On Fire

What kind of higher blessings are attainable in this life? Once someone has received the temple endowment and is sealed to a spouse, is there anything else to strive for or do we just hold on until we die? This episode discusses some of the higher blessings the Lord has hidden in plain sight that He wants us to strive for.

The previous three episodes sought to answer the question: what is the second coming? Now that we know a little bit more about that, what can we do to prepare ourselves? Doctrine and Covenants 87:8 reads "Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord". What does it mean to stand in holy places? How can we make the places we stand in holy? This episode seeks to answer those questions.

"He comes! The dead Saints burst forth from their tombs, and ‘those who are alive and remain’ are ‘caught up’ with them to meet him. The ungodly rush to hide themselves from his presence, and call upon the quivering rocks to cover them. He comes! with all the hosts of the righteous glorified" (Charles W. Penrose).  This episode is part three of the series. After Christ's coming to New Jerusalem and old Jerusalem, He will come in clouds of glory and appear to all people. His coming cleanses the earth and initiates His long awaited millennial reign.

This is part 2 of the series. The second major preliminary appearance of Jesus Christ as part of His Second Coming is to the Jews in Jerusalem. This episode reviews the narrative of how what is known as the the battle of Armageddon will go down and how the Savior will appear and save the Jews.

What is the second coming of Jesus Christ? Is it a sudden blasting of trumpets and clouds opening? Is it Jesus setting his foot on the Mount of Olives? Is it fire and destruction? This episode seeks to organize the preliminary appearances of the Savior in a way that makes the second coming more understandable, putting the scriptural prophecies in sequence.

The parable taught by Jesus in the New Testament referred to as "the eleventh hour laborers" or "the laborers in the vineyard" teaches us that Jesus is less concerned about our past than He is about our present and our future. He is full of mercy and will reward all who will repent and place their faith in Him, despite past sins or current bad habits. This episode reviews two wonderful discourses by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and Brother Brad Wilcox that illustrate these principles. If you feel like you are a black sheep, are too far gone, or are a lost cause, this episode is for you. If that doesn't describe you, please share this podcast with someone you know who might feel that way and who can be blessed by a greater understanding of the mercy, the patience, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

What is the basic purpose of the gospel and church of Jesus Christ for an individual? This episode discusses that question and its implications. When the gospel, the scriptures, and the church are operative in our lives, they facilitate the creation of a personal and meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ that results in our salvation and exaltation, an increase in the joy we experience, and greater purpose to mortal life. Many of the challenges for individuals experiencing a "faith crisis" are due a lack of personal connection to the Savior. If we can learn to commune with Him, we will know the truth, experience peace, and be guided through the chaos and confusion of these last days. The gospel works!

In a world full of confusion, chaos, and contention, we need all the help we can get. The Lord has called and given priesthood keys to prophets and apostles who act as watchmen on the tower. With inspired foresight, a prophet can warn us of impending danger, and our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has done just that! This episode reviews some of the prophetic warnings issued over the past few years. It also addresses the need to trust in prophetic counsel, rather than trusting in our own wisdom and short-sightedness. 

The Lord uses metaphors and parables throughout the standard works to help us learn principles. In this podcast episode, we discuss the wedding customs of ancient Israel in order to better understand the parable of the ten virgins. We also look to modern prophets to help us understand how to prepare to meet the bridegroom when he comes and be among the five wise virgins--in other words, how to prepare for the Savior's second coming. 

Jesus asked his disciples "whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" and the disciples told him what other people were saying. Then, Jesus asked them, "but whom say ye that I am?". Then Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Simon Peter knew through personal revelation that Jesus was the Christ. What other people said about Jesus didn't sway his testimony. 

Today, there are libraries of literature, blogs, podcasts, websites, and YouTube videos that criticize the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the prophet Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon and so on. Their purpose is to destroy faith. Reading or listening to this material is like asking the leaders of Iran or North Korea to tell you the truth about the United States of America. It's going to be negative, biased, and untrue. 

We can know what is true by studying reliable sources and asking God our questions. The witness we receive from the Holy Ghost can--like it did for Simon Peter--give us confidence in what we know to be true, regardless of the opinions of others.