Ancient Prophecy Fullfilled in Our Time

In the last year I can't help but notice so much scripture prophecy coming to pass right before my eyes. Though many of these events may not be the actual events described in the scriptures they are enough to remind me to be prepared.To me this is a very exciting time to live because of all that is being done to prepare for the Savior's return. We know this will be a glorious event. To others, seeing possible signs come to pass may be frightening or uneasy because they are not ready. We have been told by the Savior himself if we are prepared we shall not fear.

Let me tell you, I have been preparing like crazy and my close friends and family can testify to this. Having a food storage and other survival supplies is important but we also need to be prepared spiritually. If we are going to live with Savior we need to be like him as much as we can. Now is the time to prepare.

Now, we don't have people standing on the sidelines validating signs as they each come to pass. It is up to us to be spiritually in tune so we can recognize them when they happen, so that we can do what's best for our families. We have been warned by prophets of past what is to come in our day and what we can do to be ready. We must be in tune to the spirit and pay attention to what is happening around us in the world and in our communities. I believe these sign aren't just meant to be wake up calls for some of us but another means to give us hope and build our faith that revelation is the scriptures is real and the Savior will return soon like he said.

Here are some examples of some of the possible "signs of the times" being fulfilled in our day in addition to earthquakes and rumors of war.

The Gulf Oil Spill

Revelation Chapter 8

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood. 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The oil rig that exploded very much had the appearance of a mountain on the sea burning. That's how John may have described it as he wouldn't have know what an oil rig was.

The media hasn't been able to verify an accurate estimation of sea life that has died due to BP and government "hush" on the issue. If this revelation is referring to the Gulf Oil Spill we can expect that it will effect 1/3 of the sea life along the gulf. The satellite pictures do reflect the appearance of a sea turned to blood.

Though the oil has been capped it is not the end of the catastrophe. Experts warn that a giant, 1,000 year old methane bubble could soon explode, taking out miles and miles of the ocean floor and causing a violent oil spill tsunami that would threaten the entire gulf coastline. This would cause the sinking of many ships.

The Mark of the Beast

Revelation Chapter 13

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

I had just read a news article this morning that really disturbed me. As I was reading in Revelation afterward I found this scripture about the mark of the beast. The correlation is astonishing.

The Joke's On Us: The $600 IRS Filing Provision in the Healthcare Bill Is the "Mark of the Beast"

The Joke's On Us: The $600 IRS Filing Provision in the Healthcare Bill Is the "Mark of the Beast"

by John Adams

This isn't a religious post by any means, but in order to buy or sell anything, as of 2012, everyone will have to have a number -- their SSN or other identifier in order to buy or sell anything.

Why? Well in order to track a cumulative purchase amount of $600 by an individual from any one vendor, whether it's a grocery store or the street vendor selling hotdogs outside of your office, you will have to provide a number in order for them to track and identify your purchases. Otherwise, there is no way to tell who or what is buying or selling under anything under $600 in cash.
It will literally be a situation where no one can buy or sell without his or her number, because if you do, you will be out of compliance with the IRS and they will kill or jail you. A little kid won't even be able to so much as run a lemonade stand without collecting this information. Every farmer's market and flea market will have to collect this info too, or be raided by the Feds for non-compliance.
The eeriness of this provision is obviously a cause for laughter in the eyes of the so-called "elite" as they will usher this nightmare in as of 2012.

This provision has to be spread far and wide and used as one of the prime examples for total repeal of the HealthCare bill.

Conclusion

Elder Dallin H Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has stated:

"While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us."

There are so many more signs that I have been aware of in the past year that it is startling. I have been sharing them with my family in effort to help us all be prepared for what lies ahead. My intention is not to frighten anyone, and yes, there is always the possibility that these events are not in correlation with what we read in Revelation. All I wish to say is that it never hurts to be prepared. The prophets have warned us and our modern day prophet has counseled us. If these signs are the real deal, we have nothing to fear if we are prepared.

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

How Strong is Your Faith?

My younger sister called me yesterday with some happy news. She works for Discover Card, on inbound phone calls. The last call she received of the day really surprised her and made her day. An older woman called in with some questions and explained to my sister that in her old age she had never had a credit card until now. She didn't know much about them or how they work. She then proceeded to share a very amazing experience.

She said that she had always been able to take care of herself just fine until recently. She no longer could pay her bills and had been struggling yet hanging on to hope in an answer to her prayers. One day in desperation she was on her knees about to say her last prayer in regards to the subject. She was ready to give up. She had exhausted all her resources and tried all she could think of. At the end of her prayer the phone rang. She answered it. It was Discover Card. She knew this was an answer to her prayers especially when she qualified for zero percent interest for an entire year. When my sister learned this she herself was amazed. During her entire career at Discover Card she has never seen anyone qualify for zero percent interest for an entire year. The woman told my sister that she was now able to pay her bills and pay the card off before the year was over. A miracle, some might say - but to God - well, he is just doing his job. "I, the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise. (D&C 82:10).

