Dreams and Visions of the Last Days, Special Edition

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DREAMS and VISIONS OF THE LAST DAYS

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the memory of Cleon Skousen, who gave me the assignment in 2000 to collect these dreams and visions and write them down. He was, and still is, a mighty tool in the hands in the Almighty that helped teach millions the gospel of Jesus Christ.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I wish to express a tremendous thanks and appreciation first to all of those who have shared a piece of their very personal spiritual experiences and have allowed me to publish them for others to consider. I am very grateful to Cleon Skousen who strongly encouraged me to have people write down the dreams and visions that they were telling me and collect them because he felt it was very important and would serve a future purpose. He received a rough draft of this book in 2004. Especial thanks goes to Janet Rasband who helped in sorting through the hundreds of dreams and organizing them, President Bruce Eckrsel who helped review the doctrine and materials in the book, and Christopher Parrett who helped tremendously in the publishing of the book. And a wonderful thanks and appreciation to the many, many wonderful friends from the www.ldsavow.com board that have helped so much and have become like family.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose and intent of this book is actually very simple. It is to perhaps convince a few more people to follow the living Prophet a little more closely, and to prepare themselves and their families for the events which lie in the (near?) future by preparing Spiritually (getting temple recommends and using them often), Physically (obtaining a minimum one year supply of food, clothing, shelter and other necessities where legally possible), and Mentally; and as part of this preparation, to perhaps come to understand some of the events that they will likely have to pass through. Elder Oaks, in the April 2004 General Conference, encouraged all members of the Church throughout the world to accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us. This book is a small effort to comply with that counsel.

This book is printed in this particular format in order to keep the printing costs down.

Underlinings and boldings for emphasis are my own. Scriptures are italicized.

COMMENTARY ON DREAMS AND VISIONS

My publisher has asked me to add my comments on the contents of this book many times. I have steadfastly refused, saying that I wanted to have a clean un-biased book for people to gather information and receive their own impressions. His compromise suggestion was to have two copies, one without, and one special edition with. To this, I have agreed. My comments are my personal opinions and reflections upon the material.

Hopefully, my comments may help bring to light as you read this book.

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General commentary:

It has been two years since Dreams and Visions was published. One of the things that scares me is that several of the things that are written about in this book have already come to pass; others are happening currently. This suggests that many more are just around the corner. No one knows the timing of when such things will happen, such as the next major event or series of closely related events, such as the heavy persecution of the Church, the callout to places of refuge (tent cities), the times of chaos and destruction in North America, the 13 month war (the attack and invasion of North America by foreign forces) and the beginning of the war of Armageddon. I personally pray that they will be put off a little longer to allow a few more people, including members of the Church, to get prepared − both spiritually and physically.

All we can do is prepare ourselves as best we can, and wait for further instruction from the Living Prophet and the Quorum of the Twelve. I cannot emphasize enough that they are THE key. They are our guides through the dark and terrible storms ahead. If it were not for Moses (the living prophet of their time) the children of Israel would have been lost to the Egyptians, or would have died in the wilderness. In fact, they would never have gotten out of bondage in the first place. It will be the same in our day.

CHAPTER 1 — WHY?

WHY IS IT that over the last few years our beloved living prophet, President Hinckley, along with members of the Quorum of the Twelve and other General Authorities have continued emphasizing the nearness of the last days along with spiritual and physical preparation for those events? To list a few:

* President Hinckley, Oct 1998 General Conference, To the Boys and Men

* President Hinckley Oct General Conference 2001, The Times In Which We Live

* Jan 2002 First Presidency letter on food storage directing the obtaining of 1 year minimum food storage to be taught in every stake, district, ward and branch throughout the world.

* Feb 2002 President Packer letter ...(Including food storage emphasis for stake conference Saturday Evening Sessions)

* Jan 2003 World Wide Relief Society Visiting Teaching Message: If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear

* President Hinckley, April 2003 General Conference, War and Peace

* President Packer...BYU J. Reuben Clark Law Society Devotional,On the Shoulders of Giants 2/28/2004"

* Elder Oaks, April 2004 General conference...Preparation For The Second Coming

* President Hinckley, April 2004 General Conference I Was an Hungered, and Ye Gave Me Meat

* Elder Eyring...Jan 25, 2005 BYU-Idaho Devotional, Raise The Bar

* Elder Wirthlin...Oct 2005 General conference, Journey To Higher Ground

* President Hinckley ...Oct 2005 General Conference, If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear

It is interesting to note that prior to his call as Prophet, President Hinckley rarely talked about food storage or events of the Second Coming/last days. However, after 1998, he emphasized both those subjects continually. In the Priesthood session of October General Conference, 1998 he surprised everyone when he read from the story of Joseph in Egypt, Pharaoh’s vision of the fat and lean cattle and its interpretation of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine and then said,

I am suggesting that the time has come to get our houses in order... The economy is a fragile thing... There is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed... I urge you, brethren, to look to the condition of your finances. I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.... This is a part of the temporal gospel in which we believe. May the Lord bless you, my beloved brethren, to set your houses in order... That’s all I have to say about it, but I wish to say it with all the emphasis of which I am capable. A few weeks later the stock market lost over 1000 points in a few days.

