For the Last Time

As the second coming of Jesus Christ draws near, the prophecies throughout the ages are being fulfilled right before our eyes. But often those prophecies do not take the literal form we might have once imagined. Let’s analyze three such prophecies of the last days and see how they fit together to form a rather clear picture of our day and our role in it.

D&C 29:15-16 And there shall be weeping and wailing among the hosts of men; And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth.

I once thought this was a literal hailstorm that would create a famine because of all the crops being destroyed at once. But the hailstorm is not one with chunks of ice that destroy physical crops, but a storm of wickedness and evil that are destroying the most important crops on earth. And what are the crops? The rising generation of course.

Here are just a few possible examples:

As we look around us and consider the effects of this hailstorm, we can see why many are being destroyed by the sins and wickedness of our day. And, like a mighty global hailstorm, much of this storm has hit over a very short period of time.

Isaiah 10:17-19 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day; And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standard bearer fainteth. And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

Once again, I first thought this was a literal event. But the light of Israel (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) is like a fire, a flame that will burn up the wicked who reject it (thorns and briers) in a very short time. This is not a literal burning but a figurative one.

What has happened to church activity in recent years? There has been a great reduction, like a burning fire, that has so reduced the numbers to one where a child could write them.

This is not an isolated instance. There are many outlying areas of the church who have experienced similar reductions in participation. It appears that the Refiner’s fire is too hot for many to endure it. A child may write the number.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few.

And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.

And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.

And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.

This is the last time that the Lord will labor in his vineyard. Many will be called to serve with him, to labor with our might to save as much of the fruit as we can. But those parts of the vineyard that will not bring forth good fruit will be pruned off and cast into the fire.