A major scriptural theme regarding the last days before the Savior’s Second Coming is that of wickedness and tribulation.[1] However, often missed is the just as prevalent theme of providential influence and intervention to counter and overcome the challenges of the last days. It is most likely that future millennial histories will look back on this time period and focus on the victories of good over evil and of righteousness over wickedness. The last days certainly include times of great challenges, but they also embrace the greatest epoch of Divine influence and spread of righteousness in earth’s history. Although the hand of the Lord may be seen throughout the earth among all peoples, the breadth of attempting to address such an enormous project is beyond the scope and possibilities of this article, which focuses on the contributions to understanding providential history from the perspective of the restoration of the gospel in the latter days. Consequently, the examples cited will also almost exclusively be from events as they relate to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Important to this discussion is the verity that divine intervention is not restricted to God’s intimate and personal acts. Rather, it also includes intervention through the hands of his servants. This truth is evidenced in the Lord’s purposes of restoring His Church in the last days.
The Lord never intended to allow iniquity to abound without opposing the evils of the last days with the fullness of the priesthood and the restoration of the gospel. In his preface to the Doctrine and Covenants the Savior declared, “I, the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments,” or revelations (D&C 1:17).
Among the many blessings that came from the Lord through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith is that Christ restored His church to which the elect could gather and receive the gift and power of the Holy Ghost (see D&C 29:7-8; JS-M 1:27). Referring to those who accept the message of the gospel and that live in the latter days the Lord declared to Nephi, “blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift of the Holy Ghost… (1 Nephi 13:37). Further, Nephi saw in vision that “the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory (1 Nephi 14:14). The Lord had previously declared to Enoch that in the last days “righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten… and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood… (Moses 7:62). Thus, it is evident that the Lord is not an idle witness to the challenges of the last days. Rather, the Lord is an active participant in seeking to bless and empower his children to bring forth righteousness.
Providential Influence on Modern Advancements[2]
The Lord has and will continue to pour out his Spirit upon his children on the earth to provide the necessary technology for accomplishing his work. “From the day that He and His Beloved Son manifested themselves to the boy Joseph,” declared President Gordon B. Hinckley, “there has been a tremendous cascade of enlightenment poured out upon the world… The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit…’” (Joel 2:28-29).
“There has been more of scientific discovery during these years than during all of the previous history of mankind. Transportation, communication, medicine, public hygiene, the unlocking of the atom, the miracle of the computer, with all of its ramifications, have blossomed forth, particularly in our own era. During my own lifetime,” President Hinckley concluded, “I have witnessed miracle after wondrous miracle come to pass. We take it for granted.”[3]
The Lord promised in the latter days to gather Israel and that the gospel shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations.[4] The witness to all nations has benefitted greatly by advancements and technology of the last days resulting in the missionary message that the fullness of the gospel has been restored to the earth spreading forth at an ever-increasing pace. For example, the first missionary of the newly organized Church of Christ, Samuel Smith, left the Palmyra, New York, area in the summer of 1830, with a knapsack on his back, filled with copies of the recently published Book of Mormon. He traveled by foot to nearby towns declaring his testimony of the Restoration. Soon thereafter, additional missionaries followed in his footsteps and then boarded brightly painted packet boats on the Erie Canal. The Erie Canal was an amazing engineering feat that linked with other transportation improvements—the railroad car and the steamboat—which together provided the needed resources to journey from Buffalo to New York City. Consequently, towns and villages all along their path were more easily accessible to missionaries. Sturdy ships capable of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from Boston, New York City, and other American ports transported missionaries to Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, the European continent, to the South Pacific Islands, and beyond. As years and decades quickly passed missionaries took the message of the Restoration to many areas of the world by traveling in trains on railways, automobiles on paved interstate roads, and jet airliners through the atmosphere.
