Boyd K. Packer: Prepare for a Long Life
Posted on Nov 15, 2019 by Trevor in Religion
I recently taught a lesson on the Second Coming to the Deacons and one of the things I wanted to establish was that they shouldn’t worry about it happening soon. I didn’t want them feeling anxious about apocalyptic, world-ending disasters and Judgement Day and such.
I recalled a talk from several years back in which an apostle explicitly stated his belief that the Second Coming was yet generations away. While looking for that particular talk, to my surprise, I discovered it was given by none other than Elder Packer.
Now, he and I differ in outlooks possibly as much as any other apostle I’ve known. But in this case, I am grateful to have his words as a reassurance to these kids.
Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth: “The way things are going, the world’s going to be over with. The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be.” Not so! You can look forward to doing it right—getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren.
I also found some similar words of his from a couple of decades earlier:
One day you will cope with teenage children of your own. That will serve you right. Later, you will spoil your grandchildren, and they in turn spoil theirs.
While mainstream LDS people have mostly avoided being pulled into end-of-the-world rapture movements, I think most of us know someone that’s got a death bunker or gold bars buried in the backyard for the imminent apocalypse.
More commonly, though, I see members of the church that feel we don’t need to be conservation minded or continue being good stewards of the planet. After all, if Jesus is just coming soon, why bother fighting climate change, pushing for sweeping progressive improvements to society, etc?
Frankly I think God expects much much more of us. And I believe firmly it’s incumbent upon each of us to plan for the very long term.
