The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(12/26/96)
"Now, my brethren, 'these are (your) days' (Helaman 7:9) in the
history of the Church. Mark well what kind of days they will be, days
when, with special visibility, the Lord will make bare his holy arm in
the eyes of all the nations' (D&C 133:3). God will also 'hasten'
His work (D&C 88:73). He will also 'shorten' the last days 'for
the elect's sake' (Matthew 24:22); hence, there will be a compression
of events (see Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:20). Furthermore, 'all things
shall be in commotion' (D&C 88:91). Only those in the process of
becoming the men and women of Christ will be able to keep their
spiritual balance. Brethren, may we 'walk by faith' and, if necessary,
even on our knees! In the name of the Lord of the universe, even Jesus
Christ, amen." — Neal A. Maxwell, General Conference, April 1992
(12/27/96)
"Do you know that it is the eleventh hour of the reign of Satan on the
earth? Jesus is coming to reign, and all you who fear and tremble
because of your enemies, cease to fear them, and learn to fear to
offend God, fear to transgress his laws, fear to do any evil to your
brother, or to any being upon the earth, and do not fear Satan and his
power, nor those who have only power to slay the body, for God will
preserve his people." — Discourses of Brigham Young, 10:250.
(12/28/96)
"Our souls cry out: 'God hasten the day of the coming of thy Son,' and
yet we know that such cannot be. The day is fixed and the hour is set.
The signs have been, are now, and will hereafter be shown forth. Our
obligation is to discern the signs of the times lest we, with the
world, be taken unawares." — Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial
Messiah, p.405
(12/29/96)
"It is the proud and they who do wickedly who close their eyes and
their ears and their hearts to the signs of the times, to the word of
the Gospel and to the testimony of the Christ. It has long been a
favorite excuse of men who were not ready for the advent of the Lord,
to say, 'The Lord delayeth His coming.' Don't attach too much
importance to the fact that He has thus far delayed His coming, for He
has repeatedly told us that the day of His coming is very, very near,
even at our doors. There is a tendency among men to explain away what
they don't wish to understand in literal simplicity, and we, as
Latter-day Saints are not entirely free from the taint of that
tendency. Prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled are by many of
us made the subjects of hypothesis and theory and strained
interpretation." — James E. Talmage, General Conference, April 1916
(12/30/96)
"Somebody or other has got to build up Zion; somebody has got to build
Temples, and to go into them and attend to the ordinances therein. The
Lord has said that he will come and visit the earth, but before he
does come the people have got to be pure. The Lord Jesus has declared
that he will come and reign on the earth, and if you read the Book of
Doctrine and Covenants you will find numerous predictions in regard to
his coming, such as — 'I come quickly,' 'I come at an hour ye think
not,' 'My coming is at the door,' 'I come as a thief in the night,' 'I
come in an hour when you are not looking for me,' and 'Blessed is he
who is looking for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.' I
say that throughout the whole of the Scriptures — the Old and New
Testament, the Book of Mormon, and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants,
the second coming of the Lord is frequently referred to; and has the
Lord promised these things without intending to fulfill them? No, he
has not, they will be fulfilled. But before Christ comes, a people
have got to be prepared by being sanctified before the Lord. Temples
have got to be built; Zion has got to be built up, there must be a
place of safety for the people of God while his judgments are abroad
in the earth, for the judgments of God will visit the earth, there is
no mistake about that, the revelations are full of promises to this
effect and as the Lord has declared it, he will not fail in keeping
his word." — Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, Vol.18,
p.192, April 6, 1876
(12/31/96)
"The Latter-day Saints realize as I do that every year brings us
nearer to the coming of our Lord; that every month and week and day
that passes over our heads, brings us nearer to the great and
important events that must transpire, and that it does not become us
to give way to a feeling of apathy and indifference, and to say in our
hearts, 'The Lord delayeth His coming,' and that to-morrow will be as
this day and much more abundant, and that the next generation will be
like the present, and as the world has continued to roll on, as
generations have come and generations have gone, so will it be with us
and our children. I say it does not become us to give way to these
sentiments and feelings which are common with unbelievers, with the
world, or with the unenlightened, who have not a knowledge of God, who
have not been favored with the light of revelation, who have not
discerned the signs of the times; for we are not the children of
darkness, but the children of light. Light has come unto us. We have
been called out of darkness unto light. We have been translated from
the kingdom of darkness unto the kingdom of God's dear Son, and
therefore it may and ought to be said of us as Saint Paul said
concerning the Saints: 'Ye, brethren are not in darkness, that that
day should overtake you as a thief.' It is written and we expect it to
be fulfilled upon the heads of the unbelieving and the wicked, that
the Lord will overtake them as a thief in the night. 'In such an
hour,' said the Savior, 'as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. Who
then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler
over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I
say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But,
and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my lord delayeth his
coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and
drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day
when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites.'" — Erastus Snow, February 2, 1884, Journal of
Discourses, Vol. 25, pp. 29-30
(3/5/04)
"In the last days, happily, the Church will grow extensively, with its
membership being 'scattered upon all the face of the earth' (1
Ne. 14:14). Nevertheless, its dominions will still be
comparatively 'small' because of 'wickedness,' which will close the
ears of many to the gospel message (see 1
Ne. 14:12). There will also be 'a great division among the
people' (2 Ne. 30:10;
see also D&C
63:54). This stressful polarization will, ironically, help in
the final shaking of that strange confederacy, the 'kingdom of the
devil,' in order that the honest in heart, even therein, may receive
the truth (2 Ne.
