Here is a new presentation by Jodi Stoddard.
Many of our Christian brother's and sisters from other denominations teach about a "Rapture" in the last days. Sister Stoddard's video helps to answer the many questions that come from many other denominational Christians and Latter-day Saints alike: What is the "Rapture" and what is "Translation"? Most importantly, when will it happen?
What is the Terrestrial Order? Who or what is the 144,000?
Continue reading this article below.
Please note: All of Sis. Stoddard's video permissions are now private. To watch video, press the play button, then click on "Watch this video on YouTube" which will be at the top under "Video unavailable."
[Sorry, no transcript.]
The Gathering
We know from many scriptures, old and modern revelation, that the Saints will be gathered "in their stakes" in the last days after the "Olive Press", or the persecution of Christians/Saints.
Imagine being forced to choose between getting the "mark of the beast" and being able to buy food for your family. You refuse to deny Christ? Congratulations, you just earned a tax penalty. You refuse to be forced to take the covid-19 vaccine that comes with the required Quantum Dot Tattoo which stores your digital immunization record? Be prepared to lose your job, health services, government services such as public school for your kids and be prepared to endure severe public criticism.
These, (and much more) will lead to strong persecution of all Christians. It's happening now and is gaining momentum. We've seen demands to pull down statues of religious icons such as Christ and various Saints as just reparations for the Black community. Claims of "white supremacy" and "systemic racism" abound. These are just a quick peek into what 2021 may look like. What are we to do?
While we should begin praying now to know what Heavenly Father would want us to choose in these rough times coming ahead and to give us strength to face these challenging times, we need to remember to have faith that God has a perfect plan for the faithful - He will not leave us.
While these trials will serve as a way to weed out the wicked in our churches (or spiritually unprepared,) those who will obey God's word and follow the Prophet will eventually be ushered to gather together, safe from the world. Gerald N. Lund in "Coming of the Lord" says, "...the Lord went on to indicate the key by which he would deliver his saints from the wrath which is to come. That key was the gathering to Zion before the judgements were poured out in full measure." pg. 84.
Remember, the Gathering is a type of test and a sorting of the Saints to see who will be obedient. This is the end-game trial of the Harvests. As such, a good test of obedience would take place when it's least expected and when it seems to be unnecesary or out of place. Noah preached of repentance and floods on a sunny day, during a drought. The wicked laughed at him and said, all is well- there are no clouds! When the rain began to fall, Noah was long gone and the wicked were left to perish. Expect to obey the call from the Prophet to leave your homes even if things in the world seem to be on the uptick, the sun is shining and you just got that promotion from work that you've been working hard for. You must be willing to lose all worldly things to gain everything that God has planned. This will be our greatest test of faith and obedience in the last days.
Joseph Smith said, "There will be here and there a Stake (of Zion) for the gathering of the Saints. Some may have cried peace, but the Saints and the world will have little peace from henceforth. Let this not hinder us from going to the Stakes; for God has told us to flee, not dallying, or we shall be scattered, one here, and another there. There your children shall be blessed..." pg. 92 Brigham Young warned that, "The time is nigh when every man that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee to Zion."
