In “Preparing for the Second Coming of Christ“, Elder Christoffel Golden discusses some of the things to happen during Christ’s second coming. One thing stood out to me more than any other. The need for a living prophet leading up to that event.

Elder Golden quotes from the book of Amos in the Old Testament:

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Amos 3:7

It is this scripture that I want to focus on. What does it mean that God will do nothing without revealing it unto his prophet? Let’s look at some modern-day examples.

Joseph Smith

Perhaps the best example is the calling of Joseph Smith as the prophet of the Restoration. In order for God to restore what was taken away, He needed someone to champion the work.

However, God didn’t just call Joseph and then put him to work. He trained Joseph over the course of four years. Moroni taught Joseph before giving him stewardship of the gold plates. These four years of instruction prepared Joseph to not only translate the Book of Mormon from the plates, but also for the work it would take to restore God’s church on the earth.

Each time God needed something restored, it was revealed to Joseph Smith. When the keys of the priesthood needed to be restored to the earth, they were given to Joseph Smith.

Brigham Young

In like manner, God prepared Brigham Young to be the prophet to lead His church after Joseph’s death. The trek to the West was given to Brigham. The spot where God wanted His saints to build was given to Brigham.

He was also given how to systematize the Temple ordinances in order to ensure that that work would continue to be efficient and effective. The building of the Salt Lake Temple was given to ensure that the Lord had a place in the center of the church’s population.

Russel M. Nelson

Our current prophet, Russel M. Nelson, has also been prepared. Through him, the Lord continues to reveal what He will do in our time. Looking at President Nelson’s remarks in the October 2021 General Conference alone we see the following of God’s works revealed:

• Changes to the General Conference format
• There is such a thing as Right and Wrong
• God wants us to have pure truth, pure doctrine, and pure revelation
• God is hastening His work
• Renovations on the Salt Lake Temple to have a “foundation that will wistand the forces of nature into the Millenium
• The Salt Lake temple will be the safest place in the Salt Lake Valley during an earthquake
• The Restoration is a process
• The ongoing Restoration needs ongoing revelation
• The building of 13 new temples

Conclusion

Elder Golden states “more than ever before we are required to confront the reality that we are getting ever closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.” Due to that reality, we are required to confront the reality that we need a living prophet to “guide us in these Latter Days”. That prophet is Russel M. Nelson and he is receiving God’s secrets on what He is doing.