28:19)." - Neal A. Maxwell, "For
I
Will Lead You Along," Ensign, May 1988, p. 8
(5/3/04)
"What if the day of His coming were tomorrow? If we knew that we would
meet the Lord tomorrow-through our premature death or through His
unexpected coming-what would we do today? What confessions would we
make? What practices would we discontinue? What accounts would we
settle? What forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we
bear? If we would do those things then, why not now? Why not seek
peace while peace can be obtained? If our lamps of preparation are
drawn down, let us start immediately to replenish them." - Dallin H.
Oaks, "Preparation
for
the Second Coming," General Conference, April 2004
(8/28/04)
"A most disquieting aspect of the repeated cycles described in the
Book of Mormon is the time frame, for an entire people can 'become
weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many
years' (Hel.
4:26; emphasis added). Whether it be individuals or a whole
society, it is possible that decay from within can wreak havoc in a
relatively short time." - Stephen D. Nadauld, "Pride:
A
Challenge from Within," Ensign, July 1996, p. 19
(11/15/04)
"We are bound to note events and trends in the world which will
constitute special challenges. We cannot expect to live in times of
turbulence without experiencing some of that turbulence ourselves. But
we do not need to be 'tossed to and fro, and carried about [by] every
wind of doctrine' without anchor (see Eph. 4:14). We have fellowship
in a divine church. We have present-day prophets to guide us. We have
Christ as our shepherd to lead us." - Spencer W. Kimball, "Do Not
Weary by the Way," Ensign, November 1980, p. 76
(11/23/04)
"In a recent conference, Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “As we test the
moral environment, we find the pollution index is spiraling upward” (Ensign,
May
1992, p. 66). The Apostle Paul foresaw “that in the last days
perilous times shall come” (2
Tim. 3:1). And speaking of the last days, the prophet Moroni
declared, “Yea, it shall come in a day when there shall be great
pollutions upon the face of the earth” (Morm.
8:31)." - Joe J. Christensen, "Rearing
Children
in a Polluted Environment,” Ensign, November 1993, p. 11
(1/22/05)
"The question of the nearness of the
second coming of the Son of Man rests upon many in our present day.
In pondering the question I have often thought of three things. The
first is observed in these words of the Lord: 'But of that day, and
hour, no one knoweth; no, not the angels of God in heaven, but my
Father only.' (JS-M
1:40.)
"There are signs, however, which indicate the nearness of this great
event. For instance, and secondly, living in the last dispensation;
we must be aware of the fact that there will not be another. It
follows that all that God has intended for the redemption and
salvation of man upon the earth through the gospel plan will
culminate in this dispensation. Actually, the Lord identifies this
present day, in particular, as a time of preparation. (D&C
65:4-6.)...
"The culmination of this dispensation in the sequence of the Lord's
time will see the glorious coming of the Son of Man.
"The third condition which I often ponder concerns the day of the
gentile, which day is now, wherein the gospel is being taken to the
gentile nations of the earth, that they may, if obedient to the
call, come in and be numbered with the house of Israel. (See 1
Ne. 13, 14.)" - Alvin R. Dyer, "Ye
Shall
Not Fear," Ensign, June 1971, p. 89
9/21/06
"It may be an understatement to say the Lord's warnings have
begun. How are we responding to the cries for help from God's
children? Do we ask, 'Why don't you be more careful?' 'Why don't you
mind the Lord?' 'Our Church leaders have told you a thousand times to
change your behavior.'
