15:3
During the calamities that will precede the second coming, there will be many who will lose their faith. They will witness destruction and the suffering will convince them that God doesn't exist. They won't understand the purpose of the pain.
There are many, however, who will wait patiently on the Lord. "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." We will all have a choice in that day. Our afflictions will prove us and make us stronger. OR, our afflictions will turn us against God.
If we are able to recognize that, in spite of our personal suffering, God's works are great and marvelous - we will draw closer to him. If we believe that his ways are just and true, we will move forward in faith. We won't question. We will simply trust and know that, if something doesn't make sense to us, we just don't have the perspective that God has. We don't see the big picture without small, finite minds. It is not up to us to figure out what God is doing. We just have to accept that he knows best.
I hear, all the time, the phrase "God wouldn't do that." This is a prideful, narcissistic thing to say. We should be humble and teachable and understand that our ways are not God's ways.
16:9, 11, 21
I just noticed that, when bad things happen, men "blaspheme."
"And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory."
"And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."
"And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail."
When we suffer, we can turn towards or away from God. We can feel him close or we can distance ourselves. We can accept or reject the strength, comfort and support that God offers all in their trials. When disasters happen, some say "what God would allow this to happen" OR "I need thee every hour, especially now."
What's the difference? The difference is always the spiritual strength of the person. It is the attitude and perspective of the sufferer.
16:15
"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." The Lord will come as a thief. When will he come? We don't know.
Who knows when the end of our mortality will end? Will it end in a twinkling of an eye when Jesus returns or will it end in a car crash today? For almost everyone reading this, it'll be the latter. Our mortal test may end in a bed or a basketball court. Most of us won't see it coming. Our demise will come like a thief in the night.
My point is: let's live every day as if the end is near. Our preparation has less to do being ready for when Christ comes again and more to do with being Christlike in mortality - making the most out of this opportunity to progress while we're here. Jesus went to great lengths to create this universe for us and we should use our time wisely.
So, let's watch and wait on the Lord every day. Let's "keep our garments." In other words, let's keep the covenants that our garments remind us of. If we abandon those covenants, we truly will be walking naked - exposed to whatever buffeting Satan and this fallen world has in store for us.
17:2; 18:3
"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." The great whore represents the pride and power that this world offers. Instead of keeping the covenants of God, the powerful people in this world have prostituted themselves in exchange for that power. Instead of being true to God, the mighty have "cheated on" the person they should have been true to.
The world, like a whore, has something to offer that will satisfy our natural desires. The world has what our fallen selves crave. Many, if not most, are willing to trade our fidelity for our lusts.
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
17:12-14
"These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." We will need to pick a side. Are we loyal to the beast or are we loyal to the Lord of lords? Do we follow the kings of the earth or the King of kings?
We must choose. It's one side or the other. We can't divide our loyalty.
18:7, 9
There's an interesting phrase in these verses. "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously..." In verse 9, we read, "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her..." What does it mean to live deliciously.
We all love food that is delicious. Often, what is delicious is actually not very good for us. If we continually eat what is delicious, we probably won't enjoy long term heath. If I only ate cake and cookies and bread and Marci's sauces, I would weight 300 pounds and needs a triple bypass.
However, delicious food delivers instant pleasure. It releases dopamine. We are fully enjoying the moment that food touches our lips. But, as they say, "a moment on the lips, forever on the hips." There are always consequences to our choices. If we only eat food that contain calories and don't include fiber and vitamins and minerals, our lives will be curtailed. We will not build healthy bodies and strengthen our muscles.
I have to believe that living deliciously is a similar principle. If we only do those things that are enjoyable to us, that give us pleasure, there will not be any real substance to our lives. If our days are filled with fast food, how will we strengthen ourselves? Medicine often isn't delicious but is exactly what we need.
Progressing in life is about doing the hard things. Growth is about stretching out of our comfort zone. If we are to become like our Heavenly Father, we can't simply fill our days with leisure. It will take work. Work isn't delicious and progression is work.
18:10-11
"Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more." It seems that many of us only empathize with others' suffering to the degree that it impacts us. We aren't truly sad for someone else's misfortune until their suffering impacts us. This isn't Christlike and we must be better than that.
18:14
"And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all." The things that this world has to offer will be no more. There won't be luxury and wealth and fame and power. We won't be able to visit a Gucci store and buy a new purse. All of those worldly offerings will disappear. Suddenly, within "one hour so great riches is come to naught." I think many priorities are going to shift during that time.
19:15-16
"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." There are many people who are speaking for Jesus when they say, "Jesus would never do anything unloving." I've heard plenty use "God is love" as a defense for unrighteous living. Their point is that Jesus would never say or do anything unkind.
