Signs of the Times

Today my thoughts are a little bit turned toward the trials people are going through in their lives. Those affected by deaths, poor choices of others and the weights of the world. My mom mentioned the other day how we need to band together as a family and stay strong and lift each other as the world is becoming more wicked and Satan is working very hard.
I’ve contemplated the Second Coming a lot lately and I’m actually really excited for it. I wish it would come tomorrow but I saw a rainbow last week so I’m holding on to hopes for 2009. Honestly, I know we still have a while to go but I actually hope it won’t take that long because I don’t know how much more wickedness the world can handle. A friend of mine mentioned that our spirits aren’t meant to live in a world like this and sometimes my spirit yearns for peaceful and calmer times.
In lieu of my thoughts about the Second Coming, I turned toward my experience I had in Jerusalem a couple of months ago. It blew my mind to walk the paths the Savior had walked, to sit under the same trees, listen to the birds and smell the same smells. One of our guides took us to the Temple Mount and explained all the things that need to happen for the return of the Savior. How a lot of people believe that the Dome of the Rock will need to be destroyed so the Jews can build their temple and how upset the Muslims would be and that doesn’t align with the prophecies of peace. He pointed out the different spots on the temple mount that geometrically line up with what Orson Hyde predicted and it allows the Dome of the Rock to stay. He also explained to us how the Jews already have the temple built and stored in pieces, just waiting for the word, and the temple will be up within three weeks. THREE WEEKS! And what really struck me, was that Jesus will accept this temple as his own. It doesn’t have to be a Mormon temple, he will accept a Jewish temple. That part stood out to me as to the love the Savior has to each one of us. He doesn’t love us more or less because we’re Mormon or Jewish or Catholic. (Because I’m sure there are some Catholics out there who are better Christians than me!) But the whole point is that Mormonism gives us the ORDINANCES and keys to our Salvation, it doesn’t make us better or more right, just more whole. And maybe in my lifetime, I will see these prophecies come to pass. How cool would that be?
I am just so grateful for my little band of family and friends who help me stay strong and for leaders and a Gospel that inspire me to be better and show me a way to do so. Keeping such strong people around me lets me know there is a way to be the person I want to be and it’s not impossible, even in today’s society.