Kevinhinckley.com

The Book of Revelations

Winners of the Kid’s Love Ballad Contest

'I Love Hamburgers, I Like You!'“-- Eddie, age 6

"'You Are My Darling Even Though You Know My Sister.'" -- Larry, age 8

"'I Am In Love With You Most of the Time, But Don't Bother Me When I'm With My Friends.'" -- Bob, age 9

"'How Do I Love Thee When You're Always Picking Your Nose?'" -- Arnold, age 10

"'Honey, I Got Your Curly Hair and Your Nintendo On My Mind.'" -- Sharon, age 9

"'Hey, Baby, I Don't Like Girls, But I'm Willing To Forget You Are One!'" -- Will, age 7

Hmmm, they look familiar…

Great Plan ofGreat Plan of

HappinesHappinesss

Our Our JourneyJourney

GreaterGreaterJoyJoy

Brigham Young

Arza Hinckley records that in 1845 he was working down in the rock quarry, in Nauvoo, when Brigham Young walked by. Seeing Arza and another man working to quarry rock for the Nauvoo Temple. President Young remarked:

Boys, we’ve got to finish the temple and move on to the Rocky Mountains. Then, one day, we’ll come back to the center stake.

Arza Hinckley Journal

Question

The early Saints thought the 2nd Coming was imminent. Now, more than150 years later, we still wait.

What signs do we have the 2nd coming is “very close?

Revelation 5 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon

D&C 77Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?  A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.

1 Nephi 1: And it came to pass that [Lehi] …cast himself upon his bed, being overcome with the Spirit… … he was carried away in a vision, even that he saw the heavens open… And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven… And he also saw twelve others following him… …and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read. …And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations! Yea, and many things did my father read concerning Jerusalem—that it should be destroyed…

Question

What does it meant to learn “line upon line” and why is that important in learning the gospel?

The Opening of the SealsThe Opening of the Seals First seal (Rev 6: 1-2)  

Adam and Eve; EnochSecond seal (Rev 6:3,4)  

Noah and the Flood.  Third seal (Rev 6:5-6)

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses; the Exodus; judges. 

Fourth seal (Rev 6:7-8)   Reign by kings; kingdoms divided 

Fifth seal (Rev 6:9-11)   Ministry of Jesus Christ, the Apostles; the Apostasy. 

Sixth seal (Rev 6:12-17)   Apostasy; restoration. 

Seventh seal (Rev 20: 1-6)   2nd Coming of the Lord. Millennium . 

Keys

Raphael? (Elder McConkie)

Elias- Gospel of Abraham

Moses- Keys of Gathering of Israel

Elijah- Sealing Power

Key of the Melchiezedek and Aaronic Priesthood

Keys Restored (D&C 110)

Keys and Offerings at AdamOndi Ahman

Orson F. Whitney"'The book which John saw' represented

the real history of the world—what the eye of God has seen, what the recording angel has written; …

"According to received chronology—admittedly imperfect, yet approximately correct—four thousand years, or four of the seven great days given to this planet as the period of its 'temporal existence,' had passed before Christ was crucified; while nearly two thousand years have gone by since.

Consequently, Earth's long week is now drawing to a close, and we stand at the present moment in the Saturday Evening of Time, at or near the end of the sixth day of human history.

Is it not a time for thought, a season for solemn meditation? Morning will break upon the Millennium, the thousand years of peace, the Sabbath of the World!"

(Saturday Night Thoughts, pp4-5)

Now, what is our part?Rev 12:1,2Who is the woman and

the child?Rev 12: 3-17

John's "man child" represented a real political kingdom that was to be John's "man child" represented a real political kingdom that was to be established by God to govern the whole earth.  Brigham Young taught that established by God to govern the whole earth.  Brigham Young taught that this political power actually grows out of the Church.  Speaking of the latter-this political power actually grows out of the Church.  Speaking of the latter-day event, he explained, day event, he explained,

"The Church of Jesus Christ will produce this government, and cause it to "The Church of Jesus Christ will produce this government, and cause it to grow and spread, and it will shield round about the church. And under the grow and spread, and it will shield round about the church. And under the influence and power of the Kingdom of God, the church will rest secure and influence and power of the Kingdom of God, the church will rest secure and dwell in safety…"dwell in safety…"

Elder Holland

There they were, approximately thirty members of the Church meeting in that tiny Peter Whitmer home in Fayette, planning to overthrow the prince of darkness and establish the kingdom of God in all the world. All the world?

What presumption! Were they demented? Had they lost all power to reason? Thirty very average, garden-variety Latter-day Saints willing to work the rest of their lives? To what end? Persecution and pain and maybe thirty more members--for a grand total of sixty?

Perhaps they did see how limited their immediate personal success would be, and maybe they even saw the trouble ahead, but they saw something more. It was all in that business of the influence of the Holy Ghost and heavens being opened to their view. President John Taylor said later of that experience:

A few men assembled in a log cabin; they saw visions of heaven, and gazed upon the eternal world; they looked through the rent vista of futurity, and beheld the glories of eternity; . . . they were laying the foundation of the salvation of this world.[HC 6:295]

Elder Holland I have a theory about those earlier dispensations and the leaders, families, and people who lived then

Those early brethren knew an amazing amount about us. Prophets such as Moses, Nephi, and the brother of Jared saw the latter days in tremendously detailed vision.

Some of what they saw wasn’t pleasing, but surely all those earlier generations took heart from knowing that there would finally be one dispensation that would not fail.

Elder Holland Continues

Ours is the day, collectively speaking, toward which the prophets have been looking from the beginning of time, and those earlier brethren are over there still cheering us on!

In a very real way, their chance to consider themselves fully successful depends on our faithfulness and our victory.

I love the idea of going into the battle of the last days representing Alma and Abinadi and what they pled for and representing Peter and Paul and the sacrifices they made.

If you can’t get excited about that kind of assignment in the drama of history, you can’t get excited!

In ConclusionWe are engaged in a desperate

struggle for the souls of men and women. While not as spectacular as holding the line at Gettysburg or storming the beach on D-Day, it is far more critical.

If we teach a primary class, we are on the front lines. As we work with our own children or someone else, we are standing in the breach.

Quietly, gently, we are preparing warriors for the world’s last, greatest battle.

Winston ChurchillThis is one of the most awe-

striking periods in the long history of France and Britain. .

. Behind us gather a group of shattered States and bludgeoned races: the Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians, the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians-

upon all of whom the long night of barbarism will descend, unbroken even by a star of hope,

unless we conquer, as conquer we must; as conquer we shall.