"Prior to discussing how we should respond, I would like to suggest,
in todays vernacular, two attitude adjustments. First, we need to
overcome fatalism. We know the prophecies of the future. We know the
final outcome. We know the world collectively will not repent and
consequently the last days will be filled with much pain and
suffering. Therefore, we could throw up our hands and do nothing but
pray for the end to come so the millennial reign could begin. To do so
would forfeit our right to participate in the grand event we are all
awaiting. We must all become players in the winding-up scene, not
spectators. We must do all we can to prevent calamities, and then do
everything possible to assist and comfort the victims of tragedies
that do occur....
"The second attitude adjustment is to not allow ourselves to find
satisfaction in calamities of the last days. Sometimes we tend to take
joy in seeing the natural consequences of sin unfold. We might feel
some vindication for being ignored by most of the world and persecuted
and berated by others. When we see earthquakes, wars, famines,
disease, poverty, and heartbreak, we may be tempted to say, 'Well, we
warned them. We told them a thousand times not to engage in those
activities.'
"We should take these proverbs to heart:
"'He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.' (Prov.
17:5.)
"'Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be
glad when he stumbleth.' (Prov.
24:17.)" - Glenn L. Pace, "A
Thousand Times," Ensign (CR), November 1990, p.8
8/23/08
"The evils of our day will
increase, even as the wicked armies of Pharaoh threatened the children
of Israel in the time of Moses. But with faith in God, striving together
in righteousness, we of all people have reason to take heart and
rejoice. With our eyes fixed on heaven, we’ll watch the Red Sea part."
- Ardeth G. Kapp, "Young Women Striving Together," Ensign (CR),
November 1984, p.96
10/21/08
"I
ask everyone within the sound of my voice to take heart, be filled with
faith, and remember the Lord has said He 'would
fight [our] battles, [our] children’s battles, and [the battles
of our] children’s children.'
(D&C 98:37; emphasis added.) And what do we do to
merit such a defense? We are to 'search diligently, pray always,
and be believing[. Then] all things shall work together for [our] good,
if [we] walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith [we] have
covenanted.' (D&C 90:24.) The latter days are not a
time to fear and tremble. They are a time to be believing and
remember our covenants." - Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Ministry of
Angels," General Conference, October 2008
7/24/09
“Thus,
as the Church comes forth out of obscurity, as its light can no longer
be hidden, and as the Lord bares His arm and the events foreseen by
Him begin to roll forth in the final days, those whose concerns for
the Church consist mostly of wishing to be well liked will have a hard
time. There is no way that the Church and its prophets can help the
bad people of the world to feel good. There is no way that the
gospel's behavioral standards can be fudged. Natural as our desire for
rapport, friendship, and affection is, we must be more concerned with
‘being alienated from the life of God.’ (Ephesians 4:18.) Being
accepted by God is more important than being accepted by the world…” -
Neal A. Maxwell, “Notwithstanding My Weakness,”
p. 37
3/23/14
We
are grateful for Joseph Smith and watch with wonder as his name
is revered and, yes, even reviled ever more widely across the
earth. But we recognize that this mighty latter-day work is not
about him. It is the work of Almighty God and His Son, the
Prince of Peace. I testify that Jesus Christ is the Savior, and
with you, I stand in awe as this work moves forward
miraculously, marvelously, and irresistibly. Indeed, “the time
[has] come when the knowledge of a Savior … spread[s] throughout
every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” - L.
Whitney Clayton, “The
Time Shall Come,” Ensign (CR) November 2011
11/1/15
Our loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jehovah, with a
knowledge of the end from the beginning, opened the heavens
and a new dispensation to offset the calamities that They
knew would come. The Apostle Paul described the forthcoming
calamities as “perilous times.” For me, this suggests that
Heavenly Father’s generous compensation for living in
perilous times is that we also live in the fulness of times.
- Gary
E. Stevenson, “Plain
and Precious Truths,” Ensign (CR) November 2015
5/31/16
Are these
perilous times? They are. But there is no need to fear.
We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes.
We can be an influence for good in this world, every one
of us. - Gordon
B.
Hinckley, “The
Times
in Which We Live,” Ensign (CR), November
2001, p.72
3/7/17
If we are of good cheer, we will find no use for
nostalgia for another time, even though a
wistful lamentation such as this one is
understandable:
“Oh, that I could have had my days in the days
when my father Nephi first came out of the land
of Jerusalem, … then were his people easy to be
entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God,
and slow to be led to do iniquity. …
“But behold, I am consigned that these are my
days.” (Hel.
7:7, 9.)
Brothers and sisters, these are our days. This
is our time on earth! These are our tasks to be
done! – Neal A. Maxwell, “Be
of Good Cheer,” Ensign (CR) November
1982