More on the Calamities of the Last Days

Yesterday I wrote about the prophecies that the Doctrine and Covenants contain regarding the calamities that will come upon the earth in the last days.  Though perhaps less specific, the other three standard works also contain prophecies about the kinds of natural disasters and difficulties that we will face in the future.  Perhaps the most famous are those in the book of Revelation.  For example, we read that in the seventh seal, “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:5).  Similarly another passage speaks of how the seventh angel poured out a vial and “there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great” (Revelation 16:18).  In another chapter we read of how the sun was darkened because of smoke and “there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power” (Revelation 9:3).  While there will be many different interpretations of what exactly these verses refer to, clearly they stand as a warning of difficulties that will come before the Second Coming. 

               Another place where we see this kind of prophecy is in the Olivet discourse that the Savior gave shortly before His crucifixion.  The importance of His teaching is underscored by the fact that we have five versions of it.  The synoptic gospels all give their account, Joseph Smith Matthew is a translation of it, and D&C 45 refers to the same teachings and expands upon them.  Christ spoke of the coming trials of the time of the apostles and the last days, and Matthew’s account gives us this warning: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matt. 24:7).  Luke and Mark both repeated similar warnings; Luke’s account reads, “And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven” (Luke 21:11).  And Mark told us, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows” (Mark 13:8).  In the Joseph Smith Matthew account we have the same witness, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (JSM 1:29).  Putting these together then we can expect in the last days to see earthquakes, famines, troubles, pestilences, fearful sights, great signs in heaven, and wars among the nations.  Isaiah also wrote about these kinds of calamities that would come upon us in the last days, saying, “Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire” (Isaiah 29:6).  Nephi quoted this when he wrote about the “last days, or the days of the Gentiles,” warning the wicked who would be upon “all the lands of the earth.”  He said, “And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire” (2 Nephi 27:1-2).

               Surely our safety lies in rejecting the ways of the world and remaining clean from the sins of the world around us.  In Revelation a voice from heaven told the Saints, “Come out of [Babylon], my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).  This likely doesn’t mean that we won’t have to face any of these calamities in the last days, but if we “stand in holy places” and prepare for the coming of the Lord, we are promised that despite the tribulations we will “possess [our] souls, and [we] shall have eternal life” (D&C 101:22, 38).