Come Follow Me: Doctrine and Covenants 133-134
It was the April 2020 General Conference and just a few months into a global pandemic. We were marking the 200th anniversary of Joseph Smith’s first vision. The morning of Conference I was startled awake by my mom saying to hurry and get up. We practically ran downstairs and she handed me a tissue. When we got to the living room, I saw that General Conference was on. On the tv screen was the Prophet waving a piece of white fabric in the air. As I looked around, I saw all the other members of my family doing the same. My barely functioning morning brain immediately started thinking, “Oh my gosh, the Second Coming is here. What is happening! Am I about to walk outside and see angels and Jesus Christ in my cul-de-sac!?” I can safely say that was not what followed this event. I was later told that what we had done was called the Hosanna Shout. It actually had nothing to do with the Savior’s second coming, but it did make me realize something . . . I was definitely not prepared for the Hosanna Shout, but I hope that when the second coming really does happen that I am prepared for it. I don’t want to feel confused or be surprised.
Some ways I can prepare for the Savior’s return are by reading the scriptures and learning about the signs we will see before the Second Coming. Praying and reading and listening to Conference talks will also help me to be ready. Even though the first time I thought the Second Coming was here I was a little shocked and definitely unprepared, I am really excited for this day to come! It means that complete peace will finally be on the Earth. Not only that, but the world will become perfect and we will be reunited with our Heavenly Father once again! At first, I kind of thought it was weird to be excited about the terrestrial world as coming to a close, however, while asking about the Second Coming I found something super interesting! In Matthew 6, Christ is instructing us on how to pray and in verse 10 he talks about how we should pray for the kingdom to come. This means Christ and Heavenly Father want us to be excited about the Second Coming and to actually pray for it! I want to close with a quote about the Second Coming from Elder Neil L Andersen, “Our faith grows as we anticipate the glorious day of the Savior’s return to the earth… It will be breathtaking! The scope and grandeur, the vastness and magnificence, will exceed anything mortal eyes have ever seen or experienced.” As members of the church, we get the blessing to help prepare the world for this day and I am so grateful for that.
