, and the salvation of the human family” (History of the Church, 4:610). What can I do to prepare? The five who had delayed their preparations came late. What can I learn from the scriptures to help me prepare for the Second Coming? To borrow a metaphor from the familiar world of athletic competitions, we do not know when this game will end, and we do not know the final score, but we do know that when the game finally ends, our team wins. What questions do they have about what they are learning? What are you doing to prepare for the Second Coming? 3 (1972), 306–11. “Prepare ye the way of the Lord,” declared Jesus Christ in a revelation to Joseph Smith in 1831. 12, no. These signs of the Second Coming are all around us and seem to be increasing in frequency and intensity. Jesus Christ has promised that He will return to the earth again in power and glory. This helps us understand why we should be watchful. 188–89). Invite the youth to sing, listen to, or read the hymn “Jesus, Once of Humble Birth” (Hymns, no. 196) and make a list under each picture of the words and phrases they find that describe how His earthly ministry differs from His Second Coming. All ten were invited to the wedding feast, but only half of them were prepared with oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came. In another revelation the Lord declares that some of these signs are His voice calling His people to repentance: “Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you. …. The revelation through Joseph Smith continued: “Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 65:5). But only half were ready when he came. Make Connections What are you going to do this week? Display pictures of the Savior’s birth and Second Coming (see Gospel Art Book, 30, 66). Write their questions on the board, and encourage them to look for answers as they study scriptures about the Second Coming in this lesson. If the world wants to know what is coming to pass, let them read the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants; let them read [the] revelations of St. John. Prayerfully study these scriptures and other resources. 5:20; 2 Ne. Always we are cautioned that we cannot know the day or the hour of His coming. Encourage the youth to find other scriptures about that topic to add to their chain. In the Book of Mormon, Moroni testifies of the Savior’s return. 2 Peter 3. What can I learn from the scriptures to help me prepare for the Second Coming? The good, the true, and the beautiful are being replaced by the no-good, the “whatever,” and the valueless fodder of personal whim. What are those “holy places”? . From his 1840 mission to England, Elder Young wrote to the Prophet Joseph: “The Gospel is spreading, the devils are roaring. This work still goes on under the direction of living prophets who have succeeded Joseph, and it will continue worldwide until the Lord says ‘enough.’ Then he will come” (Malachi and the Great and Dreadful Day [1883], 21; paragraph divisions altered). In the Old Testament, Isaiah said that Jesus would be the Prince of Peace and that He would be the head of the true Church. “How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, … and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!” (D&C 43:23, 25). 1 The Prophet, in turn, called on the Saints to prepare themselves for the Lord’s Second Coming by letting “love to God and man predominate, and reign triumphant in every mind,” that “hearts may become like unto Enoch’s 2 of old.” 3

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