| Show LOOKING FORWARD falth fal ua saints are looking forward to gigantic changes and revolutions in the affairs of nations they are at the doors doers they also anticipate numerous and pronounced changes within their own community the one class of et progressive events is to the other the whole is to be crown crowned edwith with the greatest culminating event connected with this creation in its temporal state the coming of christ it is held that the revolutionary epoch upon which the earth may be said to have already entered is necessary as a preparation for the second advent of the savior as there is to be a tremendous reduction ot of the human forces that are opposed to the genius of his government and an increase of that class of people who will be ready to welcome his appearance that when be shall come he may find faith on the earth numerous agencies will qui operate to prod produce uce the mw manx preparatory changes g ea the they are defined in the revelations to the barch church and their introductory conditions or strong premonitory symptoms already exist and will continue cen to develop until all human things will be in commotion the nations will be wasted by war in which all of them will engage secret combinations seeking to overthrow social and political i tion will disturb the governments classes will clash with each otherl other lii lp violence struggling for mastery theearta the earth will pulsate and rock to and fro like a drunken man filling its dwellers wiatt aitu terror and en gul gulp phing bing many in the gaping crevices which snail open with the force of her throes storms will sweep over the sea multi multiplying piling ocean disasters and increasing t the e danger of marine trave almost beyond conception while the warring elements will contribute their fury tor for the promotion of destruction on the land failures of crops will cause gaunt famine to give its quota of affliction lic tion ane nations will W waste a ste away and such a time as has not bee been a will exist refuge from those great calamities will be found fouad among those who receive and obey the fullness of the gospel as revealed anew in this age but they too must be chastened chasteney chast ened and aad bear the chastisement without murmuring for the people of god must have experience i to at them for their high destiny hence the afflictions ot of the Saints that they may lie ae both purified and educated it is interesting to note the growth of belief in relation to the literal coming of christ it has spread considerably of late years aud and is gradually gaining ground there are several causes leading LU lo the me development develop meat and increase of this phase of christian opinion and expectation one is the preaching of the elders of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints it has been proclaimed by them since the org niza tion of the church in 1830 that christ would come before the entire generation living at the time of the revelation of the f alness of the gospel to joseph smith should pass away that is to say there would be mortals living at the time of the second advent who lived at the time cl cf the introduction of the gospel in these latter times they have de described the character of the precursory events and predicted ther their ap appearance ear and ami multiplication ant and as they have spoken so has it developed the signs of the times are at significant they have a striking resemblance to those which christ described as the conditions that would precede ills his coming in power to reign on the earth reflecting Christ christians tans think upon these coincidental conditions and although not possessed of the full blaze of gospel light faith finds a lodging in their hearts and they look for foor the coming of the lord I 1 this may be but the pr preparatory course to lead them to obey the truth as revealed anew W in th Is age the leaven is working this be liebing in the day of the prep preparation aratin of the lo 10 lord rf when the jews gather to their own land a phenomenon that is to precede the second advent of the redeemer doubtless it will have the effect ot of still f further arther increasing the number of those who have faith in the coming of the lord when keople people who have inclinations to ie religious 1 ivious views see one str striking aking predicted event fulfilled it strengthens their anticipation alon of the verification of others in the same connection an inhere interesting inte sling paper called hea messiahs herald ii is published in boston by what is known as the american millennial association it is devoted exclusively to the promotion and spread of belief in the literal and speedy coming of christ and the establishment lish ment of a millennial reign the organization appears to have a wide influence and although it does doeg not possess the gospel in its power we wish it success in its sphere as an aid in spreading faith in a fact of the future that la to startle this generation with its fulfilment fulfillment |
