Lesson Recap

We enjoyed a wonderful lesson today on spiritual preparedness from Melanie Grachan. She based her lesson on two talks – “Preparation for the Second Coming” by Elder Dallin H. Oaks and “Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Here are a few quotes and thoughts from her lesson.

Elder Oaks said that there are four matters that are indisputable to Latter-day Saints:

1. The Savior will return to the earth in power and great glory to reign personally during a millennium of righteousness and peace.

2. At the time of His coming there will be a destruction of the wicked and a resurrection of the righteous.

3. No one know the time of His coming, but

4. The faithful are taught to study the signs of it and be prepared for it.

Elder Holland said, “Collectively speaking—whether it is in our lifetime or our children’s or our grandchildren’s or whenever—we nevertheless have the responsibility as a Church and as individual members of that Church to be worthy to have Christ come to us, to be worthy to have Him greet us, and to have Him accept and receive and embrace us. The lives we present to Him in that sacred hour must be worthy of Him… I do know this: When Christ comes, the members of His church must look and act like members of His Church are supposed to look and act if we are to be acceptable to Him. We must be doing His work and we must be living His teachings. He must recognize us quickly and easily as truly being His disciples. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. once advised, our faith must not be difficult to detect.”

Elder Oaks asks, “Are we following the Lord’s command, ‘Stand ye in holy places and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly? (D&C 87:8)’ What are those holy places? Surely they include the temple and its covenants faithfully kept. Surely they include a home where children are treasured and parents are respected. Surely the holy places include our posts of duty assigned by priesthood authority, including missions and callings faithfully fulfilled in branches, wards, and stakes.”

Doctrine & Covenants 38:30 – “…if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”

by Emily W.