When He Comes Again

As far back as I can remember, I have learned about the Second Coming of Christ.  Everything I have been taught in church, from nursery to primary to Young Women's and now as an adult, has been in preparation for His coming.  I remember when I was younger, I would sometimes wonder if He would come during the next year or two.  And then I read a story about a pioneer girl who felt the same way, some hundred years before I was even born. 

I was thinking about this as I read this morning.  The beginning of the Book of Mormon took place more than six hundred years before Christ's birth.  In about 560 B.C., Jacob said:

Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him. (2 Nephi 11:4)

There was no way for any of them to know how long it would be until Christ was born.  For all they knew, he would come within their lifetimes.  But he did not.  He came nearly six hundred years later.

Today, I read of the Nephites who lived during the years of Christ's life.  They knew that he was born because of the signs they were given, but he had not yet come to see them as it had been prophesied that he would.

And now behold, there was not a living soul among all the people of the Nephites who did doubt in the least the words of all the holy prophets who had spoken; for they knew that it must needs be that they must be fulfilled. (3 Nephi 5:1)

They knew, because of the signs that they had already received, that He would come to them.  They didn't know whether it would be that year or the next or a hundred years later, but they knew they would get to see him.

Therefore they did forsake all their sins, and their abominations, and their whoredoms, and did serve God with all diligence day and night. (3 Nephi 5:3)

They chose to live in a manner that no matter when he came, whether it be then or sometime in the future, they would be ready.  What a lesson this is to me.  I may or may not be here for the Second Coming, but I need to live as if he were coming tomorrow.  I need to "serve God with all diligence day and night" so that when he does come again, I will be ready.

The song "When He Comes Again" has been running through my mind as I've been typing.  It is one of my very favorite songs that I learned when I was as young as my youngest child.  I'm grateful to my dad for letting me use his wonderful photos along with these lyrics:

I wonder when he comes again,

Will herald angels sing?

©Darrell Wyatt

Will the earth be white with drifted snow?

©Darrell Wyatt

Or will the world know spring?

©Darrell Wyatt

I wonder if one star will shine

far brighter than the rest;

©Darrell Wyatt

Will daylight stay the whole night through?

©Darrell Wyatt

Will songbirds leave their nests?

©Darrell Wyatt

I'm sure he'll call his little ones

to gather round his knee,

because he said in days gone by,

"Suffer them to come to me."

©Darrell Wyatt

I wonder when he comes again,

Will I be ready there

©Darrell Wyatt

To look upon his loving face

and join with him in prayer?

©Darrell Wyatt

Each day I'll try to do his will

and let my light so shine

©Darrell Wyatt

That others seeing me may seek

for greater light divine.

©Darrell Wyatt

Then when that blessed day is here,

He'll love me and he'll say,

"You've served me well my little child,

Come into my arms to stay."

©Darrell Wyatt

Words and music: Mirla Greenwood Thayne, 1907–1997
© 1952 by Mirla Greenwood Thayne, Provo, Utah. Renewed 1980. Used by permission. This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use.

Click here to read what I read today: 3 Nephi 5