Several family members and friends commented on the following news article from the Deseret News. Here are some of my thoughts about it:
The Short Answer is:
I am aware of, but don't put any stock in the books from Jonathan Kahn, Julie Rowe, and John Pontius. I am committed to keeping my temple covenants and to prepare in the way our prophets and apostles have instructed. Here is a link to a great (old) talk by Pres. Anthony Ivins that encapsulates my feelings on this and similar matters. Pres. Ivins issue was dealing with similar strange books trying to predict the Great Depression. Now the Depression did happen, but not because of any books or pyramid measurements.
http://ldsdoctrine.blogspot.com/2010/06/1931-lds-conference-and-progession-of.html?m=1
I also like this quote from Joseph Smith:
“Respecting the vision you speak of we do not consider ourselves bound to receive any revelation from any one man or woman without his being legally constituted and ordained to that authority, and giving sufficient proof of it. I will inform you that it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves; therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them; but if any person have a vision or a visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for his own benefit and instruction; for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the Church are vested in the keys of the kingdom.” -- Joseph Smith
The Long Answer:
1. 911 and Gadianton Robbers/Fabian Globalists:
The reality is that the attacks on 911 were a carefully choreographed attack by Gadianton Globalist who desired to get the US embroiled in never-ending Middle East conflict and a perpetual "war on terror". Just as the Book of Mormon warns, we have allowed the Gadiantons to gain the sole management of our government (Hel 6:39). US Presidents have been secret members of Bohemian Grove since President Taft over 100 years ago. But the tares were planted with the wheat at the founding of America.
If you are not convinced of global conspiracy please read:
http://brainbender.blogspot.com/2015/05/conspiracy-history.html?m=1
World Parliament and Constitution:
UN Agenda 2030:
Brent Skowcroft telling John McCain and Senate Subcommittee, "we are responsible for the liberalization of the Westphalian system".
http://youtu.be/tThnEkCra1Q
2. President J Ruben Clark and President Benson maybe were more outspoken on conspiracy issues. Recent Church President's may be less outspoken on these issues but still routinely reference "political machinations" and encourage "preparedness".
In the Book of Mormon, secret combinations were not generally known among the people (Hel 1:12) . They were secret. The same is true today. Most people are asleep about the reality of our current "awful situation", I was also an asleep "Sean Hannity Reagan Conservative" until 7 years ago. Waking up was traumatic. But the Book of Mormon calls us too awake, However, Pres. Monson has wisely told us not to "burn fires" lest we put the chickens in a molt.
There are a few awake LDS and non-LDS and they are looking for direction in an uncertain world. This can lead many to be led astray or to follow strange visions, theories and predictions from strange persons and sources.
2. Jonathan Kahn:
Most of the recent media hype I think centers around 2 books by written by Jonathan Kahn "The Harbinger" and "The Mystery of the Shemitah". Johnathan Kahn calls himself a Messianic Jewish Rabbi (Christian Jew), He has been making money selling books and giving speeches pointing out that multiple US politicians quoted Isa 9:10 following 911.
"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars". (Old Testament, Isaiah, Isaiah 9:11)
The US politicians (speech writers) who pulled out this Bible verse following 911 must have been completely ignorant of the reality of the context of this scripture. Assyria had already attacked Northern Israel and Isaiah was warning Israel that instead of repenting and turning to the Lord, the Northern Kingdom arrogantly told themselves they would just rebuild following the attack. The North was later completely destroyed. US politicians quoting Isa 9:10 following 911 was not an expression of resilience and faith but instead arrogance and continued rebellion and defiance against the Lord. (While the politician may or may not be ignorant, I think the speech writers were NOT ignorant in using Isa 9:10).
Kahn calls attention to a sycamore tree across the street of the Ground Zero at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church that was damaged on 911. This Historic Church is the oldest in Manhattan and was the place President Washington prayed following his inauguration when New York was also the US capital. The damaged sycamore tree was replaced by a cedar tree and a block of "hewn stone" as an unfortunate memorial. The cedar tree that was planted has since been removed in 2014 because of the attention it got by Jonathan Kahn.
