We recently had our Ward conference. That is when all the Stake leaders (leaders over many congregations) come to our congregation and share uplifting messages. This time, their message was to prepare for the Second Coming. It inspired me so much that I needed to tell you all about it.
Our Stake president told us he had recently attended a five-hour training meeting with 250 other stake presidents in the Salt Lake Valley. Their topic was preparing the saints for the second coming. This is all about spiritual preparation. As a church, we have been asked for years to prepare for disasters with food storage. And not once was food storage even mentioned. That’s one of the reasons I got excited.
God wants His people to be ready to receive Him when He comes. My Stake President shared that the world is already wicked enough for the Savior to come, and now we need to get ourselves ready. I love how God works. He isn’t going to surprise us or try to catch the world unprepared. God warns His people to be ready for Him. And honestly, God has been telling us my whole life that the second coming is near.
In his talk, the Stake president had several suggestions that we need to be doing to prepare ourselves. First, rededicate your life to Jesus Christ. Second, Hear Him– both in scripture reading and daily quiet moments. Third, Think Celestial. Fourth, repent daily. Fifth, make time for the Lord in His holy house. Sixth, listen to the prophet. And finally, keep your covenants.
There are a lot of links in the previous paragraph because our Prophet has spoken about each of these topics in recent years. So I have linked to each of them because they are rich with information. I’ll briefly touch on each topic, but if you have time, I encourage you to read the talks. They are quite informative.
Steps you can take today to be ready for the second coming
1. Rededicate your life to Jesus Christ
Maybe this is because we have been told for many years that the second coming is near. And maybe this is because everyone needs a good reminder once in a while. But in either case, rededicating your life to Jesus Christ is going to fill your life with blessings.
I remember when I was serving as a service missionary, and my whole focus was on God’s children. It was many years ago, but it was a beautiful time full of learning and love. I remember feeling God so nearby every day. As part of that dedication in my life, I read my scriptures daily, prayed often, and kept my activities clean and worthy of having the Spirit with me.
There have been times since then when I slipped and I found my entertainment was not as full of redeeming qualities as it was during that time. So a rededication of our lives is an excellent way to be sure we are living in a way that is pleasing to God. And I have a feeling that the closer we get to the second coming, the more we will need to be selective in our entertainment choices.
2. Hear Him
Hearing God takes on many forms. It means listening to the promptings of the Holy Ghost when they come. It means listening to the council in the scriptures and from our living prophets. And it means living close to God so that you can continue to hear when He speaks.
I remember reading when Jesus visited the Nephites after his crucifixion, and God introduced Him. He said ‘This is my beloved Son. In whom I am well pleased. In whom I have glorified My name. Hear Him”. What a powerful endorsement of all Jesus was there to teach!
3. Think Celestial
This is a quote from President Nelson’s talk “Think Celestial”. It says it so beautifully.
Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”!7 Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that “to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”8
Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.
4. Repent Daily
We are encouraged to live our lives in what I like to call a “prayer sandwich”. We pray in the morning, at each meal, and in the evening before we go to bed. If we use those prayers constructively, we can accomplish a lot!
For example, in the morning we set a goal with the Lord, and in the evening we report on our progress. As part of that system, we can incorporate daily repentance and clear our minds and consciences of our mistakes and missteps.
It’s a wonderful thing to have a clear conscience and confidence before the Lord. When we understand that repentance is simply trying to live better daily it becomes a strengthening gift.
5. Make time for temple attendance
I love the way this step is phrased. Making time means setting aside time in our busy lives. Giving ourselves time to focus on what matters most, in a quiet and peaceful place, gives the Lord a chance to help us each individually. And what better tool can we hope for as we prepare for the Second Coming?
We are each at different places in our lives. Those places need individual focus and guidance. The Lord is uniquely qualified to guide us for every challenge we face. And the temple is the place to approach Him for every need. I have learned so much in the temple. Every time I go something new stands out. And I know it is because I am in a new place in my life, with a different need the Lord can help me with.
6. Listen to the Prophet
We are so blessed to have a living prophet. Each of the 12 apostles is ordained as prophets seers, and revelators. So we have 13 prophets on this earth at any given time. General Conference is a fantastic time to listen to the living prophets.
Since we get to have General Conference twice a year, that is a LOT of potential personal revelation from wonderful men and women chosen by the Lord.
When I was in college I attended an Institute class called “Teachings of the Living Prophets”. In this class, we would take the Conference edition of the Ensign and study each talk in detail.
I remember having a lot of notes in the margins. I learned that God is always giving new revelation. To this day the Conference talks are still a favorite source of personal revelation.
7. Keep your Covenants
The beauty of the plan of salvation is that we are always growing and learning. As we progress along the covenant path, we make increasingly important covenants with God. And each of those covenants grants us blessings as we keep our promises.
As we keep our covenants we gain greater strength to fight temptation and separate ourselves from the World. Covenant-keeping will give us the power to conquer Satan and his minions.
Keep Trying
The most important gift in all eternity is the ability to keep progressing, to keep trying. And that is the key to our preparation for the second coming. Keep trying, keep working, and refine yourself until you are where you want to be. And by the grace of God, we will each be ready to meet Him when the Savior comes again.
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