"Desolating Scourge"

[Sevenbak]

I'm throwing out this question, given there are some pretty knowledgeable folks on this board. The scriptures tell us repeatedly that a "desolating scourge" (D&C 5:19, D&C 84:58, D&C 97:23, Isa. 28:15, D&C 45:31) will sweep throughout the land. Does this sound like a nuclear thing to anyone? And, if it is, could what is happening in Japan effect us globally? Anyone have any insight on this?

I would add that there have now been 3 different explosions at 3 different facilities. Sounds like it's going to get worse before it gets better. Just thinking aloud here...

[urroner]

It could be, but I honestly believe that too many people will read way too much into things they don't understand and I'm guilty as accused on occasions.

Everytime there has been a big earthquake, volcano eruption, huge hurricane, some war in the middle east, or some great tragedy, I hear Christians, LDS and non-LDS, say that this is sure God-sent evidence of the latter days and that the Second Coming is just right around the corner and my dad has said the same thing, and his dad has said the same thing, so this has been happening since before the start of the 20th century.

First, World War One was the the sure sign that the Second Coming was banging on the door, then it was the Spanish Influenza, then it was the Great Depression, then it was WWII, then it was communism, then it was the rise of Red China, then it was..... The list just goes on and on.

What happened in Japan could be a sign from God or it could just be nature taking her course and mankind just getting caught in the way and nothing more.

[LDS Guy 1986]

It could be, but I honestly believe that too many people will read way too much into things they don't understand and I'm guilty as accused on occasions.

Everytime there has been a big earthquake, volcano eruption, huge hurricane, some war in the middle east, or some great tragedy, I hear Christians, LDS and non-LDS, say that this is sure God-sent evidence of the latter days and that the Second Coming is just right around the corner and my dad has said the same thing, and his dad has said the same thing, so this has been happening since before the start of the 20th century.

First, World War One was the the sure sign that the Second Coming was banging on the door, then it was the Spanish Influenza, then it was the Great Depression, then it was WWII, then it was communism, then it was the rise of Red China, then it was..... The list just goes on and on.

What happened in Japan could be a sign from God or it could just be nature taking her course and mankind just getting caught in the way and nothing more.

I believe that all these disasters are signs of the time, but a sign doesn't mean that God caused it. All it means is that a event happens in the world to show us that the time for the return of Christ is approaching.

Remember that time on Earth is not time on Kolob, if I recall correctly 1,000 years on Earth is one day on Kolob, so we are still somewhere between midnight and 1 am on the second day in Christ perspective. What seems like an imminent sign to us is nothing significant to eternity. Also remember that according to the scriptures times will continue to get steadily worse over the long run from where we are at now before Christ comes. The plagues of Egypt will return and 2/3rds of the world population will die (I think that this will be avian flu, but that is total speculation on my part), we got a lot to still experience before the Second Coming so don't start selling your homes or digging that Armageddon bunker in the backyard.

[TAO]

I would say, living here on the California Coast, we should be watchful... and yet I think even if it did have a major release (like Chernobyl) despite the huge unlikeliness of it, the radiation would probably not travel entirely across the Pacific Ocean. As far as I know, the radiation from Chernobyl was detected approximately 1100 miles away, but the Pacific is I believe about 5000 miles wide. So I don't think the threat is major, though I could be wrong. And again, they also have a pretty decent chance of getting everything under control, if they do, we have nothing to worry about. I worry for the people in Japan though.

[rpn]

I've recently thought that scripture refered to AIDS, or maybe the breakup of the family ---- both of which have been more devastating to family life and the care of children than most other things.

[Sevenbak]

It could be, but I honestly believe that too many people will read way too much into things they don't understand and I'm guilty as accused on occasions.

Everytime there has been a big earthquake, volcano eruption, huge hurricane, some war in the middle east, or some great tragedy, I hear Christians, LDS and non-LDS, say that this is sure God-sent evidence of the latter days and that the Second Coming is just right around the corner and my dad has said the same thing, and his dad has said the same thing, so this has been happening since before the start of the 20th century.

First, World War One was the the sure sign that the Second Coming was banging on the door, then it was the Spanish Influenza, then it was the Great Depression, then it was WWII, then it was communism, then it was the rise of Red China, then it was..... The list just goes on and on.

What happened in Japan could be a sign from God or it could just be nature taking her course and mankind just getting caught in the way and nothing more.

