Now Let Us Rejoice

When last I blogged, the world was ablaze! Prophetic warnings of war, earthquakes, floods, famine, pestilence, disease, family breakups due to love waxing cold, had been given and were being fulfilled. What could possibly be the reason for all this devastation?

Orson F. Whitney
And what is the purpose—the ultimate purpose of it all? Destruction? No, a thousandtimes no, except in so far as destruction must at times precede reconstruction, and is necessary to preserve what is worth preserving. The world's welfare is the object in view. God's wrath, however fiercely it burns, is not comparable to petty human anger. His work and his glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man,” and if, in the process, He uses the powers of destruction, as well as the powers of construction—for “all power” is his, “in heaven and in earth”—it is because such a course has become necessary and is for the best. However severe his chastisements, we can rest assured of this: Hatred of humanity has no place in the heart of Him who “so loved the world” that he “gave his Only Begotten Son” to save it from eternal damnation. (Saturday Night Thoughts [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1921], 201.)

So after all these horrors, what's next? First, a period of silence, followed by angels flying, trumps sounding, and ... well, let's read it straight from scripture.

D&C 88:95-98
95 ... and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled;
96 And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened andbe caught up to meet him.
97 And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven --
98 They are Christ's, the first fruits, they who shall descend with him first, and they who are on the earth and in their graves, who are first caught up to meet him; and all this by the voice of the sounding of the trump of the angel of God.

Orson Pratt
After this great silence, the curtain of heaven shall be unfolded as a scroll is unfolded. School children, who are in the habit of seeing maps hung up on the wall, know that they have rollers upon which they are rolled up, and that to expose the face of the maps they are let down. So will the curtain of heaven be unrolled so that the people may gaze upon those celestial beings who will make their appearance in the clouds. The face of the Lord will be unveiled, and those who are alive will be quickened, and they will be caught up; and the Saints who are in their graves, will come forth and be caught up, together with those who are quickened, and they will be taken into the heavens into the midst of those celestial beings who will make their appearance at that time. These are the ones who are the first fruits, that is, the first fruits at the time of his coming. (Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. [London: Latter-day Saints' Book Depot, 1854-1886], 16: 328.)

Anthon H. Lund
So when the time comes the faithful of the Saints will be quickened and caught up to meet Him and the many thousands that are coming with Him… This, brethren and sisters, is something worth working for. We desire to live so that when this event shall come, whether we be on the earth or in the grave, that this sound may be heard by us —that we may come forth and join that happy throng. (Conference Report, April 1904, First Day —Morning Session 97.)

Joseph Fielding Smith
After the Lord and the righteous who are caught up to meet him have descended upon the earth, there will come to pass another resurrection. This may be considered as a part of the first, although it comes later. In this resurrection will come forth those of the terrestrial order, who were not worthy to be caught up to meet him, but who are worthy to come forth to enjoy the millennial reign. It is written that the second angel shall sound, which is the second trump, “and then cometh the redemption of those who are Christ's at his coming; who have received their part in the prison which is prepared for them, that they might receive the gospel, and be judged according to men in the flesh.
”This other class, which will also have right to the first resurrection, are those who are not members of the Church of the Firstborn, but who have led honorable lives, although they refused to accept the fulness of the gospel. Also in this class will be numbered those who died without law and hence are not under condemnation for a violation of the commandments of the Lord. The promise is made to them of redemption from death in the following words: “And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them.” (D&C 45:54) These, too, shall partake of the mercies of the Lord and shall receive the reuniting of spirit and body inseparably, thus becoming immortal, but not with the fulness of the glory of God. (Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 2: 297.)

How marvelous it will be to live in perfect peace with so many wonderful people! The next two quotes clue us in on what our main pursuits will be during this amazing time.

Joseph Fielding Smith
“Some members of the Church have an erroneous idea that when the millennium comes all of the people are going to be swept off the earth except righteous members of the Church. That is not so. There will be millions of people, Catholics, Protestants, agnostics, Mohammedans, people of all classes, and of all beliefs, still permitted to remain upon the face of the earth, but they will be those who have lived clean lives, those who have been free from wickedness and corruption. All who belong, by virtue of their good lives, to the terrestrial order, as well as those who have keptthe celestial law, will remain upon the face of the earth during the millennium.
“Eventually, however, the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters do the sea. But there will be need for the preaching of the gospel, after the millennium is brought in, until all men are either converted or pass away” (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:86–87).

Joseph F. Smith
“That this work may be hastened so that all who believe, in the spirit world, may receive the benefit of deliverance, it is revealed that the great work of the Millennium shall be the work in the temples for the redemption of the dead; and then we hope to enjoy the benefits of revelation through the Urim and Thummim, or by such means as the Lord may reveal concerning those for whom the work shall be done, so that we may not work by chance, or by faith alone, without knowledge, but with the actual knowledge revealed unto us” (Gospel Doctrine, 438).

We'll have to hit the ground running with such a mountain of work ahead of us. And I do mean "hit the ground", given that we'll be descending from heaven with the Savior.;) As for the ground, what will the millennial earth be like?

Joseph Fielding Smith
Christ will reign personally upon the earth, and the earth will be renewed, or restored, and receive its paradisiacal glory when that day comes.“This new heaven and earth which will come into existence when our Lord comes to reign, is this same earth with its heavens renewed or restored to its primitive condition and beauty. Everything is to be brought back as nearly as it is possible to its position as it was in the beginning. The mountains, we are informed, are to be thrown down, the valleys are to be exalted, and ‘the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.’” (The Restoration of All Things, 294–95).

It will be like the Garden of Eden! We will speak one pure language. Satan will be bound, so there will be no temptation, selfishness, narcicism, persecution, crime, anger, illness, nothing of the kind! A thousand years of purity and goodness. Then, there will be one last mammoth battle, for Satan and his host will be loosed for a short period in order to tempt the children who grow up during the millennium. Finally, they will lose and be eternally banished from the earth. Our garden of an earth will be transformed one last time.

Joseph Fielding Smith
“In that great change, or resurrection, which shall come to this earth, it shall be sanctified, celestialized and made a fit abode even for God the Father, who shallgrace it with his presence. (D.C. 88:19.) Then shall the righteous, those who have become sanctified through the law of God, possess it for ever as their abode. This earth is destined to become the everlasting residence of its inhabitants who gain the glory of the celestial kingdom. It shall become in that day like the throne of God and shall shine forth with all the splendor and brightness of celestial glory in its eternal, sanctified and glorious state” (Way to Perfection, 351).

No matter how much I leave out, I am still too wordy. I'll have to try to tie up the loose ends in one more post. At least we've seen there is, or will be, great reason to rejoice! I'm rejoicing for a different reason now though. Colin returns from his two-year mission in Washington DC in less than 48 hours!!! And the quorum of the seven brothers will once again assemble this weekend!