Years ago, sea-faring men watched and studied the horizon in order to be able to predict the weather. We’ve all heard the sailor’s lines,
“Red sky at night,
A sailor’s delight!
Red sky at morning,
Sailors take warning!”
Because of necessity, and using very basic tools, men became adept at watching for minute changes in temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure, which allowed them to notice changing conditions and to interpret what they saw on the horizon. With this information, they were able to prepare ahead of time for developing storm conditions.
The development of almanacs and other printed publications, helped people to add historical perspective to their observations, by providing data about historical measurements of temperature, wind, rainfall, weather cycles, and other things relative to the calendar months and years. Thus they could, with some degree of assurance, know what they could expect during specific seasons.
Over time, advanced instruments were developed to help them measure more accurately the changes in conditions, and to more easily predict the degree to which weather would change over a given period of time. Today, we sit in our homes and offices and check the weather on our favorite television or radio channels, on the Internet, or on our smart phone. We seldom even bother to look past our own back yard or driveway to personally check weather conditions, and when we do it is not to look for storms on the horizon, but to check whether we can safely go outside or drive to work or school that day.
One result of these technological advances is that we have, as individuals, largely lost the capability of looking to the horizon and comprehending the changes coming from afar. We tend to focus on things that are immediately before us, often not noticing subtle and gradual changes in our immediate surroundings, much less those more ominous changes on the horizon. We may easily fail to see dangerous weather conditions gathering on the horizon, as we look to the computer to tell us whether we should carry an umbrella to work.
In much the same way, we may fail to recognize subtle changes in our moral and cultural surroundings. We may become so focused on specific issues and minute details of our individual lives that we fail to notice the greater waves of change developing all around us, as we move ever closer to the turbulent and trying times foretold by prophets of God throughout history.
I remember as a young man, in my teens, hearing my father speak of how times had changed and that I faced challenges he had no reason to even consider as a youth. I fully comprehend now what he was saying, as I see commonplace things today that would have utterly shocked me as a boy. We speak of the dangers of pornography, yet we patiently wait through sensual advertisements to get back to our television show. Many commercial advertisements that only a few years ago would have been considered sexually provocative, if not illegal, are now normal. Programs that today are not considered explicit enough for regulation or rating, only a few short years ago would have been considered unacceptable for public broadcast by the majority of our society. Many new social issues, such as gender-identity and same-sex marriage, were not heard of until just a few short years ago.
Well did the psalmist write, “They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.” (Psalms 82:5)
Captain Moroni, leader of the Nephite armies in the Book of Mormon, built fortifications around the cities of the Nephites to protect them from their enemies. He caused “that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.” (Alma 50:1–4)
Might we not also build fortifications of spiritual strength and temporal security around our homes, by increasing our study of the Holy Scriptures, improving our family prayers, better keeping of the Sabbath Day, paying full tithes and generous offerings, increasing volunteer service, gathering our emergency storage, reducing or eliminating debt, living within our means, and more strict obedience in keeping our covenants with the Lord?
Or, are we like the man who licks his finger and holds it in the air to determine which way the wind blows? Do we look to a weathervane, which changes direction with every change of the wind, for guidance? Or do we look to a compass that gives guidance relative to sure, fixed points. For guidance in our lives we may look to the sure compass of personal revelation, the words of the prophets, and the scriptures as our guides, which give true guidance and direction, regardless of which way the winds of societal change may blow.
As a young man, I was once told about an animal called the “Mugwump.” A Mugwump is a fairly common large animal that often takes on human proportions. It is known for sitting on fences with its mug on one side and its wump on the other. The words of John the Revelator seem appropriate here:
“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15–16)
Nephi, quoting the Prophet Isaiah, wrote,
“For behold, at that day shall [Satan] rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” (2 Nephi 28:20–21)
The scriptures tell us there will come a great division or separation among the people, those who seek righteousness from those who seek prideful, selfish desires and personal gratification. This divide, which we are seeing develop in our world at this time, will become greater and greater until the ill-fated mugwump will become forever extinct. There will be no fence-sitters. Choices will have to be made, and those choices will not be passive, nor ignorant, nor will they be made secretly and in the dark. They will be made in the full light of day.
