Olivet Discourse 3 - Matt 24:23-27; JSM 1:21-26; Mark 13:21-23; Luke 21:8-11

It is so difficult to organize all the concepts that Jesus addresses in this discourse as it is recorded in the different gospels and translations, so if I go out of order or don’t cover something that I should then forgive me. I know that we talked about the false Christs that Jesus warned about, but I think this is where we transition from the destruction of Jerusalem, the first question asked by the disciples, to the second coming, the second question asked by the disciples. Jesus advises us against, “false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.”

This concept is like a gaping wound for me for a lot of reasons. I was inactive for many, many years, probably about 8 years and I lived riotously, for sure, and even after that I had a down turn for several months where it went bad and I had to make a choice, leave or stop and go back. I chose to stop and come back, and it was painful doing that, repenting. But I just feel such loyalty to the gospel and to Jesus and to the organized church, even though it’s not perfect, and I feel that loyalty because I fought so hard to get back. Honestly, my testimony has grown because of my study of the scriptures to the point where I feel, I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s changed my life eternally. Maybe that’s why it’s such a sensitive topic for me, or maybe because I was one who was deceived, or maybe because I’ve had no may friends and family members who have left the church, or maybe because I just want people to know what I do and be happy.
Who would be false Christs in our day, and what kind of “signs and wonders” would they do that would convince people to leave the church? There are a few people who have come out saying that they are the Christ, such as David Koresh, and some other cult leaders, and they have some followers but I think that the vast majority of people can see through their lies and know them for what they really are, con artists, so I wouldn’t say that the “very elect” would be deceived by them. So it wouldn’t necessarily be someone who called themselves “God”. But they could go by the name of scientists, politicians, entertainers, royalty, etc. It could be anyone who is in a position of some sort to exhort influence over people.
What are the signs and wonders that they could do? I think because this life is a walk of faith, we won’t have may definitive answers, there’s always going to be this “really?” in the back of our minds. In fact, I just had a moment like this a couple of weeks ago. I was cleaning the church, which I thought would be awful but actually ended up being an awesome spiritual experience. While I was vacuuming one of the rooms, I had the thought of something like “come on, you don’t really believe all this crap do you?” It hit me hard enough that I remember it, which is saying something because I don’t remember much. I had to stop and think, do I really believe all this “crap”? I imagined what my life could be like if I didn’t believe. I would probably be married again, hopefully to a nice guy, I could wear cute sleeveless stuff, I could shop on Sundays, I could play games or talk instead of studying the scriptures or praying. I had to consider, do I really believe it? My answer was firm and decisive, “yes, I believe it,” but then came the exasperated “why?” It was almost absurd to confront the reality that I did in fact believe in things that I could not see, things that sounded crazy sometimes, and a system that wasn’t perfect.
“Why” did I answer yes? Because the gospel is the only thing that makes sense to me. Because to give up believing I would have to deny everything that I already know. I would have to deny that my relationship with Jesus isn’t real, I would have to say that everything in the scriptures is a lie, I would have to deny miracles, and the hand of God in my life constantly. I can’t deny that, I feel it is just as real as anything I’ve ever encountered. Interestingly, my daughter said it best when I was talking to her about her beliefs later, she said, “I don’t know if it is true, but I’d rather live my life having that to believe in than having nothing to believe in.” I was really impressed that she was able to recognize the two sides of the coin of belief, actually believing and then wanting to believe because of the effect it has on your life.
So it begs the question, why are some led to believe that the gospel isn’t true while others are led to believe that it is? The IM “Many of the Savior’s warnings on the Mount of Olives were given to help the elect avoid being deceived during this time. The phrase ‘if possible’ suggests that if the elect are going to avoid being deceived, they must keep their covenants and hearken to the word of the Lord. Elder M. Russell Ballard shared an experience illustrating how a Church member overcame deception: ‘One of my fine missionaries who served with me when I was the mission president in Toronto came to see me some years alter. I asked him, ‘Elder, how can I help you?’ ‘President,’ he said, ‘I think I’m losing my testimony.’ I couldn’t believe it. I asked him how that could be possible. ‘For the first time I have read some anti-Mormon literature,’ he said. ‘I have some questions, and nobody will answer them for me. I am confused, and I think I am losing my testimony.’
I asked him what his questions were, and he told me. They were the standard anti-Church issues, but I wanted a little time to gather materials so I could provide meaningful answers. So we set up an appointment 10 days later, at which time I told him I would answer every one of his questions. As he started to leave, I stopped him. ‘Elder, you’ve asked me several questions here today,’ I said. ‘Now I have one for you.’ ‘Yes, President?’ ‘How long has it been since you read from the Book of Mormon?’ I asked. ‘His eyes dropped. He looked at the floor for a while. Then he looked at me. ‘It’s been a long time, President,’ he confessed. ‘All right,’ I said. ‘You have given me my assignment. It’s only fait that I give you yours. I want you to promise me that you will read in the Book of Mormon for at least one hour every day between now and our next appointment.’ He agreed that he would do that.
