Question
Gramps,
Ever since I was little and my Grandma died I have always wondered if when Jesus comes again he will bring all the people of heaven with him to help us fight, or if he will resurrect all the people that he has not yet resurrected and then they will help us fight which almost exactly what I said before, or if he will come by himself and ask only us to fight? Gramps I am only 12 and I have always wondered it so if you could help me I would love it. I have asked different people and they think about it for a long time and never actually really give a straight answer. They just say I don’t know or something so please help!
Jaribeth
Answer
Dear Jarebeth,
At the beginning of the great Millennial reign, the Savior will not come just once, but at least four times. The world in general will not be aware of the first three of these appearances, but the fourth will be his coming in the clouds of heaven, in power and great glory, and all the world will know and stand in awe.
His first coming will be to his temple which is yet to be constructed in Jackson County, Missouri. Concerning this event, Joseph Smith prophecied,
“The coming of the Messiah among this people will be so natural, that only those who see Him will know that He has come, but He will come and give His laws unto Zion, and minister unto His people. This will not be His coming in the clouds of heaven to take vengeance on the wicked of the world. (Prophecy recorded by Edwin Rushton and Theodore Turley).
In describing this event, Charles W. Penrose said the following:
“…the Lord will make his appearance first; and that appearance will be unknown to the rest of mankind. He will come to the Temple prepared for him, and his faithful people will behold his face, hear his voice, and gaze upon his glory. From his own lips they will receive further instruction for the development and beautifying of Zion and for the extension and sure stability of his Kingdom.” (Millennial Star, Sept. 10, 1859).
The second appearance will be at Adam-ondi-Ahman, where the Savior will appear to take his rightful jurisdiction as the ruler of the earth. According to President Joseph Fielding Smith,
“Adam-ondi-Ahman …was in this valley where Adam called together the faithful of his posterity three years before his death and blessed them. (D&C 107:53.) It will be in this same valley where the Ancient of Days shall sit at the grand gathering of the worthies who have held keys of the dispensations, and where Adam will make his report, likewise all others who have been given keys, and our Savior shall be crowned King of kings and take his place as the rightful ruler of the earth.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, Vol 3, p.118).
The Savior will next appear on the Mount of Olives during the great conflict between the Jews and their enemies. According to Zechariah,
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee (Zechariah 14:4-5).
Charles W. Penrose mentions this appearance as follows:
“His next appearance [after his appearance in the New Jerusalem] will be among the distressed and nearly vanquished sons of Judah. At the crisis of their fate, when the hostile troops of several nations are ravaging the city and all the horrors of war are overwhelming the people of Jerusalem, he will set his feet upon the Mount of Olives, which will cleave and part asunder at his touch. (Millennial Star, Sept. 1859, p. 583)
His fourth coming, in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory will be the most magnificent event that the world will ever have seen. Charles W. Penrose speaks eloquently of it as follows:
“The tongue of man falters, and the pen drops from the hand of the writer, as the mind is rapt in contemplation of the sublime and awful majesty of his coming to take vengeance on the ungodly and to reign as King of the whole earth.”
“He comes. The earth shakes, and the tall mountains tremble; the mighty deep rolls back to the north as in fear, and the rent skies glow like molten brass. He comes. The dead Saints burst forth from their tombs, and ‘those who are alive and remain’ are ‘caught up’ with them to meet him. The ungodly rush to hide themselves from his presence, and call upon the quivering rocks to cover them. He comes with all the hosts of the righteous glorified. The breath of his lip strikes death to the wicked. His glory is a consuming fire. The proud and rebellious are as stubble; they are burned and ‘left neither root nor branch.’ He sweeps the earth ‘as with the besom [broom] of destruction.’ He deluges the earth with the fiery floods of his wrath, and the filthiness and abominations of the world are consumed. Satan and his dark hosts are taken and bound-the prince of the power of the air has lost his dominion, for He whose right it is to reign has come, and ‘the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.’ (Millennial Star, Sept. 1859, p. 583)
Gramps
