Show FORWARD A many christian people th throughout the world are looking with deep concern upon the present condition of aff affairs hArs they ard the current drift of events as the near approach of a terrible terri drible blO climax circumstances of a striking character are developing in such oh a way as to cause an their minds of ti a gigantic among the nations which wm spread death and desolation ovar the earth many leading beamen ta te amen 4 en aside fiam religious con bid de durations rations 0 express opinions to the effect act that such a culmination is instable evitable the only question involves trig doubt upon the subject relates olt ly to the time when it shall apen that it will take place is is 14 their hr view a foregone conclusion thus are mens hearts filled with concerning the gloomy project ProPe hect ct ahead As the situation bowa darker and more forbidding their ww clearts will fall fail them f for I 1 or acif I 1 tf of the things that we are coming to afes M jn in fulfilment fulfillment of the pre d gwo of scripture that class of christian people to wha om we have referred associate we late developments of these days y onal and international with j leody y advent of the lord christ the student of the ew testament Tet ament with special ref arence eren ceto to the prophecies of the lord himself can scarcely fall to observe that the record when compared with the present situation reads like history written ahead it Is ie a mistake however as we understand it to expect that what is now transpiring indicates the immediate appearance so to the lord in his power and glory there are certain events end and developments which have to be perfected before that momentous occurrence takes place such for instance as the gathering of the jews in palestine tin and the building rebuilding re of jerusalem on the ancient site of that once glorious city there are also certain future events that thai have to become leeome matters of fact on this continent prior to the coming of 4 the lord as the bridegroom of the church in the present however the fervent and consistent christian beholds with the eye of faith the premonitory symptoms which point to the nearness of certain other developments that will be the immediate precursors of the descent of him whose right it is to reign As an example of the thoughts though tA of a large clim class of people upon this sub subject act and to show that those these views are gaining ground outside the community of latter day saints we here produce an extract from a letter written by a lady now residing in rome italy to her brother in this city athe the atmosphere of europe is i stormy as I 1 need not tell you and I 1 watch with deep interest passing events if it could be that we were spared the horrors of a 9 great war how thankful should I 1 bel be but at present it hangs over us like a great black cloud I 1 also look for the coming of the lord jesus but have few to whom I 1 can speak of it yet I 1 have some friends at a distance to whom I 1 can write of it among them a very scholarly and devout clergyman of the church of england certainly the signs of the times given by our lord could hardly be clearer than they are just now one thought comforts me that the struggle will be short for the elect elects a sake those days will be shortened the pope is now 1 in n very close quarters treated as a subject amenable to the common law of italy his indignation knows no bounds yet he is helpless I 1 daily wait to see if he will not remove to some other place placate as I 1 know he thinks of doing but there are curties in the way and he be may possibly wait until some commotion may force him away distress and anguish are increasing among the people and the government does not know where to look for the money to finish their wax war preparations flour and salt have already been touch touched yet there is talk of another wt salt tax beginning next month so we began 1889 I 1 shut my eyes and ears as much as I 1 candor I 1 am unable to cope with the misery and of course I 1 am doing what I 1 can the prophet joseph smith declared that these were the latter times the age of the great occurrences which would immediately precede the coming of jesus christ this fact like many others enunciated by him is being recognized by a large elms class of devout and thoughtful christians without respect to sect or denomination the they base their conclusions upon the predict predictions ionA of scripture it may be confidently expected that this manifestation of faith regarding the most important incident in relation to this earth thit that has yet taken place will increase and spread as time rolls on |