Two Hastenings of the Work in scripture

[Shawn Henry]

There seem to be two distinct times in scripture when it is claimed that the work of the Lord is being hastened, a true hastening by the Lord himself and a counterfeit hastening by those in his vineyard.

The true "hastening of the work" is typically referenced by D&C 88:73 where the Lord says: "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." Note that here the Lord seems to be emphasizing that he will be the one hastening his work, which is reminiscent of him saying that he is capable of doing his own work. He takes complete ownership of the work.

The other "hastening" we learn of in Isaiah 5:19 where those in the Lord's vineyard say, "Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it." Here it seems that those in the vineyard are trying to push the hastening themselves. Their motives may be pure, it's hard to tell from Isaiah, but Isaiah does pronounce a woe upon them.

So what hastening are we currently in? What evidence do we have indicating one way or another?

In October of 2012 we witnessed the age drop of missionaries to 18 and 19 for women. Thereafter, just about every Apostle has referenced that event and coupled it with the Lord hastening his work and we did indeed have a 22,000-missionary increase in the following 12 months. It was indeed looking like D&C 88 was being fulfilled, but it now looks like Isaiah 5 was being fulfilled.

I don't have actual numbers (maybe we have an Elder Edward Snowden who will leak them), but the Covid era has completely negated any hastening of the work. Membership numbers took a nosedive, activity likewise. Returned missionaries are leaving in record numbers and our youth in general are disenchanted with the church. So few members recognize what the death jab is. Is this what the Lord intended the hastening to look like? Or is this the Lord reminding us that he said he will be the one to hasten his work?

[BuriedTartaria]

I pray the work of the Lord is hastening presently. There is no beneficial turn around for modern society without a hallowed hand intervening. It doesn't need to be the opening of Heavens for the Lord's Second Coming but modernity is a mess and divine intervention is the only thing that can turn things around.

[Niemand]

I pray the work of the Lord is hastening presently. There is no beneficial turn around for modern society without a hallowed hand intervening. It doesn't need to be the opening of Heavens for the Lord's Second Coming but modernity is a mess and divine intervention is the only thing that can turn things around.

I'd call it post-modernity (pomo) or maybe even popomo. A stupid name, but I didn't come up with it. Modern critical theory which is being pushed everywhere is straight out of the bowels of 70s and 80s postmodernism. It's a supposed solution which makes things deliberately worse rather than better.

You simply can't have a society where there are no solid foundations and where basic facts of nature are disputed. It will be conquered by another society with more conviction in its values.

[ransomme]

We will see if/when there are people who fulfill the prophecy, and covenant that God made with Enoch:



JST, Genesis 9:21–25.
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;

(Same as Hearts of the Fathers' to the children and vice versa, it is about seeking the same covenants/blessings as the "spiritual" Fathers did, which includes blessings of/for posterity, or the children)

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.

[ransomme]

Where is the righteousness in the Church?

“God had often sealed up the Heavens because of covetousness in the church. Said the Lord would cut his work short in righteousness and except the church receive the fullness of the scriptures they would yet fall.” - JSP, Documents Vol 2: July 1831 –January 1833, p. 85.

We have yet to receive the sealed portion of any other addition scripture.

I think the Lord's "strange act/work" is afoot.

[mcusick]

Is this what the Lord intended the hastening to look like?

This is exactly what hastening looks like.

It was a lot like Caiaphas prophesying in John 11:49-52.

[Shawn Henry]

except the church receive the fullness of the scriptures they would yet fall.” - JSP, Documents Vol 2: July 1831 –January 1833, p. 85.

This term "fulness of the scriptures" is mentioned by the Lord in D&C 42:15 And all this ye shall observe to do as I have commanded concerning your teaching, until the fulness of my scriptures is given.

This Joseph references elsewhere as the New Translation of the Bible and the Book of Mormon going forth to the world in one volume. It seems the failure of the saints to build Zion coincides with their failure to bring about this fulness of scripture. In Nauvoo in section 124 they were given another chance, but church history tells us they failed to gather enough funding to publish this New Translation. So they finished and completed 5 masonic lodges before the Nauvoo Temple and before getting more scripture.

This gives us two reasons to suspect the church was indeed rejected with her dead. The first, the Lord told us we had to finish the temple or we'd be rejected as a church and we never finished the temple, and secondly, Joseph said we would have to publish the fulness of the scriptures or we would yet fail and we never did that either.