Prophet and President Harold B. Lee quoted D&C 101:21 and said, "Thus, clearly, the Lord has placed the responsibility for directing the work of gathering in the hands of the leaders of the Church to whom he will reveal his will where and when such gatherings would take place in the future. It would be well before the frightening events concerning the fulfillment of all God's promises and predictions are upon us, that the Saints in every land prepare themselves and look forward to the instruction that shall come to them from the First Presidency of this Church as to where they shall be gathered and not be disturbed in their feelings until such instruction is given to them as it is revealed by the Lord to the proper authority." pg. 94
Lets add another voice. Heber C. Kimball said, "Lay up your stores, and take your silks and fine things, and exchange them for grain and such things as you need, and the time will come when we will be obliged to depend upon our own resources; for the time is not far distant when the curtain will be dropped between us and the United States. When the time comes, brethren and sister, you will wish you had commenced sooner to make your own clothing. I tell you, God requires us to go into home manufacture; and, prolong it as much as you like, you have got to do it." pg. 96
My favorite quote is by President Brigham Young, "Perhaps some of you are ready to ask, 'Cannot the Lord save us as well where we are as to gather together?' Yes, if the Lord says so. But if He commands us to come out and gather together, He will not save us by staying home." Pg. 98
We need to take the time now to be physically and spiritually prepared so that when the time comes for the Prophet to tell us that it's time to go - to leave our homes, our possessions, money and other worldly things - that we are prepared to do so in an instant. DO NOT DALLY. We do not know if there will be further warnings. We are living in the parable of the Ten Virgins, now. Be prepared, not afraid. Read these articles for a list, tips and ideas for physical and spiritual preparedness.
The Holy Ghost is Taken From the Earth
There are many horrors awaiting the wicked as prophesied by many prophets, past and present. Some are so abhorrent, that it is hard to imagine- should one decide to try. These horrors will be made possible because the Holy Ghost will be taken from the world after the Saints leave their homes to their safe places.
"...By and by the Spirit of God will entirely withdraw from these Gentile nations, and leave them to themselves," prophesied Elder Pratt, pg. 44 in "Coming of the Lord."
Elder Grant who was very close to Joseph Smith during his life recalled this prophecy as given by President Smith, "The Prophet stood in his house when he told several of us the night the visions of Heaven were opened to him, in which he saw the American continent drenched in blood, and he saw nation rising up against nation. He also saw the father shed the blood of the son and the son the blood of the father; the mother put to the death the daughter, and the daughter the mother; and natural affection forsook the hearts of the wicked; for he saw that the Spirit of God should be withdrawn from the inhabitants of the earth, in consequence of which there should be blood upon the face of the whole earth except among the people of the Most High. The Prophet gazed upon the scene his vision presented, until his heart sickened, and he besought the Lord to close it up again." pg. 64
Elder Orson Pratt gave this detailed prophecy concerning the destruction which is to come after the Holy Ghost was taken away, "...Their great and magnificent cities are to be cut off. New York, Boston, Albany, and numerous other cities will be left desolate. Party will be arrayed in deadly strife against party; State against State; and the whole nation will be broken up; the sanguinary weapons of the dreadful revolution will devour the land. Then shall there be a fleeing from one city to another, from one State to another, from one part of the continent to another, seeking refuge, from the devastations of bandits and armies; then shall their dead be left unburied, and the fowls of heaven shall summer upon them, and the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. Moreover, the Lord will visit them with the deadly pestilence which shall sweep away many millions by its ravages; for their eyes shall fall from their sockets, and their flesh from their bones, and their tongues shall be stayed in their mouths, that they shall not be able to blaspheme against their Maker. And it will come to pass, that the heavens will withhold their rains and their fruitful fields be turned into barrenness, and the waters of their rivers will be dried up, and left in standing pools, and the fish therein will die; and the Lord will send forth a grievous plague to destroy the horses and cattle from the land. Thus by the sword and by pestilence, and by famine, and by the strong arm of the Almighty, shall the inhabitants of that wicked nation be destroyed."
There is No Getting-Out-of-The-Tribulations Card
What a great phrase, as Sister Stoddard so wonderfully said in her video. We as Saints, cannot just sit back, kick our feet up and think that we will just be translated and have a nice front row seat from Heaven, watching the world go through The Tribulations.
We know through the scriptures and words of the Prophets that we will not be translated during the time that we are gathered together, safe and away from the world and Satan's grasp. Do not entertain dangerous ideas that we do not need to be prepared for what is to come because we will be translated. How do we know that we will not be translated during the gathering and on the march to the New Jerusalem?
