Jump to content
Seriously No Politics ×

As A Whirlwind 'it" Shall Come Upon The Earth


Cold Steel

Recommended Posts

After 178 years after the restoration of the gospel, it now appears that we are about to enter unprecedented times of affliction, the kind of "calamities" we've been warned of since Joseph Smith began his mission. This nation has spent its strength in foreign wars and is on the brink of bankruptcy. Enemies are acquiring nuclear weapons and geologists warn that pressures are past the critical point along the world's most dangerous faults.

In 1979, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said in genral conference: "Peace has been taken from the Earth, the angels of destruction have begun their work, and their swords shall not be sheathed until the Prince of Peace comes to destroy the wicked and usher in the great Millennium. There will be earthquakes and floods and famines. The waves of the sea shall heave themselves beyond their bounds, the clouds shall withhold their rain, and the crops of the earth shall wither and die. There will be plagues and pestilence and disease and death. An overflowing scourge shall cover the earth and a desolating sickness shall sweep the land. Flies shall take hold of the inhabitants of the earth, and maggots shall come in upon them. (See D&C 29:14-20.) â??Their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their socketsâ? (D&C 29:19). (Stand Independent above All Other Creatures, Ensign (CR), May 1979, p.92.)

In closing this delightful topic, he prayed: "O God, our Father, wilt thou grant us peace and security and safety in the days of tribulation that shall come like a whirlwind upon all the Earth."

The "whirlwind" aspect of impending judgment comes only from latter-day scripture and is not present in any of the ancient scriptures that I can tell, not even those translated by Joseph Smith. There are three primary references:

D&C 63:6: Wherefore, verily I say, let the wicked take heed, and let the rebellious fear and tremble; and let the unbelieving hold their lips, for the day of wrath shall come upon them as a whirlwind, and all flesh shall know that I am God.

D&C 97:22: For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?

D&C 112:24-26: Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

This final one is most intriguing.

I've often wondered what this "whirlwind" could be. Could it be an earthquake that begins in the Utah basin and spreads in all directions? Or could a nuclear military strike begin there? Other times I've wondered if the United States could be the "Lord's House" and the whirlwind an economic collapse that could destroy the markets of the world?

I seriously don't know, but it sounds devastating. It also impresses me that this is just one of the examples of the scriptural consistancies that pop up in Joseph Smith's revelations and is very similar to the same type of consistencies found in the Book of Mormon as certain themes are repeated and referenced in a way that would be very difficult to do if generating the book from scratch, without a modern word processor.

But that's another thread. McConkie continues:

It may be, for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts that surely shall be. And so we raise the warning voice and say: Take heed; prepare; watch and be ready. There is no security in any course except the course of obedience and conformity and righteousness. For thus saith the Lord: â??The Lordâ??s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; â?¦ Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her,â? saith the Lord. (D&C 97)

Without prophets, there is little the Lord could do to save His people, except to remove them before the tribulation, which some EVs are counting on. (In fact, I'm pretty sure that's how the concept was born. There is no other way.) Wilford Woodruff said in his day that the destroying angels had already left the portals of heaven and were poised over the land. From that day forth, he warned, destructions will continue and accelerate.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? What could the whirlwind be?

atomic_blast_south_christmas_island_06-09-1962.jpg

As a whirlwind it shall come upon the face of the Earth....

.

Link to comment

I've considered that it might have been fulfilled, but rejected it because it's continued to be cited by leaders of the church long after that dark period. Heber C. Kimball said in January 1861, just before the great war over secession:

The nations are already convulsed. Not only the United States, but many of the European nations are feeling the effect of the judgments of the Almighty; and they will continue to be afflicted more and more, until the above revelations are fulfilled. There is no evading the judgments of the Almighty; their only escape is in obedience to the Gospel we have to preach. But do they believe what we have said? No, they do not believe a word of it; and therefore there is but little hope in their case.

