Our minds are all subject to questions that we can’t seem to find certain answers for: questions like, “Who am I?” “Where do we to go after this life?”, “What will tomorrow bring?” and “When will be the Lord’s coming?” We are blessed to have sources like the four standard books of scripture, revelations from our living prophets and the influence of the Holy Ghost to guide us as we try to understand the answers to these seemingly big and intimidating questions.

One day, I was on my way to my afternoon seminary class. During the short ride, I was thinking about these big questions. I was especially concerned with a question that our seminary teacher had asked us the day before: “what if the day of the Lord’s coming were tomorrow?”

“THIS LIFE IS A TIME FOR MEN TO PREPARE TO MEET GOD”

beautiful scenery

During class, our teacher had asked us to cite events that are currently happening in the world. Many of my classmates’ answers dealt with destruction, calamities, wars— all of the things that worry us most when pondering what tomorrow will bring, and what the future could hold.

Our teacher then asked us the signs of the coming of our Lord. We then compared the two lists side by side: the events that are happening today and the signs of the Lord’s coming. We were asked how we felt about the possibility of Christ coming tomorrow. Would we be nervous? Would we be scared if it were tomorrow? Most importantly, would we be prepared?

In Alma it says, “For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” (Alma 34:32) It has been made very clear that our mortal sojourn on this Earth is about preparing to meet our Maker. But to be so, we have to “perform our labors”.

Elder Hamula of the Seventy said, “Among the essential instructions given by the Lord to prepare for His coming is that we listen to and obey His voice. ‘Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth … hear the voice of the Lord” (D&C 133:16).’” We are living in a time “when peace [has been] taken from the earth”, and “all things [are] in commotion” (D&C 1:35). We should labor, strive harder and hearken unto His words in this time of preparation that we have been given.

“BE YE READY AT THE COMING OF THE BRIDEGROOM”

five foolish, five wise

I also thought about the parable of the ten virgins. The parable teaches us the difference of preparing early on as opposed to preparing at the last minute. Like the five foolish virgins who failed to prepare and instead slept; forgetting to bring extra oil of their own to light their lamps, we may blindly think that we have lots of time to prepare. Ultimately, if we continue to put aside working towards our own spiritual progression, we will share their fate, behind a closed door.

However, we can choose to be one of the five wise virgins who were “faithful, praying always, having [their] lamps trimmed and burning, and oil,” and were “ready at the coming of the Bridegroom”. For the Savior said, “behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that I come quickly” (D&C 33:17-18)

We will never know ahead of time the exact day or time He will come, but we are certain that He will. The Savior will return to this Earth in power and great glory to reign personally over us in righteousness and peace.

With this knowledge that He indeed will return, President Dallin H. Oaks asked us, “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 forgivenesses would we extend? What testimonies would we bear? If we would do those things then, why not now?”