2. Shemitah:
Jonathan Kahn raises additional issue of the Jewish Calendar divided up into 7-year periods. According to Kahn, the Stock Market crashes in 2001 (Dot.com) and 2008 (housing) coincided with the Jewish Calendar Shemitah or beginning of the Sabbatical Year on the Jewish Ros Hashanah. Kahn also calls attention to the sequence of 4 lunar eclipses (blood moon tetrad), that happen to have fallen on the Jewish Feast Days of Passover and Tabernacles in 2014 and 2015. People are interpreting these eclipses falling on Jewish feast days as "signs in the heavens".
3. President Hinkley:
In his talk to "get our houses in order" in 1998, President Hinkley maybe also have alluded to a 7-year cycle of economic instability when he recounts the vision of Pharaoh and the years of plenty and famine.
4. Julie Rowe: (Have NOT Read but Aware)
This LDS woman Has been making money selling books, "A Greater Tomorrow: My Journey Beyond the Veil" and "The Time Is Now." about a near-death experience she had. She was told initially she wasn't supposed to share the vision in 2004 but them says she was given permission. There are many many problems in these books. Julie Rowe doesn't give specific dates of her event that I am aware but the big event that begins the Tribulation is a Wasatch Front Earthquake.
5. John Pontius: (Have Read upon request of my uncle)
Wrote the foreword of "Visions of Glory". This is a similar NDE situation by an unknown someone who goes by the pseudonym of "Spencer". Spencer's NDE and vision contain similar apocalyptic content as Julie Rowe. There are many many problems in this book. [Second Coming Christ wearing white and not red robes]. "Visions of Glory" doesn't give any specific dates other than Spencer saying he is now driving the car (issued by LDS employee motor pool) he saw in his vision.
6. Joel Skousen:
Skousen is awake to conspiracy reality and recognizes the potential for economic instability considering the 18 Trillion debt and continued FED manipulation of everything. But unlike most prognosticators, Joel doesn't predict a complete economic collapse now. There may be a Stock Market correction but he thinks the FED has power to manipulate the markets until WW3 begins with China/Russia. Continued US Market manipulation builds greater resentment by Russia and China against the US.
He thinks that if the FED allowed a collapse now, Global Central Banking would get blamed. If the Quantitative Easing can continue until WW3, the Gadianton Central Bankers can just blamelessly walk away from all the debt and give us a next corrupt economic system. Joel thinks China and Russia are not ready yet for WW3 and he says this may be next decade. But he is open to the possibility of Russia/China attacking the West early if they see a "window of opportunity". The most recent V-Day Chinese military parade on Sept 3 showed that Chinese strategic and tactical nuclear weapons systems are way ahead of schedule while the US continues to unilaterally dismantle our own capability.
8. Salt Lake LDS Preparedness:
There has been a general increased effort along the Wasatch Front to be prepared in the last 15 years. Numerous building and schools have been retrofitted to meet increased seismic standards. My parents have participated in numerous regular stake HAM radio exercises and preparation that would assist in a Wasatch earthquake situation. Just because there are books predicting a EQ, doesn't mean it will or won't happen. SLC sits on a big fault that is long overdue for a major EQ. If an EQ does happen, it doesn't make these NDE authors any more of a spiritual authority.
7. Joseph Smith:
“Respecting the vision you speak of we do not consider ourselves bound to receive any revelation from any one man or woman without his being legally constituted and ordained to that authority, and giving sufficient proof of it. I will inform you that it is contrary to the economy of God for any member of the Church, or any one, to receive instruction for those in authority, higher than themselves; therefore you will see the impropriety of giving heed to them; but if any person have a vision or a visitation from a heavenly messenger, it must be for his own benefit and instruction; for the fundamental principles, government, and doctrine of the Church are vested in the keys of the kingdom.” -- Joseph Smith
9. FEMA Preparation:
Since Katrina, FEMA has been making some significant efforts to prepare for some next big national event. FEMA has built graveyards, purchased body bags, grave liners, and built a super-morgue in downtown SLC to deal with massive casualties, process and relocate masses of people. However, when Superstorm Sandy in 2012 hit New Jersey, FEMA was still very unprepared. So, FEMA must be preparing for something else. The FBI has built a "Radiological Evidence Processing Lab" at the Savannah River Site. Will this lab be used at some point?
