The Millennium

Some may look at the Title of my Post and think it's going to be about this:

The Millennium Falcon

I'll admit:  I'm a Star Wars fan for the most part.  I haven't weighed in on how I feel about the new movies yet, but the old Luke and Leia movies were fun and exciting and clean and inspirational.  But I divert. This post is about this:

The Savior's Second Coming and the Millennium

We talked alot about the second coming of Christ as we studied the New Testament and I learned an awful lot.  I would love to know more!  I want the answers to the big questions:  WHEN? and  HOW?  The "when" is always interesting to think about.  I do know it's closer than it used to be because that's just turning-of-the-calendar obvious. But who will be on the earth?  Who will see it?  Who will come again with Him and be a part of it?  I'm also interested in the "how".  How is he going to appear to the whole world at once?  Will it be in the news?  Facebook?  A really loud noise?  Announced at General Conference?  And where will I be?  And who will I be with?  I'd like to be at home, church, or in the temple, and I'd like to be with my family.  That feels best.  But who knows?  And isn't somebody going to "miss" it?  What if they're distracted/sleeping/blind & deaf/or just really into the video game they're playing?  Will someone be the last to know?

Although I don't know all the answers, there are some questions I can answer!  Here's just a few:

Q:  Is it possible for a person to sit down with the scriptures and the writings of latter-day prophets and chart out an accurate sequence of events?

A:  Bruce R McConkie says, "It is not possible in our present state of spiritual enlightenment to put every event into an exact time frame.  We are meant to ponder about many things to keep us alert and attentive."

Q:  Are we living in the Millennium now?  (I have been asked this numerous times.)

A:  The scriptures and Latter-Day Prophets are clear that the Millennium is a thousand-year period of peace and righteousness that begins with the coming of Jesus Christ to the whole world, in great power and glory.  All of God's children will know when it happens.  

Q:  Who will be on the Earth during the Millennium?

A:  Brigham Young said, "There will be as many sects and parties then as now.  In the millennium men will be Presbyterians, Methodists, or Infidels, but they will not have the privilege of treating the name and character of Deity as they have done heretofore.  Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ."

Q:  How should we be preparing for the Millennium?

A:  President Spencer W. Kimball said it best.  "When Satan is bound in a single home or in a single individual's heart, we are preparing ourselves in a significant way for the Millennium."

Q:  Will every mortal be resurrected?

A:  Yes.  Think about that.  Every mortal who has ever lived will be resurrected. 

Q:   Was anyone resurrected before Jesus Christ?

A:  No.  Joseph Fielding Smith said, "On the third day after the crucifixion Jesus Christ took up his body and gained the keys of the resurrection, and thus the power to open the graves for all men.  But this he could not do until he had first passed through death himself and conquered it."

Q:  Is the resurrection going on now?

A:  Joseph Fielding Smith said, "That is pure speculation without warrant in the scriptures.  It is true that the Lord has power to call forth any person from the dead, as he may desire, if they have a mission to perform which would require their resurrection.  For example, we have the cases of Peter, James, and Moroni."  

Q:  Will all appear before Jesus Christ to be judged?

A:  Every single person who has lived on the earth will stand to be judged.  Bruce R. McConkie says, "The Son, not the Father, is the Judge of the whole earth.  His judgment will be made in accordance with the will of he Father and will be just."  

Q:  What will we be judged on?

A:  D&C 137:9 "For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts."  John Taylor said, "We may deceive one another as a counterfeit coin is considered true and valuable among men.  But He knows our thoughts, our desires, our motives, our feelings; he knows our acts and what prompted us to perform them."  And from Joseph F. Smith, "He does not judge men as we do, nor look upon them as we do.  He knows our imperfections - all the causes, and the why's are known by Him.  His judgments will be true, just and righteous."

I go back and forth between "Bring it on! Let's get on with that 1,000 years of peace!" and "Oh dear, I have so much to improve on first! It better be a long way off!"

But I do feel great excitement knowing that the Savior will defeat Satan in that final battle, and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  That sounds SO GOOD!  This will happen.  It's not just something we talk about.  This is truth!  Our Savior truly will reign on this Earth and Satan really will be defeated!  It may not be until man is flying around on the Millennium Falcon, but the Millennium is a true event that will be wonderful!