Temples, Raptures and Second Coming Preparations

If any of us doubted, after carefully studying President Nelson’s conference messages since 2018,[1] that the Lord still means what he said at the very beginning of this dispensation—“And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man (D&C 45:39)—those doubts were definitively dispelled with President Nelson’s October 2024 General Conference message, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again.” By my count, in this talk alone there were about 11 references (including visual images) to the Lord’s Second Coming. These do not include his scriptural descriptions of what the Lord’s Second Coming will look like, including that “all flesh shall see it together” (Isa. 40:5; D&C 88:93) and that Christ will “govern,” or “direct the affairs of His church,” from “two centers,” Old Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4-7; D&C 45:48–66; 133:19–21; Micah 4:2) and the New Jerusalem in Missouri (Ether 13:3–10; D&C 84:2–4), and that He will be universally acknowledged as “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” Further, he describes one “sign of the times” that is “happening right before our eyes”—the Lord “hastening His work [D&C 88:73],” which President Nelson mentions twice. What should we take away from this crescendo of Second Coming references during President Nelson’s prophetic tenure?

Before I get to my take-aways, a little context. One google search revealed that the second coming of Christ is mentioned over 1,500 times in the Old Testament and 300 times in the New Testament. A further quick google search revealed over 200 books in print about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and 160 books about the Rapture (the actuality of which the Lord reaffirmed in D&C 27:18; 76:102; 88:96-98; 109:75), not to mention uncountable YouTube and other social media offerings.[2] The Book of Mormon is filled with prophecies and parallels to the Second Coming,[3] including predictions of the time of the Lord’s first coming to the very year (1 Ne. 10:4; Hel. 14:2). Notably, even unbelievers could count, as they “coincidentally” decreed the death of believers on the very day the Lord came (3 Ne. 1:9-13). The LDS General Conference Corpus reports that the term “second coming” has been used repeatedly in general conference messages in recent decades: 1960s-76; 1970s-99; 1980s-51; 2000s-54; 2010s-59 and 49 so far in 2020s.

What should we be taking away from these prophetic messages? The answer is both simple and has been the same since the time Christ first counseled his disciples—“Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 24:44; see also D&C 51:20). As President Nelson emphatically declared: “Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.”

For me, the real take-away from the Lord’s and President Nelson’s message is not when He will come (which has so often led so many astray),[4] but how we can prepare for the Lord’s return? What is required to be among those “caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven” (D&C 88:97)? While the Brethren may not have given us specific answers to that last question (hint: see 3 Nephi 28:12-16, 37-40), President Nelson and many others have clearly addressed the former question. In his October 2024 message, he again urged us, as he has many times before,[5] “regular worship in the temple will help us” to be ready to meet the Lord "like nothing else can." Indeed, President Nelson goes on to list 22 blessings or ways in which the temple facilitates our spiritual growth or sanctification, increasing our ability to live the celestial laws we covenant to keep in the endowment (and thus be "translated" at His coming). As I list them, ask yourself: what evidence do I see in my own life of these outcomes, “fruits,” or “spiritual treasures” from my own study of and regular participation in the temple?

1.      The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil.

2.      These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!

3.      We come to know Him.

4.      As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power.

5.      In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world.

6.      We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance!

7.       We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.

8.      Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple.

9.      You will feel His mercy.

10.  You will find answers to your most vexing questions.

11.  You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.

12.  The Lord will comfort you!

13.  He will strengthen you.

14.  He will bless you with peace, even amidst chaos.

15.  Please listen to this promise of Jesus Christ to you: “I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” [D&C 84:88]

16.  He will bless you with what you need.

17.  He will heal your wounded soul.

18.  As you yoke yourself to Him, your burdens will feel lighter.

19.  If you will make and keep covenants to follow Jesus Christ, you will find that the painful moments of your life are temporary.

20.  Your afflictions will be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.”

21.  You will experience fully the blessings of His Atonement.

22.  You will also be more effective in helping to gather Israel.

I am grateful for the example of parents and grandparents who taught me to “follow the prophets.” Doing so has brought me great blessings. Of this thing I am sure—if you want to be prepared to meet the Lord, whether in this life or the next, receive the words of the Brethren, “as if [they were spoken] from [Christ’s] own mouth, in all patience and faith” (D&C 21:5), for they surely are.

