End Times

[Meadowchik]

A loved one's adult child has left the US saying they are escaping before its imminent collapse. They say this coincides with the anti-Christ being in power, preceeding the end times and Second Coming.

My immediate thoughts are concern for this young person's well being, mental and physical. I've reached out to them and have exchanged messages, but there's only so much I can do. 

In the meantime as a person who lives in Europe I am curious if this type of mood has recently escalated in the US.  For those in the US and ears to the ground, have you heard more recent concerns? More specifically, have you seen an increase in people taking concrete steps to prepare against a collapse of the United States and subsequent Second Coming?

Edited February 9, 2024 by Meadowchik

[smac97]

3 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

A loved ones adult child has left the US saying they are escaping before its imminent collapse. They say this coincides with the anti-Christ being in power, proceeding the end times and Second Coming.

My immediate thoughts are concern for this young person's well being, mental and physical. I've reached out to them and have exchanged messages, but there's only so much I can do. 

I hope things work out for these folks.

3 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

In the meantime as a person who lives in Europe I am curious if this type of mood has recently escalated in the US. 

Broadly speaking, I don't think so.  Election years can be a bit weird, and the tensions are running fairly high, but I think most people are just proceeding with their lives as they typically do.

3 minutes ago, Meadowchik said:

For those in the US and ears to the ground, have you heard more recent concerns. More specifically, have you seen an increase in people taking concrete steps to prepare against a collapse of the United States and subsequent second coming?

In my areas I think there has been a generalized increase in emergency preparedness, but not a huge one.  And it's mostly about food storage, not the collapse of civilization.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Tacenda]

Recently watched a Tic Tok with a man saying to have cash on hand & a 3 month supply of food because soon the banks are shutting down all over the US or maybe the world too and some have already. I did wonder about needing cash after making my husband take all his cash from a hiding place in the house and depositing it back in the bank. He was hoarding it for a while there. Because of thinking the banks will shut down. Now I'm thinking he does need cash at home too, but how much not sure.

[MustardSeed]

Ugh.  No.  If people just take a break from media, the sun is shining and we’re having sloppy joes for dinner.  

[webbles]

8 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Recently watched a Tic Tok with a man saying to have cash on hand & a 3 month supply of food because soon the banks are shutting down all over the US or maybe the world too and some have already. I did wonder about needing cash after making my husband take all his cash from a hiding place in the house and depositing it back in the bank. He was hoarding it for a while there. Because of thinking the banks will shut down. Now I'm thinking he does need cash at home too, but how much not sure.

In the US, as long as the FDIC and NCUA are still solvent, your money in the bank should be ok (up to $250,000 per person).  If the FDIC/NCUA go under, then I'm not sure money at home would be much help since the US government would have collapsed.

The US had a banking issue last year in March 2023 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_United_States_banking_crisis.  Shockingly, the FDIC announced that they would guarantee all deposits (including those over $250,000 which was a lot).

[Tacenda]

1 hour ago, webbles said:

In the US, as long as the FDIC and NCUA are still solvent, your money in the bank should be ok (up to $250,000 per person).  If the FDIC/NCUA go under, then I'm not sure money at home would be much help since the US government would have collapsed.

The US had a banking issue last year in March 2023 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_United_States_banking_crisis.  Shockingly, the FDIC announced that they would guarantee all deposits (including those over $250,000 which was a lot).

Good to know. I guess according to the guy on tic tok, he mentioned you could barter with cash for things. So he may not have talked as if the world was coming to an end. 

[rpn]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

Now I'm thinking he does need cash at home too, but how much not sure.

Everyone needs some money (and/or tradeable items) they can access when/if there is widespread bank or other failures (money managers generally suggest six months or three months for food, fuel, and regular supplies and an emergency fund enough to cover all expenses starting at 1 month and growing to 6, only some of it in cash at home.)   But it is more important to be able successfully grow and store food and be independent in daily living because you've don it before.   (I have a secret place where I store $500-1000, in small bills for when I need to buy gas when the electricity is down in major storms.)

[LoudmouthMormon]

2 hours ago, Meadowchik said:

In the meantime as a person who lives in Europe I am curious if this type of mood has recently escalated in the US.  For those in the US and ears to the ground, have you heard more recent concerns? More specifically, have you seen an increase in people taking concrete steps to prepare against a collapse of the United States and subsequent Second Coming?

Yes, I've seen the latest increase in people talking about this stuff.  10 years ago, my daughter's pediatric surgeon pulled up and moved to another country because of coming hard times, and we had to scramble to find another doc for her follow-up care.  The people in her practice were miffed.   About 5 years ago, the dentist in my ward put in maybe $20 grand in "off the grid" improvements on his house, and got a garden and a bunch of chickens.   And just a few months ago, when the news of cloned chicken hit, the backyard chicken community probably grew 10-15% overnight as everyone was forecasting the end of the availability of meat. 

