The World War Predicted
And when the day cometh that the
wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots * * * then, at that day,
the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling
of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of
Israel. (I Nephi 14:15-17)
The prediction is here made that
the time would come, when the whole world would be involved in war, and that
the countries identified with "the great and abominable church" would
be particularly affected; and that, when that war came, then "the work of
the Father shall commence, in preparing the way" for the fulfilling of his
covenants with Israel.
We have lived to see that war. On
July 28, 1914, the Austrian archduke, Ferdinand, and his morganatic wife were
killed by a Serbian student, at Sarajevo, Bosnia, where the archduke had gone
to attend military maneuvers, and a month later Austria declared war on Serbia.
That was the beginning. Then, as impelled by an invisible power, Germany,
August 3, invaded French territory and, the next day, hurled defiance at
Russia. Then Great Britain declared war on Germany. Soon war raged in Europe in
all its fury, and every nation on earth was affected by it.
This war was poured out upon the
great church of the world, for Austria was the main political support of that
church. Its effects were felt most heavily there, since Austria was entirely
broken up by it. Russia, too, the nearest relative of Rome, from an
ecclesiastical point of view, suffered total collapse. The mighty German
empire, more than half Catholic, suffered and was shaken on its foundations. It
certainly was a war in which the so-called Christian world was involved.
But at that time, as stated by the
angel, the Father began preparations for the gathering of the children of
Israel. On Dec. 9, 1917, General Allenby took possession of Jerusalem, and on
Nov. 2, the same year, Balfour issued his famous letter to Baron Rothschild, in
which he stated that, "His Majesty's government view with favor the
establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." Ten
nations, including the United States, gave official endorsement to that policy.
And from that day earnest efforts have been made, with great success, to build
up Palestine. The barren soil has been covered with trees, and herds and flocks
have found feed on the hill sides. (Isa. 41:18)
So this prophecy in the Book of
Mormon has been literally fulfilled in our day and generation. (George Reynolds
and Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, 7 vols. [Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1977], 4:263-64)
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