The Millennium

Chapter 45

Sister Knies led us in a discussion on the millennium during RS this week.

Who will be on the earth during the millennium?  Answer given: The righteous.  It was emphasized that there are lots of righteous people on the earth, not just church members. 

What will bring on the millennium?  Answer given: Christ's second coming.  It will last a thousand years.

What will be the same during the millennium?  Answer given: It will be life as we know it but, Satan will be bound.  We will be working, raising our families, cooking, etc. 

D&C 45:58-59  And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.

What will be different?  Answer:  During the millennium, Christ will be right here with us.  We will have things revealed to us that we need to know. 

What does it mean for Satan to be bound?  No temptation.  Children will grow up without sin.  One question raised was if opposition gives us strength, how do we gain that strength?  Some answers given were, we will still have the natural man in us.  Another response was, when Christ is here and we can see him, how would we make the choice to displease him?  Another sister envisioned it as being like the City of Enoch. 

Another sister pointed out the Righteous Government section in the lesson and  President Taylor's quote:  "The Lord will be king over all the earth, and all mankind literally under his sovereignty, and every nation under the heavens will have to acknowledge his authority, and bow to his scepter.  Those who serve him in righteousness will have communications with God, and with Jesus; will have the ministering of angels, and will know the past, the present, and the future; and other people, who may not yield full obedience to his laws,be fully instructed in his covenants, will, nevertheless, have to yield full obedience to his government.  For it will be the reign of God upon the earth, and he will enforce his laws, and command that obedience from the nations of the world which is legitimately his right." 

Nephi 4:2 and 3  And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.  And they had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor, bond and free, but they were all made free, and partakers of the heavenly gift. 

4 Nephi:13,16,18  And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus.

And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

And how blessed were they!  For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until all hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land.

One sister pointed out that we have already rejected Satan once, when we came to earth.  On earth, we strive to follow Christ and reject Satan.  Again at the millennium, we get to choose Christ and reject again for the third time. 

Temple work will be important.  We will have access to records that we do not currently have.  The opportunity will be provided to correct mistakes made in our genealogy.  It will still be important to keep records and do our journaling.  Why, during this time will this still be important?  One response was that during this time when there won't be temptation, that our children will need to see a time when we have opposition, when we had to make those choices.  They won't know the temptations of Satan. 

What will be the final destiny of the earth at the end of the millennium?  It becomes the celestial kingdom.  Sister Knies points out that a lot of time is spent telling us to prepare our food storage and 72 hour kits but, is our kit prepared spiritually?

In the 2004 Ensign it stated that "We don't know when the game will end or when our team will score but we do know we will win."