Being Prepared for the Second Coming

Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:46–54

46 And what I say unto one, I say unto all men; watch, therefore, for you know not at what hour your Lord doth come.47 But know this, if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to have been broken up, but would have been ready.48 Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.49 Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?50 Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing; and verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods.51 But if that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord delayeth his coming,52 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken,53 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,54 And shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

President Dallin H. Oaks said:

“While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us. . . .

“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.”

(“Preparation for the Second Coming,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2004, 8–9.)

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