So what is faith - really? Faith is a "hope for things which are not seen, which are true" (Alma 32:21) We also know that "faith without works is dead". We have to act on what we hope for and what we believe to be true. We can't just think about it and hope for it. This is exactly where God tries our faith to see how strong it is. Are we praying for things such as, "Lord please help me receive a better job opportunity or some extra income" without actively searching the job adds and applying? That opportunity cannot fall into our laps unless we actively seek it. The Lord wants us to do all we can and then he will take lovingly it from there.

So why does the Lord require this of us? How much more grateful are we in appreciating and recognizing a miracle or answer to a prayer when it comes after we have exhausted all our resources and actions. I believe that humility is a God like attribute. When we are tired and worn thin and hanging on a thread of hope and the Lord picks us up and carries us the rest of the way, what do we learn? We learn that the Lord knows what we can and can't handle. We need these faith trying experiences so that we can become more like our Heavenly Father. They strengthen us, humble us and teach us who we really are. They show the Lord that we recognize his power in all things and he wants to bless us.

There are many people in the world who say or think in regards to faith in God, Jesus Christ or the gospel, " If I am shown a sign, then I will believe". Signs are not given to produce faith but to confirm faith and to bless the faithful. I think about the second coming and all the amazing signs we are seeing recently in the world. To those of us who have had faith that these signs will come - this is an exciting confirmation of our faith. To the rest of the world - well, sometimes seeing still isn't believing. I like to compare this to John chapter 20 when the Savior visits his disciples after he has risen. Thomas was not there to witness it. When he returned the disciples told him they had just seen the Lord, he was just there. Thomas responds, " Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe". Eight days later the Savior returned and beckons Thomas to feel his prints and side. Then Thomas announces he believes. The Savior responds, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed."

I don't know about you, but I don't ever want to be a Thomas. I think how amazing it is that so many of us have faith in Jesus Christ though we have never seen him. We pray to a God that we have also not seen with our human eyes. Why do we do this? Because we know and because we know and believe we are blessed. It is much more difficult to believe in something that you cannot see, so be proud of yourself for having a testimony of things you have not seen. You will be blessed far greater than those who did not believe until they saw.

Lastly, why should we strive to increase our faith? Just how exactly are we blessed? The answer lies in Moroni 7:25-26, 36-37 when we learn that through the gift of faith, miracles are wrought, angels appear, other gifts of the spirit are given, prayers are answered, and men become the sons of God. Never lose your faith, it's just not worth it. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Honoring the Constitution

Ever since I was a little girl in grade school I remember having such respect and admiration for the flag, the constitution and the freedoms we have in the United States of America. I would get goosebumps every time I recited the pledge of allegiance. The patriotic songs and programs we put on four our parents was such an honor to participate in and I loved the learning about the early founding fathers.

As a mom when I look at what is going on in the world and in our own country I am saddened. Seeing the constitution under attack and devalued worries me that my children will not experience the same "American Pride" I had always felt growing up. As parents, adults, leaders etc. it is our duty to teach our children about the foundations of this country and how it was established. It was established by the hand of God through valiant and wise men. As long as we reverence God in our country and look to him for guidance we will continue to be led by him and experience safety, peace and freedom. Let's never forget that.

In honor of this marvelous day I'd like to share the words of Ezra Taft Benson about the divine power in bringing fourth the constitution in his reverencing talk "The Miraculous Constitution" from the 1987 Friend.

"George Washington referred to the Constitution of the United States as a miracle. In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Savior declared, “I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose” (D&C 101:80) These were not ordinary men, but men chosen and held in reserve by the Lord for this very purpose. Shortly after President Spencer W. Kimball became President of the Church, we met together in one of our weekly meetings. We spoke of the sacred records that are in the vaults of the various temples in the Church. As I was to fill a conference assignment in St. George, Utah, President Kimball asked me to go into the vault and check the early records. As I did so, I realized the fulfillment of a dream that I had had ever since learning of the visit of the Founding Fathers to the St. George Temple. I saw with my own eyes the records of the work that was done for the Founding Fathers of this great nation, beginning with George Washington. Think of it—the Founding Fathers of this nation, those great men, appeared within those sacred walls and had their vicarious work done for them!

But we honor more than those who brought forth the Constitution. We honor the Lord who revealed it. God Himself has borne witness to the fact that He is pleased with the final product of the work of these great patriots.

In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith on August 6, 1833, the Savior admonished: “I, the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land” (D&C 96:8)

I reverence the Constitution of the United States as a sacred document. To me its words are akin to the revelations of God, for God has placed His stamp of approval on the Constitution of this land. I testify that the God of heaven sent some of His choicest spirits to lay the foundation of this government, and He has sent other choice spirits—even you who read my words—to preserve it."

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!