After centuries of improvements and progress in printing books, especially the Bible, copies of the Book of Mormon first came from individual lead letter pieces of type tediously set by hand to be inked for printing. After the type had been set, each sheet was printed on what was then a most modern state-of-the-art Acorn Hand Press and hung to dry. It appears that the Lord intervened to have this new modern press in E. B. Grandin’s print shop located in the village of Palmyra, New York, situated a few miles from where the Book of Mormon plates had been secreted—the Hill Cumorah—and the home of their translator—the Prophet Joseph Smith. Ultimately, five thousand copies of the Book of Mormon were printed in E. B. Grandin’s shop. This, then new modern press, was soon replaced by newer and more efficient presses. The earth was beginning to be flooded with copies of the Book of Mormon testifying that Jesus is the Christ and persuading all to repent and obey the laws of Christ’s gospel. Today copies of latter-day and ancient scripture – the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price—rapidly fly from high speed presses. Digital copies of the scriptures and other Church materials, both written, audio, and video, are downloaded daily to home computers, laptops, and handheld devices.
In the 1830s friends and family wrote letters with ink and paper to their loved ones to communicate their joy and testimony of the restored gospel. Today, earlier weariless mail carriers have been joined by electronic messages via the internet in spreading the good news. Telephones are able to connect anywhere that individuals have cell phone service. Thousands of returned missionaries communicate regularly via an iPad, smart phone, or other technological marvels with individuals they met while serving across the globe. Prophetic and apostolic messages have been broadcast over radio, then television, followed by satellite and internet, to the far reaches of the earth. Missionary training centers have been set up in many locations preparing young and old to serve as capable ambassadors of Christ and his Church. Many are aided by the Spirit of God to learn foreign languages and acquire skills to better communicate the greatest message since the resurrection of the Son of God was declared by angels in the meridian of time. Regarding the Lord’s hand in the explosion of technological advances, Elder David A. Bednar shared:
The Lord is hastening His work, and it is no coincidence that these powerful communication innovations and inventions are occurring in the dispensation of the fulness of times. Social media channels are global tools that can personally and positively impact large numbers of individuals and families. And I believe the time has come for us as disciples of Christ to use these inspired tools appropriately and more effectively to testify of God the Eternal Father, His plan of happiness for His children, and His Son, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world; to proclaim the reality of the Restoration of the gospel in the latter days; and to accomplish the Lord’s work.[5]
These transportation and communication marvels may be looked at from multiple perspectives. For example, one might view that the Lord’s determination to specifically spread the message of the restoration of His gospel has also blessed millions of others in their mortal lives. On the other hand, one might take the perspective that the Lord blessed millions of his children and as an additional blessing the restoration of the gospel has also benefitted. Regardless of one’s perspective the recognized influence of providence on history via advancements in transportation and communication is the ultimate conclusion.
Righteousness to Spread over the Earth
Even more significant than technological progress the Lord promised His servants, “I have kept in store a blessing such as is not known among the children of men, and it shall be poured forth upon their heads. And from thence men shall go forth into all nations” (D&C 39:15). This blessing was first bestowed upon early Saints, who gathered to the Ohio. Obedient to the Lord’s command, they built a temple in which they could be “endowed with power from on high” (D&C 38:32). To those that went forth proclaiming the restoration of the gospel, Lord promised, “I will go before your face, I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88). In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland temple, the Prophet Joseph Smith importuned: “And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them; and from this place they may bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand to fulfill that which was spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days” (D&C 109:22–23; emphasis added). The labor of taking the gospel to all the world has continued since the early days of the restoration, declared by those that have been endowed in the houses of the Lord. The Spirit of God that attends his servants is more powerful than all the magnificent technological advances with which we have been blessed. Tens of thousands of missionaries study the scriptures to first obtain the word of God. Then, as they are worthy and seek the Spirit of God, it is poured out upon them, fulfilling the Lord’s promise, “You shall have my Spirit and my word, yea the power of God unto the convincing of men” (D&C 11:21). In many instances, as needed, these emissaries of the Lord are further blessed in communicating in a foreign tongue, testifying to the gift of speaking in tongues.
All of these blessings combine in the Saints’ efforts to fulfill the Savior’s command that “the word may go forth unto the ends of the earth… For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power” (D&C 90:9, 11).