As so wonderfully listed by Sister Stoddard in her video, translated beings do not die, get sick, need sustenance, cannot be influenced by Satan and have power from God. As written in Revelation 12, the woman (the Church or people of God) needs to flee from the dragon (Satan or the World) in verse 6 and she is given wings to do so swiftly as the serpent sends a flood after her in verse 15. After she is taken to the place God has prepared for her (the Gathering), she is fed by God for 3.5 years, perhaps in similar fashion as Moses and the Israelites. That is the first half of the Tribulations. Why would the church need to flee from Satan if they are translated and cannot be influenced or hurt? Why would the church need to be fed if they are translated and do not need sustenance?
Further revelation and prophesies teach us that as these people of Zion walk in procession to where the New Jerusalem will be built, after they come out of hiding, that angels will be there to protect, miracles and healing of the sick will be a regular occurrence during this time.
Orson Pratt gave a lengthy description of this time, however, I'm going to review the highlights. He describes this procession going to Missouri as the Lord's army, "...but when we go back there will be a very large organization consisting of thousands, and tens of thousands, and they will march forward, the glory of God overshadowing their camp by day in the form of a cloud, and a pillar of flaming fire by night... But when the Lord's presence is there, when his voice is heard, and his angels go before the camp, it will be telegraphed to the uttermost parts of the earth and fear will seize upon all people, especially the wicked..."
In another quote, Joseph F. Smith gave a sermon on this very subject in 1882. "When God leads the people back to Jackson County, how will he do it? Let me picture to you how some of us may be gathered and led to Jackson County. I think I see two or three hundred thousand people wending their way across the great plain, enduring the nameless hardships of the journey, herding and guarding their cattle by day and by night, and defending themselves and little ones from foes on the right hand and on the left, as when they came here (Pioneers)."
Again, these serve to further the point that we absolutely need to be prepared and we need to be prepared now. There is no Getting-Out-of-The-Tribulations card via being translated.
When Will We Be Translated?
Great question! Please take some time to watch Jodi Stoddard's presentation. We do know that the righteous people who are left on the earth and the "Saints who are in their graves" will be lifted up to meet Christ above the earth before He cleanses it with fire, D&C 88:95. Such an action would require us to be translated to preserve us. We also know that after this event, the earth will become a "Terrestrial" earth. As such, only Terrestrial beings will be able to live upon it; all Telestial things being removed or changed. As stated in the video, Terrestrial beings are translated beings.
Now there is a time, described within a prophecy, where Christ will show himself before the Second Coming to the pure in heart of Zion and the Priesthood elders who are to prepare the first sacrifice in the Temple complex of the New Jerusalem. This Law of Sacrifice will complete the restoration of the Priesthood. The Law of Sacrifice is not to be confused with The Law of Moses; only sacrifices will be brought back from that law, nothing else. Malachi 3:3; "Coming of the Lord", pg. 136
Orson Pratt explained this moment the best, "All of them who are pure in heart will behold the face of the Lord and that too before he comes in his glory in the clouds of heaven, for he will suddenly come to his Temple, and he will purify the sons of Moses and of Aaron, until they shall be prepared to offer in that Temple an offering that shall be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. In doing this, he will purify not only the minds of the Priesthood in that Temple, but he will purify their bodies until they shall be quickened, renewed and strengthened, and they will be partially changed, not to immortality, but changed in part that they can be filled with the power of God, and they can stand in the presence of Jesus, and behold his face in the midst of that Temple." "Coming of the Lord", pg. 138
The 144,000 High Priests
John the Revelator was shown in a vision, a vast group of people who were sealed up by Angels. "And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." Revelation 7. John goes on to explain that 12,000 were chosen from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
We know that these people who are sealed are High Priests and their purpose is to preach the gospel in one great and last missionary effort - as the great work of the millennium will be Temple work. Joseph Smith gave us this answer by way of revelation in D&C 77:11-
Q: What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel -- twelve thousand out of every tribe?
A: We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the Church of the Firstborn.
