Extreme Weather, A Call To Repentance?

[Sky]

The whole problem with God calling people to repentance through natural disasters is that very few people believe that God is the cause of those natural disasters. When an earthquake kills 2000 people somewhere, people no longer think "we better repent or God is going to send an earthquake our way" So if this is the reason for earthquakes, then is all that happens is 2000 innocent people have died. Kind of inefficient way to get people to repent don't you think? It seems like God could certainly figure out a better way to shock people into repentance than natural disasters.

Just my thoughts

God uses a much kinder, gentler method to call His children unto repentance – through the pleas of His prophets and apostles yesterday, today and forever.

But more often than not nobody listens to them, and natural disasters (whether they are directly caused by God or not) do have a way of humbling some people and getting them to be less complacent.

I don’t believe that God takes joy out of seeing some of His children dying though natural disasters, even though He doesn’t always stop it from happening.

On the positive side, I know that when natural disasters do happen, they tend to bring out the best in people through service projects and rebuilding and humanitarian efforts.

[Questing Beast]

...Cows are a huge burden on the environment....

I know, I know: LIFE is a huge "burden" on the environment. All that farting going on is going to bring on climate change....

[Commander]

storms and such have been happening from the dawn of time - nothing abnormal.

[bluebell]

storms and such have been happening from the dawn of time - nothing abnormal.

Well, relatively speaking we can have abnormal weather or storms.

I know that in my city we have broken a record for the number of days in a row that the low has been below 40 (we've hit 177 days in a row i believe) and i know the storms produced a record number of tornados in the US in a 24 hour period (i don't remember the exact number but it was more than 300).

[ELF1024]

Every sunrise is a call to repentence, every sunset as well. The existance of the stars in the sky and the moon is a call to repentence.

You can give natural events exaggerated meaning if you want, but all things testify of God, and are therefore proof of his existance, his divine plan, and the need for us to thank him.

[Nathair/|\]

http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2011/05/downside-of-dependence.html

[thesometimesaint]

Questing Beast:

LIFE isn't the problem. It is the burning of the dead once living plants and animals that is the problem.

[Questing Beast]

I doubt that burning fossil fuels amounts to much of a comparison to all that farting by mammals going on! And when the earth farts via volcanic activity the amount of pollution is tremendous. Our puny addition via technology contributes to, but does not cause, the perceived problem with global warming....

[Lightbearer]

My prayers go out to the people in the South who have been visited by, “thundering, lightnings, and tempest.” With that said, when is a storm a natural occurrence of the laws of nature versus when is a storm a testimony sent from God himself as a warning to repent?

Perhaps the most modern admonition that God causes these storms is by Elder Holland’s talk this last general conference.

(Elder Holland April Conference 2011) Brothers and sisters, in general conference we offer our testimonies in conjunction with other testimonies that will come, because one way or another God will have His voice heard. “I sent you out to testify and warn the people,” the Lord has said to His prophets. “[And] after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, … of thunderings, … lightnings, and … tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. …”

Should we treat the weather like an on/off switch like we are forced to do as we listen to Church leaders in high positions give revelation as compared to their opinions?

At least through the observance of my own study it seems like the Church in modern times has distanced themselves from ever claiming a storm is a warning from God.

Biz

I will stick with an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and the scriptures. I think there is pleanty of examples in the scriptures that God does show His wrath with storms, earth quake, and floods. Examples include Noah, also the destructions in the Book of Mormon, and of course the D&C and other scriptures say that often He does speak with destruction when the people are "past feeling" the "still small voice" so I cannot see how you could doubt these things. Is every storm or disaster or peril the wrath of God? Perhaps, perhaps not. But we know from the scriptures that some definately are a result of the wickedness of the people. Does that mean everyone who is killed in storms are wicked? NO absolutely not, some could be, some are not. The Saints will "hardly escape the destructions" that are decreed for the last days. The Prophet Joseph touched on this subject:

(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith Section Four 1839-42, p.162)

"I explained concerning the coming of the Son of Man; also that it is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all flesh is subject to suffer, and "the righteous shall hardly escape;" still many of the Saints will escape, for the just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weakness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and such have transgressed because they have been prayed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and the Savior has said, "Judge not, lest ye be judged." (September 29, 1839.) DHC 4:11.

So while all destructions are not punishments, yet some are and we are warned to be righteous so that if destruction or death overtakes us we will be perpared to abide the trial.

[Calm]

I think anything can be turned into a punishment and anything can be turned into a blessing with God's help. It all depends on how someone chooses to react.

[storminmormonrockwell]

Let me answer the OP clearly.

OF COURSE EXTREME WEATHER IS A CALL TO REPENTANCE. DUH!!! JK

On a more serious note, we of course believe that the weather is controlled by God. We also accept the fact that He has caused natural disasters to come upon the children of men before because of their wickedness. Indeed, in the days of Noah, he caused that a flood so great should come upon the earth that only 8 souls and the animals in the ark were saved. It was this way also in the times of the Book of Mormon where God cause the cities of the Nephite civilization to be burned, buried in the sea, and otherwise destroyed after his death because of his judgements.

We believe, as a church, in a God who does cause violence to come upon the earth, because the earth is filled with violence. He also promises the wicked punishment after the end of this life and suffering before they are allowed to enter into the rest of the Telestial Kingdom -- that they will suffer in mind and in spirit even as Christ did for the sins of the world. Yet, despite these judgements, despite the righteous actions of an angry God both throughout history and after this life, people act all shocked every time they hear, or even have it suggested, that God is going to do something "violent".

Of course these are signs from God. Believe or be damned, lol.

[thesometimesaint]

storminmormonrockwell:

Lots depends of what you believe God is calling you to repent of.

[storminmormonrockwell]

@Sometimessaint: Does it really matter? Man is guilty of sin, and if he doesn't repent, God will smite him by his all mighty hand. This includes, but is not limited to, famines, plagues, fire, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and so on. Period.

End of story.

Yep.

Thanks for playing.

No more to see.

So, the moral is, repent and maybe God will have mercy and choose not to kill us all with an earthquake one of these days. He loves us and doesn't want to have to kill us, so we should honor him by repenting and returning.