Love Wins In The End
When we talk about the end of the world, our minds conjure up apocalyptic images, and feelings of dread emerge in our hearts. We hear of natural calamities, wars, pain, and suffering. Wickedness, corruption, and debauchery rule our societies. Oppression and enslavement from cabals and self-imposed addictive behaviors make the world unpleasant and unsettling. Undoubtedly, such conditions leave us filled with anxiety and stress.
Even more troubling are the effects of technologies that isolate us from familial and personal relationships. The lines between natural and artificial realities are becoming more blurry at an alarming rate. The net effect is that nothing is special anymore. The scriptural language for this condition is described as the love of man waxing cold. When that happens, those with minds twisted by ideologies of hate act out in rage, killing and abusing or canceling people they know nothing about. Isolation by technology may be the greatest threat to all of humanity.
That is the world we live in. It’s not some time in the distant future. All of the signs of the time of the second coming of Christ are here. Interestingly, you could have said that decades or centuries ago. While a few of the prophecies surrounding the return of the Savior are still in progress, virtually all of them have been fulfilled.
Thankfully most of us live in relative peace, comfort, and prosperity. However, we can’t allow those things to lull us into a false sense of security. Do you find yourself caring less and lying about things that used to be important? Are your beliefs and traditions becoming less or more sacred? The best question is, where is God in all of this?
When Jesus prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, he also tied it to the last days and his glorious return. Several critical elements of the predictions made then are manifest as relevant warnings and safeguards for our time. Several scriptures mentioned that these warnings were for the benefit of “the elect.” Others said what constitutes wickedness and its resulting effects. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
So what can we do to become the elect of God and combat iniquity? We must learn to love more. Love what? God, ourselves, and our neighbors. The Savior spoke of standing in holy places and fleeing to the mountains, referring to the sacred temple. Jesus also said the time of wickedness and destruction would not be complete for this reason, “but for the elect’s sake, according to the covenant, those days shall be shortened.” This statement introduces the idea that the covenant God made with his people is essential to being part of the elect.
Looking at the cross-referenced words and contextual phrases in the scriptures we are studying this week gives us an action plan to survive and thrive in our troubling times. Here are a few:
1) Treasure the word of God.
2) “…watch, therefore, for you know not at what hour your Lord doth come.”
3) “Therefore be ye also ready.”
4) Be “a faithful and wise servant.”
5) “But he that remaineth steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved.”
6) “…then you shall stand in the holy place; whoso readeth let him understand”.
Above all, I believe that not letting love wax cold is the answer to our world’s problems. It starts and ends with each of us individually, and we can’t do it virtually. We must strive to have more personal interaction. To quote James Keenan, “Time to put the silicon obsession down. Look around. Find your way in the silence”. We must find God, and he is not in fire, whirlwind, or earthquake but in a still, small voice that can speak to us as we endeavor to love more.