Brethren and sisters, let your hearts be open to receive the word of truth, that the Spirit of the most High may be in you as a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. God bless you for ever, and all those that hear these sayings and will render obedience unto the law of God. Peace be upon the righteous, that they may multiply and increase in wisdom and knowledge. I know, as well as I know that I am here, that the Priesthood will be taken from those who dishonour it; for they have no power to hold the oracles of God who do wickedly. They may not all be cut off from the tree, but they are dead, and the Spirit of God does not dwell with them, and therefore there is no life in them. (Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 6, 1861. Reported by J. V. Long; Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 8:, p.334)

That war was followed, of course, just as the Revelation on War stated, by war being poured out upon all nations. World War I and II followed and the world has not been at peace since. Still, in 1941, as the storm clouds of war began to amass again, President Lee told the following story, which he retold for years afterwards:

It was in August of that same year [1936] that, with Brother Mark Austin of the General Committee, I had driven down to St. George and then back across the mountains to Richfield for an early morning meeting. At that time there was an upturn in business, so much so that some were questioning the wisdom of this kind of activity, and why hadn't the Church done it before now?

There came to me, in that early morning hour, a distinct impression that was a real as though someone had spoken audibly, and this was the impression that came and has stayed with me through these years: There is no individual in the Church who knows the real purpose for which the program then launched had been intended, but hardly before the Church has made sufficient preparation, that reason will be made manifest; and when it comes, it will challenge every resource of the Church to meet it.

I trembled at the feeling that came over me. Since that day that feeling has driven me on, night and day, hardly resting, knowing that this is God's will, this is his plan. The only thing necessary today is that the Latter-Day Saints everywhere recognize these men who sit here on the stand as the fountainheads of truth, through whom God will reveal his will, that his Saints might be preserved through an evil day." (Conference Report, April 1941, Afternoon Meeting, p.121.)

This evil day has not yet hit, but the United States stands before economic ruin. Social Security is broke, baby boomers are coming to retirement age, companies are laying off massive numbers of people just before they can retire with benefits, and wars are draining this country's coffers. Also recall that Elder McConkie referenced the whirlwind as something still to come. Terrorists are acquiring nuclear weapons and biological weapons so terrifying that few people have any clue. Finally, we've yet to experience the sixth seal earthquake, which will probably break this nation's monetary system (if it isn't already broken). That earthquake will come just prior to the Seventh Seal and more devastating wars.

Finally, Elder Spencer W. Kimball declared in 1965:

My beloved brothers and sisters and friends: From the impressive keynote talk of President McKay, nearly every speaker has dwelt on the home and human behavior in total or in part in spite of the fact that no one knew what others were speaking about. This would point out to me that there is a great universal problem and that the Lord is inspiring his servants to warn the world before the whirlwind strikes.

We were driving north on an Oklahoma highway and noted the afternoon sun going out of sight behind the clouds. The grayness got deeper and more ominous. We said, "It looks like a storm brewing." As darkness increased and the winds began to howl, we said, "This storm will be violent." As it broke with all its hellish fury we said, "This rain and wind have become a raging whirlwind!" (Conference Report, April 1965, Afternoon Meeting, p.60.)

So it's wishful thinking to believe the prophecies were fulfilled. Elder Kimball clearly described the warnings leading up to the whirlwind. Just as one can tell when a storm is coming, one may also detect the seasons, which was the whole point behind Matthew 24.

Edited: Just found this interesting article from the Associated Press:

Annie Sims, the preacher's wife, delivered the prophecy at a prayer meeting late in December: ''The Lord said He was going to send a tornado [whirlwind], and many shall die,'' she recalled, saying that God spoke through her during the prayer service. ''He was going to send His fury and vengeance on the people.'' So 17 members of the Repairer of the Breach Church of God in Christ gathered at their small church, a converted two-story frame house, on Jan. 3 to await the wrath of God. They have been waiting ever since.

The article, which was printed in the NY Times, goes on to explain the emotional havoc this has caused in the church and the community. Still, it may very well be that non-LDS people can prophesy just as well as we can, though perhaps not with as much detail or understanding.

.

Link to comment

After 178 years after the restoration of the gospel, it now appears that we are about to enter unprecedented times of affliction, the kind of "calamities" we've been warned of since Joseph Smith began his mission. This nation has spent its strength in foreign wars and is on the brink of bankruptcy. Enemies are acquiring nuclear weapons and geologists warn that pressures are past the critical point along the world's most dangerous faults.