Of course this is right - Jesus is not unkind. However, to suggest that Jesus never called our sinners or condemned unrighteousness is incorrect. Jesus had little patience for hypocrites or those who were twisting God's law. He was frustrated with those who "strained at a gnat but swallowed a camel." He suggested that the Pharisees were white sepulchers but filled with rotting bones.
20:12
"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." So, is there a big book with all of our actions that will be read aloud at the judgment? I personally don't think so.
Of course there are records kept of covenants made. But, I think we are the record of our life. We are the book. Every thought and act we've had will have an cumulative effect on our willingness to follow Jesus. Our acts are especially effective at shaping our character. This is why the "judgment" will be based on our works.
It'll come down to what we are willing to do. Are we willing to devote our future eternity to others - where we our work will be for others' immortality and eternal life? Or are we willing to simply enjoy eternity with loved ones? That judgment will be made by ourselves and it'll be based our character which will be shaped by all of the works we have done in the premortal world, in mortality and the spirit world.
21:4-5
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." What is important to us now will not be important to us then. What often gives us sorrow in this life?
Sickness, injury, disease.
Financial distress.
Addictions to drugs, alcohol.
Infidelity.
These things will not exist when Christ is reigning. Those are the former things that will pass away. Our lives, our priorities, our stressors, our trials will all be different. There will still be opposition, because there always is. But that opposition will be much different than it is now. It will all be new.
21:7-8
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." If we can overcome the many trials that exist because of our free agency, we will "inherit all things." The key there is agency. If we can overcome the natural man, we will inherit all things. If we can control our actions and be disciplined in our behavior, we will inherit all things. The primary thing that we are here to do is overcome our own wills. When we fully submit and God's will becomes our will, then we have overcome all things. Our individual struggles are as infinite as there are people. But this single mission, to overcome our own will, is the struggle that binds us all as disciples of Christ. As Paul said, if we can finally let ourselves die and be reborn in Christ, then we will have overcome all things.
Those who aren't able to let go of their own will are those who give in to the natural man and allow their urges to control them. Instead of overcoming all things, they have let the temptations of this world overcome them.
I should note that the list that Jesus gives begins with the "fearful and unbelieving." The long lists of sins begins with a lack of love and faith.
We have learned that "perfect love casteth out all fear." If we truly love God, then we aren't afraid of whatever consequence comes from following Him. If we understand and love God, we see the plan of salvation correctly and know that nothing in this world can affect us eternally. We can live our lives without fear. Without love of God, we are fearful of whatever problems this fallen world will hurl at us. In addition, we are fearful of God himself. We don't understand his infinite love for us because we don't have a relationship with him. For many who don't know and love God, fear of judgment strikes at their hearts.
Our eternal progression begins with faith and hope. This is what drives us to take steps forward. If we are unbelieving, what direction are we going? If we don't believe that there is something greater than what we see, what motivates us to take steps into the unknown? To be unbelieving is to be rudderless. It's not wonder that disbelief leads to the other long list of acts that lead to "fire and brimstone."
22:4
"And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." What does this mean? How can God's and Christ's name be in our foreheads? Obviously, this is symbolic. It's not that his name is ON our foreheads like a stamp. His name is in our minds.
We promise, each week during the sacrament, to "always remember Him." We promise to keep him in the forefront of our minds (our foreheads). Does this mean that we are constantly thinking about Jesus? Not necessarily. But, his memory affects how we treat others. He affects how we approach decisions and problems. We see the world with gratitude and thanksgiving for him and his creation. We let his teachings shape the person we are. Jesus can change us if we embrace his gospel. Those who have Jesus in the forefront of their minds will be his disciples and will be saved in this great and terrible day.
22:17
The key word that Jesus and angles often say is "come." "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." There is no price for the "water of life." There is no fee. There is no qualifying round of acceptability.
We simply have to choose. We just have to turn from the personally designed road that we have built our entire lives and come to him and walk along his path. Again, this is about turning from our own will.
I think it's interesting that there are three different groups involved in this verse:
"The Spirit and the bride say, Come."
"Let him that heareth say, Come."
"Let him that is athirst come."
The Spirit bids us to come. Those who hear the Spirit's bidding extend that same invitation to others. Those who recognize the need for Christ in their lives accept the invitation to come. It starts with the Spirit and, through disciples of Christ, that invitations extends to everyone who is willing to listen. This is the spirit of missionary work. As disciples of Jesus Christ, is it our responsibility to repeat his invitation to "Come, follow me."
I guess that's why they named the manual this way...
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