There is something great here. It is a great reminder of who we are and who we were born to become. As well as the time and season in which we live. Shout out to Christian Homestead for putting these together. It wasn’t me. But, I love it. Let’s look at this bottom of the ninth analogy.
As I began my message today, I referenced Isaiah’s prophecy that the Lord would do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men in the latter days. I believe this great prophet’s promise operates at both a dispensational and an individual level.
Truly, the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ; the reestablishment of the Savior’s Church with His doctrine, priesthood authority, and sacred covenants and ordinances; and the usher ing in of the dispensation of the fulness of times is the latter-day marvelous work and wonder foretold by Isaiah. And you and I are blessed to live in such a special season of this distinctive dispensation.
This marvelous work and wonder of the latter days is spreading across the earth and enables you and me individually to become the works of God’s work—even the results of His loving labor and divine direction. The holy work in which we are engaged stretches, strengthens, enlightens, transforms, and purifies us. Behold,
now are we the sons [and daughters] of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
All of us have a work to do, “for of him [and her] unto whom much is given much is required.” As you strive to learn the gospel of Jesus Christ and perform the work you have to do, I specifically exhort you to be wise in your use of contemporary technological tools. Innovations such as artificial intelligence have the potential to both (1) assist you in receiving magnificent blessings and (2) diminish and suffocate your moral agency. Please do not allow the supposed accuracy, speed, and ease of modern technologies to entice you to avoid or circumvent the righteous work that invites into your life the blessings you will need. My beloved brothers and sisters, there are no spiritual shortcuts or quick fixes.
Always remember that ongoing conversion unto the Lord requires focused and sustained work. We must strive to become agents who exercise faith in the Savior and act and shun becoming objects that merely are acted upon.
Becoming a devoted disciple requires focused and sustained work. We must strive to become agents who exercise faith in the Savior and act and shun becoming objects that merely are acted upon.
Personal revelation requires focused and sustained work. We must strive to become agents who exercise faith in the Savior and act and shun becoming objects that merely are acted upon.
Seeking appropriately for the gifts of the Spirit requires focused and sustained work. We must strive to become agents who exercise faith in the Savior and act and shun becoming objects that merely are acted upon.
To be clear, we do not earn or qualify for God’s blessings solely by or through our individual works. God’s will and timing determine how and when we receive His tender mercies. But we have the obligation to work as we become the works of God.
Please prayerfully “consider the wondrous works of God.” I invite you to study, ponder, and apply in your life the magnificent exhortation by the Prophet Joseph Smith:
Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage . . . ; and on . . . to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad.
“Consider the Wondrous Works of God” (Job 37:14) | David A. Bednar | BYU Speeches
- David A Bednar
CHOSEN GENERATION
I want to read you the words of Peter, spoken long, long ago: “But ye [ are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9.)
My brothers and sisters, we are a chosen generation. This is the greatest season in the history of the world and we have been blessed to come forward at this time, this greatest of times, of discovery. This is the grandest age of all. During my lifetime, there have been more scientific discoveries than in all the generations that preceded it, and you and I are upon the earth at this time.
Beyond all this, we live in a time when the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. This is the dispensation of the fullness of times, when all that the Lord placed upon the earth in prior generations has come forth in this generation, to bless those of us who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How thankful we ought to be! How anxious we ought to be to do that which the Lord would have us do. Out of the gratitude which we have in our hearts, we ought to be willing to do anything that He asks us – to live the Word of Wisdom, to pay our tithes and offerings, to be active in the Church, to carry responsibilities, to reach out to those who come into the Church and help them and friendship them that they may remain true and faithful. My brothers and sisters, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.” – From Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, member meeting, March 9, 1998
Messages of inspiration from President Hinckley – Church News (thechurchnews.com)
- Gordon B Hinkley
“David, this is the greatest season in the history of the restored Church. David, it wasn’t better in the days of Joseph. It wasn’t better in the days of Brigham. Never has the Church been as well-regarded, as well-recognized as it is today in all the world. David, never have we had the resources to move this work forward in all the world. David, this is the greatest season in the history of the restored Church.”
Think of the things we are blessed to see. Consider that we live this year in the 200th anniversary of the First Vision, and we see the Church in Papua, New-Guinea, where a temple has been announced. In Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Who would’ve thought? I’m old enough to remember when I could not have conceived the thought that we would have missionaries in the Soviet Union. And now we have a temple in Ukraine and missionaries in formerly communist countries. This is the greatest season in the history of the restored Church. And we have a particular responsibility in this day.
There’s not a gracious way to say this. When I was the president of BYU–Idaho, every Tuesday we had a devotional. And every single devotional speaker began his or her message with, “You’re the finest generation. You have been saved for this day.” I’ve had that up to here; I’m just tired of hearing it. That’s right. In Arkansas, where I lived for a long time, there’s a saying: “When you pick up a stick, you get both ends.” If they’ve been saved for this day, it’s because they have a lot to do, and we have a role in helping them to be ready for that, and we have a lot to do. And we need to be ready for that. This is the greatest season in the history of the restored Church. The greatest opposition, the greatest opportunities.
