Question
Dear Gramps,
When the Lord comes for a second time, will he actually declare to the world that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints (Mormon Church) is the only true church or will He just generally tell the world to follow and believe in Him, not naming the true church, so people still have to be tested with their own decisions and practice faith? We know that during the Millennium that other good people and churches will dwell on the earth in peace. If the Lord himself appears in the heavens and declares to the world that THIS is HIS one and only TRUE church (and calls it by name), and we all follow Christ in a theocratic government, how will there still be others who are active in other churches, and still declare they follow Christ?
Lisa
Answer
Dear Lisa,
When the Savior comes again in the clouds of heaven with great glory, there will be no doubt as to the identity of His kingdom on the earth. He will appear at His temples in Jackson County, Missiouri and in Jerusalem, both of which are yet to be built, and He will undoubtedly rule the earth using His ambassadors who will hold the holy Melchizedek priesthood.
But just because people will see Him and will know who He is and will be forced to bow the knee and acknowledge Him as the Redeemer of the world, does not mean that they will be willing to throw off their old beliefs or adhere to the practices of true religion. This rather lengthy excerpt of a statement by Brigham Young, recorded in the Journal of Discourses, gives a graphic description of how things might be–
When the nations shall see the glory of God together, the spirit of their feelings may be couched in these words, ‘I will be damned if I will serve You.’. . . . What will they do? They will hear of the wisdom of Zion, and the kings and potentates of the nations will come up to Zion to inquire after the ways of the Lord, and to seek out the great knowledge, wisdom, and understanding manifested through the Saints of the Most High. They will inform the people of God that they belong to such and such a Church, and do not wish to change their religion.
They will be drawn to Zion by the great wisdom displayed there, and will attribute it to the cunning and craftiness of men. It will be asked, ‘What do you want to do, ye strangers from afar.’ ‘We want to live our own religion.’ ‘Will you bow the knee before God with us?’ ‘O yes, we would as soon do it as not;’ and at that time every knee shall bow, and every tongue acknowledge that God who is the framer and maker of all things, the governor and controller of the universe (Journal of Discourses, Vol.2, p.316-17).
Gramps
