WHEN HE COMES

 

I started to read Helaman 7 this morning and could not believe my eyes. It was like I was reading the latest news of 2024: secret works of darkness, corruption of the law, murder, deceit, pride, tolerance and promotion of evil, calling bad good and good bad, unrighteous laws and imprisonment of the innocent (v 4,5; 8:2-4,6,7). Never before in my study of the Book of Mormon had I seen our present day like I have done this year.

The year of this awful state of the Nephites was 21 B.C. How smug they were in their iniquities, not knowing they were ‘ripening for an everlasting destruction’ (Helaman 6:40) and that they were only 21 years away from the birth of Christ who would be born to judge the world, and only 54 years before they would receive Him on their continent.

I reflected on our world being the same as America 21 B.C. and wondered if we have to wait 54 years yet for the Saviour’s Second Coming. I know many of us believe it will be sooner. I tend to believe otherwise because there is yet so much more that needs to be put into place before He appears but I am  happy to be wrong. There is one thing, however, amongst all the others that need to yet happen, that will decide the right time of His coming. When Elder Christofferson was in Melbourne, Australia, last year, he conducted a leadership meeting in which he was asked by a sister during a question and answer segment how much more wicked the world has to get before the Saviour will come, to which he replied: “The world is already wicked enough for His coming, the Father is waiting for more covenant keeping saints to welcome Him.” In his talk, “Preparing for the Lord’s Return” given in April 2019, Elder Christofferson elaborated: “First, and crucial for the Lord’s return, is the presence on the earth of a people prepared to receive Him at His coming.” 

We read of Zion, we talk of Zion, we look towards Zion, but how often do we assess ourselves to see if we are ready to live a Zion life? How can the Saviour come to establish a Zion society amongst us if there are no Zion people to inhabit it??? So you see, it’s up to us.

Enoch’s city was called The City of Holiness, even Zion (Moses 7:19). And this is the reason: Enoch and all his people walked with God and He dwelt with them for 365 years before they were taken into heaven (v 68,69). We are promised the Saviour will be amongst us and our Zion for 1,000 years. Should we not start to walk with Him now, in our everyday lives, through our repentance, through our righteous endeavours, through our service, through our hearts….??? Should we not be ready when He comes to take our rightful place by His side??? His kingdom is here, ready to train us for such a day…..

 

I knelt before the throne of God

And asked of Him today:

Lord, when will I become like Thee?

To my feeble self He answered:

When you start to walk with me.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Second Coming by Jechoon Choi)