Although not yet fulfilled, the Church of Jesus Christ will be established in every nation and among every kindred and people. Through divine providence, the influence of the Savior’s gospel will spread worldwide inspiring millions to good works and establishing the Savior’s kingdom and His righteousness. This destiny was made clear more than two thousand five hundred years ago, when Daniel interpreted the dream of the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel explained that following ages of successive empires and kingdoms in Asia and Europe, “shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but shall consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44). Referring to Daniel’s prophecy and the latter-day restoration of priesthood keys the Lord explained and confirmed that “the keys of the kingdom are committed unto man on earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as a stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth” (D&C 65:2).
As cited earlier, the Lord revealed to the prophet Enoch his plan for establishing his kingdom preparatory for his return. “Righteousness will I send down out of heaven,” God declared; “and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men” (Moses 7:62). President Ezra Taft Benson explained,
The Lord promised, therefore, that righteousness would come from heaven and truth out of the earth. We have seen the marvelous fulfillment of that prophecy in our generation. The Book of Mormon has come forth out of the earth, filled with truth, serving as the very ‘keystone of our religion’ (see Introduction to the Book of Mormon). God has also sent down righteousness from heaven. The Father Himself appeared with His Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The angel Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, and numerous other angels were directed by heaven to restore the necessary powers to the kingdom. Further, the Prophet Joseph Smith received revelation after revelation from the heavens during those first critical years of the Church’s growth. These revelations have been preserved for us in the Doctrine and Covenants.[6]
The restoration of the fullness of the gospel and its spread across the entire earth are part of the Lord’s plan for the last days and his hand is plainly manifest in that work. The earth must both be cleansed of wickedness and righteousness must be established to prepare for the Lord’s return and the Millennium. With reference to his intervention to establish righteousness in that last days, the Lord revealed to Enoch, “righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth.” (Moses 7:62).
Tribulations of the Last Days and Providential Wisdom
It is easy to see challenges and even reason for despair within the prophesied and fulfilled tribulations of the last days. However, the influence of providential wisdom shines through the Lord’s hand in these tribulations and his commands to the members of his church. While some may see great destructions, such as wars, famine, and pestilence, as evidence that there is no God overseeing humanity, others are inspired to reach upward and outward in meeting the demands of these tribulations. Indeed, the Lord identified tribulations, such as tempests, earthquakes, hailstorms, famines, and pestilences, as voices by which He calls upon the inhabitants of the earth to repent of their wickedness (see D&C 43:25). President Joseph F. Smith explained, “We believe that his judgments are poured out to bring mankind to a sense of his power and his purposes, that they may repent of their sins and prepare themselves for the second coming of Christ to reign in righteousness on the earth.” Insightfully, he further explained, “We believe that these severe, natural calamities are visited upon men by the Lord for the good of his children, to quicken their devotion to others, and to bring out their better natures, that they may love and serve him.”[7]
In divine understanding and wisdom, God knows that tribulations are a powerful means of overcoming the prophesied love that waxes cold.[8] That is, many will see those in despair and even those whose hearts are failing them, believing that Christ delays his coming until there is no hope, and reach out to help them. It may even be reasoned that the greater the number and intensity of the tribulations, the greater the good that will be manifest as others “bring out their better natures” to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees” (D&C 81:5). Thus, humanitarian response to natural and man-caused crisis is one additional means of more clearly seeing providence in the history of the last days. God’s influence and inspiration for simple good acts even in the midst of tribulation influences greater outcomes in the larger picture.
The Savior’s teachings regarding the conditions of the Kingdom of God at the time of his coming were encapsulated in three parables. The last of the Savior’s three parables regarding preparation for the Second Coming dealt with his “admonition to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and those in prison” (see Matthew 25:35-36).
The Lord explained that his command to care for the poor and needy was not to be fully fulfilled by the efforts of single acts of kindness, as important as they are. Rather, this effort was to be accomplished by the combined consecrated efforts of all the Saints. To that end Christ commanded that early Church leaders establish a “storehouse for the poor of my people” (D&C 78:3). He further revealed that by preparing in this seemingly small way to care for the poor the time would come in which “through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you, that the church may stand independent above all other creatures beneath the celestial world” (D&C 78:14). Consequently, Church leaders established the United Firm to oversee the care of the poor, as well as the publishing of church materials, and the building of the New Jerusalem. From the beginning of the United Firm the Lord made known that “this order I have appointed to be an everlasting order unto you and unto your successors” (D&C 82:20).
