Preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Notes from August 8, 2023 Discussion on The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Create a place of security now
Scaffolding - Christ - familial order (better and more accurate language)
M. Russell Ballard - 2015 BYU Women’s Conference - http://davidson-law.net/CR/2015%20BYU%20BallardMR.pdf
"President Harold B. Lee once said the Church is the scaffold with which we build eternal
families. Elder L. Tom Perry observed, “There are two principal reasons why I appreciate
President Lee’s metaphor for the Church—as scaffolding for our eternal families. First, it helps
me understand what the Church is. Second, and equally important, I understand what the Church
is not.”
“That’s an interesting perspective, isn’t it? Although the Church plays a pivotal role in proclaiming, announcing, and administering the necessary ordinances of salvation and exaltation, all of that, as important as it is, is really just the scaffolding being used in an infinite and eternal construction project to build, support, and strengthen the family. And just as scaffolding is eventually taken down and put away to reveal the final completed building, so too will the mortal, administrative functions of the Church eventually fade as the eternal family comes fully into view. In that context, it’s important to remember that our Church assignments are only temporary, and that at some point we will all be released either by our leaders or by death. But we will never be released from our eternal callings within the family.”
President Ezra Taft Benson's quote:
“The order of priesthood spoken of in the scriptures is sometimes referred to as the patriarchal order because it came down from father to son.
But this order is otherwise described in modern revelation as an order of family government where a man and woman enter into a covenant with God—just as did Adam and Eve—to be sealed for eternity, to have posterity, and to do the will and work of God throughout their mortality.”
Personal transitions are hard, start now transitioning to be fully prepared for His return
The fig leaf can be symbolic of hiding, secrets, always uncomfortable just like a fig leaf
Second Coming - to prepare, focus on Him, recognize Him,
We will still struggle as we sometimes do, but we will know Him and have peace
Make the mundane holy - Kate Holbrook?
We can create our holy spaces
“Greatest manifestations of God’s power” - President Nelson - It can be a miracle itself to see the Lord’s miracles daily - pray to recognize the miracles
“In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen.” President Russell M. Nelson, October 2022 https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/10/47nelson?lang=eng#p3