“I Saw Another Angel …, Having the Everlasting Gospel”
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The Melbourne Australia Temple angel Moroni.
Think about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. How is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helping you understand and prepare for it? The Apostle John prophesied of events that would be a prelude to the Savior’s triumphal Second Coming, including the Restoration of His Church and the separating of the righteous from the wicked. This lesson is intended to help you understand how the Savior and His restored Church can help the world—including you—prepare for His Second Coming.
Teaching with the word of God. At every opportunity, inspire students to turn to the scriptures and the words of the prophets for guidance, answers to questions, and support. As students do so, “the words of Christ will tell [them] all things what [they] should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).
Student preparation: Invite students to make a list of what they feel are three or four of the most important purposes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Possible Learning Activities
The purpose of the Church
The following activity could be a role play, either as a class or in small groups.
Imagine being in a class at school when the topic of organized religion comes up. A classmate comments that fewer and fewer people belong to or attend a church because they feel churches don’t really serve a purpose. This comment causes you to think about all the purposes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serves.
What are some things you feel others should understand about why Jesus Christ organized His Church?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serves many important purposes that may have come to your mind. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained one of the many important purposes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
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Portrait of Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Photographed in March 2020.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is uniquely empowered and commissioned to accomplish the necessary preparations for the Lord’s Second Coming; indeed, it was restored for that purpose.
How might understanding this purpose impact how you and others view and participate in the Church?
Take a moment to reflect on the blessings of the Savior’s Church and His restored gospel in your life. As you study, listen for promptings and impressions from the Holy Ghost to help you use these blessings to better prepare for the Savior’s Second Coming.
John sees a vision of the latter-day Restoration
As part of his vision recorded in the book of Revelation, John witnessed many important events that would occur prior to the Savior’s Second Coming. He saw 144,000 faithful high priests from all of the tribes of Israel being ordained to administer the gospel and bring people to the Church (see Revelation 7:4–8; 14:1–5; Doctrine and Covenants 77:11). He also witnessed many angels working to prepare the world for the Savior’s return (see Revelation 14:6–20).
Consider displaying an image of a statue of the angel Moroni as students ponder the following question.
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Angel Moroni on the Meridian Idaho Temple during winter at sunrise.
Have you ever wondered why most of our temples have a statue of Moroni on top?
These statues symbolize the preaching of the restored gospel throughout the world. Heavenly messengers, including Moroni, played an important role in the Restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith. In Revelation 14, John referred to the important role that Moroni and other angels would play in helping to prepare the world for the Savior’s return.
Read Revelation 14:6, looking for what you learn from John’s description that reminds you of Moroni and his mission.
What did you find? (If you would like to learn more about Moroni’s role in the Restoration, see Joseph Smith—History 1:29–54.)
In addition to Moroni, the angel spoken of in Revelation 14:6 could also represent the many heavenly messengers who helped to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ. Read the following to identify other angels who played a role in the restoration of the gospel:
Consider allowing students to work in pairs or small groups to review one of these passages and identify other angels who played a role in the Restoration.
The phrase “the hour of his judgment is come” refers to the time when Jesus Christ will judge all the people of the earth. His judgments will occur both at the Second Coming (see Malachi 3:1–5) and at the Final Judgment (see 2 Nephi 9:15). With the help of heavenly messengers, Jesus Christ restored His gospel to help prepare the world for His Second Coming.
What are some ways the Lord’s restored gospel and His Church help prepare the world for His Second Coming? Explain your answers.
What do the Lord’s efforts to prepare us for His Second Coming teach you about Him and His desires for you?
Our role in preparing the world for the Second Coming
John concluded this portion of his writings by describing a vision he had of one “like unto the Son of man” (Revelation 14:14). Read Revelation 14:14–15, looking for what John witnessed.
These verses can be used to help students sense the urgency and importance of participating with the Lord in the gathering of Israel. It may be helpful to display the image of a sickle or draw one on the board while explaining the significance of the sickle in the Savior’s hand (verse 14).
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Drawing of a sickle.
A sickle is a sharp, curved blade used to cut and harvest (or reap) planted crops. When Jesus taught the parable of the wheat and the tares (see Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43), He said the wheat (righteous people) would be separated from the tares (unrighteous people) “in the end of this world” (Matthew 13:40). In his vision, John witnessed the gathering of the righteous from the wicked in preparation for the destruction of the wicked (see Revelation 14:16–20). The phrase “Thrust in thy sickle, and reap” in Revelation 14:15 can mean to gather souls unto Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ invites us to participate in gathering souls to Him in preparation for His Second Coming. This is often referred to as the gathering of Israel.
Take some time to review recent teachings of the Lord’s prophets and apostles related to participating in the gathering of Israel. To do this, you could search the topic “Gathering” in recent general conference addresses on ChurchofJesusChrist.org or on the Gospel Library app. Alternatively, you could review one or more of the following messages from President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy W. Nelson. As you study, look for statements that describe our role in helping to gather Israel and prepare the world for the Second Coming.
Consider providing copies of the following for students who may not be able to access them electronically. Allow students time to study and then to share statements they found from their studies.
“Hope of Israel” (worldwide youth devotional with Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, June 3, 2018), supplement to the New Era and Ensign, ChurchofJesusChrist.org
What is one statement you found about the gathering of Israel that was particularly meaningful to you? Why?
What are some specific things you will do to prepare yourself and others for the Savior’s return? How will these things help you be prepared?
Commentary and Background Information
Why do I have a role in preparing the earth for the Savior’s Second Coming?
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Official Portrait of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Photographed January 2018.
Because ours is the last and greatest of all dispensations, because all things will eventually culminate and be fulfilled in our era, there is, therefore, one particular, very specific responsibility that falls to those of us in the Church now that did not rest quite the same way on the shoulders of Church members in any earlier time. Unlike the Church in the days of Abraham or Moses, Isaiah or Ezekiel, or even in the New Testament days of James and John, we have a responsibility to prepare the Church of the Lamb of God to receive the Lamb of God—in person, in triumphant glory, in His millennial role as Lord of lords and King of kings. No other dispensation ever had that duty.
… We … have the responsibility as a Church and as individual members of that Church to be worthy to have Christ come to us, to be worthy to have Him greet us, and to have Him accept and receive and embrace us. The lives we present to Him in that sacred hour must be worthy of Him!
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
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Official portrait of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2010, August.
Have you ever thought about why you were sent to earth at this specific time? You were not born during the time of Adam and Eve or while pharaohs ruled Egypt or during the Ming dynasty. You have come to earth at this time, 20 centuries after the first coming of Christ. The priesthood of God has been restored to the earth, and the Lord has set His hand to prepare the world for His glorious return. These are days of great opportunity and important responsibilities. These are your days.
With your baptism, you declared your faith in Jesus Christ. … One of your important responsibilities is to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.
If students would benefit from a better understanding of the battle Satan continues to wage with those on earth, consider inviting them to read Revelation 13, looking for words and phrases that describe the characteristics and actions of the beast. What do these words and phrases teach you about Satan, how he works, and what he is trying to do? How can understanding these details help you to better recognize and combat his influence?