It has been
over 2,000 years since the Lord’s first advent. Many of us are eager to see Him
return. I have heard a lot of anxious members of the Church speak of it as if
it could happen within months. I understand. We are all tired of the wickedness
of this world, however, He will not come until all the prophecies of His return
are fulfilled, “…nor until everything for the Bridegroom is ready (“History of
the Church” Volume V, p 291).
The readiness
of the Kingdom is very much dependent on the readiness of its members : “He
told his disciples that the day would come when men were unawares, as the thief
in the night. For this reason we should watch and pray, “For as a snare shall
it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35).
There is no excuse for any of us, then, not to be prepared, for we have been
fully and frequently warned.” (President Joseph Fielding Smith, “Church History
and Modern Revelation”, 1:157)
And here is
something very important: “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the
Lord so cometh as a thief in the night…..But ye, brethren, are NOT in darkness,
that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are children of light, and the
children of the day: we are NOT of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians
5:2-5).
This is our
advantage…. We as members of His Church, are not the ones that are unaware…..we
live in the light as opposed to many in the world who do not have that
advantage and live in darkness. Our advantage is the Holy Ghost, the scriptures,
continuous revelation and the living prophets.
I am always amazed when I hear a teacher at
Church ask this pointless question: “If you knew that the Saviour was coming
tomorrow, what would you do to prepare?” I am equally amazed by some answers
such as, missionary work. I ask, how much missionary work could you do in one
day to make up for years of not doing it? My answer is, you could do nothing in
one day to prepare for His coming. The time to start preparing is yesterday.
The signs
of His coming are too numerous to mention here. It is the responsibility of
each of us to search them in the prophecies that we might know them and recognize
them as they come. We are the chosen for this time and this place to usher in
the greatest event of the history of mankind. The winding up scenes will not be
easy, they will not be pleasant, but they will be worth the sacrifice, the
perseverance, the wait…..and when He comes, the tears of the faithful….
When
in clouds of glory I see you come,
I
will run….
I
will run to meet You with hope of
Everlasting
life.
I will
bend the knee and offer You my heart,
Lived
these many years in Your glorious light.
- CATHRYNE ALLEN
(Art: Behold He Comes by Danny Hahlbohm)