After the attacks on Sept 11, 2001, President Hinckley talked extensively about the last days. He quoted from Matthew 24 and D&C 112:24, and spoke of preparing for the terrible events of the last days by getting out of debt and getting a year’s supply of food storage. Three months later, the First Presidency issued another letter to the world wide church membership emphasizing food storage, including for the very first time ever, an outline of a bare minimum food storage per person. (This letter can be found in the Appendix.)

Seven years later, almost to the day, in another General Priesthood session (Oct 2005), in a talk entitled, If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear, President Hinckley again mentioned Pharaoh’s dream of the seven good years followed by the seven lean years, twice, and emphasized again food storage, getting out of debt, and spiritual preparation. He also read from Matthew 24, as well as other scriptures about terrible calamities and destructions. He concluded by saying, "Let us never lose sight of the dream of Pharaoh concerning the fat cattle and the lean, the full ears of corn, and the blasted ears; the meaning of which was interpreted by Joseph to indicate years of plenty and years of scarcity. (This talk can be found in the Appendix.)

There have been more talks on the last days, spiritual and physical preparation (including obtaining one year food storage, listening to the spirit better, greater temple attendance), over the last 6 years by the Church leadership than ever before. Additionally, for the first time ever, the Church officially outlined a minimum of a one year supply of food that every member of the Church should obtain. Again, one might ask the question, Why? Are they trying to tell us something and perhaps too many of us are not listening? Perhaps President Benson answered that question when he said to the Church membership:

Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion. The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel, through His servants, on how we can be prepared for these difficult times. Have we heeded His counsel?¹

I have been told by many that this book is probably too late anyway, and it won’t do much good. Never-the-less, here it is. I have contemplated publishing this book for several years. Only recently have I made the decision to do so in the hope that it might perhaps convince a few more members of the Church that very dangerous, chaotic, dark times are just ahead, perhaps within a very few short years (even though the Savior’s actual return to the earth might be many years away), and that they need to prepare for these events both spiritually (attending the temple often, among other things) and physically (getting at least a basic one year supply of food and other necessities.) In essence, I believe that President Hinckley’s continued emphasis on preparation over the last few years is for a reason. I also believe that the recent catastrophic natural calamities, which appear to be increasing in frequency and destructive strength, (as prophesied) are but heralds to the real reason for a one year minimum supply of food and necessities, that of a period of at least one year of sudden, complete famine in the land, which has also been prophesied.

Unfortunately, it has been my personal experience that often those who disagree about the need to prepare (often declaring that it’s too far away to worry about) will go to great pains to denounce a book like this, declaring that people like me have no authority to write about such things since we are not General Authorities of the Church, nor trained CES employees. (Yes, I have actually been told that only LDS Church General Authorities, BYU Professors, or CES employees should write such books.) And yet even as recent as April 2004 conference, Elder Oaks encouraged all members of the Church to accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us.

Interestingly enough, I have learned over the past almost 15 years of teaching food storage and preparation that the topic of preparation itself has increasingly become a topic of controversy, especially when tied in with needing such preparation in order to survive some of the events preceeding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Many Church members, including a few ward and stake leaders, don’t want to discuss it, or even hear about it, and over the last few years, have become strikingly opposed to its discussion — often giving as the reason that the topic upsets too many members.

This is not uncommon. President Joseph Fielding Smith complained several times that, even during his day, the members of the Church didn’t want to hear about the events of the last days. Forty years ago he said:

President Wilford Woodruff and the Prophet Joseph Smith declared that it was their duty and should be the duty of every righteous man to raise the warning voice and proclaim the fact that these calamities are at our doors, and I have been condemned because I have done that. I heard one good man say, There are too many good things to think about without talking about these troubles, these plagues, or worrying about the coming of the Lord." Here is what the Lord says in Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants, verses 39 to 43.

"And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

"And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.