Ten days later he returned to my office, and I was ready. I pulled out my papers to start answering his questions, but he stopped me. ‘President,’ he said, ‘that isn’t going to be necessary.’ Then he explained: ‘I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God.’ ‘Well, that’s great,’ I said. ‘But you’re going to get answers to your questions anyway. I worked a long time on this, so you just sit there are listen.’ And so I answers all his questions and then asked, ‘Elder, what have you learned from this?’ And he said, ‘Give the Lord equal time.’ May we engrave that though on our minds and carry it with us as we walk through this process of mortality. Let us give the Lord equal time.”
There are some good points in there but also some things of caution. We do need to give the Lord equal time, and what I really love about the gospel is the promise that answers will come when we ask, but we have to be ready. A non-member friend I was talking to about this once asked what the craziest thing I’ve ever learned from God was. I thought about it and said, it’s never been crazy. Some time I learn things that I hadn’t considered before, but ultimately it’s all made sense. Line upon line, precept upon precept, or concept upon concept. There is never just some information dump that takes you completely off course, God isn’t there for that.
We don’t start out as five year olds taking a geometry class, we start with 2+2=4 and then build from there, otherwise you’ll be doomed for failure from the beginning. Work with what you know and then go from there. I personally haven’t had an episode of “losing my testimony” for many years and I believe that that’s because I spend a lot of time in the scriptures and trying to teach my children the gospel. It’s not because I’m naturally amazing, trust me. Even President David O. McKay would pray for his testimony to stay strong, while he was the frickin prophet. It is a matter of sustainability, not a once and done.
The account from Elder Ballard and my own take on it makes it sound like I’m saying that all those have left the church just didn’t read the scriptures enough, and that’s not what I’m saying at all. Of all people, I can understand that people leave the church for many different reasons, and that “read the Book of Mormon” isn’t a one size fits all cure for disbelief. But I take comfort in the fact that Jesus has said that all will have an equal understanding of the gospel before they will be judged for their choice to reject it. God is fair and he wants us all back, and he’ll do anything to make sure that we know exactly what we are doing when we make our final choice. It’s an eternal process and Jesus knows all of our circumstances and will make everything air, so that all have an equal chance at salvation.
In this time of great deception, we will also “hear of wars, and rumors of wars,” and “commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass… Nation shall ruse against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” I don’t think anyone needs to be reminded of the world that we live in to see that this is happening with intensity. It’s hard for me to understand though because hasn’t the world always been like this? Haven’t there always been conquerors that destroy everything and everyone in their path? Haven’t there always been droughts and famines and wars ad natural disasters? I guess because this is all that I know it is difficult for me to understand a world without them, but maybe it’s just that we know about everything now because of the information we have all the time about the whole world.
The gospel will be mocked and the Apostles “betrayed” and “hated” “but there shall not a hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls.” He’s telling them to keep an eternal perspective, “this life might suck but stay strong brothers, you’ll be taken care of, I promise it will all be worth it.” The IM gives a President Uchtdorf quote that I really love saying, “Patience is a process or perfection. The Savior Himself said that in your patience you possess your souls. Or, to use another translation of the Greek text, in your patience you win mastery of your souls. Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most. This was true in the time of the Savior. It is true in our time as well, for we are commanded in these later days to ‘continue in patience until ye are perfected.”
Just as he knows that the Apostles will need counsel to look at the eternal perspective, we need it too, and tells us “see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” It’s really scary, watching all these things going on, all the craziness that people are instigating and knowing that it’s going to effect my family, and sometimes I am honestly, terrified of what the future holds. But the IM says, “Some of the events that will precede the Second Coming- including ‘wars, and rumors of wars’- sound ominous, but the Lord counseled, ‘Be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass.’
This counsel teaches that the signs of the times need not bring us only fear, but they can also provide assurance that the Lord is in control and that prophecy is being fulfilled. During a time of economic and social turmoil, when many people were troubled about the future, President Thomas S. Monson encouraged Latter-day Saints: ‘Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.”
I guess it’s just like everything else that causes us anxiety or distress, we have to trust that the Savior has a plan and that his protective, watchful eye is always over us if we are trying our best to be righteous. Death and tragedy come, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t watching, it just means that it was His will. It’s difficult to keep that perspective, but it can bring comfort and peace and reassurance.