BE PREPARED

 

Section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants was received by revelation on 3^rd November 1831 and called the Appendix (“History of the Church”, 1:229). Elder John A. Widtsoe explained that this section was named such because it supplements the introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants in Section 1 identifying the book as a voice of warning to the world.

This Section affirms the Second Coming of the Lord who “shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man” (D&C 1:10).

The Appendix reiterates the warning to ready ourselves in three parts: prepare, sanctify, and gather.

PREPARATION: President Harold B. Lee defined preparation as coming to know the Saviour Jesus Christ first and foremost: “…How can one meet a person whose identity is unknown? How can one be prepared to meet a person about whom he has no knowledge? How can one be prepared to meet a being whose personality he cannot comprehend?....to receive the Lord at the beginning of the Millenium reign demands that the people be taught to accept the divinity of the mission of Jesus as the Saviour of the world (see Alma 11:37,40).” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1956)

Recognising the Saviour as He appears in the clouds of heaven will, I believe, be an automatic thing for everyone when He comes. To me it seems that the whole world has heard of Him in some way but mostly I believe it will be a thing of intuition that will cause everyone to recognise Him as every ‘knee shall bend and every tongue confess’ that He is the Christ (D&C 88:104).

There is, however, for us, members of His Church, more to ‘knowing’ Him. Accepting the divinity of His mission as the Saviour of the world depends also on our testimony of its process:  

“We must accept the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith as the instrumentality through which the restoration of the gospel and the organisation of the Church of Jesus Christ was accomplished. Each member of the Church, to be prepared for the millennial reign, must receive a testimony, each for himself, of the divinity of the work established by Joseph Smith.”  (Harold B. Lee, in CR Oct 1956)

If we cannot accept Joseph as the Prophet of this Dispensation, we cannot accept the priesthood ordinances and the organisation of the Church which will be the administrative force of the theocratic government of the Millenium.

This made me reflect on those who have left the Church because they have been sidetracked by false accusations to consider Joseph a fallen prophet. I know a few members who do so. I agonise over them when I read the consequences of their rejection of someone the Saviour himself had chosen to bring the world His truth (see D&C 121-16-22).

I believe each one of us who belongs to the Church will meet Joseph one day and we will see for ourselves the goodness of his heart and we will be grateful.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: The Bridegroom by LDS Book Store)