Fuller answer:

I started paying attention in the early 1970's, when my girlfriend and bestest buddy's dad packed everyone up and fled Utah, relocating to Jackson County Missouri, in preparation for the coming end times.  I was like 6.  We were gonna grow up and get married.  I was as heartbroken as a little kid could possibly be.  Also in the '70's, the union democrats were certain that the Japanese were building nuclear devices into the cars we were buying.  The time was "soon". 

I paid attention again in the '80's, as we all grew up under the threat of MAD (mutual assured destruction) with the Soviet Union.  The movie Red Dawn did more to inspire us to do food storage, than any church lesson.  Plus, we had to be able to bug out to the mountains at a moment's notice for when the Ruskies attacked.

After the USSR fell, I was confidently assured by a tinfoil-hat wearing coworker that the collapse had all been faked, they were still gonna invade and take over.  I should "look for them in the UN", which was the most luciferian entity lucifer had ever created on earth.  Our constitution hung by a thread.  (John Birchers are always a hoot to talk too.  I think you can still find some out there.)

In the 2000's, we learned about EMPs, and were certain either an enemy state or terroristic nonstate actor would soon be nuking us from orbit, but there'd be no fireball we'd die from, our cars would all just stop working and there'd be no electricity and we'd all starve that winter.   

As the internet showed up, Roger K. Young and his crew at Another Voice of Warning began having visions about the impending callout.  The entire country was peppered with people who went to church wondering if this was the week the Bishop would read a letter from the pulpit, creating captains of 10 and captains of 50, and we'd all pack up in our RV's and head to the rocky mountains to wait out the impending collapse in the relative safety of Zion.

From the 2010's to present, I've had a handful of end-times buddies come up with various scenarios.  The latest 2:

- The prophecies in the book of Ezra, coupled with the number of arrows held by the eagle on our currency, coincide with US presidential elections.  The prophecy indicates Trump would be the last president, and he'd be assassinated in his 2nd term.  (This one died off 3 years ago, after Biden took office.)

- The current prophecy is still in the book of Ezra, but you drop the arrows and eagle, and you pick up how obviously the reign of the Kings of the Jews, match up nicely with the governors of Utah.  Current prophecy (updated by my buddy just last month), looks like this:

 

So fascinated by all this stuff!

 

 

[The Nehor]

2 hours ago, Tacenda said:

Good to know. I guess according to the guy on tic tok, he mentioned you could barter with cash for things. So he may not have talked as if the world was coming to an end. 

Maybe at first if people thought currency would survive somehow. Eventually though it turns into barter or (more likely) some kind of communal sharing amongst a specific group. Barter economies are historically rare and generally exist primarily in currency-holding societies who suffer currency collapse. Barter exists in all kinds of economies but a pure barter economy where barter is the primary economic method of exchange has (as far as we know) never existed.

[mfbukowski]

I recall sitting down with Bible trying to put it all together.

Somewhere along the way I read about the great and final war, in which Christ finally appears and the Millenium begins.

But the whole war- and the WHOLE WORLD alligns itself against a little tiny country which was relatively new, and had a small population.

WHAT?  

How could the whole world attack this dinky country that is so old fashioned, the name is derived from the Old Testament??

It is of course, ISRAEL.

Oh my gosh!  How could the whole world go after the nice little peaceful place for people who had been oppressed and just wanted peace?

Clearly this was impossible.

This bible stuff doesn't even have a shred of intelligence.   How could the whole world align against Israel??   I've had enough of this stuff!

And these bible believing guys thought that one day the government would control all monetary transactions- and you would have to have the right numbers apparently like an identity number?

Oh man, this stuff is just loco dude!

 

[The Nehor]

34 minutes ago, mfbukowski said:

Oh my gosh!  How could the whole world go after the nice little peaceful place for people who had been oppressed and just wanted peace?

Wait…….what?

[Rain]

3 hours ago, rpn said:

Everyone needs some money (and/or tradeable items) they can access when/if there is widespread bank or other failures (money managers generally suggest six months or three months for food, fuel, and regular supplies and an emergency fund enough to cover all expenses starting at 1 month and growing to 6, only some of it in cash at home.)   But it is more important to be able successfully grow and store food and be independent in daily living because you've don it before.   (I have a secret place where I store $500-1000, in small bills for when I need to buy gas when the electricity is down in major storms.)

Can you actually buy gas when electricity is down anymore? Most modern gas pumps seem to need electricity to run them.

[Rain]

I have not seen an end of the world panic increase. I've just seen it go up and down over the years depending on the area you live. 

[blackstrap]

18 minutes ago, Rain said:

Most modern gas pumps seem to need electricity to run them.

There are backup generators for this. They can run on gasoline, natural gas or diesel.