Through the years that have passed since the preliminary efforts to organize the United Firm to care for the poor and needy, the ability of the Saints to fulfill the Lord’s commands has continually increased and spread to touch more lives. The original storehouse for the poor consisted of a simple, small, first floor room in Newel K. Whitney’s store in Kirtland, Ohio. After decades of growth and development the Church’s welfare and humanitarian programs reach out to meet the needs of many individuals worldwide. The Church’s efforts to reach out to the needy also extend across the earth to those who are not members. On November 2, 1996, “the First Presidency announced the establishment of Latter-day Saint Charities, a charitable, nonprofit corporation designed to help the Church deliver humanitarian aid to poor and needy people of the world.”[9] Since that time LDS Charities have emphasized many initiatives in these efforts, such as improving agricultural techniques, projects to provide wheel chairs, neonatal resuscitation and new mother training, clean water, vision care, immunizations, developed nutritional foods, and organized to deliver humanitarian aid in response to emergencies.[10]
When latter-day conditions continued to deteriorate in the world with wars and rumors of wars spreading further throughout the globe, LDS Charities’ emphasis expanded to the resultant refugee crisis. God’s hand inspired hearts to reach out and receive those in desperate need changing what otherwise history might have recorded with even more dire consequences. In 2016, Elder Patrick Kearon, of the Seventy, explained:
There are an estimated 60 million refugees in the world today, which means that “1 in every 122 humans … has been forced to flee their homes,”[11] and half of these are children.[12] It is shocking to consider the numbers involved and to reflect on what this means in each individual life. My current assignment is in Europe, where one and a quarter million of these refugees have arrived over the last year from war-torn parts of the Middle East and Africa.[13] We see many of them coming with only the clothes they are wearing and what they can carry in one small bag. A large proportion of them are well educated, and all have had to abandon homes, schools, and jobs.
Under the direction of the First Presidency, the Church is working with 75 organizations in 17 European countries. These organizations range from large international institutions to small community initiatives, from government agencies to faith-based and secular charities. We are fortunate to partner with and learn from others who have been working with refugees around the world for many years.[14]
Correspondingly, Sister Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, confirmed that “miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need.”[15] She reflected upon and recounted the power of the Lord’s agents in the lives of those in need, again confirming that “out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33):
We hear so many stories of neighborly love shown among people when catastrophe strikes. For example, when the city of Houston suffered a massive flood last year, people forgot about their own needs and went to the rescue. An elders quorum president sent a call for help to the community, and a fleet of 77 boats was quickly organized. Rescuers went around the affected neighborhoods and transported whole families to one of our meetinghouses, where they received refuge and much needed help. Members and nonmembers worked together with one purpose.
In Santiago, Chile, a Relief Society president had the desire to help immigrants in her community who had come from Haiti. By counseling together with her priesthood leaders, she and other leaders came up with the idea to offer Spanish classes to those immigrants, helping them integrate better into their new home. Every Saturday morning, missionaries gather together with their eager students. The feeling of unity in that building is an inspiring example of people from diverse backgrounds serving with one accord.
In Mexico, hundreds of members traveled for hours to help the survivors of two major earthquakes. They came with tools, machinery, and love for their neighbor. As volunteers gathered together in one of our meetinghouses waiting for instructions, the mayor of the city of Ixhuatán broke down in tears as he saw such a manifestation of “the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47).[16]
Thus, the Lord impacts history through the hearts and hands of those who carry forth the work of ministering to the poor and needy that he exemplified in his own mortal ministry. He explained to his servants, “wherefore, as ye are agents, ye are on the Lord’s errand; and whatsoever ye do according to the will of the Lord is the Lord’s business” (D&C 64:29). With each new day, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints seek to be better prepared to reach those in need. Those efforts will most likely only increase and intensify as the prophesied tribulations of the last days unfold.
