IN BABYLON

 

“Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”  (D&C 133:7) This is the fourth step in our preparation for the Second Coming according to Section 133.  

The name “Babylon” is today synonymous with ‘the world’ but this is the history of the ancient city that earned such a reputation:

In 605 BC King Nebuchadnezzar of the Neo-Babylonian Empire (now Iraq) was the beginning of Babylon’s greatness and glory. Using slaves from various areas of the empire, he inaugurated a massive building program to make Babylon the greatest city in the world. Opulence, greatness and glory was the object.

The grandeur of Babylon was incredibly impressive but with such opulence and wealth also came moral decay, wickedness and iniquity. Will Durant, a secular historian wrote that “even Alexander [the Great], who was not above dying of drinking was shocked by the morals of Babylon (Our Oriental Heritage, p 244).

Babylon became the antithesis of godliness. The very name of this city stood as the symbol for worldliness, spiritual wickedness and Satan’s kingdom. Scripturally it is known as: “the great whore” and “the mother of harlots and abominations (Rev 17:1; 5; D& C 133:14; 1:16; 1 Nephi 13:5-9; Babylonia and the Conquest of Judah, Old Testament Student Manual p 244).

This is how powerful is the grip of worldliness: Seventy years after the Jews’ captivity in Babylon began, Cyrus, the Persian king who conquered Babylon, sent out the proclamation amongst the Jews in Babylon asking how many wanted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. He actually offered freedom to anyone who wanted it. It is estimated approximately only 50,000 people chose to return to Jerusalem while MOST chose not to return having been absorbed into the Babylonian way of life. I love this story that we will learn more about next year.

When I think of the power of Babylon, I wonder how many of us are willing to turn our backs on it. Most of us are not living in opulence and in riches but how many of us are hankering after such a life? Here is the warning: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children. And that is where we come in, for we are the generation that must come out of Babylon and be prepared to meet our God. No other dispensation has faced such a glorious and momentous event.

Thou art our everlasting God

Jehovah, our King,

Hide us under the shadow of Thy wings

That we might never stray

And cause Thee sorrow;

And help us wait for Thee

In the dawning of tomorrow.

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: In the Shadow of Your Wings by Daniel Gerhartz)