“The task which may come at any time”…

Frank M. Keele

In 1987, then President of the Church, Ezra Taft Benson said to a group of seminary and institute students gathered in California…

 “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: God has saved for the final inning some of His stronger and most valiant children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. … You are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God.”

Over 30 years have passed since President Benson gave this declaration, seminary students that would have been 14 to 18 years old are now 44 to 48 years old. Institute students ranging from 19 to say 27 years old would now be 49 to 57 years old. It’s rather obvious that the “generation” of which President Benson spoke is maturing rapidly…

However, this wasn’t the first time Ezra Taft Benson had delivered this message, in 1979, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles he gave essentially the same message in a devotional talk at Brigham Young University entitled “In His Steps”. Said apostle Benson at that time:

“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.”

Though not a college student at the time, I was just 27 years old and therefore consider myself to be a part of “the generation that must be prepared to meet… God”. At the ripe old age of 65, I’m anxiously anticipating the day of our Lord’s return…

Of course, we should not attempt to arbitrarily place a cutoff line on the upper end of the spectrum, my personal suspicion is that those more senior than myself will be well represented at the coming of the Bridegroom.

Knowing that we are, in fact, the generation of the Lord’s Second Coming is a sobering thought. Understanding the surrounding circumstances and sequence of events leading up to the coming of the Bridegroom could be most helpful. Ezra Taft Benson was uniquely prepared and qualified to light the path ahead…

In an October 1961 general conference talk, Elder Benson shared some important insights regarding our day and the fate of the Gentiles here in America, said he:

“The Lord has declared that before the second coming of Christ it will be necessary to “. . . destroy the secret works of darkness, . . .” in order to preserve the land of Zion—the Americas”. (2 Nephi 10:11-16.) (Oct. general conference, 1961)

We take a moment to review the reference given (2 Nephi 10:11-16) which reads:

11 And this land shall be a land of liberty unto the Gentiles, and there shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.
12 And I will fortify this land against all other nations.
13 And he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God.
14 For he that raiseth up a king against me shall perish, for I, the Lord, the king of heaven, will be their king, and I will be a light unto them forever, that hear my words.
15 Wherefore, for this cause, that my covenants may be fulfilled which I have made unto the children of men, that I will do unto them while they are in the flesh, I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, and of murders, and of abominations.
16 Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.

Above, the Lord declares that there is to be “no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles” and that “he that raiseth up a king against me” is also “he that fighteth against Zion” and “shall perish”. So when the Gentiles attempt to subvert liberty, the rule of law and the constitution which God himself established, they “shall perish”.

This keys in with Elder Benson’s statement above… “before the second coming of Christ it will be necessary to “. . . destroy the secret works of darkness, . . .” in order to preserve the land of Zion—the Americas”. The implied sequence here is that the great destruction which is to come upon the Gentiles shall lead to “the Lord, the king of heaven… be(ing) their king”, thus, we have the coming of the Bridegroom!

Can anyone deny that we are living a day when some of America’s highest ranking political leaders have openly promoted global governance in favor of American sovereignty?  Sought to open our borders to some of the most radical, anti-American, anti-constitutional elements around the globe? Corrupted our Department of Justice at the highest levels, thinking that they would be able to hide their crimes by electing an equally corrupt candidate to the presidency? And if this weren’t enough, can anyone deny this these same lawless corruptors of the constitution are doing all within their powers to nu-seat the people’s choice for President of the United States? And if they succeed, what then? Have we reached the threshold of the Lord’s patience with secret combinations, who seek to thwart justice and overthrow liberty and the constitution?