In 1979, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said in genral conference: "Peace has been taken from the Earth, the angels of destruction have begun their work, and their swords shall not be sheathed until the Prince of Peace comes to destroy the wicked and usher in the great Millennium. There will be earthquakes and floods and famines. The waves of the sea shall heave themselves beyond their bounds, the clouds shall withhold their rain, and the crops of the earth shall wither and die. There will be plagues and pestilence and disease and death. An overflowing scourge shall cover the earth and a desolating sickness shall sweep the land. Flies shall take hold of the inhabitants of the earth, and maggots shall come in upon them. (See D&C 29:14-20.) â??Their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their socketsâ? (D&C 29:19). (Stand Independent above All Other Creatures, Ensign (CR), May 1979, p.92.)

In closing this delightful topic, he prayed: "O God, our Father, wilt thou grant us peace and security and safety in the days of tribulation that shall come like a whirlwind upon all the Earth."

The "whirlwind" aspect of impending judgment comes only from latter-day scripture and is not present in any of the ancient scriptures that I can tell, not even those translated by Joseph Smith. There are three primary references:

D&C 63:6: Wherefore, verily I say, let the wicked take heed, and let the rebellious fear and tremble; and let the unbelieving hold their lips, for the day of wrath shall come upon them as a whirlwind, and all flesh shall know that I am God.

D&C 97:22: For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?

D&C 112:24-26: Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

This final one is most intriguing.

I've often wondered what this "whirlwind" could be. Could it be an earthquake that begins in the Utah basin and spreads in all directions? Or could a nuclear military strike begin there? Other times I've wondered if the United States could be the "Lord's House" and the whirlwind an economic collapse that could destroy the markets of the world?

I seriously don't know, but it sounds devastating. It also impresses me that this is just one of the examples of the scriptural consistancies that pop up in Joseph Smith's revelations and is very similar to the same type of consistencies found in the Book of Mormon as certain themes are repeated and referenced in a way that would be very difficult to do if generating the book from scratch, without a modern word processor.

But that's another thread. McConkie continues:

It may be, for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts that surely shall be. And so we raise the warning voice and say: Take heed; prepare; watch and be ready. There is no security in any course except the course of obedience and conformity and righteousness. For thus saith the Lord: â??The Lordâ??s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; â?¦ Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her,â? saith the Lord. (D&C 97)

Without prophets, there is little the Lord could do to save His people, except to remove them before the tribulation, which some EVs are counting on. (In fact, I'm pretty sure that's how the concept was born. There is no other way.) Wilford Woodruff said in his day that the destroying angels had already left the portals of heaven and were poised over the land. From that day forth, he warned, destructions will continue and accelerate.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? What could the whirlwind be?

atomic_blast_south_christmas_island_06-09-1962.jpg

As a whirlwind it shall come upon the face of the Earth....

.

I think the usage of the word "whirlwind" is a simple way of saying a whole lot of things will hit at the same time.

:P

Link to comment

After 178 years after the restoration of the gospel, it now appears that we are about to enter unprecedented times of affliction, the kind of "calamities" we've been warned of since Joseph Smith began his mission. This nation has spent its strength in foreign wars and is on the brink of bankruptcy. Enemies are acquiring nuclear weapons and geologists warn that pressures are past the critical point along the world's most dangerous faults.

I see two different kinds of calamities.

First, there are the political and social calamities you mention. "This nation has spent its strength in foreign wars and is on the brink of bankruptcy. Enemies are acquiring nuclear weapons...." To this I say, we've been through this before. At one time it seemed the Civil War was the fulfillment but we came through it a changed and bettered nation. Then maybe it was WWII. Then there was the '60s and Vietnam. Now we have George Bush's dumbass war. This kind of thing happens but we get through it and we probably will get through again.

Second, there's the natural calamities. As a matter of probability it could happen at any time. A massive earthquake, or a comet coming straight for us, or another ice age (or global warming). This is a sword that's been hanging over us since before we evolved and it doesn't take a revelation or a prophet to say that someday there could be a disaster that brings about the collapse of civilization.

Link to comment

Anyway, what are your thoughts? What could the whirlwind be?

