Building Zion

Jesus Himself prophesied that one of the signs of the second coming would be a time when there would be false Christs.

Matt. 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

I did not realize just how real this prophecy was until I first met the representatives of the Unification Church when I was serving a mission in Japan. They told me Jesus, when he declared on the cross, “My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me?” was really declaring that He had failed to save the world and that another Messiah was needed to fulfill that role. They then told me that Reverend Moon was that promised Messiah.

While this is the most overt example of false Christs in the latter-days, it is not exclusive. And, to the point, it is an example of this prophecy being fulfilled.

Many of the same scriptures that prophecy of earthquakes, also mention famines and pestilences. I am not sure whether famines are more common in the latter-days than they were in previous ages of the world, or whether we simply hear about them due to improved communications. But the frequency seems to be increasing due to ever bizarre weather patterns. Whether or not the frequency has increased is irrelevant because either way, the prophecy is that famines and pestilences will occur, and indeed they are.

In addition to the prophecies cited with the earthquakes, here is a more detailed prophecy of the famines and pestilences from the Doctrine and Covenants 29:16-19:

16 And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth.

17 And it shall come to pass, because of the wickedness of the world, that I will take vengeance upon the wicked, for they will not repent; for the cup of mine indignation is full; for behold, my blood shall not cleanse them if they hear me not.

18 Wherefore, I the Lord God will send forth flies upon the face of the earth, which shall take hold of the inhabitants thereof, and shall eat their flesh, and shall cause maggots to come in upon them;

19 And their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets…

Now that we have analyzed the signs of the times that have been fulfilled, let us analyze some additional signs that are currently being fulfilled. This means that a lot has happened to indicate that the sign has been fulfilled, but there may be more coming before the sign is fully fulfilled.

The first item in this category is Earthquakes. In proclaiming the signs of the latter-days, the Savior said in Matt 24:7:

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

This prophecy is repeated in several other places, such as the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants:

Mormon 8:30:
“And there shall also be heard of awars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places.”

D&C 45:33:
“And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations…”

One final prophecy of the last days which has already been fulfilled is the prophecy given by the Savior — and repeated elsewhere — that there will be many false churches and false church leaders.

From Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Joseph Smith recorded from his First Vision, “I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’”JS-H 1:19)

And while it is true that there are many false churches, I don’t think this prophecy is restricted to Christian churches. I also don’t think that just because something is wrong makes it bad. Much good is done by many churches, and the good people in those churches. The problem comes from not being to lead their adherents to salvation as promised.

In my last blog post I cited 2 Timothy 3:1-7 but quoted part one passage from that section. Let me quote another part of the passage here:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts

Paul clearly saw the evil of the latter days.

Many others have also prophesied of this evil. Some examples:

The Savior Himself:  … iniquity shall abound (Matt 24:12)

Moroni:  Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth; there shall be murders, and robbing, and lying, and deceivings, and whoredoms, and all manner of abominations; when there shall be many who will say, Do this, or do that, and it mattereth not, for the Lord will uphold such at the last day. But wo unto such, for they are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity. (Mormon 8:31)

As we look at the evil in the world today, who can doubt that this is fulfilled?

There are at least two prophecies of the increase of worldly knowledge in the latter days:

Daniel 12:4
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

And 2 Timothy 3:1-7:
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. …
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Advancements in science, engineering, computing, and so on, allow people in the latter days to be more knowledgeable than at any other time in the history of the world. But these prophecies show that knowledge does not equal wisdom.

Related to the wars of the latter-days is prophecy delivered by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the early days of the latter-day church that there would come a point when peace would be taken from the earth. When the prophecy was given in 1831, that time had not yet come. The prophecy states:

35 … I … will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth …

This prophecy is reminiscent of the prophecy in the Revelation of John in chapter 6, verse 4:

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

With better news organizations, it IS possible that peace was taken from the earth much earlier than can be proven, but according to known news accounts, there has been a war on the earth since the 1890s. This prophecy has been fulfilled.

The mention of wars in some of the previous “signs of the times” posts is a part of a larger prophecy that the latter-days would have many “wars and rumors of wars.” Christ prophesied of this in Matthew 24:

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

This was reaffirmed by the Prophet Joseph Smith several different
times. An example is from D&C 45:26:

26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

As we watch the daily news, we see the fulfillment of this prophecy.

One of the most remarkable prophecies of Joseph Smith was the prophecy made on Christmas Day in 1832 of the Civil War between the northern and southern states in the United States. It is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants section 87:

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls;
2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place.
3 For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the Southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.
4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war.

Based on verse 2, this war was a major step toward the other wars, which would eventually engulf the world and signal that peace had been taken from the world.

This is another prophecy of the latter-days prophesied of in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. From Isaiah 62:6-12:
6 I have set awatchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,
7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
8 The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:
9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.
10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.
11 Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

Zechariah also makes a similar prophecy. In the Book of Mormon, Jesus himself prophecies of the same thing in 3 Nephi chapter 20:

29 And I will remember the covenant which I have made with my people; and I have covenanted with them that I would gather them together in mine own due time, that I would give unto them again the land of their fathers for their inheritance, which is the land of Jerusalem, which is the promised land unto them forever, saith the Father. …
33 Then will the Father gather them together again, and give unto them Jerusalem for the land of their inheritance.
34 Then shall they break forth into joy—Sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem; for the Father hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

This prophecy was fulfilled as a result of the Six Day War in June 1967 when the Jews captured the parts of Jerusalem that they did not already control.