And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

Now, when the Lord says that, don’t you think I am justified in raising my voice and do you think I am doing wrong when I am (warning about) watching the signs of the times and these calamities and troubles that are coming? Am I doing wrong? And yet one good brother said, Too many things to do. We haven’t time to worry about the coming of Christ." Now, here is something from President Brigham Young:

Do you think there is calamity abroad now among the people?…All we have yet heard and all we have experienced is scarcely a preface to the sermon that is going to be preached. When the testimony of the Elders ceases to be given, and the Lord says to them, ‘come home; I will now preach My own sermons to the nations of the earth,’ all you now know can scarcely be called a preface to the sermon that will be preached with fire and sword, tempests, earthquakes, hail, rain, thunders, and lightnings and fearful destruction. What matters the destruction of a few railway cars? You will hear of magnificent cities, now idolized by the people, sinking in the earth, entombing the inhabitants. The sea will heave itself beyond its bounds, engulfing mighty cities. Famine will spread over the nations, and nation will rise up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and states against states, in our own country and in foreign lands; and they will destroy each other, caring not for the blood and lives of their neighbors, of their families, or for their own lives. They will be like the Jaredites who preceded the Nephites upon this continent, and will destroy each other to the last man, through the anger that the devil will place in their hearts, because they have rejected the words of life and are given over to Satan to do whatever he listeth to do with them. You may think that the little you hear of now is grievous; yet the faithful of God’s people will see days that will cause them to close their eyes because of the sorrow that will come upon the wicked nations. The hearts of the faithful will be filled with pain and anguish for them.

Why is the Lord angry? Why are all these things coming upon the world? President Young said in this article that I read and the Lord says in the revelations I have read to you, it is because they have turned away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, because they have rebelled against God, and because they have refused to hear the testimony of those who have been sent to preach the Gospel to them. That is why. They have rejected the message. The nations are full of iniquity.²

Another reason for publishing this book is that, over the last few years, there have been a few who have taught, and written, contrary to the teachings of the current and past Prophets and Apostles, that we need not worry about such preparations at this time. They teach that the Second Coming of the Savior is 50-100 years away, often using the excuse that fulfillment of ‘missionary work to the whole world’ prophecies indicate that this is so. It is the all is well in Zion belief, and is specifically mentioned in the scriptures. (2nd Nephi 28)

However, it is my belief that very shortly, the world and society we know will drastically and suddenly change. The time is shortly coming which has been prophesied and seen in dreams and visions since the world began. The material contained in this book is one of the reasons I believe this to be the case. However, the readers are presented with the material herein, so that they may consider, ponder, and make up their own minds.

It appears that several of the events, such as a complete, sudden famine, devastating plagues, and chaos, come to the U.S. a few years immediately prior to the next world war, which is a tactical nuclear war (for which the Chinese and their allies including North Korea, Russia, Iran, Syria, and others are hurriedly arming and preparing ). This is followed immediately by a complete worldwide famine, more plagues, and even more cataclysmic natural disasters, etc. in which America is cleansed of most of its very wicked, Gadianton infiltrated, inhabitants, referred to primarily as Gentiles in the scriptures. Unfortunately, this cleansing will include many members of the Church.

Should the Lord decide at this time to cleanse the Church—and the need for that cleansing seems to be increasing—a famine in this land of one year’s duration could wipe out a large percentage of slothful members, including some ward and stake officers. Yet we cannot say we have not been warned.³

Afterwards, those few Gentile Church members in America who survive because of having prepared spiritually and physically, and having followed every word of the living prophet (perhaps as small a group as 10% of Church members in North America) will have the opportunity to perform some extraordinary missionary work throughout the world to completely fulfill the prophecies concerning sending forth the gospel to the whole world.

Another popular, though false, teaching and misleading concept is: if we attend the temple and fulfill our Church callings, we don’t need to do anything physically to prepare because we will fit the definition of being ‘righteous’ and therefore, the Lord will automatically spare us. President Benson addressed this false doctrine head-on when he declared, (repeated here for emphasis sake):

"Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion. The Lord has warned and forewarned us against a day of great tribulation and given us counsel, through His servants, on how we can be prepared for these difficult times. Have we heeded His counsel?⁴

Of course the adversary works hard at trying to get people, especially members of the Church, to not follow the counsel that has been given for over 60 years about preparing spiritually and physically for the events that are coming. President Kimball bemoaned the fact that there were too many of the Church membership who were not heeding the counsel to get food storage. He encouraged all ward and stake leaders in the world to push this matter until it is done:

"Brethren and sisters, I commend to you the excellent addresses that have been given here this morning by Sister Barbara Smith, President of the Relief Society, and the Brethren.

