Prepare the World for the Second Coming

In his welcome message to the most recent general conference President Nelson said this: “Part of the gathering of Israel, and a very important part, is the charge for us as a people to be worthy and willing to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” He also said to the priesthood holders in the same conference, “The Lord will increasingly call upon His servants who worthily hold the priesthood to bless, comfort, and strengthen mankind and to help prepare the world and its people for His Second Coming.” His invitation to us is to keep ourselves worthy of the presence of the Lord and to bless and strengthen others so that they can do the same. This is consistent with the Lord’s invitation to us in the Doctrine and Covenants. For example, in one section we read, “And more blessed are you because you are called of me to preach my gospel—To lift up your voice as with the sound of a trump, both long and loud, and cry repentance unto a crooked and perverse generation, preparing the way of the Lord for his second coming” (34:5-6). He similarly said to James Covel, “Go forth baptizing with water, preparing the way before my face for the time of my coming” (39:20). And to all the Saints He declared, “O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you—The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment…. For he shall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion” (133:4). He will come to the world such that all will see, and we as His people must prepare for that day.

The need for us to help prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord is a theme that President Nelson has addressed numerous times in conference as the prophet. In his first conference as the prophet in April 2018 he invited the brethren of the priesthood: “While you sing, think of your duty as God’s mighty army to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. This is our charge. This is our privilege.” In the next general conference he said this to the sisters: “Together we can do all that our Heavenly Father needs us to do to prepare the world for the Second Coming of His Beloved Son.” He also said this in the same conference: “We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” In October 2019 he said, “We Latter-day Saints are not of the world; we are of covenant Israel. We are called to prepare a people for the Second Coming of the Lord.” In the same conference he said this about the temple: “Of course, the crowning jewel of the Restoration is the holy temple. Its sacred ordinances and covenants are pivotal to preparing a people who are ready to welcome the Savior at His Second Coming.” In the April 2020 conference he introduced the new proclamation with these words: “Now as we contemplate this significant time in the history of the world and the Lord’s charge to gather scattered Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we, the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles, issue the following proclamation.” That proclamation finishes with this declaration: “We testify that those who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” In speaking of the gathering of Israel he said this in the October 2020 general conference: “For centuries, prophets have foretold this gathering, and it is happening right now! As an essential prelude to the Second Coming of the Lord, it is the most important work in the world!” He finished the same conference with these words: “May we go forward together to fulfill our divine mandate—that of preparing ourselves and the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.” So in at least ten conference talks since he has been prophet, President Nelson has referred to our preparation for the Second Coming of the Savior. Clearly with this repeated emphasis from the prophet, our preparation for the Lord’s return is of paramount importance.