I was minding my own business one day on the internet while reading about the current budget and trade deficits, about the falling --soon to collapse U.S. dollar, and a host of other banking and federal reserve created snafus when I came across a concept known as Peak oil (PO). The oil crash

If one agrees that oil is finite, and that we have used up a good portion (about half) of the cheaply extracted oil, and that oil is literally the lifeblood of our "civilization", then it doesn't require too much prognosticating to see that we are going to enter a stage of terminal decline in the energy sources that we depend on for everything that sustains us and (oil, Natural Gas and Coal) that nature has been storing up in the earth for millions and millions of years never to be replaced in our lifetimes or our children's lifetimes going forward a thousand generations.

I see this as the most catacylismatic event in the history of humankind. The carrying capacity of the earth has been artificially stimulated and pumped up (currently at 6.5 billion humans) and improved only by the petroleum based inputs that we use to fertilize, farm and transport these foods around the world. Once those oil inputs become increasingly more expensive, the world that we once recognized will start to slowly degrade right before our eyes.

I see a potential "die-off" happening die-off affecting (killing) billions and plunging the world's now global and interdependant societies into economic and societal collapse.

Anyway, it is a bit of a downer and a rather gloomy prospect, especially if you don't believe that a Savior man will come down to intervene and save us from our ourselves. I guess it is time to take the church's advice and get that food storage chock full.

Link to comment

War + Wrong new President + overall Underestimations + Bad decisions = Can Of Worms. 0dae2a1a.gif

Link to comment

The whole idea behind the imagery of the whirlwind is that when it comes, it will come suddenly and be devastating in its ferocity. It will be something worse than anything that's gone on before and will require the church's full assets to weather. The pressures building up along the fault lines of the world, coupled with global warming and unparalled corruption in organized crime and government (unorganized crime) bring entirely new dangers. The tsunami a few years ago has another shoe ready to fall that will decimate the west coast of Alaska, Canada and the northwest U.S. Meanwhile, rising water levels in oceans worldwide endanger coastal cities everywhere. (These levels are rising much faster than originally forecast.)

And take a look at the Glenn Back interview with U.S. Comptroller General David Walker (GAO). Very frightening stuff.

.

Link to comment

And take a look at the Glenn Back interview with U.S. Comptroller General David Walker (GAO). Very frightening stuff.

.

53 Trillion dollars? That's a lot of tacos. But what is more worriesome?

510_www3.jpg

Link to comment

I read a health book printed sometime in the early 1900s. It stated that the scientists had developed a synthetic vitamin D which cause rampant diabetes.

Now I read that synthetic vitamin D helps defer diabetes. Joseph Smith stated in the first lines of the 89th section of the D&C:

4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelationâ??

Link to comment

Expectations of imminent apocalyptic events and the fulfilment of prophesy have a long history, and are wisely viewed in historical perspective.

To acquire such perspective, one might read early LDS patriarchal blessings, such as the many recently compiled and published as a single volume. Early LDS presiding patriarchs such as Joseph Smith, Sr. and his son Hyrum frequently gave blessings promising--unequivocally--that the recipient would remain in mortal life till certain concrete "last days" events occurred--events which still have not occurred well over a century and a half later.

One might also read the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, some of which promise the early saints that "this generation shall not all pass away" before the temple is built in Jackson County, even though by any definition that generation has all passed away.

Or one might read the Book of Revelation, in combination with the Doctrine and Covenants, which jointly predict specific latter-day apocalyptic events at the end of the second millennium after the birth of Jesus. This time appears to have come and gone without the prophecies' fulfilment. And the Book of Revelation famously concludes with Jesus promising, and warning, "I come quickly."

If 1900 years and counting constitutes "quickly" in prophecy, the word "generation" doesn't mean "generation" in any recognizable sense at all, and even the most inspired of patriarchs can make "last days" prophecies and promises that fall entirely flat, any beliefs, hopes, or fears that the apocalyptic events of the last days are imminent should be tempered with the understanding that they have been imminent for centuries, if not millennia.

My point isn't that 'last days' prophecies are false (though I'm personally an open nonbeliever in the supernatural), but, rather, that regardless of whether they are false or true, few things have proved more notoriously difficult for faithful religionists to correctly time and interpret.

The best advice might well be that given by Jesus in the Gospels--if they tell you Christ is in the desert, on a hill, in the temple, etc., etc. (I am riffing a bit), don't believe it. If the scriptural prophecies are true, clearly no one knows how to read them correctly. Find other things to give your attention to and invest your efforts in.

Don

Link to comment

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...