Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Excerpt from “Farwell Message of President Ezra Taft Benson to the Saints and Friends of the European Mission"

  

To the rulers and peoples of these European nations, I solemnly declare that the God of heaven has established his latter-day kingdom upon the earth in fulfillment of prophecies uttered by his ancient prophets and apostles. Holy angels have again communed with men on the earth. God has again revealed himself from heaven and restored to the earth his holy priesthood with power to administer in all the sacred ordinances necessary for the exaltation of his children. His Church has been reestablished among men with all the spiritual gifts enjoyed anciently.

 

All this is done in preparation for Christ’s second coming. The great and dreadful day of the Lord is near at hand. In preparation for this great event and as a means of escaping the impending judgments, inspired messengers have gone forth to the nations of the earth carrying this testimony and warning.

 

The nations of the earth continue in their sinful and unrighteous ways. The unbounded knowledge with which men have been blessed has been used to destroy mankind instead of to bless the children of men as the Lord intended. Two great world wars in the past twenty-five years, with fruitless efforts of lasting peace, are solemn evidence that peace has been taken from the earth because of the wickedness of the people. Nations cannot endure in sin. They will be broken up, but the kingdom of God will endure forever.

 

Therefore, as a humble servant of the Lord, I call upon the leaders of nations to humble themselves before God, to seek his inspiration and guidance. I call upon rulers and people alike to repent of their evil ways. Turn unto the Lord, seek his forgiveness and unite yourselves in humility with his kingdom. There is no other way. (“Farwell Message of President Ezra Taft Benson to the Saints and Friends of the European Mission,” in A Labor of Love: The 1946 European Mission of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1989], 243-44)