"Our nation ... is rent, from center to circumference, with party strife, political intrigues, and sectional interest; ... our merchants are paralyzed, our tradesmen are disheartened, our ... credit ruined, and our states overwhelmed in debt," --Joseph Smith
This family group was one of the few groups of people that didn't give me a collective "glazed-over" look. They will probably make it through it all just fine so long as the basic telestial law and associated commandments are being kept to qualify them. There was a younger couple (with small kids and another on the way) at the gathering and I felt bad that this all might have scared them to some degree. Having lost a child in the night to SIDS - and coming away from that experience not embittered, but knowing with a solid certainty that God is completely in control - I do not feel concerned for the future if I have followed all the counsel of the Lord to the letter and that I am striving to my best possible to keep the commandments as I know them. It really is a lot like child birth that I watched my brave wife endure. There was trepidation knowing a somewhat physically and psychologically challenging event with a known outcome was coming. None of us would ever try and cut that experience short or somehow avoid it out of fear - but we charge on knowing it is how things are supposed to come out (good or bad), knowing the sweet, sweet joy that awaits on the other side of the event.
As in child birth, so is the coming of the Son of Man going to be. A "portent of stormy weather lies ahead" - but we charge on knowing we can raise our sweet innocent ones 'on the other side of the event', in an environment of peace, love and joy punctuated with personal visits by the Savior. I would gladly give myself to have that experience - not as one without hope due to despair and ungodly living, but because of the love of God that I know exists on the other side of sorrow and tragedy; the love I felt the night God saw fit to take our child home. It is exquisite and I would give (give up) anything to live in that environment in perpetuity.
Having said that, I repost this from an earlier thread. This might better be posted as a treatise on the coming (second) civil war in the U.S which will end in the "death and misery of many souls":
"The time will come when the banks of every nation will fall and only two places will be safe where people can deposit their gold and treasure. This place will be the White Horse and England's vaults. A terrible revolution will take place in the land of America, such as has never been seen before; for the land will be left without a Supreme Government, and every specie of wickedness will be practiced rampantly in the land. Father will be against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother. The most terrible scenes of bloodshed, murder and rape that have ever been imagined or looked upon will take place. People will be taken from the earth and there will be peace and love only in the Rocky Mountains. This will cause many hundreds of thousands of the honest in heart of the world to gather there, not because they would be Saints, but for safety and because they will be so numerous that you will be in danger of famine, but not for want of seed, time and harvest, but because of so many to be fed. Many will come with bundles under their arms to escape the calamities for there will be no escape except only by escaping and fleeing to Zion. Those that come to you will try to keep the laws and be one with you for they will see your unity and the greatness of your organization.
"The Turkish Empire of the Crescent will be the first power to be disputed, for freedom must be given for the Gospel to be preached in the Holy Land. The Lord took of the best blood of the nations and planted them on the small islands now called England and Great Britain and gave them power in the nations for a thousand years and their power will continue with them that they may keep the balance of power; and they will keep Russia from sweeping her power over the world. England and France are now bitter enemies but they will be allied together and be united to keep Russia from conquering the world. The two popes, Greek and Catholic, will eventually come together in their decline and be united. The Protestant Religions do not know how much they are indebted to Henry VIII for throwing off the Pope's bill and establishing the Protestant faith. He was the only monarch who could do so at that time and he did it because the nation was at his back to sustain him. One of the peculiar features in England is the established Red-coat; a uniform making so remarkable a target to shoot at, and yet they have conquered wherever they have gone. The reason for this will be known to them some day as red is seen in a different color threading through under all history. The lion and the unicorn of England comes from there being so much blood of Israel in the nation. While the terrible things of which I have mentioned are going on, England will be neutral until it becomes so inhuman that she will interfere to stop the shedding of blood and history will be more properly understood. England and France will unite together to make peace, not to subdue the nations. She will find this nation so broken up and so many claiming government, till there will be no reasonable government. Then it will appear to the other nations, or powers, as though England had taken possession of the country. The Black Horse will flee to the invaders and will join them for they have fear of becoming slaves again; knowing that England did not believe in slavery, they will flee to them that they believe will make them safe. Armed with British bayonets, the doings of the Black Horse will be terrible." Here the Prophet said that he could not bear to look longer upon the scenes as shown to him in vision and he asked the Lord to close the scenes.
"Our nation ... is rent, from center to circumference, with party strife, political intrigues, and sectional interest; ... our merchants are paralyzed, our tradesmen are disheartened, our ... credit ruined, and our states overwhelmed in debt," --Joseph Smith
And what about this letter written to someone regarding the topic they discussed with Joseph Smith
Second Great Rebellion (Chicago) Quote
A. Milton Musser papers, LDS Church Archives. It is a letter from
Nephi Packard to A. Milton Musser on July 24, 1896:
"... My brother, Noah Packard, says that he heard the Prophet Joseph
say that the next great (U.S. civil) war after the war of the
rebellion (the Civil War of the 1860's between the North and the
South) would commence in a little town now called Chicago but at that
time it would have grown to be a very large city. And another brother
told me that the Prophet said that the cause of the next great trouble
of the United States would be the depreciation of the currency of the
United States. I believe I have given you all the facts in as short
and concise manner as possible."
Another quote regarding the Civil War itself comes from an interview
by Dr. Poulson with David Whitmer, printed in the Deseret News on
Friday, August 16, 1878:
Question: When will the temple be built in Independence?
Answer: Right after the great tribulation is over
Question: What do you mean by that?
Answer: A civil war more bloody and cruel than the rebellion. It will
be the smashing up of this nation, about which time the second great
work has to be done, a work like Joseph did, and the translation of
the sealed plates and peace all over
WHAT!!! "the next great trouble
of the United States would be the depreciation of the currency of the
United States." How would somebody just think of something like that a put it in their journal? This is happening right now, or in the next couple yrs.
And yet another Prophecy:
The Hancock Prophecy
There will be two great political parties in this country. One will be
called the Republican, and the other the Democrat
party. These two parties will go to war and out of these two parties
will spring another party which will be the
Independent American [sic] Party. The United States will spend her
strength and means warring in foreign lands until other nations will
say, "Let's divide up the lands of the United States," then the people
of the U.S. will unite and swear by the blood of their fore-fathers
that the land shall not be divided. Then the country will go to war,
and they will fight until one half of the U.S. Army will give up, and
the rest will continue to struggle. They will keep on until they are
very ragged and discouraged, and almost ready to give up - when the
boys from the mountains will rush forth in time to save the American
Army from defeat and ruin. And they will say, "Brethren, we are glad
you have come; give us men, henceforth, who can talk with God." Then
you will have friends, but you will save the country when it's [sic]
liberty hangs by a hair, as it were.
- Prophet and presidential candidate Joseph Smith, 19 June 1844, as
recorded in the autobiography of Mosiah Lyman Hancock. See Duane S.
Crowther, Prophecy - Key to the Future, p. 10.
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