The Lord Hastens His Work

The phrase "hastening the work" has a specific scriptural reference found in D&C 88:73 wherein the Lord says, "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." A similar reference is found in Isaiah 60:22 where the Lord says, "I the Lord will hasten it in its time." (See also 2 Nephi 15:19 [Isaiah 5]).  

The phrase is (or more accurately was--it is no longer on our radar having faded quicklyI) repeated 'mantra style' by many members of the church. Mantra style means repeating a phrase without regard to its accuracy or meaning, which, in this case, means there is/was no reference to 1) what the Lord's work is or 2) what our role is in preparing for the Lord's hastening of His work. His work as He refers to it here is His great and marvelous work.

Just as vague ideas exist about the so-called “gathering” or “gathering of Israel,”  the same applies to the idea of “hastening the work.” But do we really know how the scriptures define what these are? Both are an integral part of the same end-time scenario, and neither has yet occurred according to their scriptural definitions. Our misunderstanding their prophetic context, however, may risk turning our zealous labors (zeal without knowledge) into wild fruits. It is critical that we know and teach these events accurately, and understand our role in them. Since the organized church is not and has not been teaching these events correctly, is God telling us to go and figure things out on our own?

 

First, the scriptures define “Israel” as the house of Israel, which today consists of Israel’s natural lineages—the Jews, Ten Tribes, and Lamanites or Lehi's descendants. Israel’s assimilated lineages—identified as “the fulness of the Gentiles”—consist of Ephraimite Gentiles a few of whom will serve as spiritual kings and queens in gathering remnants of the house of Israel in a new exodus to Zion in God’s worldwide Day of Judgment. Word links in the scriptures identify this end-time restoration of the house of Israel as the Lord’s great and marvelous work that is hastened.

 

In other words, up to this point it is largely Ephraim that has been gathering so that, when that time arrives, its spiritual kings and queens can assist in performing the work of gathering the house of Israel. As the context of this gathering is God’s Day of Judgment, however, these events don’t transpire until the Ephraimite Gentiles as a whole apostatize. The scriptures make abundantly clear that it is the falling away of God’s end-time people—those who today claim to be under the covenant—that precipitates God’s Day of Judgment upon the world.

 

Isaiah and other Hebrew prophets such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel further predict that God does not gather the house of Israel until his people’s shepherds begin to fail in their roles and mistreat the sheep. Those actions, too, form a part of the great end-time apostasy that occasions God’s Day of Judgment. He who gathers the sheep is God’s end-time servant David. With the help of God’s servants the spiritual kings and queens of the Gentiles, he brings about the house of Israel’s restoration that constitutes God’s great and marvelous work.

 

It is the Ephraimite Gentiles’ rejection of the fulness of the gospel after they have received it that in the end causes it to turn back to the house of Israel. Indeed, this very turn of events heralds the coming of the Lord to his ancient covenant people the Jews, Ten Tribes, and Lamanites as he remembers his covenants with their ancestors and takes steps to fulfil them. His hastening of the work more fully occurs as translated beings among his servants transcend time constraints and accomplish gathering the house of Israel by supernatural means.

What is our role in the Lord hastening His work? He gives us detailed instructions in D&C 88 as to what we are to do before the Lord hastens His great and marvelous work. It all has to do with our being prepared so our "souls will escape the wrath of God" and be prepared to assist in the Lord's great and marvelous work, i.e. to be found on one hand or the other (1 Nephi 14:7).

We begin in D&C 88:73 wherein the Lord says, "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." Like all His words it is essential in searching and hearing them that we know His definitions of the words he uses, in this case "my work." You be the judge whether we are doing as the Lord tells us.

"And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean" (vs 74).

In other words repent, turn to Him and rely wholly upon His merits, so that He can make us clean.

"That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will" (vs 75).

As we become His, we become our Father's. It is through His goodness, His righteousness and His merits that we are saved.

"Also, I give unto you a commandment that ye shall continue in prayer and fasting from this time forth" (vs 76).

Validate your repentance by enduring in Faith in Him.

"And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another the doctrine of the kingdom" (vs 77).

His doctrine as He teaches in 3 Nephi 11.

"Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand" (vs 78).

So critical is our preparation, but treated so lightly by us. Note phrase "more perfectly" and yet we do nothing to seek out those with the gift of knowledge of the word of God to teach us.

"Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms" (vs 79).

Not just doctrine, but everything including prophecy, which of course requires that we seek out those with the gift of prophecy.

"That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you" (vs 80).

Prepared in ALL things before being sent to magnify (teach word of God [Jacob 1:19]).

"Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor" (vs 81).

Of course this requires that we know what to warn of. See blog post entitled "An Awful State of Blindness--Wild Fruit."

"Therefore, they are left without excuse, and their sins are upon their own heads" (vs 82).

No excuse when we have it all.

"He that seeketh me early shall find me, and shall not be forsaken" (vs 83).

Don't wait until it is too late so you are not caught unprepared. 

"Therefore, tarry ye, and labor diligently, that you may be perfected in your ministry to go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come" (vs 84).

Are you "perfected in your ministry" that you may go forth for the last time, and then be prepared to "assist" in the gathering of Israel?