[1] President Nelson has expressly referred to Christ “Second Coming” or to specific signs of the times in virtually every General Conference during the past seven years: (i) “While you sing, think of your duty as God’s mighty army to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (April 2018 Priesthood Session); (ii) “Together we can do all that our Heavenly Father needs us to do to prepare the world for the Second Coming of His Beloved Son.” (October 2018 General Women’s Session); (iii) “We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (October 2018 Sunday Morning Session); (iv) Satan “understands the work that must be done before the Savior returns.” (April 2019 Priesthood Session); (v) “We Latter-day Saints are not of the world; we are of covenant Israel. We are called to prepare a people for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (October 2019 General Women’s Session); (vi) “[The temple’s] sacred ordinances and covenants are pivotal to preparing a people who are ready to welcome the Savior at His Second Coming.” (October 2019 Closing Session); (vii) “This [is a] significant time in the history of the world” when the Lord has charged us “to gather scattered Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ . . .” (April 2020 Sunday Morning Session); (viii) the purpose of the Restoration is “to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (quoted from “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World.”)( April 2020 Sunday Morning Sessio); (ix) “As an essential prelude to the Second Coming of the Lord, [the gathering] is the most important work in the world!” (October 2020 Sunday Morning Session); (x) “May we go forward together to fulfill our divine mandate—that of preparing ourselves and the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (October 2020 Closing Remarks); (xi) “Part of the gathering of Israel, and a very important part, is the charge for us as a people to be worthy and willing to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” (April 2021 Welcome Message); (xii) “The Lord will increasingly call upon His servants who worthily hold the priesthood to . . . to help prepare the world and its people for His Second Coming.” (April 2021 General Priesthood Meeting); (xiii) “My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation . . . The Restoration is a process, not an event, and will continue until the Lord comes again.” (October 2021 Sunday Morning Session); (ix) “We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying.” (April 2022 Sunday Morning Session);(x) “In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory,”  He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.” (October 2022 Sunday Morning Session); (xi) “I know that His power is descending upon His covenant-keeping people, who are ‘armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.’” (April 2023 Closing Remarks); (xii) “The Apostle Paul prophesied that ‘in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’” (October 2023 Sunday Afternoon Session); Elijah appearance in the Kirtland Temple “fulfilled Malachi’s promise that before the Second Coming, the Lord would send Elijah” in Malachi 4:5-6 (April 2024 Sunday Afternoon Session). [2] Likely readers of this blog may find some books more helpful than others. Classics such as Bruce R. McConkie’s The Millennial Messiah (Deseret Book 1982) come to mind. Note Elder McConkie’s statement: “The time for the Second Coming of Christ is as fixed and certain as was the hour of his birth. It will not vary as much as a single second from the divine decree. . . . [As was Nephi’s prediction of the time of the Savior’s birth in 600 years and the Savior’s announcement to Nephi] ‘on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world,’ so shall it be with his return in glory. He knows the set time and so does His Father.” (pp. 26-27) Scriptural studies like Gerald Lund’s The Second Coming of the Lord (Deseret Book 2020) and Don and Jay Parry’s Understanding the Signs of the Times (Deseret Book 1999) may also be helpful. While, for me, every reference to the Second Coming in General Conference is thrilling, one in particular stands out—Elder Neil L. Anderson’s October 2020 message, “We Talk of Christ,” in which he shared: “Nothing lifts my desire to speak of Christ more than visualizing His return. While we do not know when He will come, the events of His return will be breathtaking! He will come in the clouds of heaven in majesty and glory with all His holy angels. Not just a few angels but all His holy angels. . . . Can you imagine being caught up to meet Him, whether on this side or the other side of the veil? That is His promise to the righteous. This amazing experience will mark our souls forever.” [3] See, e.g., W. Jeffrey Marsh, “The Second Coming of Jesus,” The Book of Mormon and the Message of the Four Gospels, ed. Terry B. Ball and Ray L. Huntington (2001), https://rsc.byu.edu/book-mormon-message-four-gospels/second-coming-jesus#:~:text=The%20Book%20of%20Mormon%20clarifies,%3B%20third%2C%20the%20prophet%2Dwriters. [4] See, for example, the 50 or so “false” predictions of the Second Coming summarized in “Predictions and claims for the Second Coming,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictions_and_claims_for_the_Second_Coming#:~:text=These%20three%20Christian%20theologians%20predicted,created%205500%20years%20before%20Christ (excluding, however, the reference to Joseph Smith’s “prediction,” which as the entry clearly states, was no prediction at all since the Prophet revealed that “the hour and the day no man knoweth”). For a glimpse of some of the effects overzealous reactions to prophetic counsel to “be prepared” can produce, see the reddit discussion at https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/j9cb3a/does_anyone_have_friendsfamily_obsessed_with_jodi/. [5] See Stephen L. Fluckiger, Drawing Upon the Spiritual Treasures of the Temple (Cedar Fort 2024), xxiv note 17 for a partial list of the times President Nelson has “urged us to ‘spend more time in’ and ‘regularly’ attend the temple in virtually every general conference since his ordination.”