I had a chuckle when I watched video of a guy in a Tesla on the side of the road who stopped another car to see if they had any gasoline. Seems he had a small generator in his trunk which powered his batteries. Redneck hybrid LOL.

[rpn]

And don't forget to store $20 or so in small bills in the emergency go bags for each family member that also contains a change in clothing, prescription information (and at least 7 days of meds for essential ones, and an epipen), card games or other diversion and a blanket, and a photo of the family (including pets) and names and addresses and contact info of immediate family and the far away emergency contact, a flashlight, flint for fire, first aid supplies,  and a handkerchief and first aid stuff, and water and some last forever food that doesn't need cooking (like dried fruit, nuts, and jerky).  And water in a refillable container, hopefully with a lifestraw or purification tablets, swiss army tool knife.  I'm sure I've forgotten something.

[Tacenda]

17 minutes ago, rpn said:

And don't forget to store $20 or so in small bills in the emergency go bags for each family member that also contains a change in clothing, prescription information (and at least 7 days of meds for essential ones, and an epipen), card games or other diversion and a blanket, and a photo of the family (including pets) and names and addresses and contact info of immediate family and the far away emergency contact, a flashlight, flint for fire, first aid supplies,  and a handkerchief and first aid stuff, and water and some last forever food that doesn't need cooking (like dried fruit, nuts, and jerky).  And water in a refillable container, hopefully with a lifestraw or purification tablets, swiss army tool knife.  I'm sure I've forgotten something.

Thanks rpn, I'll check my 72 hour kits that probably have the stalest saltine crackers in the world. I'll add some of your suggestions if I've left them out. 

[mfbukowski]

17 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Wait…….what?

This is sarcasm.

But the POINT IS that in the 1970's, when I was reading the bible about the end times, and figured out that it said that the whole world would align against Israel, a dinky little country 20 years old, with a small population primarily Jewish was absurd

I guess I was too obtuse as usual. 🤔

[mfbukowski]

4 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

Thanks rpn, I'll check my 72 hour kits that probably have the stalest saltine crackers in the world. I'll add some of your suggestions if I've left them out. 

What is amazing is that the "Year's Supply" program has not been spoken about as it used to be.

And watch your salt intake! 😱😜

[rodheadlee]

20 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Wait…….what?

Turn on your sarcasm meter 

[Calm]

9 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

What is amazing is that the "Year's Supply" program has not been spoken about as it used to be.

And watch your salt intake! 😱😜

There are new tools to share the info, better ones imo for consistency than what often went in one ear and out the other.

https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng

[rpn]

Since there are countries and circumstances that make storing a year's supply illegal or impractical, a year's supply doesn't work for a worldwide church at the moment.   But if we are doing provident living, we absolutely should be learning how to grow food for ourselves and how to cook food in something other than a microwave, and to store at least the three years supply of food, and money and however much fuel or battery capacity to keep us doing okay on our own. 

[Rain]

12 hours ago, mfbukowski said:

What is amazing is that the "Year's Supply" program has not been spoken about as it used to be.

And watch your salt intake! 😱😜

Yep, it hasn't been stressed in quite some time. I was provident living specialist 10+ years ago and at that time it was 3 months of what you currently eat. Then almost as an afterthought it was adding a year supply if it works for your situation. Much better way to go about it as there has been so much food waste with the year supply and people didn't know how to use it because they were not using it on a regular basis.

[Tacenda]

20 minutes ago, Rain said:

Yep, it hasn't been stressed in quite some time. I was provident living specialist 10+ years ago and at that time it was 3 months of what you currently eat. Then almost as an afterthought it was adding a year supply if it works for your situation. Much better way to go about it as there has been so much food waste with the year supply and people didn't know how to use it because they were not using it on a regular basis.

Food storage is coming out my ears ever since inheriting some of my in-law's food when he passed away and eventually she went to an assisted living. But they bought some awesome food storage, not the typical. I will hopefully get to share it with others. 

[Meadowchik]

On 2/9/2024 at 7:48 PM, MustardSeed said:

Ugh.  No.  If people just take a break from media, the sun is shining and we’re having sloppy joes for dinner.  

Yup, the sun isn't even that bright where I am but to there's still so much in the here and now to focus on and appreciate. 

(Also I'll just note here that I think it's odd that anyone would conclude there is anywhere to escape an American collapse...since the global financial system is still based on the dollar.)

[Meadowchik]

On 2/9/2024 at 7:52 PM, webbles said:

In the US, as long as the FDIC and NCUA are still solvent, your money in the bank should be ok (up to $250,000 per person).  If the FDIC/NCUA go under, then I'm not sure money at home would be much help since the US government would have collapsed.

The US had a banking issue last year in March 2023 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_United_States_banking_crisis.  Shockingly, the FDIC announced that they would guarantee all deposits (including those over $250,000 which was a lot).

And if your money isn't safe in FDIC insured banks, how would your cash be valuable?