Divine Protection in the Last Days
The Lord has promised to provide refuge for his Saints from the attendant tribulations in the last days. This is not to say that those who are the more righteous part of humanity will be spared the consequences of disease, natural disasters, and wars. In 1839 the Prophet Joseph Smith clarified that the Saints will also succumb to the diseases and sicknesses because of the weakness of the flesh. He “explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man… that it is a false idea that the saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer—for all flesh is subject to suffer—and ‘the righteous shall hardly escape;’ still many of the saints will escape—for the just shall live by faith—yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the Saviour has said, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’”[17] This principle is true of all good people on the earth in these last days.
It is significant that in similarity and in contrast regarding the tribulations caused by wickedness and war, the Lord declared, “I have sworn in my wrath, and decreed wars upon the face of the earth, and the wicked shall slay the wicked, and fear shall come upon every man; and the saints also shall hardly escape; nevertheless, I, the Lord, am with them, and will come down from heaven from the presence of my Father and consume the wicked with unquenchable fire” D&C 63:33-34). Relief from tribulation, disease and war for many will be provided through the previously discussed efforts of reaching out to those in need. In addition, safety is and will be found in the stakes of Zion. The Lord repeatedly commanded the Saints to gather to Zion. “Wherefore, seeing that I, the Lord, have decreed all these things upon the face of the earth,” the Savior explained, “I will that my saints should assemble upon the land of Zion…” (D&C 63:36).
Earlier the Lord called for the Saints to “go ye forth into the western countries” to build the city of “the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God” (D&C 45:64, 66). Soon thereafter, the Lord designated that Independence, Missouri, was the place for his temple and the city of the New Jerusalem.[18] In consequence of the Saints’ transgressions and their failure to build a temple and establish Zion, as well as conflict with of many of the old citizens in the area, the Saints were persecuted and expelled from their homes and lands in Jackson County, Missouri.[19] The Savior referred to them as salt that had lost its savor.[20] Following this disappointment, the Lord assured his people that Zion and the future City of the New Jerusalem would “not be moved out of her place, notwithstanding her children are scattered” (D&C 101:17). Further, He expanded their vision regarding Zion. He explained, “I have other places which I shall appoint unto them, and they shall be called stakes, for the curtains or the strength of Zion” (D&C 101:21).
The Lord called upon the Saints to gather to, settle, and build up the city of Far West, Missouri. At that time, He revealed that the “gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from the wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (D&C 115:6). The concept of establishing a place of refuge expanded and the umbrella of safety the Lord promised could extend across the globe as stakes of Zion were organized. Earlier, the Lord had explained that “it shall come to pass among the wicked that every man that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee to Zion for safety. 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” (D&C 45:68-69). The gathering to stakes of Zion will provide a place of peace for the Saints of God in contrast to the wars and tribulations of the world. Thus, the gathering and establishment of stakes of Zion have become one way in which the Lord will intervene in behalf of the righteous throughout the earth.
Direct Divine Intervention in the Last Days
It appears that the most visible evidence of God’s intervention in the historical narrative of last days will be in connection with the temporal salvation of those that fear him and acknowledge his hand. The spiritual fight against wickedness, a war that began in pre-mortality, has moved into the battlefield of mortality. That is, the third part of the hosts of heaven that followed and supported Lucifer led to them being cast out of His presence. These wicked individuals were cast down to the earth.[21] By the means of teaching mortal men of secret combinations of murder to gain wealth and power, the shedding of blood has at various times filled the earth. Spiritual warfare has been made manifest in mortality through murders and wars between nations and peoples.[22]
Nephi saw in vision that in the last days “the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations of the earth” (1 Nephi 14:15). In a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith on Christmas day 1832 the Lord declared that “with sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath , and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6-7).
Biblical and latter-day prophets have given particular attention to the providential intervention attending the appearance of the Messiah to the Jewish remnant gathered to Jerusalem.[23] The Lord revealed through Ezekiel that he will destroy the enemies of the covenant people of Judah after they have gathered again to the lands of their ancient inheritance in Palestine. Referring to the mighty armies of the enigmatic Gog from the area of Magog, the Lord declared that when these people of the “north parts” have gathered together against the land of Israel, “I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him and upon his bands, and upon the people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself: and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:22-23).