As I listened to their addresses, I kept thinking over and over of something the Savior said,Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? It rolled over and over and over in my mind: Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46.)

"There are many people in the Church today who have failed to do, and continue to argue against doing, the things that are requested and suggested by this great organization.

The Lord said also, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21.) And I was thinking that there are as many wards and branches in the Church as there are people in this room, (the tabernacle) one for one....what great accomplishment there would be if every bishop and every branch president in all the world, wherever it’s possible (of course there are a few places where this is not permitted), had a storage such as has been suggested here this morning—and took to their three or four or five hundred members the same message, quoting scripture and insisting that the people of their wards and branches do the things the Lord has requested, for we know that there are many who are failing.

And then I hear them argue, Well, suppose we do put away a lot and then someone comes and takes it from us, our neighbors who do not believe." That’s been answered this morning.

And so my feeling is today that we emphasize these two scriptures: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. And the other: Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

"Think of the number of people represented here this day by the stake presidents, mission presidents, and others who are directors, who have many people under them. Our 750 stakes—all of them including hundreds, sometimes thousands, of members—could that we have, if we go to work and actually push this matter until it is done. We talk about it, we listen to it, but sometimes we do not do the things which the Lord says.

"Brethren and sisters, we’ve gathered here this morning to consider the important program which we must never forget nor put in the background. As we become more affluent and our bank accounts enlarge, there comes a feeling of security, and we feel sometimes that we do not need the supply that has been suggested by the Brethren. It lies there and deteriorates, we say. And suppose it does? We can reestablish it. We must remember that conditions could change and a year’s supply of basic commodities could be very much appreciated by us or others. So we would do well to listen to what we have been told and to follow it explicitly.

We encourage you to grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property....Develop your skills in your home preservation and storage. We reaffirm the previous counsel the Church has always given, to acquire and maintain a year’s supply—a year’s supply of the basic commodities for us.⁵

This book is an effort to counter such false teachings as mentioned above and perhaps to bring additional information about what is coming to light so that people might understand a little bit more of what we must prepare for.

It has been my experience and study that the Lord rarely does anything without preparing His people in advance by communicating to His leaders, and very often also to the people to be involved, about what is to come. Throughout the ages, one of His primary ways of communicating such information has been through the means of dreams and visions. Joel, as quoted previously, specifically says that this will be so concerning the last days. This book is a compilation of a few such communications that I have had the honor and opportunity to receive from various individuals during the last several years.

These dreams and visions are very sacred to those who have received them. Additionally, they have universally felt the need to share them with others in the hope that what they find to be extremely important personally, for them and their families, might have some relevance, or at least strike a chord of familiarity with others. It is by no means an effort to try to claim revelation for others. They do not claim any such authority, nor make any such declarations, nor do I.

In the early days of the restored Church, even in ancient days, such personal dreams and visions were often shared with others as a way to bolster each other’s faith in the gospel. Occasionally, one persons personal revelation had some meaning or importance for someone else, but that meaning or importance had to be, and could only be, determined by the listener.

And so the information presented here, consisting primarily of dreams and visions, is for each individual who reads this book to ponder, pray about, and decide if there is any relevance or importance for themselves and their family. Perhaps it may, or perhaps not. It is only and exclusively for the reader to decide.

CHAPTER 2 — NOBODY KNOWS WHEN

Nobody on earth knows when the Savior will return to the earth the second time, this time in power and great glory to cleanse the earth of wickedness. The scriptures are very clear on that point.

I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the day no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.⁶

The Savior’s actual return could be ten years away, or perhaps fifty years away. (Of course there have been a lot of people saying His coming is at least fifty years away for about 50 years now, so perhaps it is closer than they believe.)

However near or distant His Second Coming is, there is little doubt that we are in the last days just prior to the long anticipated event. The Prophets and Apostles have been very clear lately on that point. Without question it is getting closer. The only real question that is being debated is how soon, or how close is it? Some say that it is very soon. Others argue that it is still 50 years or more away because, in the estimation of their mortal minds, it would take at least another 30-50 years for some of the events that have been prophesied to occur.

It is important to note that in the several parables concerning His return, including the parable of the Ten Virgins⁷, the Savior himself warned us that His return would catch most of the world, including most of the members of His Church, by surprise.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.⁸

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.⁹

Whatever the case, the timing or the when of His coming really doesn’t matter anyway; and let me explain why that is so. The scriptures clearly describe a series of events that appear to happen perhaps as much as 20-50 years before He comes to the world in glory. The problem is that most of