8. Iohani Wolfgramm:
There is a unofficial second-hand recounting of a vision received by a Tongan Patriarch that supposedly predicts George W Bush (son) presidency, economic difficulty in 2000-1, followed by drought, followed by nuclear war and a massive invasion of Chinese and Russian troops to the US following a nuclear strike on the US and particularly affecting Northern Utah) The Wolfgramm account says a major EQ will effect Utah after the nuclear strike on the US not before.
This vision is not necessary to know that Hill AFB would be a primary target in a neclear attack by China and Russia on the US.
9. President George Albert Smith:
A family friend and neighbor David H. Horne is one if several family members who witnessed President George Albert Smith relate to them a vision he received of WW3. The details of this vision make numerous improbable predictions that so far have all come to past thus far. This unofficial vision gives the most precise timing of events centered around a nuclear first-strike by Russia/China on the US "During the holidays after the election but before the inauguration of the POTUS" who is NOT of the usual Northern European extraction up to that point.
10: Jesus Christ:
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. (New Testament, Luke, 17:26-27)
While I do not rule out regional or limited problems in the US or in Salt Lake, I tend to think that there will not be any total economic failure in the US until the sudden and unexpected onset of WW3 (Burning of Babylon = Trumpet 5 = Woe 1). Christ says that people will be planning weddings to the end. So, there has got to be somewhat of an economy in operation for "business as usual attitude."
11. Isaiah 17:1-3
Just as the death of Methuselah (oldest man) was a sign of the Great Flood which let Noah know when to load the ark (well-known Jewish teaching), the Bible may contain a parallel prophecy about when the Great Burning would begin following the destruction of Damascus (oldest city). So far, Damascus is still there.
This is NOT about predicting the Second Coming of Christ but looking out for the events of the so-called "Tribulation Period."
12. Upon My House:
"And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;" (Doctrine and Covenants, D&C 112:25)
What does "my house" refer to? Is "my house" Utah, America, or the Cultural West (America + Europe), or the LDS Church? Many LDS look for Tribulation events to maybe begin among the LDS in Utah because of this scripture.
13. Mosiah 13:10 (Sign of Abinadi):
Mormon may have chosen specific events in the Book of Mormon that provided a guide to the future events of the Tribulation. How much of the Book of Mormon (specifically) is prophetic, we will only know after its been fulfilled But, I have pondered what Mormon may have meant when he said that the "Burning of Abinadi" was to be a type of things to come. Was this only referring to King Noah and His priests or to something else in our day as well? (this is my personal pondering only).
14. President Packer:
In the October 2011 LDS General Conference that the "end" was not near and urged young Latter-day Saints to plan to live long, productive lives. Pres. Packer said, "You can look forward to doing it right: getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren,"
15. Patriarchal Blessings:
Devin just received his Patriarchal Blessing which contains many marvelous blessings and assurances. Ruth and my blessings are also very optimistic about the future of our posterity.
16: Hastening the Work:
LDS Church leaders have called for a great "hastening of the work". And, we have been told that this "hastening" is a significant event in the Earth's history. This definitely sends me a clear signal that whatever temple work, sharing the gospel, and preparation that needs to happen, needs to be hastened.
17. Personal Feelings:
Politically, I agree with Joel Skousen and I am of the opinion that The Powers That Be are preparing for nuclear war between China and Russia vs the West. On Sept 3, China showcased advanced tactical and strategic nuclear capability a decade more developed than anyone believed they were. Despite, this terrible possibility, the principles of provident living, food storage and gathering are the perfect defense for any eventuality. Nuclear War is a terrible proposition but does not constitute "the end of the world".
I am committed to keeping my temple covenants and prepare in the way modern prophets and apostles have directed. That's the most critical thing. I enjoy my family, career, and service in the Lord's Kingdom. I have received no particular, specific personal revelation on any of these issues but ponder them in my heart. If there is any particular direction, I like Adam look for the Lord's servants for that further direction and not random books and visions.
That said, I have to admit, my personal connection to Bro. David Horne and his recounting of the Pres. George Albert Smith vision does get my attention over any random books by authors looking to call attention to themselves.
I have made some preparedness goals that I wish to complete by the end of 2016. If nothing happens in the end of 2016 with Russia and China, my faith will not be affected. But I'm going to make sure my water barrels are freshly filled.