More specifically, Zechariah wrote of time in which all nations will gather “against Jerusalem to battle… then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations” (Zechariah 14:2-3). The destruction of lives and property in the land of Jerusalem will be enormous. The Savior referred to it as “the abomination of desolation… concerning Jerusalem” (Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:12, 32). It is evident that the Messiah’s appearance will cause a complete reversal of fortunes for the invading armies, who will have taken two thirds of the land of Jerusalem. Zechariah foretold that the Lord will appear to the Jewish remnant on “the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east… and this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zechariah 14:4, 12).
The Prophet Enoch lived in a time of wars and bloodshed, in which the enemies of the people of God “came to battle against them” (Moses 7:13). The Lord showed Enoch in vision “Satan, and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness; and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced” (Moses 7:26). In the vision of that difficult era before the Noachian deluge Enoch also beheld divine intervention in behalf of the righteous. He testified that he “beheld angels descending out of heaven, bearing testimony of the Father and the Son; and the Holy Ghost fell on many, and they were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion” (Moses 7:27). “Enoch also saw Noah, and his family; that the posterity of the sons of Noah should be saved with a temporal salvation; wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smile upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up” (Moses 7:42).
During the events of the last days, much like in the days of Enoch and Noah, God will once again intervene to raise his people up into heaven and to destroy the wicked. From the extent of the scriptural records we have received it is clear that “the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned” (1 Nephi 22:15). The promise will be fulfilled that the Lord “will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous” (1 Nephi 22:16). In that future day, near the time when the Savior returns to the earth, the wicked will symbolically be bound in bundles as the tares of the earth, ready to be burned.[24] At that time, in likeness to the inhabitants of Enoch’s city of Zion being caught up into heaven before the flood destroyed the wicked in the days of Noah, “the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; and the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their grave shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven” (D&C 88:95-97). Soon thereafter, these individuals will return to the earth with the Savior for his millennial reign of one thousand years.[25] It will be as if the history of the earth has been combined and renewed to have the righteous of all past dispensations on the earth.[26] “It will be a glorious time to be instructed more perfectly in the government of God by Adam, Enoch, Moses, King Benjamin, Caption Moroni, Brigham Young, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and others.”[27]
Isaiah symbolically represented the destruction of the wicked at Christ’s coming as treading upon grapes in a winepress or a wine-vat. Regarding the destruction of the wicked, Isaiah foretold of the Lord returning to the earth red in his apparel, “like him that treadeth in the winefat” (Isaiah 63:2). Referring to the prophesy of Isaiah, the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded in revelation the words of the Lord: “I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me; and I have trampled them in my fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, and their blood I sprinkled upon my garments, and stained all my raiment; for this was the day of vengeance in my heart.” (D&C 133:50-51).
To some the destruction of the wicked may appear to be harsh and problematic to understand. This punishment of the wicked is truly a manifestation of Christ’s divine love. Consider the outrage expressed, when physical or sexual abuse of the innocent victims is discovered. Even greater is the horror, if it is also uncovered, that individuals knew of the ongoing abuse but did nothing to prevent it from continuing. We are devasted that anyone could stand idly by to allow innocent victims to suffer. The Lord will execute his justice and manifest his love by figuratively trampling upon the wicked, removing them from ever again being able to heap sorrows upon the innocent. Lucifer has delighted in commanding human devils, who surrendered their wills to his hatred. His power over men on earth will cease with “the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world” (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:4). In contrast to the demise of Satan’s power, the Lord’s supremacy will grow and increase in the Millennium. “For I will reveal myself from heaven with great power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof,” the Savior declared, “and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand” (D&C 29:11).
Conclusion
One of the reasons that the Lord restored his church to the earth in the last days was so that He, through His Saints, could alleviate the suffering that he knew would attend earthquakes, tsunamis, tempests, pestilences, scourges, and wars. The Church and its members have been blessed to be able to join hands with other peoples and organizations to help with needed commodities such as, food, medical supplies, clothing, hygiene and newborn kits. Opportunities to have the Savior proclaim, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40), will surely abound for all that live in the last days. An admonition and invitation from the Prophet Joseph Smith seems to be appropriate as a call to action that will increase our understanding of the Lord’s hand in history in the last days as we participate in that work: “Therefore, dearly beloved brethren [and sisters], let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed” (D&C 123:17).
