Question
Gramps,
I understand that the Rocky Mountains will be the safest place to be with what is coming to the U.S. But is that the whole chain of the Rocky Mountains or mainly in Utah? There are prophecies saying people will be struggling even there in every household. Is that biological warfare? I understand that there may be a land invasion by the Chinese into Utah. And an earthquake in Salt Lake City.
Susan
Answer
Dear Susan,
The one thing that is sure and certain about the future is that we don’t know. I know that’s frustrating, but that’s the truth. Yes we have prophecy to help guide us, but prophecy can be misunderstood if we are not very careful and in tune with the Holy Ghost. For example, the Jews had plenty of prophecy about Christ before He came and what they could expect. However, they had also been given prophecy about the Second Coming, and they got the two mixed up. It’s understandable, I think, but the misunderstanding caused some of them to stumble and ultimately reject the Savior that the scriptures had tried to prepare them for!
How do we avoid that mistake? Two things are most crucial…we must be humble and we must follow the Prophet. Remember Haun’s Mill? The Saints were suffering terrible persecution, and the Saints at Haun’s Mill were directed to come to Far West to be with the larger body of Saints for protection. The leader of that area chose unwisely to ignore this counsel from the prophet, and death and mayhem was the result. So we need to follow the prophet even if we don’t always understand or agree. If you have trouble understanding or agreeing, you can pray to receive the inspiration that will help you understand if your heart is humble.
One of the ways the prophet can help us is by interpreting the prophecies for us. Remember the prophecy of Joel that says the moon will turn to blood? That sounds like an obvious sign that no one…even non-members that aren’t looking for these signs could miss, right? And yet, it wasn’t obvious at all. I only know that it has happened because President Hinckley–our prophet at the time–said so! Here’s the quote:
The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared:
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
“And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
“And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call” (Joel 2:28–32). Living in the Fulness of Times
Now Susan, when I say we need to be humble and follow the prophet, I mean, in part, that we need to LISTEN to him. Pres. Hinckley gave this talk back in 2001, but then and now, I have come across countless Saints that are surprised when I tell them he said this. They find it difficult to believe and ask me for the reference, which I am happy to provide.
So now that we have established that we need to humbly follow the prophet, I can answer your question more directly. Your question, if I understand it correctly, is where in Utah would be safest? But our leaders, including the prophet have NOT asked us all to come to Utah at all, quite the opposite actually. They have asked us to build up Zion wherever we live. So for each Saint the safest place to live is where they are, unless the prophet says otherwise.
Now, I know you have heard these scary things about the future, and I don’t deny that they are scary. What you need to remember is that the Lord has warned us that in the Last Day the whole earth will be in commotion. (D&C 45:26) Utah and every where else will be dangerous, the only real safety lies in the Lord and following His prophet. Remember that begins with listening to His counsel, which is something I’m sure we can all do better at.
I’m sure the Lord is pleased that you are trying to harken to the signs of the times. May I share a quote that I find inspiring:
“Whatever level of spirituality we now enjoy in our lives, whatever degree of faith in Jesus Christ we have, whatever strength of commitment or consecration we have, whatever degree of obedience or hope or charity is ours, whatever level of professional skill or ability we may have obtained, it will not be sufficient for the work that lies ahead. Brothers and sisters, you and I need to be much better than we are now, in every aspect of our lives. The scriptures teach us that the world is now, and will be, in commotion and we can see it all around us. Wickedness and darkness will increase. It seems hard to imagine, but it will. Yet in that darkening world, there’ll be increased light, divine light. The Lord Jesus Christ has a great work for us to do with the rising generation. It’s a greater work than we’ve ever done before… The Lord is working in power to strengthen teaching and learning in his true and living church. He’s hastening his work.” Elder Kim B. Clark address given at the BYU-Idaho All Employee Conference entitled “CES: The Lord’s Educational System for His Church” given on February 5th, 2016.
The Lord has a great work for all of us. Go to Heavenly Father and ask Him what He needs from you and watch the miracles unfold.
Gramps