In the same conference talk from which we quoted Ezra Taft Benson above, we read:

“if the gentiles on this land reject the word of God and conspire to overthrow liberty and the Constitution, then their doom is fixed, and they “. . . shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant”. (1 Nephi 14:6; 3 Nephi 21:11, 14, 21; D&C 84:114-115, 117) 
 “The great destructive force which was to be turned loose on the earth and which the prophets for centuries have been calling the “abomination of desolation” is vividly described by those who saw it in vision. Ours is the first generation to realize how literally these prophecies can be fulfilled now that God, through science, has unlocked the secret to thermonuclear reaction. 
“In the light of these prophecies there should be no doubt in the mind of any priesthood holder that the human family is headed for trouble. There are rugged days ahead. It is time for every man who wishes to do his duty to get himself prepared—physically, spiritually, and psychologically—for the task which may come at any time, as suddenly as the whirlwind”…. (Oct. general conference, 1961)

We also find this same sequence of “abomination of desolation” followed by the Second Coming in Joseph Smith Matthew, so it’s a scriptural sequence for sure, we read:

32 And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled.
33 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken…
36 And, as I said before, after the tribulation of those days, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory;

Above, Elder Benson made reference to “the task which may come at any time”. I believe this “task” has to do with fulfilling the scriptural mandate….  “Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” In other words, when the “abomination of desolation” comes upon the gentiles in America via a nuclear holocaust or by means of “thermonuclear reaction” as Elder Benson says. It will be time to complete “the task” of returning to Jackson County in the midst of “a nation meted out and trodden under foot” as Isaiah says and preparing to rendezvous with the Bridegroom. Orson Pratt stated:

“Well then, to return to the prophesying, when the time shall come that the Lord shall waste away this nation, he will give commandment to this people to return and possess their own inheritance which they purchased some forty-four years ago in the state of Missouri”. (Gerald N. Lund, The Coming of the Lord ,110.)

In conclusion, I bare witness to and confirm the validity of Ezra Taft Benson’s inspired words and teachings! In the following video segment, President Thomas S. Monson also speaks of “the tasks ahead of us” as they relate to Ezra Taft Benson’s teachings…

Again, as stated above “There are rugged days ahead. It is time for every man who wishes to do his duty to get himself prepared—physically, spiritually, and psychologically—for the task which may come at any time, as suddenly as the whirlwind”….

May we, as the members of “a marked generation” take the time to ponder and be cognizant of our place in history, may we all do our part to “help bear off the kingdom triumphantly”!

If you have a keen interest in the Second Coming I’d like to invite you to download a FREE copy of my new book “The Bridegroom Cometh”. Just click the book image below… enjoy!

The likes of which we have never seen…

4 thoughts on ““The task which may come at any time”…”

  1. I look for the “cleansing” as discussed in D&C 45:28-31; 84:58; 97:21-23; 112:24-26; 1 Peter 4:17-18; and Isiah 28:18 to remove people from at least the North American continent who would obstruct the restoration of the principles of the US Constitution. I still wonder who are the “elders of Israel” who have been prophesied to “save the Constitution”. It seems to me that there are relatively few members of the LDS Church prepared to participate constructively in such an endeavor. Members now are generally not admonished to prepare to become engaged in such a task. I don’t think the problem is just in my ward and stake.

    1. Thank for posting Ralph, I personally don’t look for the “elders of Israel” to “save the Constitution” anytime before the Lord’s coming as the Bridegroom. However, I could easily envision us proudly displaying the American flag as we trek back to “the goodly land”…

      “That thy church may… shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners; And be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil the heavens, and cause the mountains to flow down at thy presence, and the valleys to be exalted, the rough places made smooth; that thy glory may fill the earth;” (D&C 109:73-74)

      Daniel tells us that when “the judgment shall sit…(at Adam-Ondi-Ahman) the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High” (Daniel 7:26-27) He further states in verse 22 “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High”

      Once the church has been “adorned as a bride” and “judgment” is given to “the saints of the most High” the “elders of Israel” will be in a position to put forth constitutional principles once again for “out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem”. At least that’s my take on it….

  2. Frank, thank you for this sobering reminder that we must be vigilant and prepared. As the corruption and wickedness that has gone unchecked in Washington for several decades, is being revealed and exposed, perhaps the secret combinations that have made it their mission to destroy the constitution, will begin reaping the damnation they have sewn for themselves and their followers. It has gone on far too long. Thank you frank.

  3. Thanks for commenting Julie, oh yes, I feel your pain, it has gone on for far too long. However, the Lord foresaw our day and has a plan in place to set things right once again, it’s called the coming of the Bridegroom… Don’t think it will be long now…

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