In my study of the book of Mormon this year I have been impacted by the patterns I have discovered of various forms and themes. One of those being a pattern of people fleeing for safety temporally and spiritually. I first noticed this after reading a message from President Nelson in the April 2020 Ensign. In his message to members of the church, titled "Future of the Church: Preparing the world for the Savior's second coming", he tells us...
"The time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be separated from those who do.(D&C 86:1-7) Our safest insurance is to be worthy to attend His holy house. The greatest gift you could give the Lord is to keep yourself unspotted from the world, worthy to attend His holy house. His gift to you will be the peace and security of knowing you are worthy to meet Him whenever that time comes."
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2020/04/the-future-of-the-church-preparing-the-world-for-the-saviors-second-coming?lang=eng
So a separation is coming and the divide will be determined by obedience to the Lord. This year we have also seen an emphasis on the phrase "Hear Him!", referring to hearing the voice of the Savior in our own personal efforts to receive, as invited by President Nelson recently, personal revelation. I have got my work cut out for me to hear my Savior. It was something I had personally embraced several months ago in preparation for General Conference back in April. Now life seems to be coasting a bit in this limbo of the Corona virus pandemic, and distractions and life's stresses abound.
As I read this paragraph from President Nelson's ensign address, I thought about what I had been reading of Lehi and Nephi being warned of the Lord to flee for the safety of them and their families.
Here we are months later and I have seen how the Lord continues to separate his people for their protection through out the following chapters of the book of Mormon. Is this what we are preparing for? I have heard that there will not be a warning or a "call out" given by the leadership of the church when we are to gather to "Zion" or the New Jerusalem. That may be true to an extent, in that there must be spiritual preparation done on our own part. I wondered if I were to receive a warning to "flee for safety" with my family, what that process and experience would be like. That contemplation was met with a bit of anxiety. Haven't the leaders said as we gather to Zion that the stakes of Zion are where we reside? But yet there will be a gathering in a future day to prepare for the Savior's return to his people at New Jerusalem.
Thanks to a video message I came across a quote from a member out west who shared her study on the prophesied tribulations to come and other latter-day events surrounding the Savior's second coming.
"The Lord has placed the responsibility for directing the work of gathering in the hands of the leaders of the church to whom he will reveal his will where and when such gatherings would take place in the future. It would be well - before the frightening events concerning the fulfillment of all God's promises and predictions are upon us that the saints in every land prepare themselves and look forward to the instruction that shall come to them from the first presidency of this church as to where they shall be gathered and not be disturbed in their feelings until such instruction is given to them as it is revealed by the Lord to the proper authority." (In conference report, April 1948, pg. 55)
The saints must look to the first presidency and gather at whatever time and in whatever manner they prescribe."
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-student-manual/section-29-prepare-against-the-day-of-tribulation?lang=eng&clang=ase
Yes, We MUST prepare ourselves and our families temporally and spiritually for times of trouble. Yes, we must do the work required to obtain the blessings of protection during what trials may lie ahead, but we MUST also look to the leaders of the church, specifically the First Presidency for instruction on fleeing, be it fleeing from physical danger or spiritual. If you look at the pattern in the book of Mormon, Nephi and his siblings along with Sariah received instruction from Lehi, the prophet, prior to fleeing Jerusalem, and so on for each example afterward in the book of Mormon. Direction was given from the Lord to His servants, and then to his people.
Who all has fled for safety thus far in the Book of Mormon?
Lehi and his family fled Jerusalem - 1 Nephi 1:13,20; 1 Nephi 2:1-7(1-3)
Nephi and his family fled Laman and Lemuel - 2 Nephi 5:5-6
King Mosiah I fled the land of Nephi - Omni 1:12
King Limhi and his people fled the Lamanites - Mosiah 22
Alma the elder and the saints of the church fled King Noah and his priests - Mosiah 18:34; 23:1; 24:16, 23
Ammon, his brothers, and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies fled the Lamanites(Amulonites & Amalekites) Alma 27:12-14
To Ammon, the Lord gave this message, concerning the newly converted Lamanite members of the church. He said "Get this people out of this land, that they perish not; for Satan has great hold on the hearts of the Amalekites, who do stir up the Lamanites to anger against their brethren to slay them; therefore get thee out of this land; and blessed are this people in this generation, for I will preserve them." (Alma 27:12)
Do we need to get out of the "land" we currently reside in spiritually in order to receive the promise of the Lord's divine protection? I hope we can prepare ourselves so that we are ready and looking forward to whatever instruction we may receive from our prophet and his counselors when the day comes.
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