Agreed. People have been expecting it since New Testament times. But we're specifically told that the signs are happening around us. I think it's just a guessing game really, but important to keep in our minds.

[Sevenbak]

I would say, living here on the California Coast, we should be watchful... and yet I think even if it did have a major release (like Chernobyl) despite the huge unlikeliness of it, the radiation would probably not travel entirely across the Pacific Ocean. As far as I know, the radiation from Chernobyl was detected approximately 1100 miles away, but the Pacific is I believe about 5000 miles wide. So I don't think the threat is major, though I could be wrong. And again, they also have a pretty decent chance of getting everything under control, if they do, we have nothing to worry about. I worry for the people in Japan though.

The reason I think of it, is because we get so much many of our finished goods from Asia. If there were a wide scale contamination of the region, it would spread all over the world. JMHO

[Sevenbak]

I've recently thought that scripture refered to AIDS, or maybe the breakup of the family ---- both of which have been more devastating to family life and the care of children than most other things.

I thought about AIDS too, but not recently. Unless it comes back with an unanswered vengance.

Here's a thought in relation to that. One reference to the scourge says "Upon my house shall it begin", or something to that effect. Given the large gay community in Salt Lake, and the push back there is towards the Church, does the scourge begin in Salt Lake if it's AIDS related?

[zerinus]

I'm throwing out this question, given there are some pretty knowledgeable folks on this board. The scriptures tell us repeatedly that a "desolating scourge" (D&C 5:19, D&C 84:58, D&C 97:23, Isa. 28:15, D&C 45:31) will sweep throughout the land. Does this sound like a nuclear thing to anyone?

No.

[Calm]

I thought about AIDS too, but not recently. Unless it comes back with an unanswered vengance.

Unless it comes back? It's never been gone.

http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-africa.htm

Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.5 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. In 2009 around 1.3 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.8 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic 14.8 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.¹

[thesometimesaint]

Probably not nuclear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2gzQU1eoCg

The people who wrote the Scriptures knew nothing of uranium or Einstein.

Ps. the scientist were able to pick up the increased radiation around the world within days of the Chernobyl meltdown. All depends on amounts released over what time frame. The general population of Japan will not be noticeably effected as with radiation sickness, the people working at the nuclear plants OTOH will.

PPs. According to Scripture there is to be an increase in floods (We've seen that), and earthquakes in diverse places(not yet).

[silvermoon383]

The nuclear reactors in Japan won't explode or go Chernobyl on us. They were designed and built differently. The explosions were not nuclear in nature. For more, read here

[thesometimesaint]

silvermoon383:

We're really in uncharted territory here, we just don't know to what extent the containment dome has been damaged. It is doubtful at this point if Chernobyl level event will occur, they are differing types of reactors. However any release of radiation is not good, and an uncontrolled release can/will have catastrophic effects. The Japanese government doesn't evacuate huge numbers of people for no reason, particularly after a major earthquake and tsunami.

[BCSpace]

I would add that there have now been 3 different explosions at 3 different facilities. Sounds like it's going to get worse before it gets better. Just thinking aloud here...

Well I hope no one thinks they are nuclear explosions. However, they are GE Mark I's whcih probably means iirc that the control rods don't automatically fall down into the core in a power failure to shut down the chain reaction because it is a boiling water reactor (BWR) and the control rods have to be lifted in from below.

[Avatar4321]

It could be, but I honestly believe that too many people will read way too much into things they don't understand and I'm guilty as accused on occasions.

Everytime there has been a big earthquake, volcano eruption, huge hurricane, some war in the middle east, or some great tragedy, I hear Christians, LDS and non-LDS, say that this is sure God-sent evidence of the latter days and that the Second Coming is just right around the corner and my dad has said the same thing, and his dad has said the same thing, so this has been happening since before the start of the 20th century.

First, World War One was the the sure sign that the Second Coming was banging on the door, then it was the Spanish Influenza, then it was the Great Depression, then it was WWII, then it was communism, then it was the rise of Red China, then it was..... The list just goes on and on.

What happened in Japan could be a sign from God or it could just be nature taking her course and mankind just getting caught in the way and nothing more.

They are all signs encouraging the people to repent.

[Sky]

The nuclear crisis in Japan is unfortunately getting precariously close to a Chernobyl-like disaster. It is now classed as a level 6 on an international scale of 1 through 7 (7 being the most serious). On Saturday, the situation in Japan was rated at a level 4. Chernobyl was rated as a 7, and the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania was rated as a 5. It wouldn