I love you because together in this day, we have this opportunity to serve, to bear testimony, to minister, and to succor.
An Evening with a General Authority—Elder Bednar (churchofjesuschrist.org)
Elder Bednar shared that while he was in Rexburg, he sat by President Gordon B. Hinckley at a dinner one evening. President Hinckley said to him emphatically, “’David, this is the greatest season in the history of the restored Church.’ Then, he continued, not speaking about me individually, but about our generation, ‘I only have one regret. I will not be here to see it. But you will.”
Elder Bednar said that a part of the season President Hinckley was referring to is the “time in which we now live” — when the Church has 335 temples in operation, under construction or announced — including one in Ephraim. “Do we appreciate the season in which we live,” he asked, inviting the students to press forward with faith and the companionship of the Holy Ghost in this “remarkable and marvelous season.”
Press Forward With Faith, Elder and Sister Bednar Tell Snow College Students in (churchofjesuschrist.org)
We often talk about living in the latter days. We are, after all, Latter-day Saints. But perhaps these days are more “latter” than we have ever imagined.
Hope of Israel (churchofjesuschrist.org)
Great power lies in learning who you really are. Please take time to think prayerfully about these facts:
•You are an elect son or daughter of God.
•You were created in His image.
•You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days. That teaching endures within you!
Learn for yourselves who you really are. Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions and review them often, and follow through with exactness.
I promise you that when you begin to catch even a glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for Him, your life will never be the same!
https://www.facebook.com/russell.m.nelson/posts/pfbid0wVU4ETKDYjHfJHM74Jf56WvML2UwiS7ARSPm3jmC4RpGRz7t5pKgvRaAZTkQjZkvl
You’re here now because God chose you to be here now, and that says something crucial and important about you. We are living in this final and last dispensation, the only dispensation that will not end in apostasy. Our Father reserved you for now because He knew you would have the courage and strength to withstand the adversary’s coming opposition to God’s plan for you. Heavenly Father knew you would recognize truth, and He knew you would be willing to help carry the message of Jesus Christ and His gospel to others around the world. Using a baseball analogy, we are in the last half of the ninth inning. Our Heavenly Father and His Son chose you to be on their team when the game’s on the line. This means they know you. They trust you and they’ll help you fulfill your personal mission on this earth. So, during this conference do what young Joseph Smith did when he had a question. Prayerfully ask God if what I tell you is true. Ask Him if you really are one of His elect and noble spirits. Ask Him if you have a special part to play in the gathering of Israel. That is His agenda for this final inning. If you ask sincerely, with great humility I promise you the Lord will let you know through the whisperings of His Spirit. The answers may not come quickly but they will come. And when you know who you really are, you’ll have the courage to enlist in the Lord’s battalion to help gather Israel for the rest of your life.
Russell M. Nelson [For Strength of Youth, 2022].
Second Coming Timeline – Google Sheets
“For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. True, there will be some individuals who will fall away; but the kingdom of God will remain intact to welcome the return of its head—even Jesus Christ. While our generation will be comparable in wickedness to the days of Noah, when the Lord cleansed the earth by flood, there is a major difference this time. It is that God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. All through the ages the prophets have looked down through the corridors of time to our day. Billions of the deceased and those yet to be born have their eyes on us. Make no mistake about it—you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. … You are a royal generation. The heavenly grandstands are cheering you on. We are fast coming to the close of this game. The opposition is real and is scoring. But we have scored, we are scoring, and we will score in the future. The Lord is our coach and manager. His team will win, and we can be a valiant part of it if we so desire. Rise up, O youth of Zion! You hardly realize the great divine potential that lies within you.
Ezra Taft Benson -1979
It was at about that time that my mind was blown. So much time has passed. I remember hearing the Ezra Taft Benson quote when I was much younger, in the 1990s. So, if the final inning began close to 45 years ago.
Let’s see, if the First Vision was in 1820 and President Benson gave that talk in 1979, that would be 159 years. If you broke that down into 8 innings because the 9th has not taken place yet. It would be almost 20 years per inning. The completion of 8 innings would take you to 1980. The top of the ninth inning would have ended in 2000 and the game would be over by 2020. We would be towards the very end of the game, trying to retire the opposing team.
Either way, the time and season are close.
The last thing I wanted to point out. President Nelson said: “Learn for yourselves who you really are. Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions and review them often, and follow through with exactness.” followed by “This means they know you. They trust you and they’ll help you fulfill your personal mission on this earth.”
We each have a divine mission. Rise and fulfill your divine destiny.