A curious question that I have is, will the original 144,000 High Priests from the City of Enoch be the angels who pass on their stewardship and calling to these new High Priests from Zion? If this is so, then that would place this event after the City of Enoch returns which is after Christ's Second Coming.
The City of Enoch; The Two Zions Unite
In the Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 9:21-25, we get a more complete idea of the City of Enoch's destination in the last days:
God sets the rainbow in heaven as a reminder of His covenant to Enoch and to Noah. In the last days the general assembly of the Church of the Firstborn will join the righteous on earth.
21. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant, which I made unto thy father Enoch; that, when men should keep all my commandments, Zion should again come on the earth, the city of Enoch which I have caught up unto myself.
22. And this is mine everlasting covenant, that when thy posterity shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy;
23. And the general assembly of the church of the firstborn shall come down out of heaven, and possess the earth, and shall have place until the end come. And this is mine everlasting covenant, which I made with thy father Enoch.
24. And the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will establish my covenant unto thee, which I have made between me and thee, for every living creature of all flesh that shall be upon the earth.
25. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and thee; for all flesh that shall be upon the earth.
President John Taylor gave a clue as to the relationship between the City of Enoch and the New Jerusalem, "The architectural designs of those splendid edifices, cities, walls, gardens, bowers, streets, etc., will be under the direction of the Lord, who will control and manage all these matters; and the people, from the President down, will all be under the guidance and direction of the Lord in all the pursuits of human life, until eventually they will be enabled to erect cities that will be fit to be caught up -- that when Zion descends from above, Zion will also ascend from beneath, and be prepared to associate with those from above." pg. 124
How wonderful will it be to see these angels and saints, face to face! How far will this association go? Will we work together, labor together, hold gatherings together? We do know that we will practice the Law of Consecration together, as Enoch and his city were required to practice this celestial law according to the Prophet Lorenzo Snow in his April 1898 conference- "Coming of the Lord" pg. 117. The Law of Consecration replaces the Law of Tithing.
For those who are interested in learning more about these two laws (The Law of Consecration & The Law of Sacrifice) that will complete the Restoration of the gospel in the last days, I'll refer you to this great talk by Bruce R. McConkie, click here.
How Can We Be Sanctified?
I wanted to add this section to be in addition to Jodi's wonderful presentation. She refers to being "Sanctified" several times. We each need to be sanctified in order to become part of Zion. The blessings and powers that come with it are immeasurable. Here is a quick list that I have put together through the scripture search on LDS.org:
To be Sanctified...
You must pray. D&C 88:2
You must read the scriptures. 1 Timothy 4:5
You must purge yourself of all iniquity. D&C 43:11
You must gather together. D&C 133:4
You must endure chastening. D&C 101:5
You must worship God. D&C 76:21
You cannot abide in sin. D&C 88:35
You must pay your tithing. D&C 119:5-6
You must exercise faith. Ether 4:7
You must magnify your calling. D&C 84:34
You must keep the Sabbath day. Deuteronomy 5:12
You must not lie and speak God's truth. John 17:17
You must partake of the Sacrament. Hebrews 10:10, Moses 6:60
You must be ready to share the Gospel. 1 Peter 3:15
You must repent. D&C 133:62
Those who are not sanctified will not inherit the Celestial Kingdom. D&C 88:21
The list above may seem quite familiar to those who have had the privilege of a Temple Recommend interview with a member of a Bishopric or Stake Presidency.
President Nelson said this in the April 2020 Liahona, "The time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be separated from those who do. Our safest insurance is to continue to be worthy of admission to His holy house. The greatest gift you could give to the Lord is to keep yourself unspotted from the world, worthy to attend His holy house. His gift to you will be the peace and security of knowing that you are worthy to meet Him, whenever that time comes." Read more about his article here.
It seems that the Lord has given us these keys to sanctification and encouraged us to practice each one of them throughout our lives, with the ever-present help of God, and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, in order to receive His image in our countenances. Then we will be prepared to welcome our Savior’s return!
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