As that day approaches, we will begin to see righteous men and women of all races, cultures, faiths, and disciplines begin to shine forth in the world like stars in the night sky. We will see them coming forth in all walks of life, in places both high and low, while those who choose to follow Satan to satisfy their selfish, prideful, and base desires, will, individually, and as a people, fall further and further into moral and economic ruin, decay, and darkness. There will come a day, not long into the future, when all those who seek for peace and security in this world will necessarily seek unto Zion, as foretold in Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants:
“And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;
67 And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
69 And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
70 And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.
71 And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 45:66–71)
The harbinger of this great division is the moral decay we are seeing today, which is fueled and accelerated by pornography, alcohol, other mind-altering substances, and other unhealthful and unholy practices, which dull the sensibilities, confound wisdom, and make evil appear as good. “Wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (2 Nephi 15:20). How like is our time unto the days of the Prophet Jeremiah, as he foretold the total destruction of Jerusalem, “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. (Jeremiah 6:16)
I often reflect on my church mission, which I served more than 40 years ago. I remember a painting by Marilee B. Campbell, depicting two young missionaries symbolically harvesting golden wheat in a field. The painting shows beautiful blue skies and puffy white clouds in the background.
I believe that if that scene were painted today, the artist would be impressed to paint dark and foreboding storm clouds on the horizon. I believe she would paint an expression of urgency on the faces of the two missionaries, and show multitudes of other righteous people in the background assisting the missionaries in gathering the wheat from among the tares.
I also believe that if that painting were to be painted again, another ten years from now, it would show these two missionaries and other righteous laborers wearing storm gear and working hard in the wind and rain to gather in the remaining sheaves of wheat.
We have been told since the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith, that we are living in the 11th hour and 59th minute of all time. The prophecies contained in all the Holy Scriptures are being fulfilled before our eyes. There are few yet unfulfilled.
We have read the prophecies. We have heard the warnings of the Brethren. We can see the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. But let us not fear, rather, let us prepare, for the Lord will be with us as He was with the Children of Israel in the wilderness. Those who are faithful to their covenants with the Lord will see marvelous signs and wondrous miracles occur for their good. They will stand forth as beacons in the night and the Lord will prosper and protect them in righteousness, so “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,” (1 Samuel 17:46) and that none may be left with excuse in the Last Day (Romans 1:20).
Brothers and sisters, now is the time to finish our preparations. Now is the time to heed the warnings of the prophets. Now is the time to fortify our lives and homes, to reduce or eliminate debt, to pay full tithes and generous offerings, to learn to live within our means, to gather our emergency supplies, to keep ourselves unspotted from the world, to refine and perfect our righteousness, to better keep our covenants and serve the Lord. Now is the time.
The calm before the storm is past. The gusting winds are even now whipping about us. Look out at the horizon and see. Look to the scriptures and understand. There will be no more respite. Now is the time to batten down the hatches, gird up our loins, and round-up our shoulders to make the final push to the end.
We are about to enter the most wondrous era of human history. Never has there been a day wherein the power of God has been more greatly manifest in the world. Never before have there been holy temples dotting the globe and the ordinances of salvation made available to so many. Never before has there been such an army of true priesthood holders throughout the world as in our day. This will be a blessed time for the righteous, but it will not be an easy time. It will be, as Dickens so aptly penned in A Tale of Two Cities, the best of times and the worst of times.
“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.” (Ether 12:4)
Brothers and sisters, look forward in faith and righteousness for a better world, for “signs shall follow them that believe.”(Ether 4:18–19) and God shall fight their battles for them. (Isaiah 31:4)
In the holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
TTHenrie 04/04/2021