The destruction of the wicked in which the Lord’s hand will be made manifest in the eyes of all flesh will surely be counted among the most dramatic and influential in all human history. It appears that the Saints will no longer sing of the Lord’s vengeance upon Pharaoh and his armies as they pursued Moses and the children of Israel.[28] Rather, they will acknowledge that the Almighty laid his hands upon the nations in completing his work and “shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing [a] new song” glorifying and honoring God that “the Lord hath redeemed his people” (D&C 84:98-99). “And they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever” (D&C 133:56).
Endnotes
[1] See Joel 2; Matthew 24:1-30; Joseph Smith-Matthew 1:28-33; D&C 29:14-21; 45:14-44; 87; 88:87-94; Moses 7:60-66.
[2] For a more exhaustive discussion of technology and the divine intervention, see chapters 1 and 9 of this volume, by Merrill J. Bateman and Sherilyn Farnes, respectively. Many of the ideas shared in this section were explored by the author in his volume, Refuge From the Storm: Living in the Last Days, (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Communications, Inc, 2012). Also note that in the volume entitled, Window of Faith: Latter-day Saint Perspectives on World History, Roy A. Prete, ed., et al, (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2005), Latter-day Saint scholars from various disciplines identified significant events that prepared the way for the restoration of the gospel and eventually taking that message and the Church of Jesus Christ to all the world.
[3] President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, November, 2001,4-5.
[4] Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:31; also see LDS Topical Guide, “Israel, Gathering of.”
[5] https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/to-sweep-the-earth-as-with-a-flood?lang=eng
[6] Ensign, Nov. 1986, 79–80.
[7] Gospel Doctrine, 55.
[8] See Matthew 24:12; Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:30; D&C 45:27.
[9] R. Scott Lloyd, “1996: Year in Review,” Church News, December 26, 1996.
[10] See Craig James Ostler and Brady Burns, “Development of LDS Humanitarian Aid,” The Worldwide Church: Mormonism as a Global Religion, eds. Michael A. Goodman and Mauro Properzi, (Provo, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, in cooperation with Deseret Book: 2016), 403-424.
[11] See Stephanie Nebehay, “World’s Refugees and Displaced Exceed Record 60 Million,” Dec. 18, 2015, reuters.com.
[12] See “Facts and Figures about Refugees,” unhcr.org.uk/about-us/key-facts-and-figures.html.
[13] See “A Record 1.25 Million Asylum Seekers Arrived in the EU Last Year,” Mar. 4, 2016, businessinsider.com.
[14] https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/refuge-from-the-storm?lang=eng2.
[15] https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/with-one-accord?lang=eng
[16] Ibid.
[17] “Discourse, 29 September 1839, as Reported by James Mulholland,” p. [13], The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September 7, 2018, http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/discourse-29-september-1839-as-reported-by-james-mulholland/2; also see Joseph Smith, History of the Church, 4:11.
[18] See D&C 57:1-3; 84:1-4.
[19] See D&C 97:10-28; 101:1-3.
[20] See D&C 101:39-40.
[21] See Revelation 12:7-9; D&C 29:36-38.
[22] See Moses 5:31, 47-55; Ether 8:7-16.
[23] Greater attention and detail are given to the Savior’s appearances discussed in this section in the volume, Refuge from the Storm, in the chapters “Signs of the Last Hours,” and “Christ’s Appearance to the Jewish Remnant Gathered at Jerusalem,” cited previously.
[24] See D&C 88:94.
[25] See D&C 29:11; 43:29-30; 76:63.
[26] Note that the Prophet Joseph Smith explained, “Christ and the resurrected Saints will reign over the Earth, during the 1000 years, but will not dwell on the Earth. They will visit it when they please, or when it is necessary to govern it.” ("History, 1838–1856, volume D-1 [1 August 1842–1 July 1843]," p. 1431, The Joseph Smith Papers, accessed September 13, 2018, http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-d-1-1-august-1842-1-july-1843/74)
[27] Joseph Fielding McConkie and Craig J. Ostler, Revelations of the Restoration: A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants and Other Modern Revelations, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 330.
[28] See Exodus 14:10-15:12.