Memo #53
October and November 2004
To: Those I love,
From: Grandpa Pratt
Re: Desolation
As well may a man in the mortal world object to the law of gravity or any of the other fixed laws of nature, as to object to the laws of the Celestial Kingdom. They have been tried, proved and are eternal. This being the fact there can be nothing but peace and joy in that kingdom. ~Joseph F. Smith ~
Isaiah is the most prolific writer of the Old Testament and lived in the eighth century B.C.
But I will just summarize him and give chapter and verse as pertaining to our day. I especially like his description of modern women of the world. Ch. 3:16-26. Did he leave out anything?
In ch. 5:13 he has the Lord saying, My people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge. That’s why I am writing these memos, so that my people shall have knowledge and not be seduced into captivity by Satan.
“The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved...the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard.” Note: as it did to bring on the flood so shall it shake again until the earth’s surface is restored to its paradisiacal glory. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they ...shall run and not be weary; and walk and not faint.” 40:31 Great are the prophecies of Isaiah, read them, search them and watch them be fulfilled.
Now look at Jeremiah and his prophecies. They mostly are about the destruction of Jerusalem in 590 -83 B.C. but are a vivid example of the end times.
First notice his calling: “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” He was contemporary with Lehi and would have been one of the prophets warning Lehi to flee. Jer. 1:4-5
As Jerusalem was ripening for destruction the righteous were gathered out. Babylon became the world’s super power about 610 B.C. and the Jews became a puppet state with four different kings appointed over them by Nebuchadnezzar. Their names were Jehoahaz (lasted 3 months) his brother Jehoiakim (lasted 11 years) His son Jehoiackin (lasted 3 months 10 days) His uncle, and brother to the first two, Zedekiah lasted 13 years. He saw the total destruction of his people including the execution of his sons then he was blinded and taken as a slave to Babylon. At each change of these kings who disobeyed Babylonian orders, Nebuchadnezzar, of course had to send his troops to Jerusalem to restore order and install the new king. And each time he ordered the troops to bring back the best of the Jews. It’s amazing that after 2600 years we still have the number taken back to Babylon each time. Jehoahaz crowned 609 B.C. captives taken 3023; including Daniel and other righteous. They were given full Babylonian Citizenship and Daniel served as Prime Minister to three different kings.
Jehoiakim was crowned 609 B.C. and captives taken numbered 832 persons including the Prophet Ezekiel. Zedekiah crowned 600 B.C. captives removed to Babylon 745 persons.
The rest of the Jews were slaughtered except for Jeremiah, who was given the choice of staying in Palestine with a smattering of very poor Jews who were to work the land and pay tribute. The Babylonians liked Jeremiah and invited him to move to Babylon where he would be set up in style. He chose to remain in Palestine.
Previously the Lord gave Jeremiah a very strange commandment. “Thou shalt not take a
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wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. ...for they shall die grievous deaths;...they shall not be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 16:1-4
LEGEND has it that Jeremiah traveled to Egypt with two of Zedekiahs daughters and with others made their way to Britain and Zedekiah’s daughters began the royal line that has extended to the present time. (This can’t be proven)
Ezekiel was carried to Babylon and is next to Isaiah in his prophecies of our day and is easier to read. He also gives a rather detailed description of the resurrection ch. 37.
Chapter 38 heading reads: The battle of Gog and Magog against Israel shall usher in the second coming ~ The Lord will come amid war and pestilence, and all men shall shake at his presence.
Chapter 39 continues; Gog and Magog (the worlds combined armies) will be destroyed by the coming of the Lord and the Jews will be seven months burying the dead.
One message from Ezekiel that is lacking in others I really enjoy: “If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statues, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath done, they shall not be mentioned unto him; in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” Ezekiel 18:21-23
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live. 18:32
And Zechariah paints a very clear picture of events of today: “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh...For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled and the women ravished;...then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations...and his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives...and the mount shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south...and ye shall flee to the valley... and the Lord my God shall come and all the saints with thee...and the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. 14:4-9
“And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosts.
The concluding verses of the Old Testament: “Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the Prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.” Mal. 4:5-6
Note: Why would there be no one to live on it in its Celestialized state? Because none would qualify.
Keep your eye on Jerusalem the finale of the wicked world will be played out
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there. Even now the nations are gathering against her. I will go into considerable detail later.
The coming of Elijah was fulfilled April 3, 1836. It is recorded in D.&C. 110:1-16 Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (two witnesses) were visited in the Kirtland temple by Jesus, Moses, Elias and Elijah. Each had keys to bestow.
And Elijah who was taken up into heaven without tasting death, stood before us and said: the time has fully come which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi...and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors. D.&C. 110:13-16
It is an exciting time to live, learn and prepare. I love each one of you.
Love, Dad, Grandpa Pratt etc
