What is in Our Future?

The Second Coming, Great or Dreadful?  by Curtis Jacobs (Taken from part of a 2010 audio presentation produced by Covenant Recordings.  Bro. Jacobs is a Bishop, Institute Teacher & Lecturer. Some comments have been paraphrased).

(First the great things)…”On an average day, 840 people join the Church, throughout the world.  That does not include all the babies born to the Latter-day Saints in that same time frame.  About every 3 and one half days enough people join the Church to create a new stake.  We are adding about a million members every three years…

Some stories illustrate the miracles behind our growth. One is from West Africa told by Elder Alexander B. Morrison, of the 70.  One day a tall black man knocks on the door of the mission president and asks, “Where is the book?”  President Palmer opens the door and says, “I don’t even know who you are.  What are you talking about?” 

The young man says, “I don’t know you either, but I want the book!”  President Palmer says, “Can you give me an idea of what you’re talking about?”  “Sure, the young man answers, “I had a dream last night & I was shown this road and this house and I was told to ask for a book.  I was told that I was to read that book and that book would change my life.” Of course the book was the Book of Mormon and President Palmer gave him one.

On another occasion, two missionaries were walking down the street and a stranger approached them and said, “Give me the book.”  “What? The missionaries exclaimed.  “My grandma that’s been dead for awhile told me in a dream to get a book from those missionaries that have white shirts and name tags.”  The missionaries gave him the Book of Mormon.  That happened repeatedly to the missionaries by the request of other strangers.

Still another example, the missionaries were knocking on the doors of those living in an apartment complex in Russia.  No one answered in a particular door but some people in an apartment nearby heard the knocking and said, “Are you Mormon Missionaries?”  “Yes,” the missionaries answered, “Why do you ask?”

They replied, “We just got back from Poland an hour ago and some friends of ours told us about your Church and that you would contact us shortly after we returned.”

The point is that missionary work goes forward and miracles abound.  There are many more miracles we could share that would fill volumes, however, Satan also must have his day and there are dreadful things as well. 

 I’m sure you’ve heard that Salt Lake City will one day be one of the most wicked cities in the world.  This was spoken by Heber C. Kimball of the first presidency years ago, during the time of Brigham Young.

Today, less than 50% of the population of Salt Lake City is LDS.  The FBI has a crime statistic index, wherein they record certain types of violent crimes to form the crime index of a city.  The higher the number the worse you are.  Salt Lake City now has a higher crime index than Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas or New York City.

Recent statistics show that in the United States, one third of every birth is to an unwed mother, certainly an indication of immorality.  90% of those in U.S. prisons come from a family of a teenage mother.  There are more abortions than there are live births in the U.S.  One third of the abortions are performed on teenage girls.

“Never before have the sources of good and the sources of evil been so well organized,” Pres. Benson said…The Lord will get the world’s attention by sending missionaries or disasters.  Hailstorms will destroy the crops of the earth, in the last days.  Revelation 16: 21 says that hailstones will weigh a talent. A talent weighs about 75 pounds.

 It is estimated that hail falls at about 100 to 200 mph according to our weather man & meteorologist Mark Eubank.  Some physics majors feel that to weigh that much, the hail stones would need to be about 18 inches in diameter.  Can you imagine that falling from the sky?  Bowling balls only weigh about 10 to 15 pounds.  What would 75 pounds do to your car, falling at 100 miles an hour?

That would not only go thru your car but thru your house!  If you’re looking to be wicked, that’s something that could happen to you. 

The story of the ten virgins that wait for the bridegroom is not about five faithful latter-day saints and five foolish non members.  Instead it’s about five faithful members of the Church and five foolish members of the Church.  The oil in their lamps is spiritual preparation.  Are we going to endure to the end in righteousness or get distracted by worldly ways and give in to the temptations of Satan?  It’s our choice.