The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again
Now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
My dear brothers and sisters, I am grateful that the Lord has blessed me to speak with you.
In this conference, the Lord has spoken to us through His servants. I urge you to study their messages. Use them as a litmus test of what is true and what is not during the next six months.
The preservation and renovation of the Salt Lake Temple and other areas on Temple Square have been underway for nearly five years. Present projections indicate that this work will be completed by the end of 2026. We are grateful for all who are working on this massive project.
During the last six months, we have dedicated or rededicated nine temples in five countries. (1. Manti Utah Temple rededication (President Russell M. Nelson, April 21); Urdaneta Philippines Temple (President Dallin H. Oaks, April 28); Puebla Mexico Temple (Elder Gerrit W. Gong, May 19); Taylorsville Utah Temple (Elder Gerrit W. Gong, June 2); Cobán Guatemala Temple (Elder Dale G. Renlund, June 9); Salta Argentina Temple (Elder D. Todd Christofferson, June 16); Layton Utah Temple (Elder David A. Bednar, June 16); Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Temple (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, September 15); Mendoza Argentina Temple (Elder Ronald A. Rasband, September 22).) Between now and the end of the year, we will dedicate five more. (2. San Pedro Sula Honduras Temple (October 13); Salvador Brazil Temple (October 20); Deseret Peak Utah Temple (November 10); Casper Wyoming Temple (November 24); Tallahassee Florida Temple (December 8).)
Today we are pleased to announce plans to construct 17 more temples. Please listen reverently as I announce the locations.
Juchitán de Zaragoza, Mexico
Santa Ana, El Salvador
Medellín, Colombia
Santiago, Dominican Republic
Puerto Montt, Chile
Dublin, Ireland
Milan, Italy
Abuja, Nigeria
Kampala, Uganda
Maputo, Mozambique
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Queen Creek, Arizona
El Paso, Texas
Huntsville, Alabama
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Summit, New Jersey
Price, Utah
My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work. (3. Doctrine and Covenants 88:73 Behold, I will hasten my work in its time.)
Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!
As the prophet Isaiah prophesied, and as memorialized in Handel’s Messiah, when Jesus Christ returns, “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” (4. Isaiah 40:5; see also George Frideric Handel, “And the Glory of the Lord,” The Messiah, ed. T. Tertius Noble (1912), 16–18.)
In that day “the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (5. Isaiah 9:6.For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.)
Jesus Christ will govern from both old Jerusalem (6.See Zechariah 14:4–7 4 ¶ And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.;
Doctrine and Covenants 45:48–66; 48 And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to and fro, and the heavens also shall shake.49 And the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly.50 And calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed; and they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.51 And then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?52 Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.53 And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.54 And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them.55 And Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.56 And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.57 For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.58 And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.59 For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.60 And now, behold, I say unto you, it shall not be given unto you to know any further concerning this chapter, until the New Testament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known;61 Wherefore I give unto you that ye may now translate it, that ye may be prepared for the things to come.62 For verily I say unto you, that great things await you;63 Ye hear of wars in foreign lands; but, behold, I say unto you, they are nigh, even at your doors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands.64 Wherefore I, the Lord, have said, gather ye out from the eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye elders of my church; go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me.65 And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you.66 And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;
133:19–21; 19 Wherefore, prepare ye for the coming of the Bridegroom; go ye, go ye out to meet him.20 For behold, he shall stand upon the mount of Olivet, and upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion.21 And he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people;
see also Micah 4:2: And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
“For the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”) and the New Jerusalem “built upon the American continent.” (7. Articles of Faith 1:10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
see also Ether 13:3–10;3 And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.4 Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land.5 And he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come—after it should be destroyed it should be built up again, a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a new Jerusalem for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord; and it should be built unto the house of Israel—6 And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type.7 For as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that he might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph that they should perish not, even as he was merciful unto the father of Joseph that he should perish not.8 Wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built upon this land; and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old; and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come when the earth shall pass away.9 And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.
Doctrine and Covenants 84:2–4.2 Yea, the word of the Lord concerning his church, established in the last days for the restoration of his people, as he has spoken by the mouth of his prophets, and for the gathering of his saints to stand upon Mount Zion, which shall be the city of New Jerusalem.3 Which city shall be built, beginning at the temple lot, which is appointed by the finger of the Lord, in the western boundaries of the State
From these two centers, He will direct the affairs of His Church.
In that day the Lord will be known as “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” Those who are with Him will be “called, and chosen, and faithful.” (8. Revelation 19:16;
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Revelation 17:14.14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. (9. See Alma 34:32.32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.) Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. In a world filled with dizzying distractions, how can we do this?
Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.
Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel. (10. You may feel to say, as did Ammon, “Who can glory too much in the Lord? … Behold, … I cannot say the smallest part which I feel” (Alma 26:16).)
I have learned that the most crucial question we each must answer is this: To whom or to what will I give my life?
My decision to follow Jesus Christ is the most important decision I have ever made. During medical school, I gained a testimony of the divinity of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Since then our Savior has been the rock upon which I have built my life. (11. Helaman 5:12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. ) That choice has made all the difference! That decision has made so many other decisions easier. That decision has given me purpose and direction. It has also helped me weather the storms of life. Let me share two examples:
First, when my wife Dantzel unexpectedly passed away, I could not reach any of our children. There I was, alone, devastated, and crying out for help. Gratefully, through His Spirit, the Lord taught me why my dear Dantzel had been taken home. With that understanding, I was comforted. Over time, I was better able to cope with my grief. Later, I married my beloved wife Wendy. She was a central part of my second example.
When Wendy and I were on assignment in a distant land, armed robbers put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. But the gun did not fire. Throughout that experience, both of our lives were threatened. Yet Wendy and I felt an undeniable peace. It was the peace “which passeth all understanding.” (12. Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. )
Brothers and sisters, the Lord will comfort you too! He will strengthen you. He will bless you with peace, even amidst chaos.
Please listen to this promise of Jesus Christ to you: “I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” (13. Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up. )
There is no limit to the Savior’s capacity to help you. His incomprehensible suffering in Gethsemane and on Calvary was for you! His infinite Atonement is for you!
I urge you to devote time each week—for the rest of your life—to increase your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My heart aches for those who are mired in sin and don’t know how to get out. I weep for those who struggle spiritually or who carry heavy burdens alone because they do not understand what Jesus Christ did for them.
Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities. (14. See Alma 7:11–12;11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
see also Luke 4:.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
You do not have to bear them alone! He will forgive you as you repent. He will bless you with what you need. (15. See Alma 7:12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. )He will heal your wounded soul. (16. See Psalm 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
Jacob 2:8 And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul.) As you yoke yourself to Him, your burdens will feel lighter. (17. See Mosiah 24:14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. ) If you will make and keep covenants to follow Jesus Christ, you will find that the painful moments of your life are temporary. Your afflictions will be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.” (18. Alma 31:38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.)
It is neither too early nor too late for you to become a devout disciple of Jesus Christ. Then you will experience fully the blessings of His Atonement. You will also be more effective in helping to gather Israel.
My dear brothers and sisters, in a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ, and rejoice in Christ! (See 2 Nephi 25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.)
Come unto Christ and “offer your whole [soul]” to Him. (20. Omni 1:26 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.) This is the secret to a life of joy!
The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ.
I bear my solemn witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I am His disciple. I am honored to be His servant. At His Second Coming, “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” That day will be filled with joy for the righteous!
Through the power of the sacred priesthood keys I hold, I declare this truth to you and to all the world! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
